Ep. 0290: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. III
Summary
This episode, Part 3 of a mini-series on the Sicilian Expedition, details the massive Athenian invasion of 415 BC and the strategic preparations of Syracuse. The host analyzes the financial and logistical burdens of the Athenian force, contrasting the mass democracy of Athens with the more moderate democracy of Syracuse. Key focus is placed on the political and military strategies of the Syracusan leader Hermocrates, who urged unity against the common threat, alongside the counter-arguments of the demagogue Athenagoras. The narrative explores how the sheer scale of the Athenian expedition i…
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