Here it is, FINALLY — the third installment of ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest’ series, about the Athenian expedition to Sicily during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC. Enjoy!
The Syracusan reaction to news of a huge, inbound Athenian expeditionary force, including the wise advice of Hermocrates (that wasn’t sufficiently heeded at first)The arrival of the Athenians in the area, & initial difficulties & disappointments they began to encounterThe debate among the 3 Athenian strategoi (Nicias, Lamachus & Alcibiades) over how to proceed, the strategy adopted, & the lack of significant progressThe recall of Alcibiades to Athens for trial, & his subsequent escapeAthenian successes in Sicily that they failed to capitalize upon sufficiently to defeat Syracuse prior to the onset of the winter of 414/415Athenian & Syracusan diplomatic efforts during that first winterThe success of Syracusan diplomacy (with the help of Alcibiades) in securing aid from Corinth & SpartaGylippus, the Spartan strategos sent to take command of the Syracusan war effort against AthensInitial Athenian successes during the campaign season of 414 that (despite the death of Lamachus) drove the Syracusans to the brink of surrenderThe arrival of Gylippus in the nick of time, & his stunning successes in turning the tide of the war against Athens & nullifying their efforts to circumvallate & besiege SyracuseNicias’ extremely downtrodden & pessimistic report back to Athens, sent during the winter of 414/413, in which he demanded that the Athenian Assembly either authorize the evacuation of his expeditionary force, or send him significant reinforcements (men, supplies, & money), along with a strong request that he (Nicias) be relieved of command if they chose the latter optionAs promised, here’s a zoomed out map of the expedition to Sicily, showing 1) how far the Athenians traveled, & 2) the relative locations of significant cities on Sicily & on the adjacent ‘toe’ of Italy , plus a more zoomed-in map of Syracuse, its harbors, & the surrounding territory.
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The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian WarSparta’s Sicilian Proxy War by Paul RaheThe Rise & Fall of Athens by PlutarchSyracuse, 415-413 BC: Destruction of the Athenian Imperial Fleet by Nic FieldsA War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis HansonSupport the Dangerous History Podcast via PatreonSubscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube ChannelFollow CJ on Twitter/XFollow the DHP on InstagramFollow the DHP on FacebookHire CJ to speak to your group or at your event(For Sending Him Items — Including, but not Limited to — Sacks of Gold Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Freeze-Dried Flapjacks, etc.
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The post Ep. 0290: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. III first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.