Episode 29 - A More Perfect Empire

“Remember this lesson well:  Whenever you can, act as a liberator.  Freedom, dignity, and wealth—these three together constitute the great happiness of humanity.  If you bequeath all three to your people, their love for you will never die.” – Cyrus the Great (quoted by Xenophon)

Servius Tullius laid the foundation for the Roman Republic, but his dubious claim to the throne led to his violent overthrow by Tarquin the Proud.  Cyrus the Great governed his vast empire with wisdom and temperance before meeting his end along Persia’s volatile eastern frontier.  Cambyses II’s Egyptian designs were aided by a high-level betrayal in the court of Ahmose II.

http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_29_A_More_Perfect_Empire.mp3

Episode 28 - When the Mede Came

“In winter, as you lie on a soft couch by the fire,

Full of good food, munching on nuts and drinking sweet wine,

Then you must ask questions such as these:

‘Where do you come from?  Tell me, what is your age?

How old were you when the Mede came?’” – Xenophanes of Colophon

The return of Harpagus to Anatolia signaled the end of Ionian Greek freedom.  After securing his third tyranny, Peisistratos brought stability and prosperity to Athens.  Fresh from a series of Eastern conquests, Cyrus II used propaganda and military might to overthrow Nabonidus and claim his third Near Eastern empire.

http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_28_When_The_Mede_Came.mp3

Episode 27 - Count No Man Happy

“But in every matter it behooves us to mark well the end: for oftentimes God gives men a gleam of happiness, and then plunges them into ruin." – Solon of Athens

Peisistratos’ first two attempts at tyranny were thwarted by the Athenian eupatridae.  The Spartans cultivated a reputation as the most fearsome warriors in Greece.  Prophesied to destroy a mighty empire, King Croesus of Lydia led Anatolian forces against the Persians and Medes, but the unconventional strategies of Cyrus brought him to a bitter end.

http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_27_Count_No_Man_Happy.mp3

Episode 26 - The Last Kings of Babylon

“So it was that the Persians, who had once been the slaves of the Medes, became their masters.“ – Heroditus

Nebuchadnezzar II turned Babylon into the most magnificent city of the ancient world, but the Chaldean line dissipated in his wake.  Nabonidus’ fervent devotion to the moon god, Sin, served to spark a war and drive the Babylonian king into self-imposed Arabian exile.  The military and political skills of Cyrus, and a high-level Median betrayal, enabled the Persians to win the empire of Astyages.

http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_26_The_Last_Kings_of_Babylon.mp3

Episode 25 - The Voyage of Solon

“Ahmose became a lover of the Hellenes; and besides other proofs of friendship which he gave to several among them, he also granted the city of Naucratis for those of them who came to Egypt to dwell in; and to those who did not desire to stay, but who made voyages thither, he granted portions of land to set up altars and make sacred enclosures for their gods. Their greatest enclosure and that one which has most name and is most frequented is called the Hellenion, and this was established by the following cities in common: --of the Ionians Chios, Teos, Phocaia, Clazomenai, of the Dorians Rhodes, Cnidos, Halicarnassos, Phaselis, and of the Aiolians Mytilene alone.“ – Heroditus

After his overthrow of Apries, the pharaoh Ahmose II increased Egyptian prosperity by centralizing and facilitating Greek trade at Naucratis.  King Alyattes used Lydia’s vast mineral wealth to maintain a powerful army and mint the world’s first coins.  Thales and the philosophers of the Milesian school introduced rationality and scientific inquiry into their studies of the cosmos.

http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_25_The_Voyage_of_Solon.mp3

Quick (One-Question) Listener Poll

(Also anonymous, and all that)

With the current series ending over the next few months, I wanted to gauge how many (local?) listeners might be interested in attending some sort of informal wrap-party in SF.  Let me know what you think:

http://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=4e63abd5-0ba2-4abf-bae7-e9c531afaea7 

Thanks!
Scott C.

Anniversary and Milestones

Greetings TAW listeners!  April 4, 2013 will mark the one year anniversary since this podcast was first launched, and what an amazing year it’s been.   I wanted to thank you all - not only for your kind words, wonderful iTunes reviews, and lovely Facebook posts - but also for helping me, and the series, reach the following, rather mind-boggling, set of milestones:

• 250 Facebook “Likes” (OK, that’s not mind-boggling, but it is fun)
• 5,000 regular subscribers, and (wait for it…)
• 250,000 episode downloads!!!

Episode 25 (the Silver Anniversary episode!) is coming up next and, in yet another nod to reality, I’ll officially be changing the subtitle of TAW from “around 20 episodes” to “around 30 episodes.”    

A few thousand years in the bank, less than a century left to go – but trust me, there are a lot of amazing developments crammed into that last century.  Thanks again for listening, and keep spreading the word!

Scott C.