The “Golden Age” of the Ptolemaic dynasty comes to an end as Ptolemy IV dies unexpectedly in 204. Greedy ministers looking to control the boy-king Ptolemy V leave Alexandria in a mess of schemes, murder, and rioting. Meanwhile, decades of economic turmoil and cultural tension results the outbreak of the "Great Revolt", a twenty year-long (206-186) rebellion ... Show More
Today
113: The War of the Three Kings
Civil war continues to grip the Seleucid Empire, as Alexander I Balas is challenged by the young Demetrius II for the throne of Syria. Things come to a head when Ptolemy VI, tied by marriage to Balas through his daughter Cleopatra Thea, launches an invasion of Coele Syria. In Aug ... Show More
24m 44s
Oct 14
111: The Seleucid Empire - The Elephant in the (Throne) Room
With Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ death in Persia, the throne passed to the boy-king Antiochus V Eupator and his standing regent Lysias in 164. Between the Maccabean Revolt, would-be usurpers, and arrogant Roman emissaries, few of the kingdom’s subjects had faith in the ruling pair. T ... Show More
26m 10s
Mar 2014
Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom (Part 1)
Why did the Old Kingdom disappear? Was it an overnight "collapse," or something more long term? In this episode, and the next, we explore the question in overview. This chapter focusses on the historical sources including King Lists, Classical authors like Herodotos and Manetho, ... Show More
31m 12s
Jul 2023
182b: Destruction in Amurru
Amurru (Part 4): Reconquista. The land of Amurru, and its leaders, have been a noteworthy part of the story in recent decades. Since the reigns of Amunhotep III and Akhenaten, the lords of Amurru have caused great trouble in Egypt’s northern empire. They have raided, plundered, a ... Show More
3h 47m
Mar 2013
Mini: The Lost & Found of Menkaura
Updated in 2024. Around 2520 BCE, King Men-kau-ra (or Menkaure) ruled Egypt. In his time, royal artists produced high-quality sculpture, and builders constructed another pyramid at Giza. But Menkaura has a complicated legacy. Although his pyramid is the smallest of the three "Gre ... Show More
45 m