Author: Trevor Culley

I'm Trevor Culley. My personal experience with both Persian history and podcasts began with a college extra credit assignment to listen to the first Hardcore History history episode on the Achaemenids. I was instantly enthralled with the stories of the Kings of Kings and coming a little late to the party, started listening to podcasts. On one hand, I started heading down the road toward PhD that will let me study ancient Persia for a living. On the other, as I binged my way through both the History of Rome and early episodes of the History of Byzantium I was always excited for the episodes dealing with the Parthians and Sassanids. I'm sure some of you shared my surprise and disappointment to discover that there was not a similarly dedicated podcast dealing with the great empires east of Rome. So that brings us here. I've decided to personally create that dedicated podcast.

Merch Announcement! (and Satrap Coins)

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One of many designs available in the new History of Persia Podcast Store!

Breaking News! The History of Persia Podcast now has merch, swag, gear, and other physical items to show off how much you like ancient Persia and this podcast.

Plus, there’s one last group of coins from the Achaemenid Empire that I want to talk about.
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Merch On Sale Now! Go to HistoryOfPersia.LaunchCart.store

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75: The Education of Cyrus

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A Yakhchal in modern Yazd, Iran via Wikimedia

Cyrus the Younger obviously graduated early, but what exactly did he learn in ancient Persian school? Hunting, fitness, soldiery, science, and religion amongst many other things in a complex noble educational system.
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74: The Temple of Yahweh

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The Aramaic letter formally requesting funds to rebuild the Temple of Yaho in Elephantine

No, the other one. In Egypt. The best source of information on events Egypt under Darius II comes from the letters of the Jewish diaspora community in southern Egypt and their temple on the island of Elephantine. They also tell the story of a dramatic confrontation between the Jews and their Egyptian neighbors that ended in forced reconciliation.
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73: The Karanos

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Meeting between Cyrus the Younger and Lysander, by Francesco Antonio Grue (1618-1673)

In 408 BCE, Darius II decided the Ionian War called for more drastic, teenage measures. He sent the 16 year old Prince Cyrus to rule western Anatolia as Karanos, a supreme military authority. Cyrus did everything in his power to enable his new Spartan allies’ victory against Athens.
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72: The Ionian War

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A coin showing an image of Pharnabzus II, Satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia via Wikimedia

Despite their defeat in Sicily, the tales of Athenian demise in 413 BCE were greatly exaggerated. In 411, Athens and Sparta began to clash again and protracted tug-of-war in the Aegean even as Athens itself was seized by political upheavals.
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71: New Friends, Old Enemies

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The Aegean Sea during the later Peloponnesian War from Ian Mladjov’s Maps

Darius II’s reign in Anatolia saw the Persian reconquest of Ionia and the Greek cities of west Asia. This was only accomplished with the aid of a surprising ally: Sparta and the Peloponnesian League.
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Persepolis Reimagined by Getty.edu

Intelligent Speech Conference 2022!
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Bonus Episode: Athens Under Artaxerxes on Patreon

Bonus Episode: Athenian War Under Artaxerxes on Patreon

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Intelligent Speech Announcement!

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Hey Everyone! I’m speaking at this year’s Intelligent Speech Conference! You can buy tickets at IntelligentSpeechConference.com with promo code: Persia

Do it now to get the early bird ticket price!
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https://www.IntelligentSpeechConference.com/

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70: Darius Do-Over, AKA Armenia II

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A coin depicting Tissaphernes, the Hydarnid Satrap of Lydia via Wikimedia

The reign of Darius II was chaotic. It is impossible to cover everything, everywhere, all at once. So today, we’re covering the interior of the empire as it was racked by civil war and rebellion for the better part of 20 years.
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Bonus Episode: Armenia I

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69! Musical Thrones

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The number of mortgages in the Murashu Archive by year, showing a massive escalation in Artaxerxes I year 41 and Darius II year 1 (Stolper 1985, p.112)

After 41 years on the throne, Artaxerxes I died in December 424 BCE. Much of his family had passed away over the decades, but he probably didn’t expect his only legitimate heir to follow close behind him. Nevertheless, two bastard sons saw this as their time to shine.
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68: The Other Gods That Are

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Cosmetic jar in the shape of the god Bes, from Achaemenid Egypt via Wikimedia

Any discussion of Achaemenid religion is bound to be fascinating, but that discussion isn’t bound to Zoroastrianism. This one’s abut all the other gods worshipped in Persia itself.
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