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PODCAST

Oldest Stories

History and myth of the Cradle of Civilization, bronze age Mesopotamia, beginning with the dawn of writing. The show will cover the full history of Mesopotamia, from Gilgamesh to Nabonidas, a span of some 2500 years, with myths of heroes and gods, and tales of daily life peppered throughout. Sumer, Akkad, Old Babylon, Hittites, and Israel have all been covered in depth, current episodes get deep into the Assyrian Empire. New episodes every other Wednesday. Online at oldeststories.net.

history

All Episodes

00:36:16

OS 162 - The Rise of Phrygia

Oldest Stories ·

2025/03/05

In the wake of the Bronze Age Collapse, a new power emerged in central Anatolia—the Phrygians. This episode examines their origins, tracing their migration from the Balkans and their settlement in the lands west of the former Hittite heartland. Drawing from archaeology and historical sources, we explore how the Phrygians established themselves as skilled wool workers, metalworkers, and cavalrymen, ultimately rising to prominence under the legendary King Midas.Despite their influence, the Phrygians

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00:49:02

OS 161 - A Kingdom of Honey and Blood: The Suhu...

Oldest Stories ·

2025/02/19

Suhu is a only modestly important region, and the independant kingdom that lived on the Middle Euphrates from perhaps 775 BCE to 744 BCE is barely more than an historical footnote. And yet, because they wrote their stories on stone stele, we can talk about the two kings Shamash-Resha-Usur and Ninurta-Kudurri-Usur. They loved their tiny nation and lived for its prosperity, building orchards, canals, and cities, even introducting honeybees into the region for the betterment of their citizenry. How

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00:52:41

OS 160 - Graham Hancock and the Philosophy of Archeology

Oldest Stories ·

2025/02/05

Graham Hancock is a complicated man. On one hand, he is exposing a lot of people to some of the most cutting edge archeological investigations and open questions in history, and doing it in a way that is engaging, entertaining, and gets non-experts excited about the field. On the other hand, his methodology is fundamentally unsound, to the point that even if he is right in his thesis of an ancient lost civilization with unexpectedly high technologies, his methods are insufficient to prove himself

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00:47:50

OS 159 - Slaves and Bronze in Iron Age Assyria

Oldest Stories ·

2025/01/22

Reading 2800 year old slave documents, we learn a great deal about what concerned the people of Assyria on a day to day basis, at least the ones who lived in and around the major cities. From these documents we can see how the economy is changing, and how many parts of life are just as they have always been, for better or worse.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy the Oldest Stories books:

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00:34:49

OS 158 - The Glorious Magnates of Assyria

Oldest Stories ·

2025/01/08

Today we talk about the governors Nergal-Erish and Mannu-ki-Mat-Assur as they play their part in building the Assyrian empire in a number of often unheralded and underappreciated ways. Then we look at important developments in Babylonia related to the Chaldeans and Itu'eans.Mannu-ki-Mat-Assur's archives: https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/atae?zoom=67&bkmk=P527340 If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy the Oldest

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00:36:17

OS 157 - Women and Horses, the Constraints of Assyria

Oldest Stories ·

2024/12/25

Today we blame the decline of Assyria on horses, and look at Adad-Nirari's desperation to get more of them. Also we see more of the historical Shammu-Ramat, the source of the Semiramis myth. There is also a brief discussion of the uncertain Messiah of 2 Kings 13. If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS Donate here: https://oldeststories.net/ or on patreon:

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00:53:31

OS 156 - The Mythical Semiramis in Ancient History

Oldest Stories ·

2024/12/11

The tale of Semiramis is one of those myths that everyone used to know, and many people used to take quite seriously. It is a tale from the Greek era which purports to tell the whole story of the great and ancient Babylonian and Assyrian empires, ultimately based on a now-lost set of legends that grew around the historical queen Shammu-ramat, wife and Queen of Shamshi-Adad V and mother of Adad-Nirari III. It will be for next episode to see the height of her power in real history, but it is

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00:42:55

OS 155 - The Angry Puppet: Shamshi-Adad V

Oldest Stories ·

2024/11/27

The angry and impotent king Shamshi-Adad would accomplish quite little during his reign of the Neo-Assyrian empire, but he would manage to completely annihilate the resurgent Babylonians and set them back a full century, while also marrying Shammu-Ramat, the inspiration for the mythical Semiramis, and allowing the Assyrian Empire to descend fully into the Age of the Magnates, or Assyrian Feudal Period.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even

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00:40:46

OS 154 - Assyrian Civil War: Magnate Edition

Oldest Stories ·

2024/11/13

The final years of Shalmaneser III's reign over the Neo-Assyrian Empire, was a pivotal period marked by civil war, political intrigue, and shifting power dynamics. As Shalmaneser aged and relied more on his top general, Dayan-Assur, did his appointment of his younger son, Shamshi-Adad, as successor trigger a bitter seven-year conflict (827–820 BCE) with his elder son, Assur-Danin-Apli? This poorly documented Assyrian civil war pitted the royal family against a rising class of powerful governors, or

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00:42:17

OS 153 - Shalmaneser Delegates Authority

Oldest Stories ·

2024/10/30

The latter half of Shalmaneser's reign is less celebrated, but no less important. We see major campaigns against Urartu, Que, and Parsua, but more importantly we see some of those campaigns led by an unexpected figure, Dayan-Assur. We are rapidly building up to the civil war that opens the Assyrian Feudal Era, with epic poetry, political dynamics, and lots and lots of hard to remember names! If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting

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00:48:28

OS 152 - The Smothered Spark of Babylon's Dark Age

Oldest Stories ·

2024/10/16

Today we see the political aspect of Babylon during its dark age, focusing on the 10th to 9th centuries BCE. Highlights are reigns of kings like Nabu-Mukin-Apli, Nabu-Shuma-Ukin, and Nabu-Apla-Iddina, tracing the political fragmentation, famine, and external threats faced by the city. The episode also highlights Babylon's struggle against Aramean raids, the rise of new dynasties, and the city's complex relationship with Assyria. Key topics include Babylonian kingship, religious traditions, military

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00:38:53

OS 151 - The Glowing Embers of Babylon's Dark Age

Oldest Stories ·

2024/10/02

Today we talk about why, exactly, Babylon was unique and look at how during this dark age they were still creating unique and interesting literary works. This gets pretty wide ranging, from defense to omen texts to political reform to the origins of the Chaldeans. The podcast has gone back to audio-only, the video side of things was taking too much away from the important parts of the show. Advice to a Prince can be read here: https://www.ebl.lmu.de/corpus/L/2/5/SB/-If you like the show, consider

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00:44:23

OS 150 - The Battle of Qarqar

Oldest Stories ·

2024/08/28

The lead-up to and significance of the first great battle of the iron age. Qarqar changed the equation for the Assyrian empire, which has until now been expanding without serious resistance. We will learn about the geopolitical significance of Damascus and Israel, watch the Assyrians struggle and grow as a result, and reach the peak of early Neo-Assyrian military achievement.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy

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00:41:44

OS 149 - Shalmaneser Upends the Levant

Oldest Stories ·

2024/08/14

Today we examine the situation in the Levant from the Bronze age Collapse to the entry of the Assyrians, and then follow Shalmaneser's levantine campaigns as they reshape the region through violence and indigenous reactions. We reach the end of Ahumu the Aramean's anti-Assyrian activities, and ponder some of the big questions of the series, like what motivates Shalmaneser and what happens to civillians in a conquered Assyrian territory.If you like the show, consider sharing with your

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00:38:13

OS 148 - Shalmaneser Takes the Throne

Oldest Stories ·

2024/07/31

A big transition of power as Shalmaneser peacefully takes the crown from his psychotic father, then immediately heads north for some war crimes. Big discussion today about how the Assyrian empire really works, what holds it together, and how Shalmaneser heralds a new phase in near eastern history. I even have a new background to mark the new era, for those watching on video.Also, for those not on youtube, I have been doing some more Pharaoh:Total War content, including a historically focused

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00:35:42

OS 147 - From the River to the Sea

Oldest Stories ·

2024/07/17

From the Tigris River to the Mediterranian Sea, Assurnasirpal completes the greatest campaign any Mesopotamian king has managed since the time of Sargon the Great, nearly 1500 years prior. Made possible through logistics, a firm grip on his Mesopotmaian heartland, and his own personal spark of genius, our psycho king turns up the charm to travel further than blade alone could allow, reshaping the near eastern political landscape, and setting in motion events that would alter human history

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00:26:14

The Early History of Near Eastern Cavalry

Oldest Stories ·

2024/07/03

Bonus episode today, a bit of a crossover with the bronze age stuff I am doing on Youtube about the video game Total War Pharaoh. Despite that, I think it will be of general enough interest to go on the podcast feed because the history of cavalry and the evolution and impact of the horse is keenly relevant here in the iron age, ironically more so than in the bronze age that the game is trying to shoehorn it into. This full lore breakdown explains the actual history of cavalry, goes deep into the

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00:36:51

OS 146 - How Assyria Operated

Oldest Stories ·

2024/06/19

Today we look at the psychology and genius of Assurnasirpal and get a good look at both the strengths and weaknesses of the Assyrian terror-based governance strategy. A massive feast will be held, the Babylonians will be resurgent, and a massive uprising will threaten Assyrian invincibility. If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially: Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhS Donate here:

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00:40:21

OS 145 - The Early Neo-Assyrian Army

Oldest Stories ·

2024/06/05

Today we pause and look at the early Neo-Assyrian army itself, the arm of the empire that was doing all the conquering. It is an infantry focused force, but we also have some to say about the world's first cavalry forces, as well as the prestigious but declining chariot. Sprinkling in some of what we know about Assyrian military tactics, strategy and psychology, we can see that the success of the army in these early years is not due to any one greatest strength, but instead the overwhelming

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00:45:55

OS 144 - Call of Calhu

Oldest Stories ·

2024/05/22

Calah, Nimrud, Kalhu - the new city of Assurnasirpal which will serve as imperial capital for the next century and a half has many names, but is built on a foundation of blood and plunder. We look at the city today, the grand buildings and mighty feasts held to inaugurate the new city, but our focus is on the death and slavery upon which it, like the empire, it would serve, is built upon. In the process, we see the genius and industry of the tireless psychopath who is rocketing Assyria from a major

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219 results

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