logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
52m 31s

104. How Persian Religion Changed the Wo...

Goalhanger
About this episode

Three great religions have come out of Persia and all of them have influenced world history. First there was Zoroastrianism, the first monotheistic religion, which had significant influence over Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Then there was Mithraism. It began in Persia but, through conquest, it filtered into the Roman pantheon. As a result, there are shrines to it as far away as Hadrian’s Wall. Lastly, there is Manichaeism. The religion that is fundamentally rooted in the struggle between good and evil, which is itself a Zoroastrian idea. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Vesta Sarkosh Curtis to discuss Persian religion and all its influence.


For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/


Twitter: @Empirepoduk


Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com


Goalhangerpodcasts.com


Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Aug 20
283. Partition: East Pakistan Becomes Bangladesh (Part 6)
How did Bangladesh separate from Pakistan in 1971? When did India and Pakistan go from sharing intelligence to being at the brink of nuclear war? Why did George Harrison from the Beatles organise a concert for Bangladesh? William and Anita are joined once again by Sam Dalrymple, ... Show More
54m 53s
Aug 18
282. Partition: The Birth of The Kashmir Conflict (Part 5)
What happened to the 565 princely states within British India when it became independent from the empire? How are the current conflicts in Balochistan and Kashmir linked to the partition of the princely states? Why have copies of the Lonely Planet been burnt because of their maps ... Show More
49m 56s
Aug 13
281. Partition: Why Was India Split In Two? (Part 4)
Why was the Partition of India and Pakistan so rushed in 1947? How did Partition divide everything from stationery to army boots in a matter of weeks? And how do South Asians today grapple with the memory of the largest forced migration in history? William and Anita are joined on ... Show More
54m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Persia and the Bible
As the Babylonian Empire fell into decline, and it's power faded, the Persian Empire stepped in to fill the void that was left - but how did this event directly effect the narrative of the Old Testament, and what other sources are available to learn more about this period? As Bab ... Show More
42m 22s
May 2023
Al-Ándalus y los Califatos, empieza la expansión- Ep.3 (El Islam, de Mahoma al S.XXI)
En apenas unas décadas, el islam medieval forjó uno de los mayores imperios de todos los tiempos, mientras abasíes,omeyas y fatimíes se disputaban la hegemonía y la legitimidad. El año 661 marca el inicio de una edad dorada para el islam con la irrupción en escena del clan Omeya, ... Show More
17m 28s
Mar 2023
Islam vs Christendom
As two of humanity's great religions, Islam and Christianity have shaped much of the world's history. Empires across the globe have risen and fallen under their influence, and there have been many occasions for them to go head-to-head on the battlefield. So what have been some of ... Show More
48m 45s
Oct 2023
376. Baghdad: The Forging of Islam (Part 1)
A story of great myth and of huge historical significance, the foundation of Baghdad is a fundamental episode in the development of Islam. The Umayyad Caliphate, the first great Islamic empire, stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the borders of China; no dynasty had ever preside ... Show More
53m 3s
Feb 2024
Persia Reborn: Rise of the Sasanians
The Sasanians are renowned as one of Rome's most feared enemies. Founded in third century Persia by an Iranian noble called Ardashir, their dynasty oversaw the growth of a mighty empire that brought down the Parthians and survived into the early Middle Ages. But how did one famil ... Show More
50m 37s
Nov 2022
The Rise of Christianity
In the fourth century AD, the Christian faith exploded out of Palestine, overwhelming the paganism of Rome, converting the Emperor Constantine in the process. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion was deeply ingrained wi ... Show More
41m 33s
Jun 2024
The First Persian Empire
For a little over 200 years, the First Persian Empire ruled over a vast expanse across three continents, making it arguably the world’s first great superpower. At its peak, it stretched from its base in Persia - roughly analogous to modern-day Iran, all the way to India in the Ea ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2022
Rise of the Persians
The Achaemenid Empire, or better known as the First Persian Empire, was one of the largest empires in History - led by Cyrus the Great it covered 2.1 million square miles. But where did it come from? And what do we know about their society? It was in their DNA to travel and explo ... Show More
44m 46s
May 2023
Irán 1979, la revolución de los ayatolás - Ep.6 (El Islam, de Mahoma al S.XXI)
Hace cuarenta años, el mundo se vio sorprendido por la primera revolución islámica, que acabó con la tiranía de los Pahlaví pero convirtió la antigua Persia en un brutal Estado teocrático impuesto a sangre y fuego. Hemos preparado para ti este podcast narrativo documental donde d ... Show More
17m 6s
Nov 2015
2-3: Khalid And Persia
Two major empires in the area at this time: Persian and Byzantine - Persian culture and power goes far back into Biblical times, even before Cyrus the Great (islamiclearningmaterials.com/gogandmagog) - Once conquered by Alexander the Great - Went through several dynastic changes ... Show More
1h 31m