Explore the pivotal role of agriculture in shaping human history in our latest episode. Journey back to the ancient Near East, where the Fertile Crescent is celebrated as the birthplace of agriculture. Discover how the domestication of plants and animals in regions like Mesopotamia and the Levant led to the first large-scale cities and empires. Thi…

Written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Lianne Walker. Support our work on Patreon: https://www.worldhistory.org/patreon/Food and drink in the Elizabethan era was remarkably diverse with much more meat and many more varieties of it being eaten by those who could afford it than is the case today. Storage of food was still a problem and so fresh p…

Written by Harrison W. Mark and read by Lianne Walker. Support our work on Patreon: https://www.worldhistory.org/patreon/The trial and execution of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), formerly the queen of France, was among the opening events of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution (1789-1799). Accused of a series of crimes that included cons…

Written by Mark Cartwright and read by Lianne Walker. Original article: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2216/child-labour-in-the-british-industrial-revolution/Support our work on Patreon: https://www.worldhistory.org/patreon/Children were widely used as labour in factories, mines, and agriculture during the British Industrial Revolution (1760-…

Anne reigned as Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1702 and then, following the 1707 Act of Union, over a united kingdom as Queen of Great Britain until her death in 1714. The last of the Stuart monarchs, Anne's reign witnessed the Spanish War of Succession which helped Britain establish itself as a major world power.…

The British Industrial Revolution transformed life at work and at home for practically everyone. Noise, pollution, social upheaval, and repetitive jobs were the price to pay for labour-saving machines, cheap and comfortable transportation, more affordable consumer goods, better lighting and heating, and faster ways of communication.Article written …

Women in ancient Persia had more rights and greater freedom than any other ancient civilization including, according to some scholars, even ancient Egypt which is famous for its respect for the feminine principle in religion as well as daily life. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whencyclopedia Original Article: https://www.worldhisto…

Women in ancient Persia were not only highly respected but, in many cases, considered the equals of males. Women could own land, conduct business, received equal pay, could travel freely on their own, and in the case of royal women, hold their own council meetings on policy.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whencyclopediaOriginal Artic…

The gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt were an integral part of the people's everyday lives for over 3,000 years. There were over 2,000 deities in the Egyptianpantheon, many whose names are well known - Isis, Osiris, Horus, Amun, Ra, Hathor, Bastet, Thoth, Anubis, and Ptah among others - but many more less so who were also important. Support us on…

Clothes in the Elizabethan era (1558-1603 CE) became much more colourful, elaborate, and flamboyant than in previous periods. With Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE) herself being a dedicated follower of fashion, so, too, her court and nobles followed suit. Clothing was an important indicator of status so that those who could afford it were c…

The Black Death is the 19th-century CE term for the plague epidemic that ravaged Europe between 1347-1352 CE, killing an estimated 30 million people there and many more worldwide as it reached pandemic proportions. The name comes from the black buboes (infected lymph glands) which broke out over a plague victim's body. The cause of the plague was t…

The Black Death was a plague pandemic which devastated medieval Europe from 1347 to 1352 CE, killing an estimated 25-30 million people. The disease originated in central Asia and was taken to the Crimea by Mongol warriors and traders. The plague then entered Europe via Italy, carried by rats on Genoese trading ships sailing from the Black Sea. Supp…

Elizabethan theatre, sometimes called English Renaissance theatre, refers to that style of performance plays which blossomed during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE) and which continued under her Stuart successors. Elizabethan theatre witnessed the first professional actors who belonged to touring troupes and who performed plays…

The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a collection of spells which enable the soul of the deceased to navigate the afterlife. The famous title was given the work by western scholars; the actual title would translate as The Book of Coming Forth by Day or Spells for Going Forth by Day. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whencyclopedia…

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow is a narrative poem of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) inspired by the love affair between Xuanzong (r. 712-756 CE), the seventh emperor of the dynasty, and his consort Lady Yang. It was written by the Chinese poet Bai Juyi (l. 772-846 CE) and is his most popular work. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/when…

Foot-binding was a practice first carried out on young girls in Tang Dynasty China to restrict their normal growth and make their feet as small as possible. Considered an attractive quality, the effects of the process were painful and permanent. Widely used as a method to distinguish girls of the upper class from everyone else, and later as a way f…

The world's oldest love poem is The Love Song for Shu-Sin (c. 2000 BCE) composed in ancient Mesopotamia for use in part of the sacred rites of fertility. Prior to its discovery in the 19th century, and its translation in the 20th, the biblical Song of Songs was thought to be the oldest love poem extant. Support our non-profit organization on Patreo…

In ancient Greek medicine illness was initially regarded as a divine punishment and healing as, quite literally, a gift from the gods. However, by the 5th century BCE, there were attempts to identify the material causes for illnesses rather than spiritual ones and this led to a move away from superstition towards scientific enquiry, although, in re…

Hadrian written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by Grace MacLachlan: https://www.worldhistory.org/hadrian/ Hadrian (l. 78-138 CE) was emperor of Rome (r. 117-138 CE) and is recognized as the third of the Five Good Emperors (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) who ruled justly. His reign marked the height of the Roman Empire,…

Egyptian Hieroglyphs written by Priscila Scoville and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/Egyptian_Hieroglyphs/ The Egyptian hieroglyphic script was one of the writing systems used by ancient Egyptians to represent their language. Because of their pictorial elegance, Herodotus and other important Greeks believed that Egyptian h…

Mont-Saint-Michel written by James Blake Wiener and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/Mont-Saint-Michel/ Mont-Saint-Michel is the name of a tidal island located off the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, near the mouths of the Couesnon River and the town of Avranches in France. While the island of Mont-Saint-Michel has held cul…

Gutians written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://ww.worldhistory.org/Gutians/ Watch it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnOoTTH8bco The Gutians were a West Asiatic people who are thought to have lived around the Zagros Mountains in a region referred to as Gutium. They had no written language and all that is known of…

A Short History of the Buddhist Schools written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/492/a-short-history-of-the-buddhist-schools/ The different Buddhist schools of thought, still operating in the present day, developed after the death of the Buddha (l. c. 563 - c. 483 BCE) in an effort to perpetuate…

Shang Dynasty written by Emily Mark and narrated by Ethan Hu https://www.worldhistory.org/Shang_Dynasty/ The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE) was the second dynasty of China, which succeeded the Xia Dynasty (c. 2700-1600 BCE) after the overthrow of the Xia tyrant Jie by the Shang leader, Tang. Since many historians question whether the Xia Dynasty …

Ancient Chinese Philosophy written byJoshua J. Mark and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/Chinese_Philosophy/ The term Ancient Chinese Philosophy refers to the belief systems developed by various philosophers during the era known as the Hundred Schools of Thought when these thinkers formed their own schools during the Spring …

Life in a Japanese Buddhist Monastery written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1423/life-in-a-japanese-buddhist-monastery/ Buddhist monasteries have been part of the Japanese cultural landscape ever since the 7th century CE, and they remained both powerful and socially important institutions ri…

Druid written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/druid/ Druids were a class of individuals in ancient Celtic cultures known for their great wisdom and knowledge of traditions. Not only priests who managed all religious rituals such as sacrifices (including humans), druids were able to give practical help…

Ancient Egyptian Symbols written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1011/ancient-egyptian-symbols/ Religion in ancient Egypt was fully integrated into the people's daily lives. The gods were present at one's birth, throughout one's life, in the transition from earthly life to the eternal, and cont…

Cleopatra VII written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by Jonathan Bailey: https://www.worldhistory.org/Cleopatra_VII/ Cleopatra VII (l. c. 69-30 BCE, r. 51-30 BCE) was the last ruler of Egypt before it was annexed as a province of Rome. Although arguably the most famous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra was actually Greek and a member of the Ptolemaic Dynas…

Medieval Knights: 12 of the Best written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1245/medieval-knights-12-of-the-best/ The knights of medieval Europe were meant to be the finest fighting men of their age, even more important, they were expected to be pure in thought and deed, as exemplified in the chi…

Mitanni written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by Kelly Macquire: www.worldhistory.org/Mitanni/ The Kingdom of Mitanni, known to the people of the land, and the Assyrians, as Hanigalbat and to the Egyptians as Naharin and Metani, once stretched from present-day northern Iraq, down through Syria and into Turkey and was among the greatest nations of …

How To Read A Maya Glyph written by Lily Ball and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/789/how-to-read-a-maya-glyph/ For over three centuries, the ancient Maya flourished in Mesoamerica. They built giant stone pyramids surrounded by dense jungle, used a calendrical system that made many believe that 2012 would be the end…

Aryan written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: www.worldhistory.org/Aryan/ Aryan is a designation originally meaning “civilized”, “noble”, or “free” without reference to any ethnicity. It was first applied as a self-identifying term by a migratory group of people from Central Asia later known as Indo-Iranians (who settled on the Irania…

Hermes written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: https://www.worldhistory.org/Hermes/ Hermes was the ancient Greek god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility, animal husbandry, sleep, language, thieves, and travel. One of the cleverest and most mischievous of the Olympian gods, he was the patron of shepherds, invented the lyre, and was,…

The Phoenician Alphabet & Language written by Thamis and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/17/the-phoenician-alphabet--language/ Phoenician is a Canaanite language closely related to Hebrew. Very little is known about the Canaanite language, except what can be gathered from the El-Amarna letters written by Canaanite k…

Women in Ancient Greece written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/927/women-in-ancient-greece/ Women in the Ancient Greek world had few rights in comparison to male citizens. Unable to vote, own land, or inherit, a woman's place was in the home and her purpose in life was the rearing of children…

Edinburgh Castle written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/Edinburgh_Castle/ Edinburgh Castle, towering atop Castle Rock, has served Scotland for centuries, at one time or another acting as a fortress, royal residence, seat of government, armoury, and prison. The scene of countless sieges, royal births …

Apollo written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: https://www.worldhistory.org/apollo/ Apollo was a major Greek god associated with the bow, music, and divination. The epitome of youth and beauty, source of life and healing, patron of the arts, and as bright and powerful as the sun itself, Apollo was, arguably, the most loved of all…

Sisyphus written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: www.worldhistory.org/sisyphus/ Sisyphus (or Sisyphos) is a figure from Greek mythology who, as king of Corinth, became infamous for his general trickery and twice cheating death. He ultimately got his comeuppance when Zeus dealt him the eternal punishment of forever rolling a bould…

Women in the Viking Age written by Emma Groeneveld and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1251/women-in-the-viking-age/ Although women in the Viking Age (c. 790-1100 CE) lived in a male-dominated society, far from being powerless, they ran farms and households, were responsible for textile production, moved away from S…

Ancient Greek Theatre written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: worldhistory.org/Greek_Theatre/ Greek theatre began in the 6th century BCE in Athens with the performance of tragedy plays at religious festivals. These, in turn, inspired the genre of Greek comedy plays. The two types of Greek drama would be hugely popular and perform…

Athena written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Kelly Macquire: https://worldhistory.org/athena/ Goddess of wisdom, war and the crafts, and favourite daughter of Zeus, Athena was, perhaps, the wisest, most courageous, and certainly the most resourceful of the Olympian gods. Zeus was told that his son would take his throne from him, just as he had…

Daily Life in Medieval Japan written by Mark Cartwright and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://worldhistory.org/article/1424/daily-life-in-medieval-japan/ Daily life in medieval Japan (1185-1606 CE) was, for most people, the age-old struggle to put food on the table, build a family, stay healthy, and try to enjoy the finer things in life whenever …

Predynastic Period in Egypt written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://worldhistory.org/Predynastic_Period_in_Egypt/ The Predynastic Period in Ancient Egypt is the time before recorded history from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Age and on to the rise of the First Dynasty and is generally recognized as spanning the era from c. …

The Mycenaean civilization (c. 1700-1100 BCE) flourished in the Late Bronze Age, reaching its peak from the 15th to the 13th century BCE when it extended its influence not only throughout the Peloponnese in Greece but also across the Aegean, in particular, on Crete and the Cycladic islands. The Mycenaeans, named after their chief city of Mycenae in…

Underground Rome written by Irene Fanizza and narrated by Jennifer Sabir: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/435/underground-rome/ If you like our audio articles, please support us by becoming a member or donating to our non-profit company: - www.worldhistory.org/membership/ - www.worldhistory.org/donate/ - www.patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia Mus…

Kingdom of Nabatea written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Nabatea/ Find it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxyJAdZVpvw&t=29s If you like our audio articles, please support us by becoming a member or donating to our non-profit company: - www.ancient.eu/membership/ - www.ancient.eu/do…

Galatia written by Joshua J. Mark and narrated by DW Draffin: https://www.worldhistory.org/galatia/ Find it on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/TheStudyofAntiq…ddleAges/featured If you like our audio articles, please support us by becoming a member or donating to our non-profit company: - www.ancient.eu/membership/ - www.ancient.eu/donate/ - www.patreon.…