This immersive first season of the Podcast follows the history of Alexander the great every step of the way from Pella to his death in Babylon in a storytelling manner as if you are there. This historical fiction podcast is also an audio drama, narrated by people who could have lived at the time, aiming to give the listener the best immersive storytelling experience possible while maintaining the facts based on reliable sources. They narrate a first-person experience of Alexander the great based on accurate historical sources and a fictional life and drama of their own. The episodes are narrated by both Greeks and Persians as well as Asians as we proceed all the way to India and then back to Babylon where Alexander died in 323 BCE at the age of 32.
The historical facts are accurate based on reliable ancient sources as Arrian, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, Quintus Curtius Rufus, ...etc and modern sources as Adrian Goldsworthy, Peter Green, Philip Freeman, Robin Lane Fox, A. B. Bosworth, ...etc. This combination gives the listener an accurate and simple immersive way to follow and understand Alexander the Great's life as a story. It also includes not only the episodes and bonuses telling the story and making the listener understand how people lived but also a series called Ledger where we discuss the finances and accounting of Alexander's empire before, during and after the Persian wars and India. Also there is Coin episode that discusses what the Coins were and how were they minted at the time of Philip II and Alexander III the great. In the description of every episode the sources are listed as well as a clear list of the historical facts and a clear list of the reconstructed event for those who are interested.
The podcast episodes start in Macedonia with Alexander growing up encountering Bucephalus, then Philip's assassination, then Alexander leading the army in the North and against Thebes and how the Economics and finances of Macedonia was before crossing the Hellespont in a Ledger episode. Then crossing the Hellespont and the battles battle of the Granicus river. Then Sardis handing over it's treasury to Alexander and what did that mean to the Macedonian finances at the time. Then Darius III decided to face Alexander himself, Alexander and Darius meet at Issus. Then you experience the battle of Issus through a trilogy: before the battle of issus when the two armies cross each other, the battle of Issus from a Persian point of view, and the battle of Issus from a Macedonian point of view. Then Darius rides away leaving his family in Issus in 333 BCE. and you get to meet Alexander's seer Aristander.
Alexander proceeds to Phoenicia and starts the siege of Tyre that lasts 6 month in 332 BCE. In Witness of History you get immersed in the siege of Tyre through a Tyrian point of view of Alexander's siege, a Macedonian engineer's point of view on their siege of Tyre, a sailor from Sidon and how his fleet helped alexander conquer Tyre, a merchant living in Carthage receiving Tyrian immigrants after Alexander's siege, and a Macedonian Clerk who discusses the economic effect of conquering Tyre. Then Alexander proceeds to the siege of Gaza. Then Alexander entering Egypt peacefully. You are immersed in Egypt and by enjoying the storytelling of Alexander in Egypt through the eyes of a temple scribe in Memphis, a merchant of Naucratis and their history, a surveyor who narrates Alexander choosing and founding Alexandria, a caravan guide from Paraetonium who narrates Alexander's trip to the temple of Amun in Siwa, and Menon again discussing Cleomenes of Naucratis and his financial effect on Egypt.
Alexander then proceeds to Asia to face Darius III, but before we proceed to the battle of Gaugamela, we discuss the Persian Magi in an immersive episode, and the Lunar eclipse before Gaugamela by a Babylonian temple scholar. Then we discuss how Persia gathers troops from all around Asia to face Alexander in an episode by a royal inspector traveling across the Achaemenid Empire, Then we live the Battle of Gaugamela from the Persian point of view a veteran Persian cavalryman serving in Darius' Elite cavalry and the Macedonian point of view represented by Amyntas, a Companion cavalryman, in Gaugamela.
We keep following Alexander after that as he takes Babylon, Susa persepolis, Ecbatana, Sodgiana, Bactria, and India all the way home through Gedrosia. And finally his death in Babylon in 323 BCE at the age of 32.
There are 2 episodes published weekly on different platforms including Spotify, Apple podcast, Pocket Casts, Youtube Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more.
Part 1: Alexander's Beginning: Bucephalus, Philip's assassination, Succession and securing Greece
In the first arc, we follow Alexander in our podcast episodes and audio drama as the Prince of Macedonia while his father Philip II is still alive. We start with Alexander saving Bucephalus, his horse, after it was afraid of its own shadow. Then these immersive episodes follow Philip's marriage to Cleopatra (a Macedonian girl and a relative of Atalus) and Atalus' encounter with Alexander as well as Philip's encounter with Alexander. Next we go through Philip's assassination and Alexander's succession of Philip. At the end, our storytelling episodes follow Alexander stabilizing Greece (represented by Athens here) and the North reaching the Danube river and the preparations and the finance of Macedon before invading Asia in a Ledger episode with a clerk called Menon.
S01. E01. The Horse – Bucephalus (Alexander’s Horse)
Narrated by Nikanor, a stable apprentice in Pella, Macedonia, around 344 BCE. Nikanor narrates how he sees Alexander choosing his hourse Bucephalus. This episode narrates Plutarch's famous incident of Bucephalus being angry and no one able to ride him until Alexander calms the hourse who was afraid from his own shadow. All of this in front Philip II, father of Alexander.
S01. E02. The Heir (Cleopatra’s wedding, Philip’s assassination, & Alexander)
This immersive episode is narrated by a palace servant at Aegae around 337–336 BCE. The servant narrates how he experiences Philip's wedding to Cleopatra (the macedonian) and the encounter when Atalus wished Philip II a legitimate and how Alexander reacted and Philip's reaction and how that affected the servant personally when he wasn't given the job he was hoping for. Then the servant narrates the wedding of Philip's daughter and Alexander's sister, Cleopatra to Alexander of Epirus, and Philip's assassination. Then later Alexander chosen as Philip's heir.
Bonus A. A Shadow of Persia
This Storytelling episode is narrated by Abdamon of Sidon in Eastern Mediterranean around 340–336 BCE. Abdamon narrates how people saw the new young King of Macedon (Alexander the Great) from trader's point of view under Persian role in Phoenicia.
S01. E03. The Last Theban – Alexander the Great in Thebes
Through the eyes of a 17 year old Theban how they learned about Alexander's death before they discovered it was a rumor and how Alexander crossed Greece quickly from the North to Thebes and treated Thebes. An Immersive story by this apprentice potter based on historical facts.
Ledger I. The Empty Treasury – How did Alexander finance his invasion of Persia?
In this Ledger episode we are accompanied by a Macedonian Clerk called Menon who tells us about Harpalus and how the economics and finances of Macedon were after the Theban invasion and before Persia. Menon's immersive narration helps us understand how Macedonia and especially Alexander and Harpalus are seeing the Persian preparations from a financial point of view in a simple storytelling way.
Part 2: Asia Minor: Alexander From Crossing the Hellespont to meeting Darius III at Issus
In the second arc, we follow Alexander in Asia with these podcast and audio drama episodes starting with crossing the Hellespont all the way to Alexander the Great defeating Darius III in Issus. The following episodes are great first-person storytelling immersion by people from Macedonian and Persian points of view narrating how they saw the events of Asia Minor through the battle of Granicus, Sardis, and Issus. The historical events are based on the shared historical resources and the reconstructions are added in the description of every episode. This aims at enjoying accurate historical events in an immersive storytelling way.
S01. E04: Across the Water – Alexander crossing the Hellespont
Experience crossing the Hellespont through this First-person narration of a 19-year-old Macedonian infantryman. This immersive episode narrates how Alexander crossed into Asia and how it felt for this infantryman who was a farmer and never seen the sea before to be in a boat crossing the Hellespont. This storytelling episode also narrates how he saw Alexander go to visit Troy and the whole incident in a Persian land.
S01. E05. The River – The Granicus battle from a Persian point of view
This storytelling episode follows the battle of the Granicus river from the perspective of a Persian nobleman. Artafarna, a Persian cavalryman serving under the satraps of Asia Minor, narrates how his life was and how he saw the battle of the Granicus river from the Persian side.
S01.E06. The King – Alexander at the battle of the Granicus River
This immersive episode narrates how Alexander the Great came close to dying at the first battle against Persia, The Granicus river battle. Philotas, a Companion Cavalry officer, narrates how he saw the battle of the Granicus from Macedonian point of view. How he and the companions felt when Alexander was so close to dying and how he was saved by Cleitus the black.
Bonus B. The Traitor – Greek Mercenaries after the Granicus battle
Through the eyes of a captured Greek mercenary, Temon, after the Battle of the Granicus, explore one of Alexander the Great's most thought-provoking moral dilemmas. This immersive storytelling historical episode challenges the meaning of loyalty, identity, and patriotism in the ancient Greek world where victory often decides who gets to tell the story. Understand why he joined Persia in a war against Macedonia and what happened after Persia's loss at the battle of the Granicus.
Bonus C. The Persian Greek – How Asian Greeks react to Alexander
Nikandros is a Greek vineyard owner from Miletus. He has been living under Persian rule since he was born. His father and grandfather were all under Persian rule. How did Nikandros and Persian Greeks see Alexander after the Granicus? In this immersive episode, Nikandros narrates their story, their mixed feelings between fear and hope and how they have lived before Alexander.
S01.E07. The Great King – Darius III
Experience Darius's life before Alexander the Great in Babylon. Through the eyes of Bel-iddin, a royal scribe in the court of Darius III, get immersed in what the court of Babylon looked like and how they saw Alexander's advance in Asia Minor and through storytelling learn how Darius III takes the decision to face Alexander himself and how Bel-iddin stays all night writing letters to gather the army.
Ledger II. The Gold of Sardis – Alexander controls its treasury
This storytelling economic and financial episode gets you immersed in how Sardis hands its treasury to Alexander without a war or a siege. Through our Macedonian clerk, Menon, understand and experience how that changed his calculations and what did the control of this treasury meant for the Macedonian army after getting paid and being able to finance the rest of the campaign.
S01. E08. Issus Trilogy I: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Through the Eyes of Amyntas, a Companion Cavalryman we live through the time Alexander's army was proceeding to meet Darius III and they discover that they crossed each other and now Darius is behind them. This immersive podcast episode is a storytelling to what happened before the battle of Issus and how they came to meet at Issus at the end.
S01. E09. Issus Trilogy II: The King’s Flight – Darius III
We live in this episode of the podcast through the eyes of Artabazos, a Royal Bodyguard of Darius III, through the battle of Issus and how Darius ended up fleeing the battle and leaving behind his wife, mother, and childeren. Get immersed in the historical events and understand what happened at Issus.
Bonus D. Left Behind – Darius’ family left at Issus
This podcast episode is narrated by Mitra, a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Stateira. Through this first]person narration we will learn about the historical events of Alexander's dealings with Darius' royal family with living in her fears and thoughts at the time of the battle of Issus.
S01. E10. Issus Trilogy III: Thunder at Issus
In this podcast episode we continue understanding the battle of Issus from a Macedonian point of view and how Alexander exploited a gap to go through the Persian forces, and nearly reaching to Darius.
Bonus E. The Reader of Omens (Aristander – Alexander’s seer)
Meet Aristander of Telmessus, Alexander's seer, through the eyes of A 17-year-old apprentice. In this immersive podcast audio drama, experienec living with the seer of Alexander's army and the rituals, sacrifices, and omens that shaped one of history's greatest campaigns. Get immersed in this story of rituals, fears, and pressure that he has lived through.
Part 3: Alexander's siege of Tyre
S01. E11. The Island – Alexander’s siege of Tyre
Through the eyes of a Tyrian, Abdashtart narrates this first person immersive episode of his story inside Tyre while Alexander is besieging the island of Tyre. He narrates how the Tyrians started with jokes on Alexander's army and ended up losing the island.
S01. E12. The Macedonian Engineer – Alexander’s siege of Tyre
We live in this podcast episode outside the walls of Tyre where a Macedonian engineer, Diades of Pella, narrates his story on how he started under Philip II and progressed under Alexander the great. Then he immerses us on the situation and the engineers' contributions in Tyre from building a bridge on the sea to Tyre that still exists till today, to the seige tower and how the Tyrians resisted and how Alexander kept trying after each failure.
S01. E13. The Sea King – Alexander building a fleet around Tyre’s siege
After building a road to Tyre, the siege is still not successful, until Alexander decides to build a fleet using Athenian, Cypriot, and Sidonian. Hanno, a Sidonian Phoenician sailor narrates this immersive episode sharing how the fleet helped Alexander conquer the island of Tyre in 332 BCE.
S01. Elsewhere I. Carthage - The Tyrian Ship
In this first episode of the Elsewhere series, we get away from Alexander the Great's map and visit Carthage, one of the cities that was built centuries before by the Tyrians. A young Carthaginian merchant narrates what the campaign of Alexander meant to him and how the fall of Tyre affected him and he immerses you on the quick history that he has learned about how Carthage was built by Tyre and the story of his family.
S01. Ledger III. The Sea of Gold – How Tyre affected Alexander’s economy
Menon, our Macedonian clerk, continues narrating about Alexander's economy and Finances after conquering Tyre. This immersive episode will help you understand what does it mean for Alexander's treasury to control the east of the Mediterranean Sea after Athens, Cyprus, Sidon and now Tyre joining his empire. How Alexander's soldiers wanted loot while Alexander wanted creating an empire.
Part 4: Alexander in Egypt
S01. E14. The Greek Pharaoh – Alexander the Great in Egypt
Through the eyes of Panehesy, a temple scribe of the Great Temple of Ptah in Memphis, we will live in this episode the historical moment when Alexander arrives in Egypt. Panehesy\s immersive episode narrates his story where his father an grandfather brought him up afraid of foreign rulers and what they do to temples. And then Alexander arrives and he didn\t destroy the temples as expected.
Bonus F. The Greeks of Naucratis – What we Carried
Through the eyes of Sostratos, a Greek Egyptian merchant in Naucratis, you will get immersed in this Greek city on the Bile in Egypt. Sostratos storytelling episode narrates how his first ancestor came from Greece to Egypt as a mercenary and how his family settled over the years as merchants. Naucratis was the main port city of Egypt on the Mediterranean before Alexandria and witnessed huge commerce at the time with Greece and Phoenicia.
S01. E15. The City in the Sand – Alexander founding Alexandria
In this immersive episode, we live with Hori, an apprentice surveyor, and how Alexander chooses Alexandria directly on the Mediterranean sea and why Naucratis was not enough. Hori narrates his father\s story and how he sees his work and how his character develops over time to achieve what his father couldn't achieve before. He also narrates the incident when they used wheat to put the lines in the city and it was eaten by birds and how Aristander interprets this omen.
Bonus G. The Oracle of Amun – Alexander in Siwa
In 331 BCE Alexander decides to visit the oracle of Amun in Siwa. In this immersive storytelling episode Nekhtamun, a frontier caravan guide from Paraetonium, takes us through the journey and through one of the questions that he has been thinking of before his father died. He narrates how he come to meet Alexander and how Cyrene sent messengers to Alexander. He also narrates the storm and how they lost the road and ended up arriving.
Ledger IV. The Missing Column – Cleomenes in Egypt
Menon continues in this episode to be our guide and narrator through the Ledger series of immersive storytelling economic and financial episodes on the time of Alexander the great. On this episode Menon is facing a clear problem with Cleomenes of Naucratis and the dilemma of excess payments and reports coming from people. This Ledger in Egypt clarifies how though Alexander separated powers in Egypt, Cleomenes managed to still have a great power in Egypt.
Part 5: Alexander: King of Asia
After controlling Asia Minor, Phoenicia, and Egypt, Alexander heads to confront Darius III in Gaugamela. We discover the Persian way of gathering troops, how the Magi live, and how a Babylonian Temple Scholar was living and what would their roles be before the battle of Gaugamela in an immersive and storytelling way.
After that we encounter the battle of Gaugamela from both Persian and Macedonian points of view. Then we discover Antipater's battle to end the Spartan revolt. After that we follow Alexander's pursuit of Darius III, and his entrance to Babylon, Susa, and then encountering Ariobarzanes at the Persian gates and then Persepolis and how it was Burnt. We end this Part with Hunting Satibarzanes twice and the Rebel of Areia.
On the side we experience the story of Alexander King of Epirus in an immersive Elsewhere episode. We also go deep in our first Saga episode to experience the Philotas affair & the Murder of Parmenion and Philotas in a storytelling way with Royal courier who experiences the price of duty as well as the immense emotions and how he would travel from Alexander's camp to Ecbatana in only 11 days. We also discuss the soldier's homesickness in an emotional bonus episode.
S01. E16. The Great Gathering – How Persia gathers troops
Through the eyes of a royal inspector traveling across the Achaemenid Empire, this immersive podcast episode narrates how the Persian empire under Darius has gathered its army to face Alexander in Gaugamela. the extraordinary storytelling episode describes the mobilization that brought Medes, Armenians, Babylonians, Bactrians, Saka horsemen, eastern troops and more.
Bonus H: The Night the Moon Grew Dark – Gaugamela’s Lunar Eclipse
Before the battle of Gaugamela, A total Lunar Eclipse occurred. How did the Persians see it and interpret it. Bel-iddin, a Babylonian Temple Scholar, is our narrator for this immersive episode. He narrates what is a Temple scholar and what is his job and how do they document such an event. And what's more important is how to interpret something like that for Darius III and the Persians before a major battle against Alexander the Great.
Bonus I. Keepers of The Fire – The Persian Magi
What was it like to stand between a king and the gods in Persia? Through the eyes of a young Persian Magus before the battle of Gaugamela, we live in the Persian camp before the battle. This storytelling podcast episode immerses us in the daily duty and life of Persian Magi: religious traditions, Ahura Mazda, the sacred fire, the struggle between Truth and the Lie, and the immense responsibility carried by religious advisers serving the Great King.
S01. E17. Battle of Gaugamela I: Dust
In this immersive storytelling episode, we will live during the battle of Gaugamela from the Persian point of view. Through the eyes of Arbupales, a Persian King's Kinsmen, we will experience what the battle looked like especially when the horses move and the dust covers your vision. Understand how Darius III chose the battle and prepared it. In this episode we live inside the dust, noise, contradictory orders, and confusion of the Persian line.
S01. E18. Battle of Gaugamela II: Thunder
Through the eyes of Amyntas, a Companion Cavalryman, we will experience the battle from the Macedonian point of view and how did Gaugamela feel like from inside Alexander’s charge. This immersive episode describes Alexander's victory over Darius which was decisive for Alexander to invade Asia. Enjoy a highly storytelling episode.
Bonus J. Freedom - The Spartan Revolt & Antipater
Episode Coming Soon
Elsewhere II. The Other Alexander - King of Epirus
Episode Coming Soon
E19: The Tablet - Alexander in Babylon
Episode Coming Soon
E20: The Keys - Alexander in Susa
Episode Coming Soon
E21. The Persian gate - Ariobarzanes & The Persian Thermopylae
Episode Coming Soon
Ledger V - Alexander & Burning Persepolis
Episode Coming Soon
E22. Betrayal - The Last Persian King - Darius III Murdered
Episode Coming Soon
Bonus K. Home - Homesickness of Alexander’s veterans
Episode Coming Soon
Saga I. The Price of Duty - The Philotas affair & Murder of Parmenion
Episode Coming Soon
E23. Hunting Satibarzanes twice - The Rebel of Areia
Episode Coming Soon
Coin I. Philip II & Alexander the Great Coins
Episode Coming Soon
Part 6: Alexander in Central Asia: Bactria, Sogdiana, and marrying Roxana
E24. Alexander in Bactria - The pursuit of Bessus
Episode Coming Soon
E25. Alexander & Spitamenes - The rebellion of Sogdiana and Bactria
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Bonus L. Murder - Cleitus the Black
Episode Coming Soon
E26. Soldiers With Wings - The Sogdian Rock
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Bonus M. Alexander & The Princess: Roxana
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Bonus N. The Last Free Man: Callisthenes & the Pages Plot
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Elsewhere III: Rome - A Small Republic at War
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Part 7: Alexander in India and the Journey West (Gedrosia & Indian Ocean)
E27. The Brothers of Orestis Trilogy I: Massaga - The Broken Promise
Episode Coming Soon
E28. The Brothers of Orestis Trilogy II: Hydaspes - There Were Still Two
Episode Coming Soon
Bonus O. NOT YET - Bucephalus' Death
Episode Coming Soon
Elsewhere IV. Syracuse - Peace in Sicily
Episode Coming Soon
E29. The Brothers of Orestis Trilogy III - Mutiny at the Hyphasis
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Elsewhere V. Beyond the Hyphasis - The Nanda Empire Alexander Never Reached
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E30. Too Slow - The Mallian Wound
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Saga II. Part 1: Gedrosia I - The way Home
Episode Coming Soon
Saga II. Part 2: Gedrosia II - Survival
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Saga II. Part 3: The Ocean With Nearchus
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Part 8: Alexander's last years & His Death in Babylon
E31. The King Is Coming Back - Alexander's return from India
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E32. Harpalus - The Man Behind The Numbers
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Ledger VI. Antimenes - The Next Best Thing
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bonus P. Alexander's Weddings at Susa
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E33. Opis - The second mutiny against Alexander
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Bonus Q. Hephaestion - The Day Alexander arrived late
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E34. The Cossaean campaign - Alexander’s last campaign
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E35. The Finale - Alexander is Dead
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References and Sources
Ancient Sources
- Arrian - Anabasis of Alexander
- Plutarch - Life of Alexander
- Diodorus Siculus - Library of History, Book XVII
- Quintus Curtius Rufus - Histories of Alexander the Great
- Justin - Epitome of Pompeius Trogus
- Strabo - Geography
- Athenaeus - Deipnosophistae
- Pausanias - Description of Greece
- Pliny the Elder - Natural History
- Aelian - On the Nature of Animals
- Chares of Mytilene - surviving fragments/testimony, especially for Alexander’s court and the Susa weddings
- Nearchus - his account of the Indian Ocean voyage and return, preserved mainly through Arrian
- Ptolemy son of Lagus - lost history used extensively by Arrian
- Aristobulus of Cassandreia - lost eyewitness history used extensively by Arrian
- Onesicritus - surviving indirectly through later writers
- Hypereides - especially material connected with the Harpalus affair
- Demosthenes and the Athenian oratorical tradition - where relevant to Harpalus and late Alexander-era Athens
Modern Sources
- Adrian Goldsworthy - Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors
- Peter Green - Alexander of Macedon, 356–323 B.C.: A Historical Biography
- A. B. Bosworth - Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great
- Robin Lane Fox - Alexander the Great
- Philip Freeman - Alexander the Great
- Elizabeth D. Carney - Women and Monarchy in Macedonia
- Elizabeth D. Carney - additional studies on Alexander’s court, Macedonian monarchy, royal women, and elite politics
- F. L. Holt - studies of Alexander’s campaigns in Bactria, Sogdiana, and India
- Rolf Strootman - work on Macedonian royal institutions, Royal Pages, court culture, and the Hellenistic world
- Daniel Ogden - especially work concerning Bucephalus and Alexander traditions
- Jona Lendering / Livius - source-based reference articles used mainly for convenient access to ancient passages and chronology
- Encyclopaedia Iranica - particularly entries on Bessus, Oxyartes, Roxane, Chorienes, eastern Iranian regions, and Achaemenid administration
- Oxford Classical Dictionary / Oxford scholarship - especially for Harpalus and Alexander’s administration
- Specialist modern scholarship mentioned in every episode on the Harpalus affair, Macedonian cavalry, Persian administration, Alexander’s Indian campaign, naval operations, and the Susa/Opis integration policies.