Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece

About this episode

The episode explores the rivalry between Athens and Sparta and its impact on classical Greece through a discussion with historian Adrian Goldsworthy.

The story of classical Greece is often told, rightly or wrongly, as the story of the alliance, competition, and eventual war between Athens and Sparta. Even in antiquity, each city fascinated the other. Athenians imagined Spartans as disciplined, laconic conquerors; Spartans regarded Athens with a mixture of admiration, suspicion, and alarm. Yet despite their differences, both cities shared fundamental Greek assumptions about honor, competition, citizenship, and excellence. In his new book Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece , my guest Adrian Goldsworthy tells the story of classical Greece through the relationship between these two cities: from their legendary origins, through the Persian Wars, and into the tensions that would ultimately lead to the catastrophe of the Peloponnesian War. Along the way we discuss democracy, slavery, naval warfare, the strange logic of Greek politics, and why the Greeks never succeeded in becoming “Greece.” Adrian Goldsworthy is a historian of the classical world and the author of numerous books on Greece and Rome, including biographies of Julius Caesar , Augustus , and Philip and Alexander . He was last on Historically…

People in this episode

Host: Al Zambone

Guest: Adrian Goldsworthy

Topics covered

• Athens
• Sparta
• classical Greece
• rivalry
• Peloponnesian War
• democracy
• Greek politics

Keywords

• Athens
• Sparta
• classical Greece
• Peloponnesian War
• democracy
• Greek politics
• Adrian Goldsworthy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece

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