I'm Trevor Culley. My personal experience with both Persian history and podcasts began with a college extra credit assignment to listen to the first Hardcore History history episode on the Achaemenids. I was instantly enthralled with the stories of the Kings of Kings and coming a little late to the party, started listening to podcasts. On one hand, I started heading down the road toward PhD that will let me study ancient Persia for a living. On the other, as I binged my way through both the History of Rome and early episodes of the History of Byzantium I was always excited for the episodes dealing with the Parthians and Sassanids. I'm sure some of you shared my surprise and disappointment to discover that there was not a similarly dedicated podcast dealing with the great empires east of Rome. So that brings us here. I've decided to personally create that dedicated podcast.
We’re taking a break from the historical narrative to focus on a mythological one: the life and times of Orpheus the Bard, from his many origin stories to the travels of the Argonauts to his eventual journey to the underworld. Download
The Xian Stele, Chinese with a Syriac translation date Year of the Greeks 1092, over 1000 years into the Seleucid Era via Wikimedia
Like any good king, Antiochus I Soter had a royal family, and as his reign comes to an end, it’s time to talk about them, from his brother in Anatolia to troublesome sons and wide ranging in-laws. He’s in his Seleucid Era. Download
The Battle of Saint-Eustache by Lord Charles Beauclerk, 1840
America: Secret Wars is back with a five part series about the skirmishes between the US and Canada that almost led to a third war with the British Empire in the 1830s. In Part 3, Trevor is joined Bailey and Nic from Totalus Jeffianus (@jeffianus.bsky.social) to discuss the Patriot War, a failed Canadian Revolution where the US somehow managed to fight and lose on both sides. Download
Sketch of the Aramaic inscription of Ashoka at Khalsi
After losing a large piece of the eastern empire to Chandragupta Maurya, the Seleucids didn’t just ignore their eastern neighbors. In the later decades of Seleucus’ reign, Megasthenes established diplomatic ties between the two eastern kingdoms. In the generations that followed, diplomacy and trade helped to stabilize both the Maurya and the Seleucids. Download
Map of the Aroostook Border dispute (and Indian Stream) via Wikimedia
America: Secret Wars is back with a five part series about the skirmishes between the US and Canada that almost led to a third war with the British Empire in the 1830s. In Part 2, Trevor is joined Bailey and Nic from Totalus Jeffianus (@jeffianus.bsky.social) to discuss the Aroostook War, a conflict between the United States, British New Brunswick, and the forces of nature. Download
Roman copy of a bust depicting Philetairos of Pergamon
A grab bag episode to cover Seleukid politics in the last decade or so of Antiochus Soter’s reign. We’ve got temples, cities, and rebellion. What more could you ask for? Download
No sooner had Antiochus I defeated the new-found Galatians in Anatolia, than war erupted in the south. Magas, brother of Ptolemy II and self-declared King of Cyrene, formed a marriage alliance with Antiochus before fighting a war of succession against his brother, dragging the Seleucid Empire along for the ride. Download
Map of Galatian settlement routes before the Elephant Victory, via Wikimedia
After sweeping through the Balkans with their kin, three tribes of Gauls in Thrace drew the attention of the embattled Nicomeides of Bithynia as potential allies in his war against a Seleucid-backed opponent. The Gauls crossed the Bosporus and swept through Nicomeides enemies with ease before turning their sites on the war torn regions of Seleucid Anatolia. Download
Intelligent Speech 2025 is coming! The event will feature a gathering of excellent history podcasters THIS SATURDAY. That’s FEBRUARY 8, 2025 at 10:00am US Eastern Time for an all day event featuring presentations, panels, and live Q&A with a ton of history podcasts. If that doesn’t convince you, this episode is last year’s History of Persia panel. Get those tickets ASAP!!! Download
Intelligent Speech 2025 is coming! The event will feature a gathering of excellent history podcasters THIS SATURDAY. That’s FEBRUARY 8, 2025 at 10:00am US Eastern Time for an all day event featuring presentations, panels, and live Q&A with a ton of history podcasts. If that doesn’t convince you, this episode is last year’s History of Persia Presentation. Get those tickets ASAP!!! Download