logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
52m 16s

Weavers, Scribes, and Kings in the Ancie...

Wondery / Patrick Wyman
About this episode

The sheer amount of time separating the establishment of the first cities in the ancient Near East, and the invention of cuneiform writing, from the end of the period that they define is mind-boggling: almost 3,000 years, far longer than the span that separates us today from the end of that period. Professor Amanda Podany has written a fantastic book on this whole age, entitled Weavers, Scribes, and Kings, that looks at both kings and everyday people in a fascinating time and place.


Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge


Listen to new episodes 1 week early, to exclusive seasons 1 and 2, and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/tidesofhistory.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
The Ancient Economy from Assyria to Augustus
What was the ancient economy? Can we even speak of such a singular thing? Today, I introduce the next block of episodes on Tides, an in-depth examination of the cutting edge of knowledge on the ancient economy in the first millennium BC.Patrick's book is now available! Get The Ve ... Show More
40m 8s
Oct 2
Interview with Dr. Owen Rees (Book, The Far Edges of the Known World releases 9/30/25)
The ancient world was a lot bigger than Greece and Rome. Dr. Owen Rees joins me to discuss his new book on this broader conception of antiquity - The Far Edges of the Known World - and we traverse the globe from Africa to Vietnam to the Black Sea, tracking the contours of a stran ... Show More
47m 18s
Sep 25
Thucydides, the Greatest Historian of All Time: Interview with Robin Waterfield and Professor Polly Low
Thucydides is perhaps the greatest historian to ever live, a man whose work on the Peloponnesian War has been read, digested, and debated for more than 2400 years. Robin Waterfield and Professor Polly Low have produced a wonderful new translation of Thucydides, and we dicuss the ... Show More
41m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
DuPont Chemical Cover-Up | Dry Run Creek | 1
A devastating plague strikes a cattle farm in West Virginia. As he investigates the mystery, an attorney uncovers a secret that threatens a corporate empire.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of DuPont Chemical Cover-Up? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on ... Show More
40m 52s
Apr 2023
Amelia Earhart: Across the Atlantic | 100th Episode, Amelia’s Final Flight | 3
It’s officially Against the Odds’ 100th episode! To celebrate the milestone, hosts Cassie De Pecol and Mike Corey sit down to reminisce about their favorite seasons, swap stories of their own adventures, and discuss the pioneers who inspire them. Later, author and podcaster Chris ... Show More
39m 6s
Feb 2023
Uncharted: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition | Lost Cities with Mike Heckenberger | 5
Searching for lost cities in the Amazon sounds like something out of a Hollywood script – unless you’re University of Florida anthropologist Mike Heckenberger. He’s been visiting the Amazon for three decades, working with local tribes and uncovering a network of ancient cities in ... Show More
35m 45s
Sep 2021
The Profumo Affair | War Games | 3
Jack Profumo goes to desperate measures to save his political career, while Stephen Ward tries to stop Christine Keeler selling her story.Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https:/ ... Show More
31m 55s