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Come join me, Cy, as I uncover and explore the stories of the people and places that make up (or made up) our world. Whether through primary sources such as ancient inscriptions or interviews with some of the greatest scholars in the field of ancient and medieval history, this podcast will expose you to historical topics that are rarely covered in depth by others. Many of these programs will be supplements to the videos that appear on the popular History with Cy YouTube channel. You won't want to miss a single episode! Subscribe today!
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In 480 BC, following the fall of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet withdrew from Artemisium and regrouped at Salamis. At the same time, Xerxes advanced through Boeotia virtually unopposed, while Athens prepared for evacuation under the so-called Decree of Themistocles. Ancient sources speak of a Persian attempt to plunder Delphi, but modern scholarship generally regards this as later propaganda intended to protect the sanctuary’s reputation. At Salamis, the Greek alliance faced difficult choices....
1It is the year 480 BC and the massive army and navy of the Great King of Persiam, Xerxes, is on the move. The Great King himself is personally leading the campaign and eager to witness his armed forces' triumph as they advance through northern and central Greece. Two battles, fought on land and sea, will test the resolve of a fragile but determined anti-Persian Greek alliance hastily formed to check the Great King's advance. Despite deep rivalries and a history of conflict among themse...
In this episode, we’ll explore the critical decade between the Greek victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC and Xerxes’ invasion of Greece in 480 BC—a period that shaped the course of the Greco-Persian Wars. Following their defeat at Marathon, the Persians, under King Darius I, began preparing for a renewed campaign, but internal challenges, including rebellions and Darius’ death in 486 BC, delayed their plans. With the ascension of Xerxes I, the Persian Empire moved decisively. Xerxes ...
In the last episode of this series, we covered the rise of the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and its expansion into Anatolia and the eastern Aegean, including the predominantly Greek-speaking region of Ionia. Though much of Ionia prospered under their new overlords, in 499 BC, the Ionians revolted with their help of their allies, including the city-states of Athens and Eritrea. By 493 BC, what become known as the Ionian Revolt had been crushed, and order restored...
The great conflict that we know today as the Greco-Persian Wars between a few independent city-states of ancient Greece and mighty Achaemenid Persian Empire is, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating and consequential in all of history. More than just battles for territory and glory - they were clashes of culture, ideology, and power between East and West. The war saw legendary figures such as Leonides, The Great King Xerxes, Themistocles, Darius the Great, Miltiades, Mardonius, Art...
This is the episode that several of you have requested – a one stop shop on the history of ancient Canaan and its people, the Canaanites. In this program we’ll look at the history of this region and how it developed from the Bronze Age, Canaan’s relationship with Egypt and other parts of the world, and various Canaanite kingdoms such Moab, Edom, Ammon, Israel and Judah, as well as the Phoenician cities of Sidon, Tyre and Byblos. If you want a general history of ancient Canaan and ...
In this video we'll take a look at the pivotal period of Greek history known as the Archaic Period. It's this time frame that gave rise to the polis, hoplite warfare, increased colonization around the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, oligarchies, tyrannies and lot of other really interesting aspects of life in the Greek-speaking world from 750-500 BC. Contents: 00:00 Introduction and Context 02:07 A Hard Life for Many 07:27 The Polis 11:00 Oligarchies 16:35 Hoplite Wa...
The Greek Dark Age, spanning roughly from 1100 to 750 BC, marks a mysterious chapter in the history of ancient Greece. Characterized by a sharp decrease in population, the abandonment of the once might Mycenaean palatial centers, disruption of trade networks, the loss of literacy and a steep decline in artistic endeavors, this time period was generally one of economic hardship and political fragmentation. However, amidst the darkness there were pockets of prosperity and social changes that ev...
In this program we'll take a look at the illustrious life of the great Persian King of Kings, Darius I, also known as Darius the Great. Regarded by many as the most powerful ruler of the Achaemenid Dynasty of ancient Iran, Darius I is also amongst its most controversial. We'll dive deeper into the life of great king, the contentious debate about his rise to power, and ultimately examine the words of Darius himself about his these and other aspects of his life and beliefs. Conten...
This is the episode that many of your have been waiting for - a comprehensive, in-depth look at the Akkadian Empire from just before it was created to its mysterious end. Founded by Sargon of Akkad and expanded by his descendants Rimush, Manishtushu and Naram-Sin, the Akkadian Empire was the first hegemonic state and superpower of the early Bronze Age. This program will examine Akkad's beginning, it's rise and expansion to the far corners of the known world, its economy, administr...
In this video we'll journey back to the late Bronze Age and explore Mycenaean Civilization in Greece and the wider Aegean world. We'll also delve into the historical events that may have led to armed conflicts between Mycenaeans and Hittites and that may have ultimately served as the basis for Homer's great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Contents: 00:00 Contents and Introduction 02:43 Helladic Chronology Explained 03:42 Discovery of Mycenaean Culture 05:35 Geography of Greece...
This program explores the history of the ancient city of Babylon and the land once known as Babylonia. We'll uncover the story of this great city over the course of fifteen centuries and learn about its impact and why it was so beloved as well as hated by so many in the ancient world. We'll also meet an interesting and rather eclectic cast of kings including Hammurabi, Zimri-Lim, Rim-Sin, Samsu-iluna, Marduk-apla-iddina II, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Ashurbanipal, Nabopolassar, Nebu...
In this third installment of the Peloponnesian War podcast, we take a look at life after Pericles and the years 428 and 427 BC. Leaders of Mytilene's oligarchy have decided that now is the time to leave the Athenian-led alliance. The conflict in Plataea also finally comes to an end while another bloody civil conflict between factions in Corcyra gets out of hand and shocks the Greek world. At the end of it, the Athenians head west to see if they can exert their influence in s...
War begins! In this episode, we take a look at the start of the great war and the Athenian statesman Pericles' strategy to keep Athens and it's empire safe from the attacks of the Spartan general Archidamos and the Peloponnesian forces. Find out in this episode of the Peloponnesian War Podcast. Support the show
This is the first episode of the podcast series on the Peloponnesian War. How did it start? What does Thucydides, the war's great historian, tell us about the reasons and motivations of Athens, Sparta, Corinth and the different parties involved? Could the conflict have been prevented? We'll take a look at these questions and more as we go through the story of the greatest internal conflict of ancient Greek history, the Peloponnesian War! Support the show
Herodotus, arguably the ancient world's greatest historian...or storyteller. Perhaps a bit of both. In this episode, we take a look at his life, where he traveled and see what may have been the source for one of his more fantastical stories, namely the gold-digging ants of India. Follow History with Cy: YouTube Channel Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Support the show
In the second of this two part series on the Achaemenid Persian Empire, we continue with Darius the Great's son, Xerxes and some of the main events of the Greco-Persian wars, and then follow the lives of his successors up to Darius III and the fall of the Achaemenid Empire with its conquest by Alexander of Macedonia, a.k.a. Alexander the Great. Contents: 00:00 Intro and Recap 01:33 Xerxes (486-465 BC) 03:43 Xerxes Invades Greece 08:47 Battle of Thermopylae 11:18 Battle ...
In this first of a two-part series, we'll take a concise look at the history of one of the greatest empires in all of antiquity - the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Founded by Cyrus II and expanded by his successors Cambyses II and Darius I, the Achaemenid dynasty would not just go on to rule most of the known world at the time, but also transmit the ideas and innovations of its many subject peoples to from the shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the Indus River valley and beyond. ...
Some of you wanted to know a bit more about the Amorites and they're arrival into Mesopotamia, so I thought I'd do a quick podcast on it. This program will take a look at early references to Amorites in Sumerian, Elbaite and Akkadian documents. <!--more--> Contents: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 Who were the Amorites? 05:20 Earliest mention of Amorites in Sumerian texts 06:26 Amorites in texts from Ebla and other cities 12:25 Amorites and the fall of Ur 16:52 Letter of Ushashum the Amorite...
The history of ancient Sumer and the Sumerians, from the first notable farming communities to occupy their land to their magnificent cities, innovations, great kingdoms and empires. If you want to get a good grasp of who the Sumerians were, this is the program for you! Follow History with Cy: YouTube Channel Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Support the show
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what a great episode! and the ending! I mean everybody knows what happened later but still - great cliffhanger!