Episode C3 – The Eternal Treaty

SEASON 2 FINALE Synopsis: Shulgi and his successors face major challenges to Ur III rule, including Amorite attacks, Sumerian rivals, and a newly-emboldened Shimashki. “The god Enlil granted to Shu-Sin a long lifespan, a crown and tiara, a scepter of long days, a royal throne, a ...  Show more

Synopsis: The Proto-Elamite horizon sparked innovation and trade throughout Iran and Central Asia, and its collapse saw the emergence of numerous “secondary states”. Toward the end of the Third Millennium BC, the dominant polity east of the Zagros was the Oxus Civilization. Map o ...  Show more

Twenty years of chaos in the Ptolemaic kingdom come to an end during the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204-180). His marriage to the Seleucid princess Cleopatra I Syra confirmed the loss of Coele Syria to Antiochus III, yet she proved to be a good match and helped secure the futu ...  Show more

In the annals of Egyptian history there is no one quite like Ramesses II. He is arguably the most famous, or infamous, of Egypt’s pharaohs. His reign would be long (67 years!) and his influence would be incalculable. In this episode, Ramesses "appears" as King, following the deat ...  Show more

Ramesses, Muwattalli, and the Trojans(?). In June of 1287 BCE, the Great Kings of Hatti and Egypt were on the verge of a major confrontation. Ramesses, marching across Sinai and into Canaan, made careful preparations for his assault on Kadesh. Alas, even the best-planned campaign ...  Show more

In this episode, we discuss events in the eastern Mediterranean during the reign of the Persian king, Kambyses, with a focus on the achievements and the political maneuverings between the Egyptian kings Amasis II and Psammetichos III, the Kyrenean kings Battos III and Arkesila ...