Show Notes
This is the first episode of the podcast series on the Peloponnesian War. How did it start? What does Thucydides, the war's great historian, tell us about the reasons and motivations of Athens, Sparta, Corinth and the different parties involved? Could the conflict have been prevented? We'll take a look at these questions and more as we go through the story of the greatest internal conflict of ancient Greek history, the Peloponnesian War! Support the show
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In the epic conclusion to the Greco-Persian Wars series, the fate of mainland Greece is finally decided. Following the naval clash at Salamis, the Persian general Mardonius and the Hellene alliance led by the Spartan regent Pausanias face off in the ultimate land showdown at the Battle of Plataea. After weeks of tactical stalemates, fierce cavalry skirmishes along the Asopus River, and a chaotic night maneuver that fractured the Hellene lines, the two massive armies finally clash. The brutal ...
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In 480 BC, following the fall of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet withdrew from Artemisium and regrouped at Salamis. At the same time, Xerxes advanced through Boeotia virtually unopposed, while Athens prepared for evacuation under the so-called Decree of Themistocles. Ancient sources speak of a Persian attempt to plunder Delphi, but modern scholarship generally regards this as later propaganda intended to protect the sanctuary’s reputation. At Salamis, the Greek alliance faced difficult choices....
It is the year 480 BC and the massive army and navy of the Great King of Persiam, Xerxes, is on the move. The Great King himself is personally leading the campaign and eager to witness his armed forces' triumph as they advance through northern and central Greece. Two battles, fought on land and sea, will test the resolve of a fragile but determined anti-Persian Greek alliance hastily formed to check the Great King's advance. Despite deep rivalries and a history of conflict among themse...
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