OS 162 - The Rise of Phrygia

In the wake of the Bronze Age Collapse, a new power emerged in central Anatolia—the Phrygians. This episode examines their origins, tracing their migration from the Balkans and their settlement in the lands west of the former Hittite heartland. Drawing from archaeology and historical sources, we explore how the Phrygians established themselves as skilled wool workers, metalworkers, and cavalrymen, ultimately rising to prominence under the legendary King Midas.

Despite their influence, the Phrygians remain an understudied civilization, often viewed through the perspectives of their more well-documented neighbors—Assyrians, Greeks, and Neo-Hittites. We investigate the cultural and economic structures that defined Phrygia, the debates surrounding their script and language, their religious devotion to Kybele, and their role as a possible bridge between the eastern and western Mediterranean worlds. Finally, we trace their decline, from the height of their power to their downfall at the hands of the Cimmerians in 696 BCE.

Key topics include Phrygian origins, Balkan migrations, Iron Age Anatolia, the Neo-Hittite states, early cavalry warfare, the Phrygian alphabet, Tumuli burial practices, Kybele worship, and the role of Phrygia in regional trade networks.

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