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Sunday, April 28, 2019

091 - Attrition and Plague



In this episode, we discuss the first year and a half of the war (431-430 BC), as both Sparta and Athens initiated their war strategies, including a Theban sneak attack on Plataea that began the war, Peloponnesian land raids on Attica, Athenian naval raids on the Peloponnese and northwestern Greece, Athenian alliances with Odrysian Thrace, a famous funeral oration by Pericles, and a deadly plague that devastated Athens

Primary Sources: 
Thucydides' The History of the Peloponnesian War (Book 2)
Plutarch's Life of Pericles
Diodorus Siculus' The Library of History (Book 12)






Sunday, April 21, 2019

090 - The Road to War



In this episode, we discuss the two events over 433/2 BC that led Pericles to claim that he could see war "coming out of the Peloponnese" (the Potidaea Revolt and the Megarian Embargo); the speeches given by the Corinthians, Spartans, and Athenians on the eve of war; and both sides' financial and military resources, war arms, and tactical strategies

Primary Sources: 
Thucydides' The History of the Peloponnesian War (Book 1)
Plutarch's Life of Pericles
Diodorus Siculus' The Library of History (Book 12)






Sunday, April 14, 2019

**Special Guest Episode on Ten Caesars w/Barry Strauss**



In this special episode, I am joined by Dr Barry Strauss, a Professor of History and Classics at Cornell University, where he teaches courses on the history of ancient Greece and Rome, war and peace in the ancient world, history of battle, introduction to military history, and specialized topics in ancient history. Dr Strauss is a widely acclaimed military and naval historian who has spent years researching and studying the leaders of the ancient world and has written and spoken widely of their mistakes and successes. As such, he is a recognized authority on the subject of leadership and the lessons that can be learned from the experiences of the greatest political and military leaders of the ancient world (including Caesar, Hannibal, and Alexander, among many others). Some of the numerous books that he has authored include The Battle of Salamis (2004)The Trojan War (2006)The Spartacus War (2009)Masters of Command (2013)The Death of Caesar (2015), and his newest book, Ten Caesars (2019)

Dr Strauss also has appeared in more than a dozen television documentaries and radio programs (see http://barrystrauss.com/media/), and has published op-ed pieces in several popular media outlets (see http://barrystrauss.com/articles/). Recently, he has upped his public history to a new level by creating an ancient history podcast, called Antiquitas.

So it’s with great pleasure that Dr Strauss came onto THOAG and in the lively conversation that followed we discussed his new book, the Ten Caesars, his podcast Antiquitas, the importance of public history, and leadership lessons from the ancient world.

Dr. Barry Strauss
Professor of History and Classics at Cornell University
Website: http://barrystrauss.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrystrauss.author/


About | Barry Strauss

***You can order Dr. Strauss's book here (Simon & Schuster or Amazon)***

Ten Caesars | Book by Barry Strauss | Official Publisher Page | Simon &  Schuster


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