Fall of Civilizations Podcast

By Fall of Civilizations PodcastHistory

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Fall of Civilizations Podcast episodes

July 31 21. Majapahit - Empire of the Islands
Beneath the shade of an Indonesian teak forest, a great brick gateway stands in ruins...
In this episode, I want to tell the story of the Majapahit Empire of medieval Indonesia. I want to show how this empire of the islands grew up on the volcanic island of Java, and how it beat the odds to survive in a world of medieval superpowers. I want to show how Majapahit expanded its influence and dominion to other lands, and undertook voyages that have few precedents in history. And I want to show what happened to bring this empire of the islands finally crashing down...
SOURCES: https://www.patreon.com/fallofcivilizations_podcast/posts/sources-for-21-165265269Voice Actors
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Henry Stenhouse
Michael Hajiantonis
Alexandra Boulton
Simon Jackson
Catherine James
Tom Marshall-Lee
Chris Harvey
Jack Jacobs
Nick Denton
Amrit Sandhu
Paul Casselle
Tim Stephenson
Ameen Taher

Readings in Old and Middle Javanese were performed by Ferry Sanjaya and Kadha Aditya.

Historical advisor: Dr Alex West
4 hr 32 min
November 12, 2025 20. Persia - An Empire in Ashes
In the highlands of the Iranian Plateau, a collection of enormous pillars reach up to the sky...
In this episode, we tell the story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Find out how this remarkable ancient power sprung up from the rubble of a ruined world to become the most powerful human society on earth. Hear how they raised their grand palaces and monuments, and brought an unprecedented number of people together within their borders, as well as coming into conflict and cooperation with other ancient peoples. And finally find out what happened to bring the palaces of the Persian kings crashing down in fire and flame.

CREDITS
Voice actors:
Henry Stenhouse Michael Hajiantonis
Lachlan Lucas
Alexandra Boulton
Simon Jackson
Tom Marshall-Lee
Chris Harvey
Jack Jacobs
Nick Denton
Amrit Sandhu
Paul Casselle
Tim Stephenson
Ameen Taher
Readings in Old Persian were performed by Mateen Arghandepour
In Spanish by Scott Fins
And readings in Greek were performed by Dimitris Chavres
Singing of the Zoroastrian gathas was performed by Ardalan
The Theme music is Home at Last by John Bartmann
Sound design was by Alexey Sibikin
Historical advisor was Dr. Mateen.M. Arghandehpour at the University of Oxford
Full list of sources available here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145588047
5 hr 29 min
December 09, 2024 19. The Mongols - Terror of the Steppe (Part 2)
In the far east of the Eurasian steppe, the sound of hoofbeats is growing...In this episode we travel along the vast grassland corridor of the steppe, to hear one of the most remarkable and unlikely stories from medieval history – the story of the Mongol Empire. Find out how this group of nomadic horse riders united the peoples of the Mongolian steppe, and forged them into a truly unique kind of state. Discover how they conquered much of the lands of Eurasia, and brought the distant cultures of China, Persia, the Middle East and Europe into contact. And hear the story of how the world’s largest land empire finally came apart, and left the world as we know it in its wake.Voice Actors:Michael HajiantonisHenry StenhouseLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris Harvey,Nick DentonAmrit SandhuSebastian BalzaroloMatt BidulphPaul CasselleReadings in Arabic were performed by Oussama Taher.Readings in Chinese were by Richard Teng.Readings from the secret history of the Mongols in Mongolian were performed by Uiles
2 hr 45 min
December 05, 2024 19. The Mongols - Terror of the Steppe (Part 1)
In the far east of the Eurasian steppe, the sound of hoofbeats is growing...In this episode we travel along the vast grassland corridor of the steppe, to hear one of the most remarkable and unlikely stories from medieval history – the story of the Mongol Empire. Find out how this group of nomadic horse riders united the peoples of the Mongolian steppe, and forged them into a truly unique kind of state. Discover how they conquered much of the lands of Eurasia, and brought the distant cultures of China, Persia, the Middle East and Europe into contact. And hear the story of how the world’s largest land empire finally came apart, and left the world as we know it in its wake.Voice Actors:Michael HajiantonisHenry StenhouseLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris Harvey,Nick DentonAmrit SandhuMatt BidulphPaul CasselleReadings in Arabic were performed by Oussama Taher.Readings in Chinese were by Richard Teng.Readings from the secret history of the Mongols in Mongolian were performed by Uiles
4 hr 2 min
February 01, 2024 18. Egypt - Fall of the Pharaohs
Far in the distance, three colossal shapes tower over the desert horizon…In this episode, we travel to the Nile Valley, and tell the story of one of the most iconic cultures ever produced by humankind – the civilizations of ancient Egypt. I want to show how this series of related cultures grew up in the floodplains of their great river, and built some of the most enduring and recognizable structures in the world. And I want to tell the story of what happened to bring the age of the Pharaohs finally and cataclysmically to an end. Credits: Michael HajiantonisNick DentonPaul CasselleAlexandra BoultonTom Marshall-LeeRhy BrignellPeter WaltersLachlan LucasNarrated and produced by Paul CooperSound engineering by Alexey SibikinReadings in Arabic by Nassim El-BoujjoufiReadings in reconstructed ancient Egyptian by Seqnenra (Mohammad Habib) and Doha Abd Allah Amin
3 hr 59 min
April 11, 2023 17. Carthage - Empire Of The Phoenicians
Buried beneath the city streets of the Tunisian capital of Tunis, an ancient city lies forgotten...In this episode, we look at one of the most dramatic stories to come down to us from the ancient world: the rise and fall of the empire of Carthage. Find out how this city rose out of the Phoenician states of the Eastern Mediterranean, and set out on voyages of discovery and settlement that put them at the centre of the ancient world. And hear how the city of Carthage was destroyed, and its memory nearly wiped from the earth.SOURCES: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sources-for-17-81369494?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkCredits:Written and produced by Paul CooperSound engineering by Alexey SibikinVoice actors:Michael HajiantonisLachlan LucasAlexandra BoultonSimon JacksonTom Marshall-LeeChris Harvey,Nick DentonPaul Casselle
3 hr 39 min
October 02, 2022 16. Bagan - City Of Temples
In the lowlands of Burma lie the remains of thousands of crumbling temples...In this episode, we tell one of the most colourful stories of civilizational survival: the story of the Bagan Empire of Myanmar. Find out how this kingdom rose up in the Irrawaddy river valley of central Myanmar, and built one of the most remarkable series of monuments to have survived from the medieval world. Discover what life was like for the people who lived there, and find out what happened to cause its sudden and complete collapse.
2 hr 8 min
June 15, 2022 15. The Nabataeans - The Last Days of Petra
In the deserts of Jordan, a city lies hidden for centuries in a valley of rose-red stone...In this episode, we look at one of the most peculiar stories of civilizational survival to come down to us from the ancient world, the story of the Nabataeans. Find out how these once humble traders rose to become masters of the desert sands, and to defy empires. And discover what happened to finally bring down the empire of Nabataea.
2 hr 2 min
February 18, 2022 14. Vijayanagara - The Last Emperors Of South India
On the rocky banks of South India's Tungabhadra River, an enormous ruined city lies crumbling...In this episode, we look at the Vijayanagara Empire of Southern India, a civilization that has all but faded from memory in many parts of the world. Find out how this remarkable society rose up out of an age of conflict and fragmentation, how it built one of the largest and most impressive medieval cities in the world, and developed an identity that was both South Indian in nature, and global in its outlook. With readings in Sanskrit, and the sounds of traditional Carnatic music, find out what happened to bring the great stone temples of Vijayanagara crashing down in fire and flame.----------Credits:Voice actors:Peter WaltersMichael HajiantonisKim HeronNick DentonPaul CasselleSound engineering by Alexey SibikinOriginal music performed and composed by Aruna Sairam.
3 hr 14 min
June 14, 2021 13. The Assyrians - Empire of Iron
In the lowlands of Northern Iraq, a series of enormous cities lies crumbling in ruins...In this episode, find out about one of the most remarkable ancient civilizations: the society known today as the neo-Assyrian Empire. Discover how the Assyrians built their empire out of the ashes of the Bronze Age, and built an empire of iron that lasted for centuries. Explore the extraordinary flourishing of art and technology that they fostered. And finally, discover what happened to cause their final, devastating collapse.
3 hr 5 min

About Fall of Civilizations Podcast

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A history podcast looking at the collapse of a different civilization each episode. What did they have in common? Why did they fall? And what did it feel like to watch it happen?