Season's Greetings, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Shab-e Yalda Mubarak, or a pleasant solstice festival of your choice. This is not a holiday episode, but a fundraising announcement to tell you about some new features that will appear on the podcast, HistoryOfPersiaPodcast.com, and Patreon going into 2021. Just like last time, I hate to just ask for money, so I've included a mini-episode about Persian coinage. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

From 484-481 BCE, Xerxes directed his subjects to prepare for war in Greece. This didn't just mean assembling soldiers and ships, but also preparing the infrastructure of the western empire to receive one of the largest armies ever assembled. 200,000 soldiers from across the Persian empire converged on the Hellespont in the spring of 480 and began the march to Hellas. AMA Contact Patreon Casting Through Ancient Greece iTunes | Spotify | RSS | Website Catalog of Nations from Herodotus --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

In 486 BCE, Darius the Great died while Egypt was in revolt. Over the following years, Xerxes put his empire back in order. First in Egypt, then twice in Babylon, the new king defeated rebel kings. The traditional nobility of the two most ancient and prestigious satrapies in the empire were punished, and Xerxes asserted himself as the King of Kings. 50! Q&A Contact Patreon | Support Page | One-time Contribution Ad: Joyful.gifts --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

In 486 BCE, Darius the Great died and passed the Persian Empire on to his son, Xerxes. With plans to invade Greece in development, and Egypt in open revolt, the Achaemenid house had to pause and deal with the succession. Darius became the first king entombed at Naqsh e Rostam while Xerxes competed with his elder half-brother for power. 50! Q&A Contact Patreon | Lyceum | Support Page | One-time Contribution Arcadia - Support Renewable Energy --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

This is the second part of the two-part discussion on the life and times of Zoroaster. This time, I discuss the Zoroastrian conception of reality and how it is portrayed in the Gathas as well as the legacy of Zarathustra in Zoroastrianism, Iran, and Europe. Zoroastrianism: An Introduction by Jenny Rose Patreon | Lyceum.FM | Support Page Arcadia Energy – Support Renewable Power Twitter | Facebook | Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

By audience demand, we're headed back in time. Before wrapping up the reign of Darius, it's time to look back to the bronze age and talk about Zarathustra Spitama, the prophet more often known in the west as Zoroaster. This is the first of a two part series on the life and teachings of Zoroaster, as presented in the Gathas - 5 hymns to Ahura Mazda believed to be composed by Zoroaster himself. Patreon | Lyceum.FM | Support Page Arcadia Energy - Support Renewable Power Twitter | Facebook | Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

Darius the Great is one of Persia's most infamous kings for many reasons. An illegitimate heir who reunified the empire. The king of the first war with Greece. Conqueror of territory at the far reaches of Persian control. He was many things. He was also a reformer and an administrator who oversaw the implementation of new systems of taxation, record keeping, and political organization. Those reforms formed the basis of Persian governance for centuries to come, and may be his longest lasting legacy. Conquerors Podcast Website | Spotify | Apple | RSS Patreon Lyceum Support Page --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

To round out our series on Darius' royal family, it's only fair to talk about the men of the family. After all, like it or not, the narrative will follow them going forward. Grandpa Arsames, the fascinating Hystaspes, and all of Darius' brothers, sons, and cousins get their own time in the spotlight. Then, it's time to prepare for the competition to become the Greatest. HistoryOfPersiaPodcast.com Patreon Lyceum Support Page Audible Free Trial Henrietta and Eleanor Ad: Audible --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

There were many Duksis (royal women) in Darius' household, and there would be many more in future generations of the Achaemenid family, but three women in particular standout above the rest. Most famously we know of Atossa, daughter of Cyrus and mother of Xerxes, from our Greek sources. Thanks to the documents of the Persepolis Fortification Archive we also know about the remarkable wealth and influence of Artystone and Irdabama as Persian women in the early 5th century BCE. Patreon Lyceum.fm Support Page --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support

Our sources for Achaemenid history are clearly biased towards the stories of men in the ancient world, but we actually know a lot about Achaemenid women. To fully understand the whole royal family, it's time to get a better understanding of the role Royal Women - the Duksish - played in Persian society. Patreon Lyceum.fm Support Page Newspapers.com Free Trial Ad: Newspapers.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/history-of-perisa/support