Yes I've been watching the situation in Palmyra unfold with mounting dread. Over the weekend Reuters asked me to write an article giving the historical background of the city--specifically when it was rich and powerful enough to take a stab at annexing the Eastern Roman Empire.
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/05/25/when-palmyra-rivaled-the-roman-empire/
Of course we all know that Zenobia ran smack dab into Aurelian and the project failed, but still it's an amazing story from one of my favorite periods in Roman history. If IS destroys Palmyra I will be heartbroken.
The destruction of history is an act that is hard to wrap my head around. Knowledge benefits all mankind, and any belief system that doesn't value it should be discarded.
Palmyra is just the latest. IS seeks to subjugate people by erasing their history. Artifacts from Babylon, Persia, the Assyrians and other great civilizations past are disappearing. I hope the people in those regions understand that IS isn't waging a war on the West, but a war on the common values, common history, and common interests of the human race.
Posted by: Joshua | 26 May 2015 at 07:26 AM
It really baffles me how hundreds of thousands of dead people in the region fails to raise any emotion but threatn to smash a few rocks and suddenly things matter again.
Disclaimer: I hope that the area is spared and I don't want to take a crack at what we could or should have done years ago, it's the mentality I'm confused by.
Posted by: Steve | 26 May 2015 at 11:18 PM
As you memorably observed a few years ago, Gibbon once dubbed Caracalla "the common enemy of mankind". A challenger has entered the ring.
Oh, and Steve, what makes you think that no emotion has been raised by all of the dead people? This is the comments section of a history podcast, so, eh...
Posted by: Matt | 27 May 2015 at 07:07 AM
This is about your rome podcasts, i've gotten up to Hannibal and now cannot get them to play, the files seem to be gone, cannot access via iTunes either!
Posted by: Clio | 27 May 2015 at 07:47 PM
Yes there is some issue with the episodes! I'm giving the whole podcast a second listen but things aren't working now :(
Posted by: Antonio | 28 May 2015 at 01:41 PM
Glad I'm not the only one with the Rome issue. iOS podcast app shows '0 episodes in the feed'. I only have the half dozen or so episodes I've downloaded to my phone in advance of where I'm up to.
Posted by: Dave | 28 May 2015 at 02:03 PM
Are you playing them from thehistoryofrome.typepad.com?
Seems to be working to me, tried three episodes from the beginning, middle, and end of the series.
Posted by: Matt | 28 May 2015 at 09:57 PM
It stopped working for me as well! I'll never know what happened to Diocletian!
Posted by: Matt | 28 May 2015 at 11:41 PM
Oh I am sorry Steve has nobody ever mentioned ISIS killing people before? Has nobody ever said it doesn't matter? I am so tired of this ridiculous attack on people concerned about history. I got it when I dared to say I was concerned about Ancient Egyptian Artifacts during the trouble in Egypt. Clearly this concern means I don't care about hundreds of thousands of deaths. Somehow. Why it does the people who enjoy launching these attacks never explain.
THAT is a mentality I don't get. What kind of mentality is it that finds concern over history baffling and triggers such outrageous attacks?
Posted by: John | 29 May 2015 at 10:39 AM
Hi John, I don't think we've met before. I haven't had the chance to get to know you so for the piece I wrote earlier I relied on the picture painted of the situation by the media, and the people around me.
To elaborate upon what I wrote; I found it utterly bizarre how the Syria troubles dropped out of the news and conversation, only to re-emerge when Palmyra was mentioned. Next to the seriousness of events in the region it seemed odd that everyone was now anxious at the loss of ruins that the day before not one out of a hundred had heard of. Even moreso when ISIS announced disinterest in the ruins and Syria once again slipped from everyones mind.
I hope my viewpoint didn't upset you, I just don't understand people's reaction.
On the topic of the History of Rome episodes not playing - I managed to play episodes 2, 44 and 129 just fine, perhaps its fixed now?
Posted by: Steve | 29 May 2015 at 04:29 PM
just donated, love all of these, keep going!
Posted by: Clio | 31 May 2015 at 11:27 AM
see also... http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-10/berg-is-is-destroying-ideas-not-just-artefacts/6292462
Posted by: Bob | 31 May 2015 at 03:10 PM
The great crusader castle, the Krak Des Chevaliers, which has stood for a thousand years, was recently damaged by Syrian government bombs.Then there are all those priceless antiquities from the dawn of civilization which were looted from museums in Iraq because protectng them wasn't part of Bush and Cheney's "Shock and Awe" scenario. The desecration goe on. Remember the library of Alexandria?
Posted by: Walter Legault | 01 June 2015 at 03:11 AM