Between the Rivers: The History of Ancient Mesopotamia

All cultures lie in the shadow of ancient Mesopotamia-the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that is now mostly encompassed by the borders of modern Iraq. In this fascinating series of 36 lectures, an award-winning teacher leads you on a vivid journey through Mesopotamian history-from Neolithic times to the age of Alexander the Great-and into the lives of mighty emperors, struggling farmers, ambitious merchants, and palace servants to reveal why this ancient culture occupies such a foundational position in our history. The lectures look back to the time when the first cities arose in Mesopotamia and kings created complex bureaucracies to rule their expanding territories, thus fostering the invention of writing and other technologies. You peer into the lives and fortunes of Mesopotamia's people and learn about the birth of the urban lifestyle. Professor Castor creates a detailed image not only of larger Mesopotamian society but of life on the level of the individual Mesopotamian as well. Among the many fascinating insights into daily Mesopotamian life you examine are how they ate, worked, learned, worshiped, married, and reared children; used scientific ideas to help them order and understand the natural world; engaged with their powerful neighbors in Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia (modern-day Turkey); waged war and experienced peace; and endured the collapse of their cities.

All Lectures:
1. The Iraq Museum
2. Geography and Environment
3. Discovering Mesopotamia
4. Archaeological Methods
5. Farming and Early Settlements
6. The Uruk Phenomenon
7. Writing
8. Temples
9. Mesopotamian Deities
10. Gilgamesh-Hero and King
11. The Early Dynastic Period
12. Warfare and Diplomacy
13. The Royal Cemetery at Ur
14. The Akkadians
15. Ideology of Kingship-Naram-Sin and Gudea
16. The Ur III Dynasty
17. Life in a Mesopotamian City
18. Food and Drink
19. Assyrian Trade Networks
20. Hammurabi of Babylon
21. Zimri-Lim of Mari
22. Laws
23. Medicine, Science, and Math
24. Poetry and Literature
25. Internationalism
26. Assyrian Expansion
27. Sargon II
28. Ideology of Empire
29. Control and Revolt
30. Medes and the Neo-Babylonian State
31. The Rise of the Achaemenids
32. Persians in Egypt and Greece
33. Xerxes's Invasion of Greece
34. Persian Art and Culture
35. Alexander the Great
36. After Alexander