History with Cy
Come join me, Cy, as I uncover and explore the stories of the people and places that make up (or made up) our world. Whether through primary sources such as ancient inscriptions or interviews with some of the greatest scholars in the field of ancient and medieval history, this podcast will expose you to historical topics that are rarely covered in depth by others. Many of these programs will be supplements to the videos that appear on the popular History with Cy YouTube channel. You won't want to miss a single episode! Subscribe today!
Episodes
29 episodes
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 the history of this region and how it developed from the Bronze Age, C...
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1:27:59
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 warfare, increased colonization around the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas,...
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36:30
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, the abandonment of the once might Mycenaean palatial centers, disruption of ...
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23:05
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 powerful ruler of the Achaemenid Dynasty of ancient Iran, Darius I is als...
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45:00
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. Founded by Sargon of Akkad and expanded by his descendants Rimush, ...
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1:20:04
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 historical events that may have led to armed conflicts between Mycenaeans and Hitti...
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1:30:33
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 fifteen centuries and learn about its impact and why it was so beloved as...
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3:08:29
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 decided that now is the time to leave the Athenian-led alliance. Th...
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26:37
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 from the attacks of the Spartan general Archidamos and the Peloponnesian forces.&n...
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49:34
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 reasons and motivations of Athens, Sparta, Corinth and the different part...
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45:11
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 and see what may have been the source for one of his more fantastical...
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21:17
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-Persian wars, and then follow the lives of his successors up to Darius III and the ...
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1:00:06
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. Founded by Cyrus II and expanded by his successors Cambyses II and Darius I, ...
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1:15:21
The Early Amorites of Mesopotamia (2600-1800 BC)
Some of you wanted to know a bit more about the Amorites and they're arrival into Mesopotamia, so I thought I'd do a quick podcast on it. This program will take a look at early references to Amorites in Sumerian, Elbaite and Akkadian documents....
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21:04
The Complete and Concise History of the Sumerians and Early Bronze Age Mesopotamia (7000-2000 BC)
The history of ancient Sumer and the Sumerians, from the first notable farming communities to occupy their land to their magnificent cities, innovations, great kingdoms and empires. If you want to get a good grasp of who the Sumerians were, thi...
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1:12:27
Croesus of Lydia and the Lydians (plus Herodotus' tale of Croesus meeting Solon the Athenian)
In this podcast, we take a look at the fabled king, Croesus of Lydia, at least from the point of view of Greek writers such as Herodotus and Xenophon. Croesus was a king who during his day (r. 560-546 BC) was deemed to have been the wealt...
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24:32
Cambyses II and the Persian Conquest of Egypt (Achaemenid Persian Empire)
The Achaemenid king, Cambyses II of Persia, was the son and successor of Cyrus the Great. Though Cyrus is lauded by friend and foe alike as the ideal ruler, his son Cambyses in many written sources has been portrayed as just the opposite ...
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16:48
Cyrus the Great and the Birth of the Achaemenid Persian Empire
With this video we start a series of programs and podcasts all dealing with ancient Persia and the beginnings of the Achaemenid Persian Empire of Cyrus II, better known to the world as Cyrus the Great. We'll first take a quick look at the...
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41:19
The Neo-Elamite Period - Elam vs. Assyria (1100 - 550 BC) | Supplemental Podcast #6
In this podcast we cover the last centuries of what was once an independent and powerful Elam. During what's known as the Neo-Elamite period (1100-550 BC), Elam went on a steady decline until it's near destruction at the hands of the Neo-...
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42:01
Popular Religion in Canaan and the Levant (Bronze Age Canaanite Religion)
I thought it'd be a good idea to take some time and discuss the basic religious beliefs and practices that were prevalent in ancient Canaan and the Levant during the Bronze Age. In this program, you'll learn about the basics of how Canaan...
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20:49
Dark Days in Babylon - The Lost Centuries (1021-732 BCE)
This podcast is for all of your fans of Babylonian history! In it, we take a look at the some of the most obscure centuries in Babylonian history and the events as well as the dynasties that shaped them, namely the Second Dynasty of the Sealand...
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19:30
The Early Medes and the Median Empire (History of Ancient Iran)
In this video podcast, we'll take a look at one of the most overlooked peoples of ancient history, the Medes, and reconstruct their early history using Assyrian, Babylonian and Greek sources, namely Herodotus (the Medes don't have any primary s...
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28:01
The Amarna Letters - Conversations between Kings and Canaanites
I thought that this might be a fun topic for those of you who are into examining ancient primary sources. For those of you who may not know, the Amarna Letters are a collection of 14th century BCE correspondence between three phara...
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25:24
Life of a Scribe in Mesopotamia, Scribal Schools and the Ultimate Ancient Diss Track
Scribes played an extremely important role in the history of the ancient world, especially in Mesopotamia. As purveyors of the written word, they were responsible for all sorts of tasks - recording knowledge, drafting and writing edicts for the...
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19:04