The BRUTAL Life of a Persian Soldier under Xerxes

Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorian You are not a king. Not a noble. Not even a name in the annals of history. You are a conscript in the massive armies of Xerxes I — fed into the meat grinder of the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BCE. This is not the story of glory at Thermopylae or triumph at Salamis. This is the story of what it was like to march, bleed, and rot in the dirt beneath those stories — forgotten, voiceless, expendable. Through the mud of Anatolia, the rites at Sardis, the march through ravines, the stench of sacrifice, the terror of Salamis, and the slow, unseen death in a ditch outside Plataea… this immersive, slow-burning journey follows the fate of a Persian foot soldier whose name never made it into any scroll. Told in calm, haunting detail and set to a backdrop of vivid historical realism, this story offers a glimpse into the overlooked human cost of ancient empire-building — one broken sandal and silent death at a time. 🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep Tools Looking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend: • Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy • Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f • Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE • Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn • Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu • White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTw These are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy. #SleepHistory #PersianEmpire #Thermopylae #Xerxes #DrowsyHistorian #HistoryPodcast #AncientHistory #SecondPersonStorytelling #HistoricalHorror #Salamis #Plataea #SlowStorytelling #DarkHistory