Fall of Civilizations Podcast

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.

CREDITS
Voice actors:
Henry Stenhouse Michael Hajiantonis
Lachlan Lucas
Alexandra Boulton
Simon Jackson
Tom Marshall-Lee
Chris Harvey
Jack Jacobs
Nick Denton
Amrit Sandhu
Paul Casselle
Tim Stephenson
Ameen Taher
Readings in Old Persian were performed by Mateen Arghandepour
In Spanish by Scott Fins
And readings in Greek were performed by Dimitris Chavres
Singing of the Zoroastrian gathas was performed by Ardalan
The Theme music is Home at Last by John Bartmann
Sound design was by Alexey Sibikin
Historical advisor was Dr. Mateen.M. Arghandehpour at the University of Oxford
Full list of sources available here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145588047

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 HajiantonisHenry StenhouseLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris Harvey,Nick DentonAmrit SandhuSebastian BalzaroloMatt BidulphPaul CasselleReadings 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

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 HajiantonisHenry StenhouseLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris Harvey,Nick DentonAmrit SandhuMatt BidulphPaul CasselleReadings 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

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 HajiantonisNick DentonPaul CasselleAlexandra BoultonTom Marshall-LeeRhy BrignellPeter WaltersLachlan LucasNarrated and produced by Paul CooperSound engineering by Alexey SibikinReadings in Arabic by Nassim El-BoujjoufiReadings in reconstructed ancient Egyptian by Seqnenra (Mohammad Habib) and Doha Abd Allah Amin

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_linkCredits:Written and produced by Paul CooperSound engineering by Alexey SibikinVoice actors:Michael HajiantonisLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris Harvey,Nick DentonPaul Casselle