Introduction

This week's episode is brought to you by audible. When you're done with this episode, go to audible podcast dot com, forward slash rome. By going to that address, you qualify for a free book down load. Last week we saw how the myriad external pressures on the roman empire threatened to crack it up completely. This week i am going to go with a recommendation from listener and history of rome tor alumnus scott. Persian fire, the first world empire and the battle for the west, by tom holland,. story of the first invasion of greece by the persians in four 80 b c.