Episode 15, Writing, Libraries, & Internet has some serious failings. The episode, in a chronological narrative, begins to explain the "origins" of writing, libraries, and the internet. Here is part of the timeline concerning the topic of writing in the show.
1. Romania. 5,300 BCE
a. Vinca symbols
2. Sumer. 4,000 BCE
a. Cuneiform
3. Saqqara, Egypt. 2,800 BCE
a. The Maxims of Ptahhotep
4. Babylonia. 1,772 BCE
a. The Code of Hammurabi
5. China. 1,500 BCE
a. Gives summary of topics Chinese writing.
6. Rome. 1st Century CE
a. Birth of the book. The Codex.
7. Jumps to Middle Ages, then to China 1045 CE.
a. Movable type method of printing.
You'll notice a gap between China 1,500 BCE and Rome 1st century. This is where Greece would be talked about. The Homeric epics would have been a quick and easy talking point. The Homeric Epic's long-lasting influence on Western Civilization is unquestionable. To me, it is criminal not to bring them up. The Iliad contains 15,693 lines while the Odyssey contains 12,110 lines. That is almost 28,000 lines of poetry in dactylic hexameter together.
Outside of the familiar Greek writings of Homer and later, the show could have showcased the Cretan hieroglyphic system c. 2100 1700 BCE, Linear A c. 1800 1450 BCE, and Linear B 1450 1200 BCE. All Hellenic systems of writing, contemporaries with the other writings system mentioned in the show.
In episode 16 Monarchy, Democracy, & Communism the Greek development of democracy was severely downplayed. Sparta and Athens are spoken about for a roughly one minute then the show moves on to England 1215. When discussing Athens (508 BCE) they highlight the reforms of Cleisthenes the "father of Athenian democracy". For some reason the show had to bring up that Cleisthenes is the grandson of Cleisthenes Of Sicyon, who the show says murdered his opponents. It seems the reason they mention this is to give probably cause to why Cleisthenes thought it was a good idea to reduce the power of the nobility, but I think the writer was just trying to just throw something negative in, because it is a random fact you need to look hard for.
The fact that they only give one minute to Greek democracy is shameful. If I did not know history, and watched this episode I would not have learned that Greek invented democracy and would just thought it occurred there like it was not historically significant. Even with its failings, Athenian democracy is the most enduring legacy to the western world that the Greeks gave. Democracy, when we examine history, was not the normative form of government, and today is held to be one of our greatest ideals.