Fall of Civilizations Podcast

20. Persia - An Empire in Ashes

In the highlands of the Iranian Plateau, a collection of enormous pillars reach up to the sky...In this episode, we tell the story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Find out how this remarkable ancient power sprung up from the rubble of a ruined world to become the most powerful human society on earth. Hear how they raised their grand palaces and monuments, and brought an unprecedented number of people together within their borders, as well as coming into conflict and cooperation with other ancient peoples. And finally find out what happened to bring the palaces of the Persian kings crashing down in fire and flame.CREDITSVoice actors: Michael HajiantonisLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris HarveyJack JacobsNick DentonAmrit SandhuMatt BidulphPaul CasselleTim StephensonAmeen TaherReadings in Old Persian were performed byIn Spanish by Scott FinsAnd readings in Greek were performed by Dimitris ChavresSinging of the Zoroastrian gathas was performed by ArdalanThe Theme music is Home at Last by John BartmannSound design was by Alexey SibikinHistorical advisor was Dr. Mateen.M. Arghandehpour at the University of OxfordFull list of sources available here:

19. The Mongols - Terror of the Steppe (Part 2)

In the far east of the Eurasian steppe, the sound of hoofbeats is growing... In this episode we travel along the vast grassland corridor of the steppe, to hear one of the most remarkable and unlikely stories from medieval history – the story of the Mongol Empire. Find out how this group of nomadic horse riders united the peoples of the Mongolian steppe, and forged them into a truly unique kind of state. Discover how they conquered much of the lands of Eurasia, and brought the distant cultures of China, Persia, the Middle East and Europe into contact. And hear the story of how the world’s largest land empire finally came apart, and left the world as we know it in its wake. Voice Actors: Michael Hajiantonis Henry Stenhouse Lachlan Lucas Alexandra Boulton Simon Jackson Tom Marshall-Lee Chris Harvey, Nick Denton Amrit Sandhu Sebastian Balzarolo Matt Bidulph Paul Casselle Readings in Arabic were performed by Oussama Taher. Readings in Chinese were by Richard Teng. Readings from the secret history of the Mongols in Mongolian were performed by Uiles

19. The Mongols - Terror of the Steppe (Part 1)

In the far east of the Eurasian steppe, the sound of hoofbeats is growing... In this episode we travel along the vast grassland corridor of the steppe, to hear one of the most remarkable and unlikely stories from medieval history – the story of the Mongol Empire. Find out how this group of nomadic horse riders united the peoples of the Mongolian steppe, and forged them into a truly unique kind of state. Discover how they conquered much of the lands of Eurasia, and brought the distant cultures of China, Persia, the Middle East and Europe into contact. And hear the story of how the world’s largest land empire finally came apart, and left the world as we know it in its wake. Voice Actors: Michael Hajiantonis Henry Stenhouse Lachlan Lucas Alexandra Boulton Simon Jackson Tom Marshall-Lee Chris Harvey, Nick Denton Amrit Sandhu Matt Bidulph Paul Casselle Readings in Arabic were performed by Oussama Taher. Readings in Chinese were by Richard Teng. Readings from the secret history of the Mongols in Mongolian were performed by Uiles

18. Egypt - Fall of the Pharaohs

Far in the distance, three colossal shapes tower over the desert horizon… In this episode, we travel to the Nile Valley, and tell the story of one of the most iconic cultures ever produced by humankind – the civilizations of ancient Egypt. I want to show how this series of related cultures grew up in the floodplains of their great river, and built some of the most enduring and recognizable structures in the world. And I want to tell the story of what happened to bring the age of the Pharaohs finally and cataclysmically to an end. Credits: Michael Hajiantonis Nick Denton Paul Casselle Alexandra Boulton Tom Marshall-Lee Rhy Brignell Peter Walters Lachlan Lucas Narrated and produced by Paul Cooper Sound engineering by Alexey Sibikin Readings in Arabic by Nassim El-Boujjoufi Readings in reconstructed ancient Egyptian by Seqnenra (Mohammad Habib) and Doha Abd Allah Amin

17. Carthage - Empire Of The Phoenicians

Buried beneath the city streets of the Tunisian capital of Tunis, an ancient city lies forgotten... In this episode, we look at one of the most dramatic stories to come down to us from the ancient world: the rise and fall of the empire of Carthage. Find out how this city rose out of the Phoenician states of the Eastern Mediterranean, and set out on voyages of discovery and settlement that put them at the centre of the ancient world. And hear how the city of Carthage was destroyed, and its memory nearly wiped from the earth. SOURCES: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sources-for-17-81369494?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Credits: Written and produced by Paul Cooper Sound engineering by Alexey Sibikin Voice actors: Michael Hajiantonis Lachlan Lucas Alexandra Boulton Simon Jackson Tom Marshall-Lee Chris Harvey, Nick Denton Paul Casselle