Epic Greek History

Odcinki

• 
  Based on a True Story: Legends of Marathon 15.09.2026 15min

  The Battle of Marathon quickly morphed from history to legend. In this episode, host Scott Emmons describes how tales of the battle grew ever taller over time. For visuals illustrating the legendary character of the battle (some not mentioned in the podcast), check out Episode 33 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com. Reading Suggestions: Tom Holland, Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West “Greece: The Battle of Marathon” at World Archaeology Owen Rees, “Did Pheidi...
• 
  The Persians are Coming! Showdown at Marathon 01.09.2026 52min

  The battle of Marathon was the first great confrontation between mainland Greeks and Persian forces. The Athenian victory over a numerically superior force gave the citizens a heightened confidence that carried them through the next Persian invasion and fueled their cultural achievements of the 5th century BCE. In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides you through the events leading up to this climactic battle. For maps an other visuals illustrating this topic, check out Episode 32 at www.e...
• 
  Herodotus: What Was His Deal, Anyway? 15.08.2026 26min

  The Roman orator Cicero dubbed Herodotus the “father of history.” 19th-century skeptics called him the “father of lies.” Since antiquity, scholars have debated Herodotus’ reliability, his methods, and his sincerity. In this episode, host Scott Emmons examines the life and work of the author who, for better or for worse, is our chief literary source for early Greek history. For visuals supplementing this episode, check out Episode 31 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com. Suggested Read...
• 
  Fighting the Power: The Ionian Revolt 01.08.2026 44min

  In 499 BCE, Aristagoras of Miletus led the Ionian Greek cities in a revolt against the Persian Empire. Athens sent a force of 20 ships to support her allies. As Herodotus puts it, “These ships were the beginning of evils for both the Greeks and the barbarians.” In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides you through the five-year revolt, which brought Persia and Greece closer to the great confrontations of the following two decades. For visuals illustrating aspects of this episode, ...
• 
  Bonus Episode: Thoughts on Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" 19.07.2026 9min

  Look! It's another podcaster sharing his thoughts about the new Odyssey movie! Opinions expressed here are solely those of a philhellenic film buff. Support the show
• 
  Epic Persian History Part 2 15.07.2026 51min

  After the death of Cyrus in 530 BCE, the Persian Empire continued to expand. His successor Cambyses II subdued Egypt and neighboring territories. Darius I, whose claim to the throne may have rested on a massive cover-up, reorganized the empire and introduced Persian coinage. His wars of conquest included the notorious Scythian expedition, which resulted in the annexation of Thracian territory in eastern Europe. That operation involved Ionian Greeks who would go on to play major roles in the s...
• 
  Epic Persian History Part 1 01.07.2026 52min

  No historical event loomed larger in the minds of the ancient Greeks than their successful defense against the vast military might of the Persian Empire. Who were these Persians, and how did they come to dominate the Near East? Over the next two episodes, host Scott Emmons traces the growth of Persian power up to the years just preceding the invasions of mainland Greece. For visuals illustrating aspects of this episode, check out Episode 28 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com. Readin...
• 
  The Bad Boy of Sparta: The Life of King Cleomenes 15.06.2026 26min

  Cleomenes I of Sparta has been called the most powerful Greek of the 6th century BCE. His reign included a major military victory over Argos, repeated attempts to meddle in Athenian politics, and a legendary feud with his co-king Demaratus. In this episode, host Scott Emmons takes you through the life of this larger-than-life figure from Spartan history. Suggested Reading: Herodotus, Histories 5.39-42, 64-65, 70-75, 90-91; 6.49-51, 61-84 Paul Cartledge, Sparta and Lakonia Nigel M...
• 
  You Say You Want a Revolution: Cleisthenes and Athenian Democracy 01.06.2026 48min

  After the expulsion of the tyrant Hippias, two prominent citizens were foremost in the competition for power. Isagoras was a conservative aristocrat who favored a narrow oligarchy. Cleisthenes, although a member of the blue-blooded Alcmaeonid clan, drew support from the people by proposing radical democratic reforms. In this episode, host Scott Emmons narrates the birth of the Athenian democracy, which soon had to defend itself against threats from within Athens and from anti-democratic Spart...
• 
  Hurrah for the Pirate King! Polycrates and the Tyranny of Samos 15.05.2026 21min

  The tyrant Polycrates of Samos impressed classical authors by building the first naval empire in the Aegean since the legendary king Minos of Crete. He dominated island cities, employed his navy for piracy, dedicated an island to Delian Apollo, and forged a strong alliance with the Egyptian pharaoh Amasis II in the face of growing Persian power. The unraveling of that alliance gives us one of the classic Greek cautionary tales on the fragility of human glory. In this episode, host Scott Emmon...
• 
  Won't You Be My Ally? The Expansion of Spartan Power in the Peloponnese 01.05.2026 37min

  While Athens was transforming itself under the lawgiver Solon and the tyrant Pisistratus, Sparta was busy extending its influence in the Peloponnese. What began as an attempt to conquer and enslave the Arcadian city of Tegea evolved into a policy of expansion through alliances. The result was the Peloponnesian League, which would play a crucial role in the conflicts of the following century. In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides you through the military victories and a bold religious init...
• 
  Hey, Gang, Let's Put On a Show! Thespis and the Origins of Greek Tragedy 15.04.2026 23min

  The Athenian tyrant Pisistratus centralized the Attic worship of Dionysus with an elaborate new festival. The Great Dionysia went on to become the city’s main dramatic festival, where later giants like Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides would compete for top honors. In this episode, host Scott Emmons explores the obscure origins of tragedy and the role of the legendary Thespis in creating Greek drama. There are few if any confirmed depictions of Thespis in ancient Greek art, but supplem...
• 
  Pisistratus and Sons: The Age of Tyranny in Athens 01.04.2026 49min

  Despite the best efforts of the lawgiver Solon, political upheaval continued in Athens. A strongman named Pisistratus, after twice seizing power and losing it, ultimately established an autocratic regime that lasted over 35 years. During that time, he and his successors improved city infrastructure, strengthened Athenian control over Attica, created lasting cultural institutions, and introduced policies that paved the way for a more democratic system. In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides...
• 
  Weird Science: The Beginnings of Greek Philosophy 15.03.2026 25min

  While the Athenians were setting up a new constitution under Solon, the Milesians across the Aegean were busy inventing philosophy. Perhaps not philosophy as we usually think of it, but a search for rational principles to explain the natural world. In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides you through the bold — and sometimes bizarre — theories advanced by three philosophical pioneers: Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes. For a few visuals to illustrate this episode, check out Episode 2...
• 
  Chaos and Compromise: Early Athens and the Reforms of Solon 01.03.2026 45min

  At the start of the 6th century BCE, Athens had only recently escaped a tyranny. Draco's published law code made the law accessible to more people but did nothing to alleviate the crushing debt that afflicted the poor. As Aristotle puts it, the poor were slaves of the rich. To forestall the rise of a tyranny, the Athenians gave an exceptionally adept nobleman named Solon full powers to solve the economic crisis and reorganize the state. In this episode, host Scott Emmons examines the causes o...
• 
  Nothing Queer About It: Same-Sex Relationships in Ancient Greece 15.02.2026 42min

  Modern labels like “straight” and “gay” don’t map neatly onto ancient Greek culture. While same-sex relationships were considered normal and even expected, there were still taboos and rules of proper behavior. In this episode, host Scott Emmons explores the courtship rituals and sexual practices that characterized the most accepted forms of Greek homosexuality. Attention: This episode contains explicit descriptions of sex acts. Listener discretion is advised. For visuals illustrating aspects ...
• 
  This... Is... Sparta!!! 01.02.2026 59min

  Imagine a state where no citizen works for a living; where children are kept hungry to encourage them to steal; where the most powerful military force in the known world is reluctant to fight far from the city for fear of a slave revolt at home. Such a place was ancient Sparta. In this episode, host Scott Emmons traces the legendary origins of the Spartan state, the wars that shaped its military tradition, the educational system that trained its citizen soldiers, and the unique “mixed” consti...
• 
  Poetry Slam: Early Greek Politics in Verse 15.01.2026 32min

  No one was writing history in Greece during the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. But that doesn't mean we have no voices speaking to us from that time. Fragments of works by early Greek poets can provide real-time commentary on the social and political upheaval of their times. In this episode, host Scott Emmons observes the struggles of the early polis through the eyes of two aristocratic poets, Theognis of Megara and Alcaeus of Mytilene. For maps and images, check out Episode 17 at epicgreekhistor...
• 
  Not Such an Ugly Word: Tyranny in Archaic Greece 01.01.2026 48min

  In modern English, a “tyrant” is someone who rules oppressively. To the ancient Greeks, the word tyrannoscould just refer to a king, but more specifically it meant an autocrat who had come to power by overthrowing an existing regime. The 7th and 6th centuries BCE saw the rise of many Greek tyrants who capitalized on class tensions and other forces to gain absolute power. In this episode, host Scott Emmons explores this important phase of Greek history, focusing on powerful tyrannies in Argos,...
• 
  Light Infantry, Cavalry and Mercenaries: What Were They, Chopped Liver? 15.12.2025 23min

  The hoplite infantry was the backbone of a Greek city-state's land army. But hoplites weren't the only ones who served. Those who couldn't afford hoplite armor served as light infantry, hurling javelins, shooting arrows, or even throwing rocks if that was all they had. Those who were wealthy enough to keep horses could serve in the cavalry. In this episode, host Scott Emmons explores the contributions of non-hoplite warriors as well as mercenaries, who could reinforce any army division. ...