Sparta vs Athens: The Greek World War
The Ancients
History Hit
4.7 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 16 December 2023
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Marked by shifting alliances, chaotic power struggles, and devastating consequences - the Peloponnesian War was a conflict for the ages. Fought between Athens and Sparta, along with their begrudging allies, the conflict changed the course of Ancient History as we know it. Lasting for nearly three decades, it ultimately ended Athenian supremacy - and ushered in an age of Spartan Hegemony on the mainland. But what caused such a devastating conflict to happen, and could it have been avoided?
In the third episode of our Sparta series, Tristan welcomes back Owen Reese to give us a whistle stop tour through this gigantic ancient conflict. Looking at the causes, key players, and the consequences - what caused these great city states to go to war? And what do the sources actually tell us about what happened?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A year ago I had to sleep wherever I could. I thought well I'll be out here on Christmas Day. |
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| 0:28.6 | Search crisis Christmas appeal. |
| 0:30.8 | Everyone leaves a legacy. But a legacy can change over time as new generations re-examine old reputations. |
| 0:38.0 | From Wundery and Goalhanger Podcasts, I'm Afu Hirsch. |
| 0:41.0 | I'm Peter Francopan, and in a brand new series we're exploring the lives of some of the biggest characters in history from Napoleon to Picasso. |
| 0:49.4 | And asking what does their past tell us about our present? This is legacy. |
| 0:55.0 | Follow now wherever you get your podcasts. It's the anchamps on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes your host. |
| 1:17.0 | And in today's episode where we are continuing our special Spartan mini-series this December |
| 1:22.0 | with an epic retelling of the Peloponnesian War. |
| 1:26.2 | Sparta versus Athens, one of those titanic showdowns of the ancient Mediterranean world. |
| 1:32.4 | Over the next hour we'll cover the whole story of this ancient Greek world war, |
| 1:37.0 | from opening moves to the final clashes. |
| 1:41.0 | Our expert is Dr Owen Reese from Birmingham-Newman University. Now Owen's a regular name on the |
| 1:47.2 | podcast. Last time he retold Xenophon's March of the 10,000, one of the greatest adventure stories of ancient history, and this |
| 1:55.6 | time it's the Peloponnesian War. |
| 1:59.0 | I really do hope you enjoy, and here's Owen. |
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