History Unbound

We're back in China and not a minute too soon. There's a lot going on,  from the fall of the Han Dynasty through the Sui, Tang, and into the Song. This also is the final episode of season 1.  Tune in soon for season 2 and a lot more of the history you want to know.

With the Byzantine Empire along the Mediterranean, and the Sassanid Empire in Persia, the last of the classical empires ruled the world. Then something happened in the desolate peninsula of Arabia that would change the balance of power in the Middle East and the world.  An Arab businessman had a vision that would lead to a religion that would swallow up both Persia and the Byzantines, and eventually collect 1.9 billion people.  The man was Muhammad and the religion was Islam.

In the last episode, we talked about the fall of the western Roman Empire. But what about the other half? This episode looks at the Byzantine Empire led by two brash young visionaries - Justinian and Theodora. They dream about putting Rome back together again, but can they even protect themselves from the powerful Sassanid Persian Empire?If so,  can they really put the band back together again?

Yes, we're back in Rome, looking at the fall of the western Roman Empire and what happened next. You could also think of this episode as Christianity Part 2, since the Roman Church was gaining power in the 5th century and continued to grow after the fall of Rome. But who took over? Listen and find out!

We are looking at India again in an age of Buddhism and Hinduism living in harmony. Its the Mauryan and Gupta Dynasties and an almost-unified India. But does it last? And what do they accomplish, really? And what does it have to do with Star Wars? Listen to History Unbound and find out! 

We're finally back in China. It's after the fall of the Qin Dynasty, and there's a new emperor in town. But unlike the 11-year-long Qin, the Han Dynasty lasted for 400 years. What happened during that time? And what happens when China's most powerful empire meets Europe's? Do the Romans play nice? Listen in and find out.

We're still in the Roman Empire, but today we're looking at the religions of Rome.  It's the Greek religion repackaged, but it's also uniquely Roman with religion on every level of society, and the emperor as the supreme religious leader. Then along comes a tiny offshoot of Judaism that is bound to fail. A fledgling religion that comes to be known as Christianity. How much change can one Jewish carpenter from Nazareth make, anyway, compared to the might of Rome? Listen and find out!

Julius Caesar has been killed, and it's a dark day for Rome. They can't move forward into something new and they can't go back to what they had. Then Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, takes matters into his own hands and creates a new Rome.  An empire. But Octavian is no Emperor Palpatine - he merges their republican past with an imperial future to usher in a golden age for Rome. But, all good things must come to an end, and Rome is no exception. Join us to see what happens as Rome begins to fall apart, and is forced to rise from the ashes once again.

Now that we've looked at Alexander and the spread of Hellenism, we shift our attention to a fledgling Rome. They outgrow the Etruscans, expand across the Italian Peninsula, and take on the big power in the Mediterranean. Somehow they prevail and create something entirely unique in classical history. But can it last? (Spoiler alert: no)

We are back in Greece 150 after the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. The Poleis are weak from a century of infighting, and Phillip II steps onto the stage. He has modernized the barbarian kingdom of Macedon and spends the next 12 years conquering all of Greece. His goal: invade Persia and even the score. But before he can carry out his plan, he is murdered. Now there is no one to take over but his 19-year-old son, Alexander.  Can he be great enough to succeed?

We need to have a discussion about the first dynasties of India, but first we need to talk religion. Three to be exact - Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. These religions are foundational to understanding India, classical and modern. So prepare to be enlightened and leave the self at home.

We're back in China this week, picking up where we left off. It's a new dynasty, followed by two hundred years of civil war. But which of the seven waring states will unify China? We'll get there, but first let's look at three philosophies that will eventually shape all of Asia - Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism.  It's all fun and games until someone uses the force to  levitate and look into the future. Wait a minute, is this History Unbound or Star Wars? Listen and find out.

This is part two of the early Greeks. This is Athens and Sparta, The Persian Wars, and the Peloponnesian War. Is this really the origin of the marathon? Did the movie 300 get it right? Can your host really fit the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding in there somewhere? Listen and find out!

This is a short episode in celebration of Thanksgiving. Was it really like we think it was? Tune in for a short history of the holiday.

This is our first look at the Greek world in their Archaic phase. We'll talk about the Myceneans and Minoans, and examine Homer and the Trojan War. Did the movie Troy get it right? This is also the first episode with a new format - off script! Enjoy, but beware of Greeks (and podcasters) bearing gifts...

This episode could easily be part two from last week. Here we talk about the rise of the Persian Empire under the brilliant leadership of Cyrus the Great. He dominated the Anatolian Plateau and the Middle East and, after conquering Babylon, returned the Hebrew exiles to their homeland. This episode also examines the fascinating religion of Zoroastrianism. It's a dualist's dream.

Israel is in the spotlight these days and some historical context might help us to understand things better. This is the first episode on Hebrew history beginning with the creation of the world and going all the way to the Babylonian captivity. But don't worry - it's not a three-hour podcast. This is the history you want to know, not what you were forced to learn. 

This is our first trip to the Americas and, honestly, it's one of my favorite cultures. We look at human migration into North and South America through Siberia and Austronesia, and the amazing civilizations that develop in what is today Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. 

This episode is the last in a three-part series on the rise of early civilizations around water. We look at the formation of India's Harapan society, the influence of Indo-Europeans who brought all their stuff with them, and the formation of Indian religion. We also step over to China and encounter Yu the Sage King.

This is the second episode of a three-part series on the world's first civilizations. Egypt was a grand civilization with a really weird history. Pharaohs, pyramids, mummies, and a complex and cool religion. They were also one of the first people to brew beer, which makes them my instant favorite...

It all started here, with the world's first civilization. It was a land between two rivers known as Mesopotamia. But this was not just the first civilization. It was also home to the world's first superhero - a king named Gilgamesh. Here we look at this earliest of stories and the city-states that arose out of the desert in Mesopotamia. It was a harsh land with harsh gods, but it produced a template for other civilizations, and a standard for world history.

Human beings are fully modern now and are entering the new stone age, or Neolithic period. Hunter gatherers have been following their food since the end of the ice age, but when they start to slow things down, they settle neolithic villages. This is the beginning of civilization - but what does that word really mean, anyway? This episode looks at a pivotal point in human history and what it means to be 'Neo.'

It's the dawn of man and a plucky little hominid  pokes her head out of the evolutionary soup and becomes something different.  She is called Australopithecus, but we know her as Lucy. This first episode is a look at the approach and style of History Unbound and introduces the first human beings.