The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes

Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan loom large in the popular consciousness as two of history’s most fearsome warrior-leaders. Yet few people today are aware of their place in a succession of nomadic warriors who emerged from the Eurasian steppes to seize control of civilizations. In the 36 gripping lectures of The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes, award-winning Professor Kenneth W. Harl of Tulane University guides you through some 6,000 miles and 6,000 years to investigate how these nomadic peoples exerted pressure on sedentary populations, causing a domino effect of displacement and cultural exchange. You’ll discover how a series of groups—from the Sacae and the Sarmatians to the infamous Huns and Mongols—pushed ever westward, coming into contact with the Roman Empire, Han China, and distant cultures from Iraq to India and playing decisive roles in history and paving the way for our globalized world.

© 2023 The Great Courses (Audiobook): 9781682764473

Release date

Audiobook: 13 September 2023