101: The Siege of Syracuse

About this episode

This episode explores the Siege of Syracuse and the strategic maneuvers that turned the tide against Athens.

Siege lines rose like ribs around Syracuse, and for a moment it looked inevitable: Athens would seal the city by land and sea and claim a victory to match its ambition. Then a Spartan named Gylippus found an open path, a counterwall bit into Athenian plans, and the balance turned in a single campaigning season. We walk through the decisive mechanics of the siege: the capture of Epipolae, the fort at Labdalum, and the careful logic of building north and south walls to throttle supply. You’ll ...

People in this episode

Host: Mark Selleck

Topics covered

• Ancient Greece
• Siege warfare
• Athenian history
• Spartan tactics
• Military strategy

Keywords

• Syracuse
• Athens
• Gylippus
• siege
• military strategy
• Epipolae
• Labdalum

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Syracuse, Athens, Epipolae, Labdalum

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