Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II

Here it is — the 2nd installment of CJ’s already-epic mini-series, ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ set in the Peloponnesian War in 5th-century BC Greece. Join CJ as he shares an overview of some of the events of the first half of the Peloponnesian War, including: - Spartan-led Peloponnesian invasions of Attica (the countryside around Athens), which used the traditional Greek tactic of ‘ravaging’ farms in order to try to provoke the Athenians to confront them in a decisive hoplite battle - Athens’ refusal to do so, as they followed Pericles’ strategy of being purely defensive on land while waging naval & amphibious warfare against the coastal strongholds of the Peloponnesian League - The horrific plague that afflicted Athens for the first few years of the war, which likely killed 20-30% of Athens, including, eventually, Pericles himself - The leadership void left by Pericles, which was filled by men of much less competence, none of whom ever enjoyed the supermajority support that Pericles had - The ‘Peace of Nicias,’ concluded in 421 BC, which was never fully adhered to & wouldn’t last long - The growing political feud between Nicias & the Athenian doves vs. Alcibiades & the Athenian hawks - The appeal for Athenian assistance from a few Sicilian poleis against Syracuse, the most powerful polis on that island, & the Athenian debates over the wisdom of intervening there, dominated by debates between Nicias & Alcibiades - The decision of a majority of the Athenian Assembly to intervene on a massive scale - Religious/political scandals that created serious potential problems for the Athenian expedition to Sicily on the eve of its departure - The departure, to great fanfare, of a massive Athenian & allied force to Sicily **Like this episode?** - Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon! **You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here:** https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted\button\id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L **Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here:** https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia **Or throw CJ a BTC tip here:** bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box) **Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)** - The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War - A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson - The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan - *The Life of Greece: The Story of Civilization, Vol. II* by Will Durant **Links** - Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon - Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel - Follow CJ on Twitter/X - Follow the DHP on Instagram - Follow the DHP on Facebook - Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event The post Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.