The Peloponnesian War comes to a sudden and unexpected end. The defeated will face the fate the victor thinks it deserves. We witness both timid and brutal approaches to war and are forced to ask: Is there a difference between acting cruelly out of desperation versus cruelty as a matter of course? This episode covers approximately 405 B.C. – 404 B.C.
Read MoreMore than twenty years into the Peloponnesian War Athens has given nearly everything to the fight, but more is required. Sparta requests peace but Athens refuses and looks for more resources to continue the war. While Athens scrounges for money, Sparta and Persia renew their alliance with Sparta leading the fight while Persia funds the war. Meanwhile, the weight of carrying the Athenian military is beginning to crack their society. This episode covers approximately 407 B.C. – 405 B.C.
Read MoreAthens is broke. The sole hope for retaining its empire rests in their fleet of triremes at Samos. To make matters worse a Spartan fleet, supported by a Persian army and Syracusian ships, has wedged itself into the Hellespont, the crucial route by which Athens receives most of its food. Alcibiades, though still refusing to return to Athens for fear of the death penalty on him, contributes to the fighting in any way he can. Some sort of miracle is needed for Athens to step back into security. This episode covers approximately 411 B.C. – 407 B.C.
Read MoreAfter the disaster of the Sicilian Expedition, the largest defeat in the history of Athenian Democracy, the whole Mediterranean world expected Athens to fall. Refusing to surrender the Athenian assembly accepts previously unthinkable changes in order to continue to the fight against Sparta, the revolting cities across the Empire, and to keep the ever ambitious Persians in check. Amid this pressure the democracy in Athens is reexamined and some citizens desire a change, either through legal reforms or terror tactics. This episode covers approximately 413 BC – 411 BC.
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