History Of Persia

To prepare ourselves for their role in the coming wars between Persian the Greek city states, I'm explaining the history and politics of Archaic Athens, from their first adoption of oligarchy rather than monarchy, down through the adoption of democracy, the Peisistratid tyrants, and the final restoration of democracy by Cleisthenes. At the end of that long process, the Athenians and their Eretrian allies joined forces with the Ionian Greek cities of Anatolia in their revolt against the Persian Empire. In 498 BCE, the Greek army set out from Ephesus in a lightning raid to attack, and ultimately destroy, the Lydian capital at Sardis.  Patreon Casting Through Ancient Greece Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire by Matt Waters --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At the end of the 6th century BCE, a group of exiled aristocrats from the island of Naxos inadvertently set off a chain of events that would eventually lead to such famous battles as Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. They asked the Milesian Tyrant, Aristagoras, to help them retake their home island after being kicked out. Aristagoras went to the Satrap of Lydia, who in turn asked Darius the Great. When Darius gave the go ahead, a Persian fleet invaded, and subsequently retreated from Naxos. Out of money and out of options Aristagoras and the rest of the Ionian Greeks in western Anatolia began hatching a plan to launch an Ionian Revolt against the Persian Empire. Audible Patreon Support Page Ad: Audbile --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

To celebrate the Persian New Year's festival of Nowruz, check out the 2nd Sort-of Annual Holiday Special, exploring the New Year's celebrations of the Achaemenid Empire. Called Navasarda at that time, many of the traditions associated with the modern holiday were still developing during the Achaemenid period. The origins and original purpose of the holiday season are hazy and changed and developed as Iranian society evolved over centuries. Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This time it's just one episode for a different kind of tour. Explore the early phases of construction at Susa and Persepolis under Darius the Great. The grand Apadana audience halls with their splendid columns. The lavishly decorated palaces built to house Darius throughout the year. The famous works of art and architecture that define the middle Achaemenid period are featured in this episode. Patreon! Support Page! Inscribed Door Handle Avesta.org Old Persian translations --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's the final stage of the tour! Our trip through the Persian Empire wraps up with three central provinces of the empire, located in western Iran. This time it's Susiana, Media, and Parsa itself. We'll traverse everything from rundown ancient kingdoms, hostile mountain tribes, royal capitals, and one of the wonders of the ancient world. For some of them, we won't even have to leave the same city. These are the provinces that ruled and defined the Achaemenid Persian Empire.  Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The tour of the Persian Empire continues. This time I'm going through the empire within the empire to dissect Assyria and Babylonia. Within these two satrapies, there were many important administrative districts and geographic divisions including Judea, Palestine, Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Akkad in addition to Assyria and Babylon themselves. With hindsight's 20/20 this was obviously one the most important parts of the empire, and we'll go through it in detail.  Patreon Oldest Stories Website | Spotify |Google | Anchor | RSS --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today is the one year anniversary of launching the History of Persia podcast. Thank you all so much for your support and interest this past year! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The tour of the Persian Empire continues, this time covering the western Satrapies. I'm exploring the details and histories of the Persian provinces starting with Armenia and moving counter clockwise, through Anatolia and Europe, over the Mediterranean, North Africa, Arabia, and Assyria. Based on the maps of Ian Mladjov.  Patreon Support Page  Audible Trial Casting Through Ancient Greece The History of Egypt podcast Ad: Audible --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

With the Persian Empire at its greatest ever extent, it's time to start a tour of the empire. We're travelling east, out of Parsa, and following the excellent maps of Ian Mladjov counter-clockwise through the eastern provinces. From Karmana to India, to the steppe to Parthia and everywhere in between, to examine the little bit of information we have about the Persian east. Patreon Support Page  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Happy Holidays Everyone! In place of a regular episode this week, we have the first annual History of Persia Holiday Special. Regardless of what holidays you're celebrating, or not, I have a surprise topic to cover by audience request this week. Please enjoy! Patreon Interesting topic? Check out Anthrochef's History of Food. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's finally time to talk about the famous Behistun Inscription, commissioned by Darius to commemorate his victories over "Gaumata" and the rebel kings he faced from 522 - 518 BCE. It is part propaganda, part epic, part origin story, and part religious creed, declaring Darius' position over his hard-won empire. I go through the inscription step by step and give some of the history of the site beyond Darius.  Patreon Link Support Page Behistun Text --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

With most of the Persian Empire firmly under his control in 519 BCE, Darius the Great set off to earn that title by conquering surrounding territories and spreading Achaemenid territory to its greatest ever extent. He pushed the boundaries of the known world and established an empire that stretched that spanned nearly 4,000 miles from North Africa to the Indus River Valley. Patreon Link --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Picking right back up in the late summer of 521 BCE, I'm talking about the rest of the rebellions against Darius. That's the last three campaigns against the Liar Kings from the Behistun Inscription, the strangely absent rebellion in Egypt, and the other rebels that  were excluded from the famous monument before concluding with personal betrayal for the new King of Kings. Patreon Link The Hellenistic Age: - Website - iTunes - Spotify - SoundCloud --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

No sooner was Bardiya dead, than the newly minted King Darius had to turn his attention on rebellious subjects. One satrapy after the next went into revolt at the end of 522 BCE, and Darius spent most of his first year on the throne directing his armies from place to place to try and hold the empire together. This time, I'm talking about Darius, the calendar, and the rebellious liar kings who sundered the Persian Empire. Patreon Link Audible Link Ad: Audible --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After all that business with Gaumata that Magos, I figured we had time to keep talking about magi. This episode explores the religious developments and beliefs in Persia during the Achaemenid period. I'm focusing on Zoroastrianism, but also discussing how naming a religion like that for the ancient Persians is harder than it might seem. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

522 BCE was a crazy year for the Persian Empire. That was the year that Bardiya - or maybe Gaumata - seized power. He overturned his brother and ruled the empire to try and save it. He halted rebellion and made peace with the nobility. However, nobody can usurp the throne or be a reformer without making a few enemies, and Darius became a lethal enemy to Bardiya. Audible Link Ad: Audible --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In 522 BCE, the Persian Empire sat on the edge of Chaos. Between March and September of that year, 3 men sat on the Persian throne, and according to the official royal history one of those kings was actually impersonated by a couple of magi. This episode is the first to really question who the Magi were. This episode also discusses the many theories of what really happened that year.   Patreon Support Audible Link Aspects of History and Epic in Ancient Iran: From Gaumāta to Wahnām Ad: Audible --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The story of Polykrates, the Tyrant of Samos, intersects repeatedly with the history of the Persian empire during his life. From his rise to power in the vacuum left when Miletus was conquered, to his alliance with Egypt against the Persians, and finally to his death on the orders of a Satrap. His story feeds directly into the history around Oroites, the Satrap of Sparda (the kingdom formerly known as Lydia). Oroites tried to seize some power for himself in events that prepare our narrative for the chaotic years following Cambyses' death. Patreon Support Page --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hello everyone! I've got some announcements, updates, and news about the show for you, and as a little bonus for listening to my fundraising spiel, there's a mini-episode on the history of the world's first coinage at the end. Thank you everybody! Patreon Support Page Twitter Facebook Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The story of Cambyses isn't just the conquest of Egypt, but also the dark side of it. According to Herodotus Cambyses was a mad king, driven to paranoia and acts of terrible violence while he was Egypt. The Greek Historian, as well as the Behistun Inscription, tell how Cambyses II murdered his family members and drove his own empire into open revolt. This episode describes the Persian tragedy of the King of King's fall into madness.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy