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61: Blood on the Eurymedon
Most of the decade following the first offensive Greek campaigns against Xerxes' forces are lost to us. There are hints at great battles and rapid At…
4 years, 10 months ago
60: Given Against The Demons
The Vendidad is a strange and unique document. It's one part mythology, one part law code, and one part ritual manual. A collection of phrases and ve…
4 years, 10 months ago
59: Holy War
Early in Xerxes' reign, an infamous and dramatic story of religious conflict was inscribed at Persepolis. When Xerxes became king he put down a rebel…
5 years ago
58: Persia's First Family
As the reign of another king draw's toward a close, it's time to look at the royal family. Xerxes' household was like a microcosm of early Achaemenid…
5 years ago
57: Xerxes at Home
It's time to return to the imperial heartland and tour the "city" that Xerxes' built. The foundations may have been laid by Darius, but Xerxes was th…
5 years, 1 month ago
56: Domestic Affairs
As the war with the Greeks drags on into obscurity, it is time to investigate what was happening inside the empire under Xerxes. In the far west, mos…
5 years, 1 month ago
55: Still Loud on the Western Front
After the Persian defeat at Mycale, the stories of the Greco-Persian war get less dramatic, but the war itself did not come to an end. Late 479 BCE s…
5 years, 2 months ago
54: Two By "Sea"
Supposedly on the same day as the Battle of Plataea, another battle was unfolding at the foot of Mount Mycale (modern Mount Dilek). The Greek fleet a…
5 years, 3 months ago
53: One By Land
After a year of relative success, the Persian occupation of northern Greece received its second massive defeat. For the first time, the Hellenic Leag…
5 years, 3 months ago
Interview: Sean Manning
I sat down with Dr. Sean Manning, author of the new book: Armed Force in the Teispid-Achaemenid Empire: Past Approaches, Future Prospects to discuss …
5 years, 4 months ago