Latest / The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Cyrus the Great's Death: How Persia's Founder Fell
In this episode, we explore the final days of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Drawing on conflicting accounts from Herodotus, Ctesias, and Xenophon, we piece together the story of his last campaign against the Massagetae of Central Asia. Lucas and Luna discuss the battle at the Syr Darya river, the role of Queen Tomyris, and the legendary tale of Cyrus's head being dipped in blood. They examine the reliability of ancient sources and the archaeological clues from Pasargadae, including Cyrus's empty tomb. The episode also touches on the political aftermath, including the…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.