Watch The Persian Empire

2023
1 Season

Explore the secrets of one of the greatest empires in the ancient world from a fresh perspective: its own. Over the span of 24 lectures, Professor John W. I. Lee examines Persian sources to reveal what we know about this grand civilization.

The Persian Empire is a series that ran for 1 seasons (24 episodes) between December 21, 2023 and on The Great Courses

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Seasons

24. Legacies of the Persian Empire

December 21, 2023

When an empire ends, its culture and institutions don

23. The End of an Empire, 333 - 323 B.C.

December 21, 2023

Witness the suspenseful battles between the Persians and the Macedonians, the sieges of Alexander the Great, and Darius III on the run. Alexander, arguably one of the greatest generals in history, commanded a powerful army and defeated Darius, then took on the mantle of Great King, adopting much of Persian ideology.

22. Persia and Macedon, 359 - 333 B.C.

December 21, 2023

As the empire progressed into the 4th century B.C., rumors of Macedonian aggression abounded. See how Philip II

21. Artaxerxes II - The Longest-Ruling King

December 21, 2023

Chart the life of

20. Women in the Persian Empire

December 21, 2023

Learn why scholars debate how much political power women had in ancient Persia. Compared to Greek women, Achaemenid women had considerable legal and economic freedom. Discover how royal women participated in palace ceremonies, and meet three powerful women in the empire: Artemisia, Mania, and Epyaxa.

19. City and Countryside

December 21, 2023

The history of the empire was not just about kings and battles. Take a look at the lives of ordinary folks. Beyond the capital cities, farming was the basis of the empire

18. Persian Gold

December 21, 2023

As part of its administrative system, the empire created a new Persian currency. From surviving business documents, discover that while agriculture was important, wealth sometimes became concentrated in the hands of a few crafty entrepreneurs, whose financial clout presented systemic risk to the empire.

17. The War of the Two Brothers

December 21, 2023

The empire was stable under Darius II, but his passing presented a new challenge to the empire. Experience the crucial moment when, after Artaxerxes II took power, his brother Cyrus orchestrated a revolt. Feel the suspense as the two brothers clashed in a great showdown at Cunaxa, fighting for the kingship.

16. From Expansion to Stability, 479 - 405 B.C.

December 21, 2023

Delve into a new phase of the Persian Empire, which experienced relative security and stability following Xerxes

15. Achaemenid Religion

December 21, 2023

Continue your investigation of Persian culture

14. Cultures in Contact

December 21, 2023

Discover the variety of cultural exchanges in the Persian Empire. Never before in human history had such a large area of the globe come under the control of a single power. Here, people were constantly exchanging goods and adopting foreign customs. See how the Persian policy of tolerance of local customs enabled this multiethnic empire to flourish.

13. Xerxes's War, 480 - 479 B.C.

December 21, 2023

Once again, the Persian Empire tried to take control of Greece, this time under Xerxes. See how Xerxes captured half the nation without a fight

12. Xerxes Becomes King

December 21, 2023

Learn the facts that dispel the image of Xerxes as a decadent

11. Across the Bitter Sea, 493 - 490 B.C.

December 21, 2023

Examine the war with the Greeks from the Persian perspective. After the Athenians threw a Persian herald into a pit, Darius sent his fleet across the Aegean Sea. They advanced into Greece without trouble, but at Marathon the Persian forces stumbled and were defeated by the Athenians.

10. Challenges in the West, 513 - 494 B.C.

December 21, 2023

Revolts in Ionia and Cyprus and an attack by the Athenians show the limits of the Persian philosophy of harmonious cooperation-not everyone was content under Persian rule. Explore the early challenges to Persian power and see how Darius contained these threats using diplomacy, military force, and strategic communication.

9. East of Persepolis

December 21, 2023

Travel east through what is now Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and onward into Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Here you

8. Royal Roads and Provinces

December 21, 2023

Take a road trip into the western provinces and see the empire

7. The Great King - Images and Realities

December 21, 2023

Look beyond the outside stereotypes of Persian kings as tyrants and see what the kings themselves had to say. In sculpted reliefs and carvings on royal tombs, the words and images of Darius and Xerxes show Persian values of harmonious cooperation.

6. Persian Capitals and Royal Palaces

December 21, 2023

Step back and tour the five Persian capitals-Pasargadae, Ecbatana, Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis. Built in strategic, fortified locations, these cities were important symbols of power for the great kings. For instance, you

5. Darius I - Creator of the Imperial System

December 21, 2023

Witness the first challenge to the new empire: Was Darius, the son-in-law of Cyrus, a legitimate king? After Cambyses died, and in the face of civil war, Darius established himself as a swift, decisive, unwavering leader. See how Darius created both a royal genealogy and a Persian identity, after which he turned to building infrastructure.

4. Cyrus and Cambyses - Founders of the Empire

December 21, 2023

Learn how Cyrus, the first great king of the Persian Empire, expanded the empire through pragmatic leadership. You

3. The World before Cyrus

December 21, 2023

Take a tour of the ancient world before the Persian Empire. In the centuries leading up to the Persian Empire, the Assyrians were the major international power. When the Assyrian kingdom collapsed, it left a power vacuum in the region. Watch as the stage was set for a new power to seize the imperial mantle.

2. Questioning the Sources

December 21, 2023

Explore how we

1. Rethinking the Persian Empire

December 21, 2023

Cyrus. Darius. Xerxes. These great Persian kings were sometimes stereotyped as one-dimensional despots in Greek histories. But through modern history detective work, you

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Where to Watch The Persian Empire

The Persian Empire is available for streaming on the The Great Courses website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Persian Empire on demand at Apple TV Channels and Amazon Prime and Amazon.