Opium Poppy: The Flower That Shaped Empires 🌺

24/10/2025 18 min
Opium Poppy: The Flower That Shaped Empires 🌺

Listen "Opium Poppy: The Flower That Shaped Empires 🌺"

Episode Synopsis

Join me as I explore how this unassuming plant evolved from a Neolithic food source into a global force that redefined medicine, fueled wars, and inspired poets. From ancient Egypt’s rituals to the opium wars, this flower’s journey is one of contradictions—healing and harm, relief and dependence.


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Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:44 Part 1 - An Ancient Flower
4:16 Part 2 - A Plant of Empires
11:12 Part 3 - Chemistry of Control
13:53 Part 4 - The Global Poppy Effect
16:49 Part 5 - A Legacy in Bloom

Credits
Music: AudioHero / Envato Elements
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