Mark Gagnon

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I respond to every message, and Christos is in there yapping it up as usual.

Anyway, God bless you all, and I will see you next time.

Peace be with you.

Goodbye.

Today we're talking about a guy who burned Athens to the ground, but he's also found in the Old Testament for saving the Jews from annihilation.

The same ruler that the Greeks called a mad tyrant was loved by his own people for being a devout, thoughtful man carrying out the will of God.

He ruled an empire that was one of the largest the world had ever known.

His power stretched from the Indus Valley in the east to the Aegean and Egypt in the west.

From the deserts of Central Asia to the coasts of North Africa, he built palaces so magnificent that their ruins could take your breath away.

2,500 years later, he launched an invasion of Greece with somewhere between 100,000 and over a million men.

and he lost.

His name was Xerxes, also known as Ahasuerus, and his political and religious influence across the ancient world is one of the most outstanding and misunderstood in all of history.

And today, we're getting into all of it.

So sit back, relax, and welcome to History Camp.

What's up, dude?

Welcome back to History Camp.

My name is Mark Gagnon, and thank you for joining me in my tent where every single week we explore the most interesting, fascinating, and controversial stories from all history forever.

Yes, this is the place, this is the tent where I sit down every single week and try to understand everything that's ever happened.