Synopsis: A coalition marshalled by Hadad-ezer of Aram-Damascus and Urahilina of Hamath successfully defends southern Syria from further Assyrian encroachment. But a decade of campaigning by Shalmaneser begins to take its toll.
“I destroyed, devastated, and set fire to Qarqar, his royal city. Urahilina brought twelve kings to his support; they came against m ... Show More
Jul 2025
Episode A6 - The Reign of Ishtar
Synopsis: The Akkadian Empire reaches its zenith under the rule of Naram-Sin. “Its king, the shepherd, Naram-Sin, Shone forth like sunrise on the holy throne of Agade, Its walls, like a mountain range, reached up to graze the sky. Holy Inanna opened in them spacious gates, Big en ... Show More
52m 49s
Jun 2025
Episode A5 - The Cupbearer
Synopsis: Sargon of Akkad forges the world’s first Empire. “After Enlil’s baleful glare Had slain Kish like the Bull of Heaven, Had slaughtered house and land of Uruk in the dust, like that monster bull, And Enlil had then and there given Sargon, king of Agade, Lordship of Uruk, ... Show More
49m 25s
Jun 2025
Episode A4 - The Pinnacle
Synopsis: This episode covers the rise and fall of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. “The Second Dynasty consists of nine kings of This. The first was Boethos, for 38 years. In his reign a chasm opened at Bubastis, and many perished. Kaiechos, for 39 years. In his reign the bulls, Apis a ... Show More
50m 38s
Jan 2024
117. Nader Shah: The Sword of Persia
Nader Shah was not born to rule. He was poor, the son of a shepherd in a semi-nomadic tribe, and had no connection to the throne. But he was physically impressive; he stood over six feet tall, had dark piercing eyes, and a voice so loud that it is said to have caused his enemies ... Show More
55m 29s
Jan 2024
113. Timur: Scourge of God
Timur, known to many as Tamburlaine the Great from the iconic Marlowe play. Despite having a limp and struggling to get onto a horse, he erupted from what is now Uzbekistan at the head of a mounted army to conquer Persia and much of Eurasia. He delved deep into Russia, reached th ... Show More
42m 27s
May 2022
072: The Fourth Syrian War - The Battle of Raphia
Only a few short years after his coronation, Antiochus III would invade the kingdom of Ptolemy IV in 219 B.C., intent on reclaiming the lands of Coele Syria as part of his birthright. To stem the tide, the Ptolemaic government tries to rejuvenate the now-rusty Egyptian army by or ... Show More
49m 11s
Mar 2014
Old Kingdom Warfare (2024 Edition)
Newly researched and updated. Before the fall (c.2600 - 2200 BCE). Early Egyptians were fierce and active warriors. Our evidence for the Old Kingdom “army,” however, is scattered and fragmentary. Sifting through the pieces, we can reconstruct some elements of the early armed forc ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2024
129. Ashoka: The Great Buddhist Emperor of India
Ruling in the 3rd century BC, Ashoka was one of India’s greatest ever rulers. Under his rule, the Mauryan Empire grew into the largest empire India had ever seen. Its capital, Pataliputra was a dazzling, glorious, cosmopolitan city that was eleven times larger than Athens. After ... Show More
50m 47s
Jan 2024
112. Ferdowsi: How One Poet Saved Persian Civilisation
After the Arab conquest, Persia was turned upside down. Patronage went to Islam as opposed to Zoroastrianism. The official language of state was now Arabic. Even the very nature of the state changed; for 1,000 years Persia had been the centre of imperial power, dominating those a ... Show More
56m 41s