Listen to the History Podcast

In this episode we will introduce Herodotus, the world's first historian, discuss the world that he lived in, and begin our narrative of 'The Histories' by introducing Croesus, the King of the Lydians. 

In this episode, we will be exploring the actions taken by Croesus that ultimately led to his downfall and how fate played a significant role in the actions of those in the ancient world. 

In this episode we will look at the origins of Cyrus the Great and the Persian Empire and the lengths people will go to secure power.

In this episode we will look at culture and how it can vary across civilizations and across time and see what happened to Cyrus the Great as he expanded the Persian Empire.

Sit back, relax, and listen to the story of how the world was created, the origins of the gods, the great battle of the Titanomachy, and much more. 

In this episode we will talk about Hesiod, his works, and what we can take away from Theogony. I also answer an email from an inquisitive listener. 

In this episode we look at the descriptions of Egyptian geography and culture that Herodotus experienced while traveling in the ancient land.

In this episode we take a look at a variety of stories about Egyptian history from Book 2 of The Histories.

In this episode we will go over the rise of Cambyses, son of Cyrus, his invasion of Egypt, and what happened when he let his power go to his head. 

In this episode we will see how the two magi brothers were overthrown and how it was decided who would take their place as the ruler of the Persian Empire. We will also discuss different types of government and how monarchy appeals to those in power. 

In this episode we will look at Darius' next steps after becoming the King of the Persian Empire and what led to him taking those steps. We will also ponder how much control those in power actually have. 

In this episode we will be taking a break from Herodotus to take a brief look at Hesiod's poem 'Works and Days'. 

Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White

In this episode we will do a quick run down of Herodotus' account of Scythia as well as analyze what made the Scythia so different from Egypt.

In this episode we will go over Darius' invasion of Scythia and discuss how power does not always guarantee victory. 

In this episode we will discuss the founding of the cities Cyrene and Barka, do a sweep of the different groups that inhabited Libya in the ancient world, and the Persian invasion of the region. 

In this episode we will give a brief description of some of the beliefs of the Thracians, continue with the Persian expansion into Europe, and discuss the ancient custom of xenia, which contributed to the Ionian Revolt that would kickstart the Greco-Persian Wars.