Fall of Civilizations Podcast

20. Persia - An Empire in Ashes

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Nov 12, 2025
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ANECDOTE

Figueroa Rediscovered Persepolis

  • Garcia da Silva y Figueroa identified the ruins of Persepolis and described towering polished black stone columns.
  • His vivid travel account reconnected the modern world to the lost Persian capital.
INSIGHT

An Empire Of Unprecedented Scale

  • The Achaemenid Empire became the largest human society of its time, uniting diverse cultures across an immense territory.
  • Its scale allowed cultural synthesis and administrative innovation unseen before.
ANECDOTE

Cyrus Outmaneuvers Croesus

  • Cyrus marched winter campaigns and surprised Croesus by taking Sardis after a rapid mountain advance.
  • He used camels to panic Lydian horses and climbed a hidden route to capture the citadel.
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