The Spartans (Repeat)

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2024

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 480BC, the Spartans secured their place in history when 300 of their soldiers fought to the death against the mighty Persian army at Thermopylae. Their reputation for brutal decisiveness and simple living have been admired for thousands of years. But what about the darker side of Spartan ideology, a society that culled weak babies, forced children to fight, and enslaved its neighbours? Was Sparta really a utopia? Or was Aristotle right when he said that Spartans simply made men into machines? This is a Short History of the Spartans. Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Dr Andrew Bayliss, Associate Professor of Greek History at the University of Birmingham, UK, and author of The Spartans: A Very Short Introduction. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:32.7	It is the year 480 BC, late summer on the mainland of Greece. A legion of soldiers stands in
0:40.7	formation in the morning sun. Already brutally hot, the earth under their leather-bound feet is hard
0:47.1	and cracked. The only sound is a scream of cicadas. The air smells of wild time and spilt blood. King Leonidas walks among the ranks
0:59.0	of these men, his fellow Spartans. Their cloaks are scarlet and their breastplates are bronze,
1:05.0	bright shocks of color against the arid landscape. Here, on a narrow pass hemmed in by rugged hills,
1:14.4	king is resolute and restless as he waits for a battle to recommence.
1:19.9	His men are part of an alliance of Greek city-states,
1:23.2	who have spent two days fighting the Persians,
1:26.3	a mighty army that attack from the east.
1:29.7	The invaders outnumber the Greeks by at least 20 to 1, and maybe as many as 40 to 1.
1:37.3	The Greeks are holding them off, but for how much longer?
1:43.3	Leonidus' battalion of Spartans marches into position.
1:47.0	This coastal pass is called Thomopoli.
1:51.0	It means hot gates, because there are thermal springs nearby.
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