
12 episodes

Fall of Civilizations Podcast Paul Cooper
-
- Society & Culture
-
-
4.9 • 333 Ratings
-
A history podcast looking at the collapse of a different civilization each episode. What did they have in common? Why did they fall? And what did it feel like to watch it happen?
-
12. The Inca - Cities In The Cloud
High up on the craggy peaks of the Urubamba Canyon, a lost city lies wreathed in cloud...
In this episode, we explore the mountains of the Andes, and tell the story of the Inca Empire. Find out how these mountain people built the largest empire in the Western Hemipshere, in one of the toughest terrains on earth. With Inca poetry, Quechuan hymns and authentic Andean instruments, discover the unique culture of the Inca. And find out what happened to bring their society crashing down around them.
Sound engineering: Thomas Ntinas & Alexey Sibikin
Voice actors:
Annie Kelly
Jamie Tanner
Gerald Condlin
Lachlan Lucas
Peter Walters
Jimmy Lai
Original music by Pavlos Kapralos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzgAonk4-uVhXXjKSF-Nz1A
Also heard: “Andean illusion” by Kanti Quena (Carlos Saldana) and
"Ollantay" by Leandro Alviña.
Kanti Quena (Carlos Saldana): Quena, Quenacho, Tarkas, Bombo, Charango
Phaxsi Coca (Jeanettte Rojas): Siku Malta, Siku Zanka, Jach'a Siku, Bombo, Chajchas
Ana Maria Ramirez Bautista: Quena
Maya McCourt: Cello
Pavlos Kapralos: Chajchas, Palo de Lluvia -
11. Byzantium - Last of the Romans
On the outskirts of modern Istanbul, a line of ancient walls lies crumbling into the earth...
In this episode, we look at one of history’s most incredible stories of survival - the thousand-year epic of the Byzantine Empire. Find out how this civilization suffered the loss of its Western half, and continued the unbroken legacy of Rome right through the middle ages. Hear about how it formed a bridge between two continents, and two ages, and learn how the impregnable walls of Constantinople were finally brought crashing to the ground.
This episode we're joined by members of the St Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral Choir in London, and a number of musicians playing traditional Byzantine instruments.
Support Fall of Civilizations on Patreon: http://patreon.com/fallofcivilizations_podcast
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Nicolas Rixon
Joey L
Annie Kelly
Cleo Madeleine
Original Compositions and music supervision:
Pavlos Kapralos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzgAonk4-uVhXXjKSF-Nz1A
Chanters of The St Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral:
Michael Georgiou
Alexandros Gikas
Matthew Tomko
Stephanos Thomaides
Pavlos Kapralos
Traditional Musicians:
Monooka (Monica Lucia Madas), vocals
Alexandros Koustas, Lyra (other names: Byzantine Lyra/ Lyra of Istanbul/ Kemence)
Konstantinos Glynos, Kanonaki (other names: qanun; in Byzantine Greek: psaleterion)
Theofilos Lais, Cretan Lyra
Dario Papavassiliou, Santouri (other name: Greek Santur)
Pavlos Kapralos, Oud
Other music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: incompetech.com/
Title theme: Home At Last by John Bartmann. https://johnbartmann.com/ -
10. China's Han Dynasty - The First Empire in Flames
A city in ruins. A dynasty in tatters. An empire in ashes...
This episode, we look at the remarkable story of the first empire of ancient China, the Han dynasty. With ancient Chinese poetry, songs and folk music, we look back at the first empire's rise, its remarkable technological advances, and its first, tentative attempts to make contact with the empires of the west. Finally, we look at all the reasons behind the first age of Imperial China's final, dramatic fall.
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Claire Hynes
Jake Barrett-Mills
Shem Jacobs
Alex Peattie
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/ -
9. The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds
Beneath the busy streets of Mexico City, a buried god lies waiting to be discovered...
This episode, we look back at the age of the Aztecs. Learn how this society grew from nothing to create one of the world's largest cities in the middle of a lake. Discover Aztec riddles, poetry and songs, as well as the bloody ritual of the flower wars. And hear the remarkable story of how this thriving empire collapsed all at once, in a matter of days.
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Jake Barrett-Mills
Rhy Brignell
Shem Jacobs
Annie Kelly
Lou Millington
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-fre…isrc=USUAN1100209
Artist: incompetech.com/ -
8. The Sumerians - Fall of the First Cities
In the dusts of Iraq, the ruins of the world's first civilization lie buried.
This episode, we travel into the extremely distant past to look at the Sumerians. These ancient people invented writing and mathematics, and built some of the largest cities that the world had ever seen. Find out about the mystery of their origins, and learn how they rose from humble beginnings to form the foundation of all our modern societies. With myths, proverbs and even some recreated Sumerian music, travel back to where it all began, and find out how humanity's first civilization fell.
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Jake Barrett-Mills
Rhy Brignell
Shem Jacobs
Nick Bradley
Emily Johnson
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-fre…isrc=USUAN1100209
Artist: incompetech.com/
Sumerian Music kindly provided by Gayle and
Philip Neuman, of Ensemble De Organographia. Their CD, "Music of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks," is available from
northpacificmusic.com. -
7. The Songhai Empire - Africa's Age of Gold
Today, the Songhai Empire is all but forgotten by history. But this medieval kingdom was once the most powerful force in Africa.
Find out how this civilization grew up on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, among some of the most extreme conditions that nature can throw at us. Discover how it grew and flourished, passing through a process known as the imperial cycle, and learn about what ultimately caused its sudden and dramatic collapse.
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Jake Barrett-Mills
Rhy Brignell
Bryan Tshiobi
Pip Willett
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-fre…isrc=USUAN1100209
Artist: incompetech.com/
Customer Reviews
Terrific long form
I stumbled across the Byzantium episode, over 3 hours long. Now I'm working through all of them. The podcast medium allows the narrator to take whatever time is needed.
Best around
Brilliant podcast, very well researched and humanely presented. I particularly enjoy hearing the forgotten languages and music brought back to life.
Not your usual ...
... historical podcast. Thoroughly researched and narrated in such a measured and deterministic way that you can’t help but be carried along the timeline bringing the whole thing to life. I’m not normally an ancient history lover and I almost passed on this. I’m really glad I didn’t as these tales are truly fascinating.