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 East, incorporating swathes of Central Asia, Egypt, Libya and Iraq. It also conque ... Show More
Feb 2025
The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon
490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all begin?
In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes kicks off an epic two-parte ... Show More
58m 21s
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
Oct 2024
Alexander the Great, the End of the Persian Empire, and the Descent into India
Alexander the Great's campaigns didn't end once he had defeated the Persian king Darius III and conquered the heart of his empire; he went still further, into the vastness of the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia, and then south into India.Patrick's book is now available! Get The ... Show More
40m 30s
Apr 20
The Egyptian Sphinx
Measuring 240 feet long from paw to tail, and around the height of a six-story building, the Great Sphinx is one of Egypt’s most spectacular, and mysterious, monuments. Believed to have been built over four millennia ago, much of its story has been lost to history, and the rest i ... Show More
59 m