
The Scythian Empire
Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China
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Narrated by:
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Jim Lee
This audiobook narrated by Jim Lee provides a rich, discovery-filled account of how a forgotten empire transformed the ancient world
In the late 8th and early 7th centuries BCE, Scythian warriors conquered and unified most of the vast Eurasian continent, creating an innovative empire that would give birth to the age of philosophy and the Classical age across the ancient world—in the West, the Near East, India, and China. Mobile horse herders who lived with their cats in wheeled felt tents, the Scythians made stunning contributions to world civilization—from capital cities and strikingly elegant dress to political organization and the world-changing ideas of Buddha, Zoroaster, and Laotzu—Scythians all. In The Scythian Empire, Christopher I. Beckwith presents a major new history of a fascinating but often forgotten empire that changed the course of history.
At its height, the Scythian Empire stretched west from Mongolia and ancient northeast China to northwest Iran and the Danube River, and in Central Asia reached as far south as the Arabian Sea. The Scythians also ruled Media and Chao, crucial frontier states of ancient Iran and China. By ruling over and marrying the local peoples, the Scythians created new cultures that were creole Scythian in their speech, dress, weaponry, and feudal socio-political structure. As they spread their language, ideas, and culture across the ancient world, the Scythians laid the foundations for the very first Persian, Indian, and Chinese empires.
Filled with fresh discoveries, The Scythian Empire presents a remarkable new vision of a little-known but incredibly important empire and its peoples.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2022 Christopher I. Beckwith (P)2022 Princeton University PressListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
“A revolutionary rewriting of the current dominant view on Ancient Central Eurasia, The Scythian Empire will deeply transform what we believed the Greek, Roman, Persian, and Chinese classical ages were. Christopher I. Beckwith, one of the world’s leading linguists, has made accessible the story of the earliest known steppe empire in what is not only a provocative rethinking of Scythian history but a fascinating exploration of their language, art, and philosophy. Interpretatively audacious, adventurous, and ambitious, The Scythian Empire will generate debates for years and make readers see the history of Eurasia in an entirely unexpected way.”—Marie Favereau, author of The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World
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A new take on the history of ancient near east
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Convincing
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A January 21, 2023 review (not by a professor) in the Wall St. Journal concluded "As for Mr. Beckwith, his curiosity, imagination and learning—from the Yellow River to the Danube, from archaeology to linguistics—do what every history ought to do but few achieve: compel the reader to think." They did!
Compelling argument; not too academic
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Was interesting to learn about all these early monotheistic peoples predating polytheistic european religions and countering the mainstream narrative on religious development (which I have never taken seriously anyway). Def recommend having a map handy if you aren't familiar with ancient middle east.
An interesting look at the ancient ancestors of European peoples (and other peoples)
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I appreciate how the author connects the dots without over reaching into over speculation as is the norm with history.
Demystifying the mysteries of the Ancient Worlds through a common source
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Interesting but title is misleading
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repetitious focus on language
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I could go on but there is little point. The Scythians did play some role in transmitting cultural traits to other cultures, but it is almost impossible to tell what that really was from this book. On a positive note, the narrator has a very pleasant voice and does a Heraclean job of pronunciation,
Apparently everybody was an Aryan/Scythian
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