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. Kennell, Spartans: A New History
Victor Ehrenberg, From Solon to Socrates

Support the show

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 Sparta.

For maps and other related visuals, check out Episode 27 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Suggested Reading
Herodotus, Histories 5.66-81; 90-94
Aristotle, Constitution of Athens 20-22
Kurt A. Raaflaub et al., Origins of Democracy in Ancient Greece
Oswyn Murray, Early Greece
Anthony Snodgrass, Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment
Robin Osborne, Greece in the Making 1200-479 BC

Support the show

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 Emmons guides you through Polycrates’ rise to power, his accomplishments as tyrant, and his inevitable downfall.

For images illustrating parts of this podcast, check out Episode 25 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Reading Suggestions:

Herodotus, Histories 3.39-47; 3.122-125
Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 1.13.6
Oswyn Murray, Early Greece
Anthony Snodgrass, Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment
Robin Osborne, Greece in the Making 1200-479 BC

Support the show