History of Persia

Prosobab: Prosopography of Babylonia

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Interview: Uzume Wijnsma Mar 21, 2021

Show notes

I sat down with an interview with Uzume Wijnsma, a researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Leiden, whose research has proved invaluable to the podcast on a few occasions. Her research focuses on Egyptian and Babylonian resistance to Achaemenid rule, and she is part of the Persia & Babylonia project at Leiden.

Persia and Babylonia

Great Courses: The Persian Empire

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50! Ask Me Anything Mar 07, 2021

Show notes

Thank you all so much! The AMA Episode was a great success and I look forward to the next 50 episodes of the History of Persia. This episode has everything: the ancient world in color, beard fashion, video games, book reviews, time travel, and of course me trying to piece together something to say about provinces we don't actually know much about. Links below in order of appearance:

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Khodad Rezakhani @sasanianshah

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The War of the Three Gods by Peter Crawford

Sasanian Persia by Touraj Daryaee

Reign of Arrows: The Rise of the Parthian Empire by Nikolaus Overtoom

ReOrienting the Sasanians by Khodad Rezakhani

Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire by Parvaneh Pourshariati

Interview with Michael Bonner

Bonus 13: Why is Persia Under-Emphasized

Original AskHistorians Question

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Purim: Holiday Special 2021 Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

It's that somewhat random time of year again, where I set aside a bit of time to celebrate a holiday that intersects with our narrative. This year that means Purim, the Jewish celebration of the Book of Esther. Esther tells the story of a Jewish woman turned Achaemenid queen in the court of Ahasuerus (maybe Xerxes, maybe an Artaxerxes, probably a bit of both). Esther and her cousin Mordecai have to foil the genocidal plans of the King's vizier Haman to save their people, and the result is today's festivities.

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49: Breaking Through Feb 17, 2021

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Late in the summer of 480 BCE, the Persian invasion force under King Xerxes came to blows with the Greek Allies for the first time. The famous twin battles at Thermopylae and Artemisium played out surrounded by a series of smaller sacks and skirmishes. After three days of fighting, the Greek attempt to block the Persians in narrow passes failed and the Persian army pushed south, conquering Phocis, Boeotia, and ultimately: Attica and Athens. By the end of September 480, Xerxes nominally controlled all of Greece north of the Peloponnese.

Casting Through Ancient Greece

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48: What is your profession? Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

Before launching into the actual warfare between the Persian Empire and Greek city states, it's worth examining how the Greeks prepared for war. Athens prepared by building a navy, everyone prepared by planning to deploy their armies, and we'll explore the whole history of the famous "300" Spartans.