King You of Zhou lays headless, the capital a smouldering ruin, and royal authority utterly destroyed. Regional lords exploit the chaos at hand to expand their own domains - and at times declare their own kingdoms - while the new, toothless Eastern Zhou kings struggle to stabilize the situation. After a holiday break, we're right back into the action with th ... Show More
Feb 2014
#13 - E. Zhou 2: The Widening Gyre
Spheres of domination, intrafamiliar betrayal, and tangled alliances are the markers of the second portion of the Spring and Autumn period, called the Age of Encroachments. All of this leading to the major powers of the Zhou Empire to engage in decades-long draw out proxy-wars al ... Show More
31m 46s
Mar 2014
#14 - E. Zhou 3: Confucius Says...
This episode we chronicle the life of Master Kong A.K.A. Confucius, as well as detail his socio-political philosophies which would shape the future of China, as well as those of much of the rest of East Asia.Less fighting, more thinking, in the first of two interim episodes befor ... Show More
37m 33s
Mar 2014
#15 - E. Zhou 4: The Art of War
The magnum opus of the legendary general and tactician of the Spring and Autumn Period, Sun Tzu. In this episode, we go over the life of the military genius, as well as an overview of his manual to success on the battlefield, and how it remains relevant and insightful even today ... Show More
41m 43s
Sep 2021
Episode 78: 78- Return of the Exiles
Following the death of Constantine, a short dynastic bloodbath occurs, after which his sons divide the empire between themselves. In addition, the new emperors also permit all the eastern bishops exiled by their father to return. As a result violent clashes soon erupt between riv ... Show More
29m 45s
Feb 2020
10. China's Han Dynasty - The First Empire in Flames
A city in ruins. A dynasty in tatters. An empire in ashes...This episode, we look at the remarkable story of the first empire of ancient China, the Han dynasty. With ancient Chinese poetry, songs and folk music, we look back at the first empire's rise, its remarkable technologica ... Show More
2h 53m
Nov 2023
Episode 76: Homegrown competition
Having covered the caliphate’s East last time, we must now do the same for its west. The anarchy left such a deep impact on the caliphate that we really need to take our time discovering its aftermath. The situation in Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, and the North was very messy, but ... Show More
32m 1s
Jul 2023
Episode 71: Al Mu’tazz, kill or be killed
Instead of bringing about a measure of peace, the end of the civil war signaled a return to the anarchy that had preceded it. The new caliph was restricted by the same men whose influence had checked his predecessor’s. Furthermore, by accepting the role of a puppet, al Musta’in h ... Show More
32m 53s
Dec 2023
105. The Last Great War of Antiquity
Eurasia is divided into two great superpowers. Khusrow II rules the Sassanian Empire. Maurice, the last of the Justinian dynasty, rules their mighty rivals, the Byzantines. When he is overthrown, Khusrow looks to capitalise upon the chaos, invades his neighbour, and begins to swe ... Show More
47m 49s