Casting Through Ancient Greece

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Episode 13: Persia, King of Kings Aug 07, 2020

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With the founder, Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire now dead, power transitioned to his son Cambyses. The transition was relatively smooth and the empire remained stable and it was business as usual. Cambyses would lead a campaign and conquer Egypt but this is where his rule took a turn for the worse and the crisis shook the Persian court.

Cambyses reputation in the historical record suffered at the hands of the Egyptian priestly cast, who he was not popular with. Reports of an attempted coup from his brother or a conspiracy from the Magi, the Persian Priests, work their way into the account. Though, Cambyses would die on his way home when attempting to deal with the crisis.

Power now lay with a pretender and would so for the next seven months. Another conspiracy now developed with a band of nobles who sought to bring the Empire back under the rightful ruling line. The nobles would over throw the Magi controlling power leaving the job of ruling the empire coming down to one of them. Darius would be successful in being elevated to the title of King of Persia and was at pains to show his connection to the old ruling line.

Stability would return to the Empire after Darius dealt with the revoting regions of the empire. Once having full control of power Darius continue with the business of empire and expanded the territories even more. It would be in his rule that the Greek and Persian worlds would directly collide with the onset of the Greo-Persian wars, the Ionian revolt lighting the spark.

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Episode 12: Persia, Rise of an Empire Jul 24, 2020

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Now that we have seen the development of Sparta and Athens, two of our main players for the upcoming Greco-Persian Wars period, we need to look at a third. This time it is not a Greek city state, but an empire east across the Aegean Sea. This was the Persian Empire and would come to influence Greek affairs for centuries to come.

The main empire the Greeks had contact with in the Near East during the Achcahic period was that of the Lydian Empire who controlled most of Anatolia. In the late 6th century, the Lydian’s had brought the Ionian Greek cities dotted all along the Anatolian coast into their control. Though, as powerful and wealthy as the Lydians were a great threat appeared on their eastern boarder.

This threat was in the shape of the new power of Persia, who only a handful of years earlier was one of a number of Iranian groups occupying the Zagros Mountains. Events around them would see this relatively small group of peoples coming to dominate their region, before then expanding and creating the Persian Empire, which Lydia would become apart of.

The founder of the Persian empire would become to be known as Cyrus the Great and like most founders there were traditional tales to explain his background and rise to greatness. In just his life time Cyrus would go onto create the largest empire the world had yet known, bringing the Greek world into direct contact with them.

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Episode 11: Athens, Democracy Rises Jul 10, 2020

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Reforms had been but in place now from some important figures such as Draco and Solon. Though, they would not be enough to see democracy emerge and take hold just yet. The political front in Athens at this stage was looking very unstable with periods of anarchy, almost leading to civil war breaking out. This would see the type of leader emerge that had threatened to earlier, the tyrant.

Factions were now forming around the geographical areas of Attica which fell roughly in line with the different demographics of the regions. From one of these factions emerged a leader who would become the first successful tyrant to take power in Athens. Though, it would take three attempts to successfully remain in power. Peisistratus would be Athens’ first tyrant, but not in a despotic sense, his rule would be seen move favourable than the previous leaders.

Once Peisistratus’ rule came to a natural end, his sons would take control seamlessly continuing the tyranny. After a long period of stability in Athens, assassination would see the tyranny take on a darker side. The surviving son, Hippias would become the despotic ruler we all now associate with the word tyrant today. Eventually Hippias would be removed with some outside help from Sparta.

Faction fighting would continue to plague Athens, though another leader, Cleisthenes would emerge. Under his leadership Athens would see many institutions and ideas further evolve and develop that would at the heart of a democratic system. Democracy as a political system was now rising in Athens.

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Episode 10: Athens: The City of Theseus Jun 26, 2020

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What started out as a small settlement atop a rocky outcrop over 5000 years ago would develop into the most recognisable symbol of democracy and culture. Athens would Survive relatively intact after the Bronze Age collapse, events during the Dark and Archaic Age setting them on a trajectory towards democracy. Some early figures such as Draco and Solon would be looked back to as founding many of the changes leading to this new innovation of politics in Athens.

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Episode 9: This is Sparta Jun 12, 2020

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The Institutions that would develop in Sparta are what made this Greek city state standout, even in modern times. Their interactions with their neighbours would help drive how these systems would take shape. Leading to one of the most militarised cities within Greece, the ancients not only fascinated by them but some even admiring them.

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Episode 8: The Sons of Heracles May 29, 2020

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Developing and coming out of the Dark Ages, would be one of the most recognisable city states. Sparta would come into existence from the union of surrounding villages and the conquering of nearby regions. What would develop there, would be a unique social and political system, far different to the rest of the Greek world.

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Episode 7: The Archaic Age, A Re-Birth May 15, 2020

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The Greek world now emerges out of the shadows of the dark ages, with the region experiencing a re-birth. What comes into being will be different to the ages that came before, although their memory would not be forgotten. Society will develop with new advances that will continue to be refined for centuries to come.
** Episode correction **
I give the foundation of the Olympics as 778 BC, though the traditional date given is 776 BC (This is what I had my script, so not sure where the 778 came from)

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Episode 6: An Age of Darkness May 01, 2020

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The collapse of the Bronze Age world saw darkness descend onto the Greek world. The great palaces of the Mycenaeans lay in ruins. A period of regression and depopulation makes itself known in the Archaeological record. Though, over time progress can also be seen, which would lead the Greek world out of this period and back into the light.

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Episode 5. Collapse of the Bronze Age Apr 17, 2020

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This time around the Myceneans would disappear into history with the rest of the Bronze Age world. This collapse would not only affect the Myceneans but also the rest of the Bronze Age world around the Mediterranean. Many reasons can be found to try an explain this sudden fall of civilisations but none can explain why this collapse took place on their own.

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Episode 4: The Mycenaeans Apr 03, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we will look at our second Bronze Age Civilisation, the Mycenaeans. They would supplant the Minoans in the Aegean to become the dominant civilisation, there and on the Greek mainland. Many of the Greek stories in Mythology and epic poetry can be seen to look back into the period of time the Mycenaeans occupied.

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