215: Ramesses II Battlefield Surgery

The Coronation of King Hor-em-heb. A few months after he took power, Egypt's new pharaoh Horemheb ("Horus in Celebration") celebrated his rule. It was a magnificent party...  Episode details: Dat...

31 Maj 202231min

Inheritance and vengeance. King Ay had his own plans for the succession. He promoted his relative, Nakht-Min, to great power and prominence. But when Ay died, Nakhtmin found himself at odds with Egypt...

24 Maj 202240min

Check out Casting Through Ancient Greece, a chronological deep dive on the world of the Aegean. From the earliest ages, through epic tales and archaeological discovery, Casting Greece takes you on a w...

7 Maj 20225min

A tale in two parts. The elderly pharaoh, Kheper-kheperu-Ra Ay, probably died in his fourth or fifth year of power (c. 1331 / 1330 BCE). Officially, his reign was short. But in the big picture, Ay's i...

5 Feb 202246min

Building Legacies. It is easy to overlook Ay, as a minor figure in the history of ancient Egypt. However, when we step back, and view his entire career (including pre-royal achievements), we can see t...

25 Jan 202231min

Keeping up with the Kadeshians. In the past, historians thought the Egyptian government was passive (or even "pacifist") in the days of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ay. However, newer research has prov...

11 Jan 202244min

The servant ascends. Considering his background, it's not surprising that King Ay turned out to be quite "conservative." His early deeds continued the policies of Tutankhamun (a regime in which Ay had...

28 Dec 202132min

A difficult decision. Events in this period are murky. But if Ankhesenamun was the "Daḫamunzu" of Hittite record, then her attempt to find a new husband (of royal blood) had failed. So, she would have...

21 Dec 202148min