History with Cy

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART VII: The Battle of Plataea and the End of the War

In the epic conclusion to the Greco-Persian Wars series, the fate of mainland Greece is finally decided. Following the naval clash at Salamis, the Persian general Mardoni

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART VI: Aftermath of the Battle of Salamis an the Road to Plataea

In the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), both the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire are left facing a critical question: what comes next? In

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART V: The Sack of Athens and the Battle of Salamis

In 480 BC, following the fall of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet withdrew from Artemisium and regrouped at Salamis. At the same time, Xerxes advanced through Boeotia virtual

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART IV: Artemisium, Thermopylae and the Struggle for the Soul of Greece

It is the year 480 BC and the massive army and navy of the Great King of Persiam, Xerxes, is on the move.  The Great King himself is personally leading the campaign and e

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART III: Eve of the Great Invasion (490-480 BC)

In this episode, we’ll explore the critical decade between the Greek victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC and Xerxes’ invasion of Greece in 480 BC—a period that sh

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART II: The Aegean Campaigns and the Battle of Marathon (492-490 BC)

In the last episode of this series, we covered the rise of the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and its expansion into Anatolia and the eastern Aegean, inc

The Greco-Persian Wars - PART I: The Rise of Persia and the Ionian Revolt (550-493 BC)

The great conflict that we know today as the Greco-Persian Wars between a few independent city-states of ancient Greece and mighty Achaemenid Persian Empire is, in my opi

The Concise History of Ancient Canaan and the Canaanite Peoples (c. 7000-539 BC)

This is the episode that several of you have requested – a one stop shop on the history of ancient Canaan and its people, the Canaanites.  In this program we’ll look at t

An Introduction to Archaic Greece (c. 750-500 BC)

In this video we'll take a look at the pivotal period of Greek history known as the Archaic Period. It's this time frame that gave rise to the polis, hoplite wa

Scattered Candles in the Night – Civilization during the Greek Dark Age (c. 1100-750 BC)

The Greek Dark Age, spanning roughly from 1100 to 750 BC, marks a mysterious chapter in the history of ancient Greece. Characterized by a sharp decrease in population, th

Darius the Great: The Life and Times of the Great King of Persia in his Own Words

In this program we'll take a look at the illustrious life of the great Persian King of Kings, Darius I, also known as Darius the Great.  Regarded by many as the most

The World's First Superpower: Sargon of Akkad and the Mighty Akkadian Empire - Bronze Age History

This is the episode that many of your have been waiting for - a comprehensive, in-depth look at the Akkadian Empire from just before it was created to its mysterious end.

Exploring Mycenaean Greece – Culture, Kingdoms and the Historical Context of the Trojan War

In this video we'll journey back to the late Bronze Age and explore Mycenaean Civilization in Greece and the wider Aegean world.  We'll also delve into the hist

Babylon: The City at the Center of the World - The Concise History of Babylonia (2000-539 BC)

This program explores the history of the ancient city of Babylon and the land once known as Babylonia.  We'll uncover the story of this great city over the course of

The Peloponnesian War - PART III: Revolt of Mytilene, Fate of Plataea, Civil War in Corcyra and more

In this third installment of the Peloponnesian War podcast, we take a look at life after Pericles and the years 428 and 427 BC.  Leaders of Mytilene's oligarchy have

The Peloponnesian War - PART II: Pericles' War Begins

War begins!  In this episode, we take a look at the start of the great war and the Athenian statesman Pericles' strategy to keep Athens and it's empire safe fro

The Peloponnesian War - PART I: The Gathering Storm

This is the first episode of the podcast series on the Peloponnesian War.  How did it start?  What does Thucydides, the war's great historian, tell us about the reas

Herodotus - A Quick Look at his Life and the Gold-digging Ants of India

Herodotus, arguably the ancient world's greatest historian...or storyteller.  Perhaps a bit of both.  In this episode, we take a look at his life, where he traveled

History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Part II (486-330 BC; Xerxes I - Alexander the Great)

In the second of this two part series on the Achaemenid Persian Empire, we continue with Darius the Great's son, Xerxes and some of the main events of the Greco-Pers

History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Part I (550-486 BC; Cyrus the Great - Darius the Great)

In this first of a two-part series, we'll take a concise look at the history of one of the greatest empires in all of antiquity - the Achaemenid Persian Empire.  Fou