The Biography Show #001 – Alexander The Great
Welcome to the first episode of The Biography Show on TPN!
You hosts are historian and author J. David Markham and Cameron Reilly. Read more about us here.
This first episode is about Alexander III of Macedon, better known to most of us as Alexander “The Great” and great he certainly was. He was a military and political genius who conquered most of the known world from the age of 20 until his premature death at 33. His mother was a princess/witch, his father was a great King in his own right, and his mentor was the great Aristotle. His legacy was the dissemination of Greek language, science and philosophy across the known world, paving the way for the Roman empire.
Alexander’s Empire
David has uploaded images of some Alexander-related objects from his private collection to our Flickr group.
Wes, yes you can subscribe through iTunes with this link.
If you would like to learn more about Alexander, we can recommend this book by Peter Green.
As David is now retired from teaching, I would love to be able to pay him a modest salary for his invaluable contribution to these shows. As those of you who have listened to our Napoleon podcast know, David is a wonderful teacher of history and he puts a huge amount of time and energy into preparing these shows. If you feel inclined to support this, please consider paying a voluntary subscription fee for the Biography podcast by clicking on one of the below buttons. You have a choice of subscribing for $1.00 per month or you can make a lump-sum payment of either $20 or $50.
SUBSCRIBE $1 / MONTH:
DONATE $20:
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If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the our other podcast Napoleon 101.
The theme music for this show is:
Clara Sverner
“Sonata K 331″ (mp3)
from “Mozart Volume 3″
(Azul Music)
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More On This Album
February 9th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
It is a WONDERFUL initiative! It give me the will to start my own podcast about my field of study… wel… I’m still student, but a passionnate one!
About that, I have to say that I am really sad to say that I can’t donate anything for now. I’m a poor and strugling student with a part time job. The minute I have time I will support the show with what I can. I think that a voluntary subscription fee is a wonderful idea!
Continue the good job. I really like your job with Nalopeon 101 and this one!
Sorry for my poor english. I’m from Montréal (Québec, Canada) therefor my first language is French.
February 9th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
This new podcast series sounds interesting. I would like to take this time to list some suggestions for topics that would be greatly intriguing to me: Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Danton, Saint-Just, Jean-Paul Marat, Charles de Gaulle, Raymond Pointcare, Charlemagne, Hannibal Barca, and Paul I of Russia. As you can tell from the first bunch of names, I’m a French Revolution “buff” as well as a Napoleonic one. I wouldn’t say no to a French Revolution podcast! Good luck with the podcasts, and I shall be eagerly awaiting any show you guys produce!
*PS: don’t stop with the Napoleon Podcast series yet!
February 10th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Podcasting at its best – personal, engaging and informative. Great stuff.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:01 am
Cam….David……sounds great! I’m now a subscriber, a donor, and a big time fan of TPN’s dynamic duo of historical biographies.
CHEERS!
D
February 11th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
HI all
I am a lover of Napoleon 101 and am ready to contribute to TPN. I have no double that this podcast will be just as great or even better then Napoleon 101. I like the options of either a subscription or lump sum.
Are we going to be able to subscribe to this podcast through iTunes?
February 11th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Wes, yes you can subscribe through iTunes with this link:
itpc://biography.thepodcastnetwork.com/feed/
February 15th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
thankyou for nap 101. brilliant, incisive, fun. untill nap 101 i did not believe a podcast offerred freely should require my financial support. however seeing that david has now retired, and how much i have enjoyed each installment i would not wish his medicine to have an expiry date of less than say 20 years…for his throat, dont you know….(my weapon of choice is marrgaritas made wirh real lime juice)
i’m hoping (with very much confidence) that my 20 is well spent.
good luck
good living
and all the best to you both.
podcasts? shit, who ordered that?
February 16th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Hi. Here’s a donation, given for the hard work on the Napoleon Podcast as as much as anything. I’ll give this podcast a good listen, and see how we go.
February 17th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Its 81 megabytes!
Geewizz, is this a videopodcast, or have they set a new record?
February 17th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Great podcast!
It was long, but well worth every second of it. One of the best things about the podcasts by the duo, is their depth, and I very well wouldn’t have minded Markham talking for another three hours. I understand that there are other considerations to take into account than our endurance when deciding podcast length, but just in case you were wondering, we still don’t mind if you speak longer than you intended to.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Hi. Re; The Biography show…. I subscribed 1.oo/month. But how can I download the podcast into itunes?
I don’t see any instructions.
Thanks. Jeff
February 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Hi Jeff! Thanks for the subscription. You can download into iTunes with this link:
itpc://biography.thepodcastnetwork.com/feed/
February 27th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Is a paid subscription required, as I cannot find it among The Podcast Network offerings listed on iTunes or from searching on iTunes from the various links to iTunes you provide. If one if required, then it shouldn’t be listed as “voluntary.” I’m inclined to contribute, but have never been a fan of voluntary contributions which are, in fact, required.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Robert, it’s definitely voluntary and the show should be accessible in iTunes, I’m not sure why it’s not showing up. If you click on the following link, it should automatically open up iTunes for you and give you a subscribe (in iTunes) option:
itpc://biography.thepodcastnetwork.com/feed/
February 28th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Cameron —
You guys are great! You post my kvetch uncensored! After complaining — and not finding the offering on iTunes — I was surprised to find that my subscription went through nonetheless. So, I listened the the first show and was very impressed, as I expected to be after listening to 37+ episodes of Napoleon. So, I made a real $$ subscription.
With the exception of Napoleon, your new show is by far the best biography podcast out there. All the others are way too short to provide any meaningful amount of information. I don’t mind a full hour or even hour and a half. If anything, 30 minutes is too short — particularly for you guys, even if your colleague eschews his medicine (which is the same as mine)!
March 4th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Love the Napoleon podcasts and am looking forward to the Biography Show. Some suggestions as to subject matter of people that I have found fascinating over the years that you may overlook – but shouldn’t: Hannibal, Francis Drake,Theodore Roosevelt, Robert E. Lee, the Wright Brothers, Louis Armstrong,Francisco Pizarro, George Washington Carver and Madame Curie.
March 8th, 2008 at 1:12 am
I’ve been listening to Napoleon 101 for a while now (even got your book, Napoleon for Dummies, David) and I’m really delighted to see this feed.
I have a request. Please make a concerted effort to include the women who’ve made their mark on history. Too often, Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, and Victoria are the only historical figures that seem to get any real popular attn.
Nothing against those women, but I’d also love to see women like my namesake, Bess of Harwicke, Mary Stuart, Madame Pompadour, Clara Barton, etc get a little of their historical due.
Many thanks for making history so engaging, and I’ll be signing on for a subscription shortly.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Boadicea, absolutely! When I made the initial list of candidates with David we tried hard to make it an even split between the sexes.
March 9th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Fantastic, Cameron. I look forward to hearing them.
I’m already psyched at the inclusion of Hammurabai-most folks have no idea how innovative a leader he was.
March 9th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Cameron:
I have been tuned to the Napoleon show and my 10 year son and I do listen to your episodes at least once a week. He got quite fascinated by the show, and the next …and so on..thanks for all that work and please keep it up……I have just made a donation to the biography show……..and please don’t take too much of david’s medicine, or you might miss some important details in the show…….well just kidding………..keep it up…sure makes my commute to work quite amazing…………………just can’t wait to plug that ipod and listen to you in my car with no interruptions………thank you once again
Vincent Anton
Toms River NJ USA
March 25th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Boadicea,
You can be certain that we will give women their due. History often downplays their importance, and we will try to overcome that all too common situation. That said, it is also true that a majority of the world’s movers and shakers, especially in earlier times, have tended to be men (not many female conquerors). That probably means that we’ll do stories on more men than women, since we tend to be heavy on military and political leaders. But I promise you that we will do everything we can to bring some much-needed balance to the study of history!
As to your namesake, what a fascinating story she is! I’ve seen at least two documentaries on her. We’ll try to discuss her in one of our earliest shows.
I’d be interested to know why you picked her for your namesake. If you’re an expert, maybe we’ll put you on the show!
And thanks for buying my book and sending in a subscription.
Cheers,
David
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Cameron:
I enjoy both the biography and Napoleon podcasts. You and David helped me to get through the terrible few months after my Mom died. I focused on Napoleon and not my pain, thank you.
But I have just finished listening to the podcast on Helen of Troy, and I am disappointed that you slammed the beliefs of billions of people around the world. There are secular historical references to Jesus available for you to learn about.
Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian and probably a Stoic philosopher from 70ad. writes a letter to his son to encourage him to seek wisdom. “What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger, the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea: the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did no die for good; he lived on in the teachings of Plato. Pythagoras did not die for good, he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King did for good; He lived on in the teachings which He had give.”
Sounds like a man that lived around the time of Jesus seems to know that this man lived. You will also find references in the writings of Phily the Younger, Phlegon, Thallus, and others.
I’m not trying to convince you that Jesus is God, I am only pointing out that there is evidence out there that a man named Jesus did live, and people thought he was the King of the Jews, and much more. Comparing the mythological Helen of Troy to Jesus is a terrible comparison.
Other than that, I love the show, so keep up the good stuff.
God Bless,
Terri
May 6th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Terri,
First of all, I’m glad you usually enjoy our shows and that we’ve been of some help to you recently.
Bar-Serapion’s letter is well known to me. As I’m sure you’re aware, he doesn’t mention Yeshua/Jesus by name nor does he mention Christians, and, according to the NT, the Jews certainly didn’t believe Jesus to be a king, so we don’t really know who he is referring to. If that’s the best you can come up with as evidence that the biblical Jesus existed, then I’m afraid you’re making my point for me. The simple truth is that there isn’t a single first-hand account of Jesus anywhere to be found, including the books in the New Testament. All we have are stories of magical powers and wonderful events, told decades or centuries after the events are supposed to have occurred. That is the very definition of mythology.
The fact that billions of people around the world, in the 21st century, still believe that this ancient mythology is FACT gives me more reason to point out that that it isn’t history, it isn’t based on any supporting evidence, it is mythology, just like the story of Helen Of Troy.
I’m very happy to discuss / debate the subject in a calm, polite fashion with anyone, in the same way I’d discuss Napoleon’s legacy or whether or not Helen of Troy really existed. Christianity has no special claim to being out of bounds as a topic of discussion. In fact, after the murder, bloodshed and halt of progress committed in Christianity’s name over the last 1700 years, I think the opposite is true.
I will defend your right to believe whatever you want to believe but that doesn’t mean I need to agree with you or not point out that what you believe is based on zero evidence.
best,
Cameron
May 11th, 2008 at 8:07 am
David, my apologies for my delayed response.
I actually chose this name in 2004 as the presidential race was picking up. I’m interested in history, particularly female figures, but not really a expert.
As I watched the deterioration of the foundations of American democracy, I felt that I was seeing our nation raped before my eyes much as Boadicea was forced to watch her own daughters abused and felt the each degradation of Constitutional protections as a blow of the whip (I know, sounds melodramatic, but that’s how it felt).
I decided I had to enter the fray in some way, and I had to be willing to fight with all my strength-no matter what the outcome. Taking Boadicea’s name as my blog pseudonym was my declaration that I would no longer stand by and leave those who come after me a weakened and compromised democracy. No matter what the result, I wouldn’t acquiesce.
I expect to be in this fight for the rest of my life. Because before you win you have to fight.
As that’s likely more than anyone wants to know, *g*, I’ll leave it at that for the moment.