Ancient Black Ops

Deadly covert ops from history. In medieval Persia, the Assassins used stealth, infiltration and dagger skills to kill many a foe - including the King of the Crusades.

Find out how the fabled Spartan 300 had marked similarities to today's special forces. Within their ranks was a secret death squad, who aimed to kill the Persian king.

The elite troops who carried out history's dirty work. Learn about the Sicarii, a stealthy hit squad that fought the Roman invaders in Jerusalem right to the bitter end.

Hear how the elite Harii tribe of Germania, who were trained to fight only at night, inflicted the Roman Army's worst ever defeat. Experts examine their tactics.

Learn all about the Berserkers, drugged-up Norse warriors who fought their battles in a trance - one bruiser stalling a whole Saxon army with just an axe.

This elite unit of bodyguards not only minded Byzantine Emperors, they also shaped wars with their clever tactics. Hear their story in the series on covert ops.

Hear how these fearsome Aztec snatch squads, who captured their foes alive before sacrificing them, handed a rare defeat to the Spanish conquistadors in 1520.

The Hawaiian Koa were deadly martial arts experts who defeated and killed Captain Cook and his British marines in 1779. Learn more about these elite fighters.

The inside track on the world's oldest and deadliest hit squads. Hear how ninjas became the stealth troops of Japan's greatest shogun, wiping out an army in a cunning ambush.

In the 18th century, 47 dishonoured samurai - or ronin - gathered to avenge the killing of their master. Discover how this carefully planned operation was executed.