After chasing his brother out of Asia, but still beaten by the Parthians, Seleucus II returned to Antioch to face the family drama royals are best known for and to prepare for another round of war. In a speed round family episode, we'll cover the Seleucid extended family, the death of Seleucus Callinichus, and the reign of Seleucus III Ceranaus. IntelligentSpeechOnline.com – Intelligent Speech Online 2026 Tickets available now! Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | Blu...
Dec 10, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 158
During the Third Syrian War, Seleucus II Callinicus discovered treachery. His younger brother, Antiochus Hierax and their royal relatives in Anatolia attempted to usurp the throne. Seleucus was forced to make a hasty peace with Ptolemy III and return to the north to face his brother in open civil war. IntelligentSpeechOnline.com – Intelligent Speech Online 2026 Tickets available now! Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * C...
Nov 30, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 157
With Babylonia and the Seleucis of Syria under Ptolemaic occupation, it's entirely possible that the only thing that saved Seleucus II was an Egyptian famine. Free to go on the offensive, Seleucus turned the tide of the Third Syrian War. IntelligentSpeechOnline.com – Intelligent Speech Online 2026 Tickets available now! Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: ht...
Nov 17, 2025•34 min•Season 2Ep. 156
Antiochus II Theos was dead and his wives, Laodike and Berenike, were both trying to get their sons on the Seleucid throne. Both sides called on their relatives, the Achaeids and Ptolemies, to plunder and retake the vulnerable Empire. IntelligentSpeechOnline.com - Intelligent Speech Online 2026 Tickets available now! Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https...
Oct 26, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 155
We take a break from the Seleucids to discuss their western neighbors: Egypt under Ptolemy II and Macedon under Antigonus II. . The Hellenistic Age Podcast - https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/ . Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! . Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising ...
Oct 04, 2025•46 min•Season 2Ep. 154
We've covered 300. We've covered Rise of an Empire. We've covered all sorts of Achaemenid historical fiction. So now, we cover Xerxes, with a shockingly positive review of Frank Miller's sequel graphic novel. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to get the full episode and support this show! Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: htt...
Sep 28, 2025•7 min
Thank you all so much for supporting History of Persia. In this bonus episode, I wanted to try out something a little different than usual. Today, I'm pitching my ideas for movies and series set in the Achaemenid Empire. If you've ever wanted a spaghetti western set in the 5th Century BCE or an animated musical where Cambyses is Prince Charming, I've got some thoughts. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to get the full episode and support this show! Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use ...
Sep 14, 2025•9 min
It's time to wind down Antiochus II Theos and talk about his extended royal family, from his various siblings spread out across the Hellenistic world to the powerful cousins entrenched in Anatolia. Then we'll wrap up with his two wives, Laodike and Berenike, and their three sons, Seleucus, Antiochus, and Antiochus. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https:/...
Sep 10, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 153
The Book of Daniel is a fascinating combination of genuine history, folk tale, historical inaccuracy, and prophecy. Let's talk about it. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show and HEAR THE FULL EPISODE! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Priv...
Aug 24, 2025•6 min
During and after the Second Syrian War, Antiochus II was involved in many ongoing events with his smaller neighbors and subordinates. Whether it was intervening in the Cappadocian monarchy, being kept out of Bithynia by threats of a wider war, or granting autonomy to Parthia and Bactria to fight the Parni, the Seleucid Empire was a busy place in the mid-3rd Century BCE. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Roset...
Aug 17, 2025•36 min•Season 2Ep. 152
Trevor's WiFi is back, and so is the History of Persia. Although he started in a relatively strong position, the new Seleucid king Antiochus II's reign was immediately derailed by the Second Syrian War. Rebellions, invasions, and alliances ensue. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/...
Jul 25, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 151
To wrap up our series on Orphism and its connections to Hellenistic Iran, it's time to discuss Zurvan, the Zoroastrian yazata of Time, and his growing cult in the Hellenistic Age. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircl...
Jul 06, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 150
The Ancient Greeks had many ideas about the origins of the universe and humanity over the centuries. The best known is probably Hesiod's Theogony , but the Orphics developed many of their own versions of the story. Today, we explore some of those competing ideas about the dawn of Time. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support ...
Jun 01, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 149
Continuing the story of Orphic religion, we take a break from mythology to talk about theology in one of ancient Greece's more unique mystery cults. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-...
May 09, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 148
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. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/do...
Apr 15, 2025•38 min•Season 2Ep. 147
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. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donati...
Mar 30, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 146
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. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use m...
Mar 19, 2025•41 min
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? Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/bran...
Mar 11, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 144
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. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://ww...
Feb 23, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 143
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. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and ...
Feb 15, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 142
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!!! Get tickets to Intelligent Speech February 8, 2025! https://intelligentspeechonline.com/ Featuring: Derek - The ...
Feb 07, 2025•43 min
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!!! Get tickets to Intelligent Speech February 8, 2025! https://intelligentspeechonline.com/ Video Version: https://...
Feb 05, 2025•40 min
Antiochus I succeeded his father Seleucus in 281 BCE, and he was immediately plunged into a series of revolts, invasion, and crises in every direction. Ptolemy II was seizing land. The reconquest of the northern dynasts was horribly mismanaged, and as a cherry on top, Gauls suddenly invaded Greece. Get tickets to Intelligent Speech February 8, 2025! https://intelligentspeechonline.com/ Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: *...
Jan 28, 2025•39 min•Season 2Ep. 141
By the time Seleucus Nicator was murdered, he had reunited much of Alexander the Great's Empire, but the northern and southwestern edges of the imperial map were rapidly filling in with new, smaller kingdoms and confederations. From Chorasmia to the Cimmerian Bosporus, and from Bithynia to the Nabataean Arabs, this episode gives a brief overview of the smaller successors to Alexander and Darius. History of Saqartvelo-Georgia https://thegrandembassy-shop.fourthwall.com/ Apple - Spotify - RSS Visi...
Jan 14, 2025•53 min•Season 2Ep. 140
9 Kings of Macedon, 8 A-names, 7 warring states, 6 kingdoms, 5 marriage pacts, 4 dead successors, 3 Ptolemies, 2 wars of succession, and 1 Victor all in one episode. The age of the diadochoi ends with a bang. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertisin...
Dec 30, 2024•37 min•Season 2Ep. 139
According to tradition, the prophet Zoroaster died at 77 years and 40 days old on Khorshed Dae AKA December 26 (depending on who you ask). Let's talk about it. Cardinal Numbers Podcast https://www.popeularhistory.com/episodes/cardinal-numbers Zoroastrian numerology https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-85prx-1475d46 Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ro...
Dec 25, 2024•30 min
Today, we explore the family of King Seleucus I from his grandfather to his sons and daughters, including one of history's first uses of the she's only his step-mom excuse. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/b...
Dec 16, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 138
Today, we step back from the narrative to see what kind of empire Seleucus was actually running here. Ian Mladjov's Maps https://sites.google.com/a/umich.edu/imladjov/maps Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/br...
Dec 10, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 137
The Wars of the Diadochoi did not end in 301 BCE, but their Fourth War finished with a dramatic turning point in the Battle of Ipsus as Antigonus and Demetrius faced off against Seleucus, Lysimachus, and Pleistarchus. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persia/donations A...
Dec 01, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 136
After reclaiming Babylon, King Seleucus began consolidating his power over the upper satrapies, but even as he worked to reclaim the Iranian east, the Mauryan Empire began pushing out of India and across the mountains of Gandhara. Visit https://HoPfulMedia.com.co to support this show! Support | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Our Sponsors: * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-of-persi...
Nov 23, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 135
