In this episode, we discuss Spartan imperial policy at home and abroad in the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War at Sparta from 404-396 BC, including their war with Elis, the imperial ambitions of Lysander and the ascension of Agesilaos, Kinadon's foiled socio-political revolution, and Sparta's inva
In this episode, we discuss the life, influences, drawbacks, and positives of the Athenian military leader, philosopher, and historian--Xenophon (ca. 430-354 BC)--who was one of Sokrates' more famous pupils; and the post-Peloponnesian war Panhellenic campaign into the heart of the Persian Empire tha
In this episode, we discuss the life and death of Sokrates (ca. 470-399 BC), who is widely considered to be the father of western philosophy, with in-depth overviews of Aristophanes' Clouds and Plato's dialogue Euphyro, Apologia, Krito, and Phaido. Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.
In this episode, we discuss the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War at Athens, including the reign of the Thirty Tyrants, the Athenian civil war, and the restoration of the democracy Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2021/10/108-thirty-tyrants.html
In this episode, we discuss the final two years of the Peloponnesian War (405-404 BC), including the comedic play "The Frogs" by Aristophanes; Lysander's elevation to Persian satrap, his rebuilding of the Peloponnesian fleet, his tactical moves in the Hellespont, and his crushing victory over the At
In this episode, we discuss the years 409-406 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the Athenians’ achieving control in the Hellespont and Bosporus, Alcibiades’ triumphant return to Athens, the ascension of Lysander and his bromance with Cyrus, the Athenian defeat at Notium and the disgrace of Alci
In today's special guest episode, I am joined by Dr Curtis Dozier, Assistant Professor of Greek and Roman Studies at Vassar College. He is the producer and host of The Mirror of Antiquity, a podcast featuring classical scholars discussing the intersections of their research, the contemporary world,
In today's special guest episode, I am joined by Dr Denise Eileen McCoskey, Professor of Classics and affiliate of Black World Studies at Miami (OH) University. She has written extensively on the politics of race and gender in antiquity and is currently at work on a project examining the role of eug
In this episode, we discuss the Second Greco-Punic War (410-406 BC), as hostilities in Sicily draw in Carthage and the Syracusan fleet away from the eastern Aegean and the Hellespont, including Hannibal Mago's first invasion of Sicily and the destruction of Selinus and Himera, the rebellion of Hermo
In this episode, we discuss the years 411-410 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the shifting of the naval war to the Hellespont, the vigor that the Athenian democracy showed in carrying on the war effort against Sparta and Pharnabazos with victories at Cynossema and Cyzicus, the re-establishmen
In this special guest episode, Marc DeSantis and I discuss his most recent book, "A Naval History of the Peloponnesian War: Ships, Men and Money in the War at Sea, 431-404 BC". In particular, we talk about the ship designs, naval combat, the financial burden of navies, and the overall war strategies
In this episode, we discuss the years 411-410 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the third and final treaty between the Spartans and Tissaphernes; the comedic plays "Lysistrata" and "Thesmophoriazusai" by Aristophanes; how the Athenians succumbed to civil war for the first time in nearly a centu
In this episode, we discuss the years 413-412 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the Athenian response at home to the Sicilian Disaster, the Spartan and Theban devastation of Attic agriculture and commerce from Decelea, the dissolution of the "friendship" between Athens and Persia, the Spartans'
In today's special guest episode, I am joined by director and screenwriter Esme von Hoffman (Festival of Cinema NYC 2019 Winner for Best Director) for her film, Ovid and the Art of Love. Esme and I discuss her background with Classics and Roman history, what drew her to make a film about the life
In this special guest episode, Dr. Owen Rees and I discuss Ancient Greek land warfare in general with lengthy discussions on the definition of a hoplite, its socio-political importance, and the problems surrounding its chronology and historiographic tradition; the problems with the traditional recon
In this episode, we discuss the year 413 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the rise of Archelaus to the Macedonian throne, the Spartan establishment of Decelea, the defeats by the Athenian army and navy at Syracuse, and the retreat and ultimate surrender of the Athenians, which brought the Sici
In this episode, we discuss the years 415-414 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the Athenian attempt at blockading Syracuse, the death of Lamachos, the tactical blunders of Nikias, the arrival of Gylippus, and the "Birds" of Aristophanes Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/20
In this episode, we discuss the years 417-415 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the ostracism of Hyperbolus, the rivalry of Nikias and Alcibiades, the siege of Melos, the lead up and first year of the Sicilian Expedition, and the prosecutions for the Hermai and Eleusinian Mysteries scandals Sh
In this episode, we discuss the years 421-418 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the breakdowns of the Peace of Nikias; the rise of Alcibiades to prominence at Athens; the differences that arose between Sparta and some of their dissident allies; the diplomatic maneuverings that resulted in the q
In this special guest episode, Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid and I discuss ancient Mesopotamian medicine, in general, and her current research on the use of metaphor in descriptions of mental distress in cuneiform medical texts Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2019/11/special-guest-episo
In this special guest episode, Dr. Liz Gloyn and I discuss her forthcoming book, Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019). This work is the first in-depth study on classical reception and monsters in Anglo-American popular culture from the 1950s to the present d
In this episode, we discuss the years 423-421 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the death of Artaxerxes and the succession struggle that ends with Darius II on the Persian throne; the continuation of Brasidas' Thracian and Macedonian campaign; the ‘Wasps’ and ‘Peace’ by Aristophanes; and the de
In this episode, we discuss the years 425 and 424 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the conclusion of the First Sicilian Expedition and the Congress of Gela, the Athenian seizure of Kythera, the Battles of Megara and Delium, and the beginning of Brasidas' Thracian campaign Show Notes: http://ww
In this episode, we discuss the years 426 and 425 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the current nature of Athenian politics as dominated by Kleon the anti-aristocratic demagogue, his feud with Aristophanes as seen in the comedic plays "The Acharnians" and "The Knights", the Battles of Pylos an
