Casting Through Ancient Greece

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Episode 23: The Fall of Athens Jan 27, 2021

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This Episodes recommended podcast is Battlefield command History podcast. Check out Ramsey's series here: https://battlefieldcommandpodcast.com/
The defenders of the last stand at Thermopylae and the Spartan king lay dead, the Persians now in control of the pass. At Artemisium, the Greeks had decided to withdraw from their position due to not being able to sustain the losses they were taking and news of the fall of Thermopylae. The path into central Greece was now open to Xerxes and his forces.

The Persian army would march throughout central Greece adding more cities to their list of subjected peoples. Those cities and villages that continued to resit in the face of the Persian forces were raised to the ground with their people fleeing, killed or captured. Though, some divine intervention would see the Persians being unable to add Delphi to it subjected peoples.

With the news of the Persian advance, Athens had been evacuating its people across to the Island of Salamis. Xerxes would arrive to a mostly deserted Acropolis, laying siege to the few defenders and then capturing the city. He was now in control of the ultimate prize and would now take revenge for the destruction at Sardis the Athenians had been involved in some 20 years earlier.

Athens now lay in ruins but the Athenians were still a powerful Polis. They still possessed one of the largest fleets in all of Greece. The other members of the Hellenic league were also on Salamis, but much debate was taking place on whether they should depart and make their way to the Peloponnese. The fate of Athens now rested on if the Greeks at Salamis could unite and challenge the Persians there. Themistocles, the Athenian leader would try all he could to make this a reality.

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Episode 22: The Battle of Artemisium Dec 23, 2020

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The Initial defence plan the Hellenic league put into action saw a land force attempting to block the Persian army’s march into Greece. Though, this was part of a larger plan which also saw a Greek fleet take up a position at Artemisium to block the advance of the Persian navy. Their position was located some 40 miles north east of Thermopylae and would help protect the hoplites in the pass being outflanked by Xerxes armada.

The Greek fleet was commanded by the Spartan, Euryrbiades although they supplied one of the smallest contingents. The majority of the fleet was made up of Athenian vessels, with them being commanded by their cunning leader, Themistocles. Themistocles also comes down through history as a driving force in the fleet’s strategy and would influence the decisions made in the Greek camp.

Tradition has it that while the fighting was raging in the pass at Thermopylae, the naval action at Artemisium was also unfolding over the same 3 days. The Greeks would use the position at Artemisium to their advantage and look to nullify the Persian’s superiority in numbers. They would also employ cleaver tactics to avoid a decisive action, while the “gods” would also provide some assistance.

The final day at Artemisium would see the Persians attempt to force a full-scale engagement. Both sides would suffer in the action with the Persian fleet receiving the worst of it. The Greeks though, decided they would need to withdraw as they could ill afford the losses taken, the Persians could sustain a battle of attrition. News had also arrived that the Greek position at Thermopylae had fallen. The position had also now become irrelevant, the march into central Greece was now open.

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Episode 21: 300 Against the Sources Nov 27, 2020

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In 2006 the movie 300 hit the screens of cinemas across the world depicting a battle that took place nearly 2500 years ago. Though, more accurately it depicts a group of 300 warrior’s involvement in that battle. For most, this would be their first and only exposure to Greek history, leaving them to either take on face value what they saw as basically fact, as it was based on actual events after all. Or, they would assume this was a fictional story with a historical theme, this is Hollywood.

I explore the main storyline with all of the themes present, where the smaller details can be brought up with more context behind them. I want to be able to show what the film manages to present fairly accurately historically. Or alternatively has presented in its own interpretation with examples in the historical record that can be pointed to. I will also point out some of the fanciful elements and what appears to be inserted for dramatic purposes, but not based on anything from the historical record.

Ultimately, I hope after this episode people can walk away with a better understand of what has been presented and that can be connected to the ancient sources, therefore in line with the historical record. While also recognising what liberties have been made and perhaps why these things are presented or told the way they are. We are not looking to much at what was historical fact but what exists in the historical record that could be drawn upon which will also let us see how the Greeks saw their own history.

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Episode 20: The Battle of Thermopylae Nov 13, 2020

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The Greeks had now arrived at the pass of Thermopylae, in all there were some seven thousand Greeks present. They were led by the Spartan King Leonidas at the head of his three hundred strong Spartan force. Their position would be further supported by the combined Greek fleet some 40km away at Artemisium.

Defensive arrangements in the pass were undertaken as Xerxes forces drew closer outside the pass. It was also learnt that a small track in the mountains posed a threat to the Greek position down below in the pass. A sizable force would be detached from the main force and sent up into the mountains to guard this route.

Xerxes would attempt to convince the Greeks to surrender their position, but after four days sitting by idle he would launch the beginning of the battle of Thermopylae. No matter the quality of the troops Xerxes sent against the Greek position they failed to dislodge them from the pass. Even his most vaunted Immortals fared no better than those who went in before them.

Finally the nightmare, Ephalities would inform Xerxes of the existence of the trail in the mountains, betraying the Greek position. Now instead of having to meet the Greeks head on in the narrow pass, his troops could now surround them. Knowing their fate the remaining Greeks fought till the end with a shower of arrows finishing off the resistance in the pass. The final act of the battle seeing the Spartan solider Dienekes’ response realised, “Good, we shall fight in the shade then”

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Episode 19: The Greeks Prepare Oct 30, 2020

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With Xerxes arranging the full resources of the Persian empire in an invasion against Greece, word would have filtered back to Greece of the preparations. The Greeks would not sit by idle but would now attempt to take measures to see a halt be put to the Persian advance. This time around it wouldn’t just be Athens and Plataeans meeting the Persians on the field of battle.

In the years between Marathon and Xerxes invasion, politics had been continuing in Athens. The new public figure to have risen, Themistocles would see that a policy shifting Athens to a naval power would emerge. This would have huge impact on the coming war and also well into the future.

To have any hope against the force assembled by Xerxes, the Greeks would need to unite in a common cause. This would prove to be a difficult task in a land dominated by fiercely independent city states with their own interests.

A league would be formed, though with only a fraction of the thousands of city states that dotted the Greek main land and Aegean. This would become to known as the Hellenic league and cooperation within it would rest upon a razors edge. Finally, the league would meet the second Persian invasion for the first time at the pass of Thermopylae and the straights of Artemisium.

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Episode 18: The Second Persian Invasion Oct 16, 2020

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The Athenians and their Plataean allies had effectively put an end to the first Persian invasion at the Bay of Marathon in 490 BC. Athens would continue to emerge as a powerful city state with their confidence after their victory. The Hero of Marathon, Miltiades would fall from favour with a new figure coming to dominate the political landscape for a number of years to come.

Back in the Persian Empire the defeat at Marathon would not be a disaster but would still be an annoyance to Darius. Though, before further action could be taken against the Greeks Persia had problems within their own Empire that had to be resolved, with two important regions attempting to revolt, Egypt and Babylon.

Once the empire had been stabilised preparations began to attempt a second invasion of Greece. A new king would lead this invasion as Darius had died of an illness before he could see the plans through. Xerxes was Darius’ son and would lead the forces against Greece unlike his father who had remained in Persia during the first invasion.

The army Xerxes assembled was larger than anything that had come before it in the ancient world. This time around there would be no doubt that the conquest of Greece was the main objective. Great feats of engineering would also be undertaken to assist in the march of this colossal force. To put a stop to the invasion this time around the fiercely independent Greek city states would need to unite against this common enemy.

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Episode 17: The Battle of Marathon Oct 02, 2020

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The Persian forces had landed at Marathon Bay unopposed and had set up camp. The Athenians and Plataeans had now arrived at Marathon to challenge the Persians invasion. A stand off had ensured with both sides not taking the initiative, the Athenians debating wether to even fight at the Bay.

Eventually, Miltiades would convince his fellow Athenian commanders to give battle. With a rousing speech that would bring Callimachus round to the merits in his arguments. The Greeks were outnumbered and made arrangement to match the Persian line. This though, would provide a weak point for the Persians to exploit.

The Greek phalanxes crashed all along the Persian line, engaging in a manner, we are told, like never before, cover the distance at a run. It is still debated today what caused the Greeks to all of a sudden to act this day. The Persians would exploit the weak point in the Greek line but this early success would turn out to be a disaster. The Persians now were in a panic making their way back to their ships with the Greeks in toe, the carnage on the shore line would have been horrific.

Tradition would have it that news of the Persian rout would make its back to Athens by the first Marathon run by Pheidippides. The Persian were able to embark the survivors of the battle and now made their way to attempt a direct attack on Athens. Though as they came into view, they could see the Athenian force prepared to give battle once again. They had travelled back to Athens from Marathon bay well aware the acropolis had been left undefended. This would effectively see the end of the first Persian Invasion, but the Persians would be back.

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Episode 16: The First Persian Invasion Sep 18, 2020

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With the region of Ionian in the Persian Empire back under control, Darius could now turn to other business. He had reportedly, after learning of the Athenian involvement in the revolt, had one of his servants repeat to him three times “Master, remember the Athenians” whenever he sat down to a meal. Remember the Athenians, and the others who had also dared assist the Ionians, he would.

An initial campaign was sent north into Thrace which also had a navy shadowing the land forces as they marched following the coast line. This campaign would ultimately run into disastrous problems causing the commander to return into the empire. The naval force would be destroyed, not by the Greeks but by a storm that whipped up as the fleet rounded the notorious Mt Athos. While, the land forces would encounter unexpected resistance from the Thracians who would also wound the Persian commander, Mardonious.

The second campaign would see a fleet assembled which would transport the Persian land forces across the Aegean in what would amount to an Island-hopping campaign. Along the way Persian policy towards those willing to submit and those who would resist were on full display, acting as an example to those yet to encounter the armada.

Accompanying the Persian fleet was the old exiled Tyrant of Athens, Hippias with the expectation that he would be re-established as the leader in Athens, answerable to Darius of course. Before landing in Attica the Persians first laid waste to another polis who had accompanied Athens during the revolt, Eretria. Once revenge had been taken against them the fleet now made its way to a bay along the Attic coast known as Marathon Bay.

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Episode 15: The Ionian Revolt Sep 04, 2020

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We now arrive on the eve of the Greek and Persian wars. The Greek colonies of Ionian had traded one ruler for another and were now part of the Persian Empire. Their lack of freedom and rising taxes would see discontent grow. With some help from ambitious leaders, Ionia and surrounding regions would rise up in revolt.

The Ionians would seek help from their cousins back on the Greek mainland to assist in their plight. Only two city states, Athens and Eretria would answer the call with limited help, but it was enough for Darius to shift his gaze west.

The ultimate goal of the rebels was to march onto Susa, one of the Persian capitals. But the campaign would be short lived with the Greek force being foiled at the first major city. Sardis. The Persian forces were able to force the battle of Ephesus and the Greeks were routed, with the Athenians and Eritreans returning home and taking no more part in the revolt.

The Persians now began systematically re subjugating the various regions along the Anatolian coast line in a series of campaigns lasting another 4 years. Eventually the revolt would be effectively defeated at the naval battle of Lade. Now though, with the prelude to the Greek and Persian wars over the Persian Empire would now begin preparations to move against the lands of Greece.

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Episode 14: Recap and Q&A Ep 01 - 13 Aug 21, 2020

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The Casting Through Ancient Greece podcast is now moving into the Greek and Persian war period. We have spent the past 13 episodes looking at how things were developing in Greece that will help give us a better understanding of the periods moving forward.

This episode I talk about my experiences since starting the podcast, as well as the support I have received from other podcasts out there.

We spend the first part of the show going back and summarising the topics and themes we have spoken about over the past 13 episodes. Going all the way back to the first signs of human habitation in the Greece, all the way through to the last series of episodes where we looked at the development of 3 of our major players moving forward. Hopefully this helps with refreshing everyone’s memory of everything covered so far.

The last part of the episode I spend answering questions sent in by listeners ranging from topical questions to general show questions.

Stay tuned as we now move into the Greek and Persian wars.

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