Simon | Meditative History

The Sumerians built ziggurats, huge stepped towers of mud brick. What was inside one?

1 week ago | [YT] | 5

Simon | Meditative History

My last post asked how a man in Uruk got paid. Most of you said beer, and that's right. But a good number of you answered that he'd be a slave, and that one is worth a post of its own. Sumer had slaves. The canals and the walls, though, went up on ration labor, men who worked for barley, beer and wool, their names written into the temple accounts right next to the grain. How free they really were is still argued by scholars.

The tablets record what he was handed. They never record what he thought about it. If you could ask him one thing, what would it be?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

Simon | Meditative History

Five thousand years ago in the Sumerian city of Uruk, in what's now southern Iraq, a man spends his day hauling mud brick for the temple. Evening comes and he gets paid. In what?

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 9

Simon | Meditative History

Four famous things. One of them came first, and it wasn't close. Which?

1 month ago | [YT] | 7

Simon | Meditative History

For over two thousand years, Cyrus the Great was the model of the ideal ruler. A book about his life, Xenophon's Cyropaedia, was studied by Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Machiavelli. Thomas Jefferson kept two copies in his library and read them until the pages were worn with notes. Long after his empire was gone, kings and founders were still trying to learn how to rule like him.

The new documentary on Cyrus the Great is now live on the channel. Check out the link below to watch the full video on the life of Cyrus and the making of the Persian Empire. Leave a comment after you finish — I want to hear your thoughts. ​ 👇

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

Simon | Meditative History

What was the name of the legendary elite heavy infantry force that served as the imperial guard for the Achaemenid Persian Empire?

2 months ago | [YT] | 3

Simon | Meditative History

Hello everyone.

While I'm busy with the next video, I want to ask for your feedback.
I've seen comments under some videos regarding the music volume, so I'd appreciate your thoughts:

How is the music volume?

2 months ago | [YT] | 6

Simon | Meditative History

Which ancient Greek philosopher and historian wrote the "Cyropaedia", a semi-fictional biography presenting Cyrus the Great as the ideal ruler?

3 months ago | [YT] | 7

Simon | Meditative History

How did Cyrus the Great defeat King Croesus's famous cavalry?

3 months ago | [YT] | 14

Simon | Meditative History

Most ancient cultures feared serpents. The Elamites took a different approach and saw them as fierce protectors tied to the primordial waters. Snakes also served as guards for the royal court. When you look at depictions of their gods, they sit on altars and thrones covered in carved, twisting snakes.

The new documentary on Elam is now live on the channel. Check out the link below to watch the full video on the Elamite Empire. Leave a comment after you finish - I want to hear your thoughts👇

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 4