This transcript includes a collection of famous quotes from different historical events and figures.
This episode explores different historical narratives and film genres, such as Dirty Harry films, Spartan warriors, and Star Wars, discussing their distinct styles and themes.
Discussion of the Spartan response to a Persians' offer to join forces and the importance of specificity when discussing deities in different ancient cultures.
In this episode, the story of Belshazzar's feast in the Book of Daniel is discussed, including the mysterious writing on the wall and the prophet's interpretation of it.
The historian's craft has evolved over time, as evidenced by the difference between modern accounts of events and ancient depictions, like Herodotus's stories of Alexander the Great. While accounts like the Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer's Iliad were transmitted orally for generations before being written down, historians like Herodotus were the first to compile and narrate history in a systematic, coherent way.
The excavation that was done in modern-day Iran showed how the peoples of that region understood the antiquity of things. The rulers of old countries would become archaeological buffs and excavate the earlier rulers that ruled a thousand or fifteen hundred years before them.
The Assyrian army was the largest standing military force in the Middle East, with 150,000 to 200,000 men, and was equal to five modern heavy American divisions or almost eight Soviet field divisions.
The Assyrian Empire was home to a diverse group of people, leading to intermarriage and language changes that challenge previous classifications by ethnicity. Focusing solely on Assyrian foreign policy can lead to a negative portrayal of the empire's impact on other groups.
The Assyrians developed a broad policy of dealing with the tribal steppe people that resembled the tactics of sophisticated people who dealt with them for a very long time. The steppe people were entirely mounted, which posed significant challenges to militaries due to the speed factor.
The Medes were long believed to be a centralized state with governance similar to the Babylonians and the Assyrians, but modern theories suggest that they were much more tribal. Herodotus offers a fun account of how the Medes overthrew their oppressors.
This episode delves into the rise and fall of empires in ancient Central Asia, including the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Scythians, and the Medes.
Author Mark Healy discusses the silence and significance of the period during which the Assyrian Empire fell to the Scythians, Medes, and Babylonians. The empire's oppressive rulers and enemies' anger and vengeance led to its downfall.
Xenophon describes the alleged burning of the Persian King and his possessions during a retreating battle. This event was seen as a way to prove the superiority of one's god during this era.
Scythians killed the son of the king who requested to be trained in the art of archery and had a violent encounter with Seaxeres and cut one of the boys which eventually led to the day when the solar eclipse happened.
The narrative and writing style of historic texts can offer insight into the politics and societal issues of their time, while also providing a chance to learn from past civilizations.
Herodotus shares the story of the 13-year-old son of Harpagus who was served to the Medean king after being tricked by the king's son into playing a deadly game with him.
Historian Tom Holland introduces the various mysteries and intrigue surrounding the story of Cyrus the Great and how the historical accounts of his reign have been shaped by legend and folklore over time.
The Assyrian and Babylonian empires relentlessly sacked major Near Eastern capitals, inflicting trauma on conquered populations through population deportation and kidnapping sacred images, without any objection from Mesopotamian royalty.
In this episode, the host compares the conquest journey of Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, to a multi-battle long war and highlights how he took his people from a remote area to conquering half of the great nation states in 20 years.
The portrayal of historical figures is changing, moving away from the previous mystical stereotype and instead focusing on their humanity and relatability. For example, Nabonidus may now be portrayed as a wizard struggling with the noise of Babylon rather than an old mystic.
This podcast episode explores the legacy of Cyrus the Great and his use of persuasion instead of force, as well as the history of Jewish people under Persian rule and the influence of Persian propaganda.
This episode explores Cyrus the great, his early life, and his journey into becoming one of the most renowned conquerors in history.
The hosts discuss various unknown details about historical events and figures and the importance of getting the most accurate information, while also acknowledging that sometimes we may never truly know everything.
Herodotus tells the story of Tamyrus, a Persian queen, and her message to Cyrus about the Central Asian nomads, assisted by the King of Lydia, Croesus.
Exploring the tomb inscription supposedly from an eyewitness detailing the burial of Cyrus the Great and the Greek perspective on the collapse of the Persian Empire.
The next episode of Kings of Kings will delve into the story of the son of Philip of Macedonia, who succeeded Cyrus the Great and brought an end to the black and white world.