In 480 BCE, King Xerxes invaded Greece with a force that dwarfed the city-state militias. Against all odds, the Greeks won. In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides you through five key battles in a war that had profound implications for the development of Greek culture.

For visuals illustrating aspects of the second Persian War, check out Episode 36 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Reading Suggestions
Herodotus, Histories 7.175—9.122
Plutarch, Life of Themistocles and Life of Aristides
Aeschylus, Persians
Peter Green, The Greco-Persian Wars
Tom Holland, Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
J.F. Lazenby, The Defence of Greece 490-479 BC

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To the Greeks, Xerxes was a malevolent despot who tried and failed to enslave them. At the other extreme, Xerxes portrayed himself as a righteous king whose rule was blessed by the great god Ahuramazda. In this episode, host Scott Emmons looks at Xerxes from both Greek and Persian angles in order to get a more rounded picture of this enigmatic monarch.

For visuals illustrating aspects of this topic, check out Episode 35 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Reading Suggestions:
Maria Brosius, A History of Ancient Persia
Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Persians: The Age of the Great Kings
J.M. Cook, The Persian Empire
Lindsay Allen, The Persian Empire

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After the Athenian victory at Marathon, it was only a matter of time before the Persians would return in greater force. In this episode, host Scott Emmons leads you through a decade of political developments in Athens, the Persian king Xerxes’ preparations for a massive invasion, and the formation of a Hellenic alliance that committed to the defense of Greece.

For visuals illustrating aspects of this topic, check out Episode 34 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Portrait bust of Themistocles
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Busto_di_temistocle,_da_originale_greco_del_V_secolo_ac,_dal_decumano_presso_il_casamento_del_temistocle.JPG

Arthur’s Sleepy History
https://open.spotify.com/show/4AMQOoqVGQVmbotdkcgn48?si=BdlsZBvZSeeX5sp2ET5feA

Reading Suggestions:
Herodotus, Histories, 6.132-7.175
Plutarch, Life of Themistocles and Life of Aristides
Aristotle, Constitution of Athens, 22.1-8
Peter Green, The Greco-Persian Wars
Tom Holland, Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
J.F. Lazenby, The Defence of Greece 490-479 BC

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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 Pheidippides Invent the Marathon?” at Bad Ancient

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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.epicgreekhistory.com.

Suggested Reading:
Herodotus, Histories Book 6
Plutarch, Life of Themistocles
J.F. Lazenby, The Defence of Greece 490-479 BC
Peter Green, The Greco-Persian Wars
Tom Holland, Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Persians: The Age of the Great Kings
Victor Ehrenberg, From Solon to Socrates

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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 Reading:
Robert B. Strassler, ed., The Landmark Herodotus
T. J. Luce, The Greek Historians
John L. Myres, Herodotus Father of History
Donald Lateiner, The Historical Method of Herodotus

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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, check out Episode 30 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Reading Suggestions:
Herodotus, Histories Books 5-6
Tom Holland, Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
J. M. Cook, The Persian Empire
Peter Green, The Greco-Persian Wars
Robin Osborne, Greece in the Making 1200-479 BC

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Look! It's another podcaster sharing his thoughts about the new Odyssey movie! Opinions expressed here are solely those of a philhellenic film buff.

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