013: The Histories by Herodotus and the Persian Wars* Artwork

History of Modern Greece

The History of Modern Greece covers the events of the Greek People from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Greek War of Independence in 1821-1832, to the modern day. We are a father and son team. We are not historians, but we are hardcore fans of history. We embarked on a mission to understand exactly how the Ancient Greek civilization transformed into the modern nation we see today. To prepare ourselves for the journey we purchased dozens of textbooks, watched numberless documentaries, and listened to as many historical podcasts as we could find. Come and join us on our journey to discover the History of Modern Greece.

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History of Modern Greece

013: The Histories by Herodotus and the Persian Wars*

February 03, 2021 • Season 1 • Episode 13

0:00 | 35:12

In this episode we revisit the Persian Wars through the lens of Herodotus, the ancient writer often called the “Father of History.” Beginning in the intellectual ferment of the Axial Age, when thinkers across Eurasia were redefining philosophy and religion—including the teachings of Pythagoras in Greece and Zarathustra in Persia—we trace the rise of imperial power in the Near East with the Neo-Assyrian Empire, whose military and administrative systems reshaped the political landscape. From its collapse emerged the Median and Persian kingdoms, culminating in the rise of Cyrus the Great and the creation of the Achaemenid Empire. Using Herodotus’ Histories as our narrative backbone—while drawing on modern scholarship and additional ancient sources—we follow the growing confrontation between the Persian kings and the Greek world, exploring the cultural, political, and religious forces that set the stage for one of the most famous conflicts of the ancient world.

The History of Modern Greece podcast is an epic story that covers the events from Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, to the years subjected under the Ottomans, and focussing heavily on 1821-1832 when the Greeks fought a war of independence... continuing all the way to the modern day.

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