That Leviathan
Nicias and Alcibiades struggle for control of Athens after a power vacuum appears. The back and forth leads to an Athens that pursues no grand strategy but plays a game of rapid, hectic tactics. All of Greece is swept up in political pinball as the traditional allies of Sparta reconsider their place in Greece and Sparta struggles to reclaim its political standing. As the stakes rise, Athens rebrands its role as the head of its empire and does whatever is necessary to keep control. This episode covers approximately 421 B.C. – 415 B.C.
Show Notes:
Places
Athens
The normally undisputed leader of the former Delian League, now the Athenian Empire, its glory begins to wane due to a lack of direction. In order to reclaim its prestige and stem the ever-present threat of defections from its empire more drastic measures are considered.
Sparta
The premier military land power in Greece has seen better days. A, perhaps ill-timed peace, has allows Athens to regain its strength while Sparta allies suffer from disillusionment. Sparta needs to show all of Greece that it is still a name to be feared if it wants to continue its position as a leader.
Argos
The long-standing enemy of Sparta, Argos takes advantage of Sparta’s weakness to begin to lay claim to allies and form an allegiance of its own. Alcibiades continues to try and convince them that the best path forward is to wed themselves to Athens, drop the hesitation, and declare full war on Sparta.
Corinth
Perhaps the greatest friend of Sparta, Corinth is beginning to grow tired of Sparta’s limited aim. As Sparta weakens Corinth decided to try to establish itself as a leader in Greece.
People
Nicias
An accountant who wants to be a priest? A priest who wants to be an accountant? Take your pick. Nicias goes from a well-respected, but uninspiring, man to the leading man in Athens by negotiating a truce with Sparta. To keep this role though he must show he is a better leader than the upstart, Alcibiades.
Alcibiades
Young, ambitious and arrogant. Alcibiades has reach well beyond Athens as a rich socialite but as he ages and turns 30 he must now show himself as a worthy general. Alcibiades courts looks to the traditional enemy of Sparta, Argos, to gather friends to Athens under his name.
King Agis
One of the two kings of Sparta, Agis must prove himself capable of restoring Sparta’s political and military reputation. The future of Sparta is depending on a man who has never before led an army into combat and whose political skills are doubted at home.