Synopsis: Shalmaneser V succeeds his father to the thrones of Assyria and Babylonia, then deals with rebellions in Samaria and Tyre. But his reign is cut short by the violent coup of Sargon II. After losing his hold on Babylonia, Sargon marches west to confront a Syrian alliance under Yaubidi of Hamath.
“With regard to the city Assur…Shalmaneser V, who did n ... Show More
Jul 6
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 22
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 8
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
May 14
565. The Great Northern War: Revenge of the Cossacks (Part 2)
After establishing the city of St Petersburg, what was Peter the Great’s next step in his titanic struggle against Charles XII of Sweden, for mastery of northern and eastern Europe? What drastic, brutal action did he take against Poland, to slow the Swedish advance into his terri ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2024
185. The God Kings of Angkor Wat
In the 9th century AD, two years after the Holy Roman Empire was established in Western Christendom, another world-shaking empire was rising in the east, more powerful even than that of Charlemagne and far wealthier. Born in what is today Northern Cambodia but long before the hor ... Show More
55m 20s
Nov 2024
204. Babur: The First Mughal Emperor
“To wander from mountain to mountain, hopeless and homeless, has nothing to recommend it” - Babur
Before he became the father of the Mughal dynasty, and the author of one of the most important memoirs in world history, Babur was a provincial young prince in modern-day Uzbekistan. ... Show More
52m 59s
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
Dec 2024
523. Charlemagne: Return of the Kings (Part 1)
The Frankish king, Charlemagne the Great, is one of the titanic figures of European history, simultaneously renowned and shadowy. His rise to supreme power is a staggering story of warring religious empires, betrayal, battle, blindings and brutal conquest. How, then, did this one ... Show More
52m 31s
Dec 2024
524. Charlemagne: Pagan Killer (Part 2)
“Here was a program to wet the ambitions of warlords as well as scholars, and to send men into battle beneath the fluttering of banners, the hiss of arrows, and the shadow of carrion crows…”
The year is 777 and Charles the Great - Charlemagne - has ruled as joint king of the Fran ... Show More
55m 51s