Shows / The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
From Cyrus the Great's conquest of Babylon to Alexander's burning of Persepolis, the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE) was the first true world empire, uniting dozens of peoples across three continents under a system of satrapies, royal roads, and a revolutionary ideology of kingship. Hosts Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the empire's rise under Cyrus and Cambyses, its golden age under Darius I and Xerxes, and its ultimate collapse before Alexander. Episodes explore the administrative…
Episodes
The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo HistoryDarius the Great's Suez Canal: Engineering an Empire
Long before the Suez Canal of the 19th century, the Achaemenid Persian king Darius the Great carved a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea. In this episode…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Xerxes' Invasion of Greece: Strategy and Logistics
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the massive logistical undertaking behind Xerxes' invasion of Greece in 480 BCE. They explore the planning, supply…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Persian Imperial Army: Diversity and Loyalty
Lucas and Luna explore the organization and ethos of the Achaemenid army, from the elite Immortals to the satrapal contingents. They discuss how Darius I…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Xerxes and the Bridge of Hellespont
In 480 BCE, Xerxes I ordered the construction of a massive pontoon bridge across the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles) to invade Greece. This episode dives into…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Darius the Great's Egyptian Renaissance
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Darius the Great's ambitious and often overlooked project: restoring and revitalizing Egypt after its rebellion under…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Darius the Great's Egyptian Renaissance
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into Darius I's transformative but often overlooked rule over Egypt. After the chaos of Cambyses' conquest and the revolt…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Behistun Inscription: Darius I's Ancient Propaganda
In this episode of The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power, Lucas and Luna explore the Behistun Inscription, a monumental rock relief carved into…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Achaemenid Siege of Miletus: The Ionian Revolt's Bloody End
In 494 BCE, the Persian Empire crushed the Ionian Revolt at the Battle of Lade, then besieged Miletus. This episode follows the revolt's origins under…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Bardiya and the Magian Usurpation – Persia's Crisis of Legitimacy
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into one of the most mysterious and violent episodes of early Achaemenid history: the brief reign of the false Bardiya…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Siege of Bactria: Persia's Eastern Frontier
Episode 23 of our Achaemenid series heads east, away from the familiar Greek wars and western satrapies, to the rugged frontier of Bactria. We explore how the…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Siege of Sardis: A City's Fall and Rise
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Achaemenid siege of Sardis, the wealthy Lydian capital that fell to Cyrus the Great in 547 BCE after a dramatic…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Persian Gardens and the Invention of Paradise
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Achaemenid tradition of royal gardens, known as pairidaēza, which gave the world the word 'paradise.' These…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Siege of Sardis: A City's Fall and Rise
In this episode of The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power, Lucas and Luna revisit the conquest of Lydia by Cyrus the Great, focusing on the fall…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Cambyses II and the Lost Army of Egypt
In 525 BCE, Cambyses II conquered Egypt and became Pharaoh, but his reign ended in mystery and madness. This episode dives into Cambyses II's invasion of…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Siege of Sardis: A City's Fall and Rise
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Achaemenid siege of Sardis, the Lydian capital that fell to Cyrus the Great around 547 BCE. They…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Siege of Athens: A City Burned
In 480 BCE, the Achaemenid Empire under Xerxes I sacked Athens. But was it just revenge for the burning of Sardis? This episode dives into the military…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Achaemenid Women: Power Behind the Persian Throne
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked roles of women in the Achaemenid Empire. They discuss royal women like Atossa, Artystone, and…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Siege of Babylon: A City That Wouldn't Fall
In 539 BC, Cyrus the Great faced the most formidable city in the ancient world: Babylon. Its massive walls, twenty miles long and eighty feet high, had never…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Persian Royal Road: A Journey Across an Empire
In this episode of The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power, Lucas and Luna travel the length of the legendary Royal Road, the 2,500-kilometer…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Battle of Cunaxa: Artaxerxes II vs Cyrus the Younger
In 401 BCE, two brothers faced off in a dusty plain north of Babylon. Artaxerxes II, the reigning King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, and his younger…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Cyrus the Great's Tomb: The Unconquered King's Last Rest
In this episode of The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Cyrus the Great's tomb — a modest limestone…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Persepolis and the King of Kings: Achaemenid Court Ceremony
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the elaborate court rituals of the Achaemenid Empire, focusing on the New Year's festival at Persepolis. They discuss…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Secret Police: How Persia Kept Its Empire Safe
This episode explores the Achaemenid Empire's intelligence and internal security apparatus—the 'King's Eyes and Ears.' Lucas and Luna delve into how Persian…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Artaxerxes II and the Rise of the Anahita Cult
This episode dives into the reign of Artaxerxes II, a lesser-known Achaemenid king who ruled from 404 to 358 BCE. We explore how he broke with tradition by…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Navy: Persia's Forgotten Fleet
In this episode of The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power, Lucas and Luna dive into a lesser-known aspect of Persian might: its navy. From the…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Persian Gold: The Daric and Achaemenid Economy
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the economic backbone of the Achaemenid Empire through its most famous coin: the daric. They discuss how Darius I…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Queen Atossa: The Woman Behind Persia's Throne
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and influence of Queen Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, wife of Darius I, and mother of Xerxes. Atossa was…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Tax System: How Persia Funded an Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the financial machinery that kept the Achaemenid Empire running for over two centuries. They explore the sophisticated…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Xerxes and the Bridge of Boats: Engineering the Invasion of Greece
When Xerxes I set out to conquer Greece in 480 BCE, he faced a problem that had stumped every previous invader: how to cross the Hellespont, the mile-wide…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
Cyrus Cylinder: The World's First Human Rights Charter?
In this episode, we examine the Cyrus Cylinder, an ancient clay barrel inscribed with the victories and policies of Cyrus the Great after his conquest of…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Post Office: How Persia Built the World's First Information Superhighway
When Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenid Empire, he found something that amazed him: a relay system that could move a royal message from Susa to…
- The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History
The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age Begins
In 521 BCE, Darius the Great stands atop the Bisotun cliff, carving his legacy into stone. This episode of Fexingo History launches a series on the Achaemenid…