The Fall of Athens
The Ancients23 Mars 2025

The Fall of Athens

In 404 BC, Athens faced total defeat. Once the dominant power of the Greek world, their navy was shattered, their food supply cut off, and on the horizon an armada of Spartan ships signalled the city’s final reckoning.


In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Alastair Blanshard to explore the dramatic downfall of Athens in the final years of the Peloponnesian War. They discuss the decades-long struggle between Athens and Sparta, the key figures who shaped its outcome - like Lysander and Alcibiades - and how Persian support helped turn the tide. From epic battles to political intrigue, discover how this war reshaped the ancient Greek world for generations.


Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.


The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscription


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(606)

The Sacred Band of Thebes

The Sacred Band of Thebes

The Theban Sacred Band was one of the greatest military corps of Ancient Greece, thriving from the city-state of Thebes for almost 50 years in the mid 4th century BC. In addition to their fighting pro...

29 Juli 202129min

The Begram Hoard: Treasures of the Silk Road

The Begram Hoard: Treasures of the Silk Road

In the mid-20th century French archaeologists came across a remarkable collection of ancient items from Eastern China, the Indian subcontinent and the Roman Mediterranean, all in one place. In this se...

27 Juli 202145min

Decoding the Roman Dead

Decoding the Roman Dead

Often known as ‘Britain’s first town’, Colchester is a city rich in ancient history and on 24 July 2021, a new exhibition will open at the Colchester Museum revealing more about some of its earliest R...

25 Juli 202144min

Life in Sparta

Life in Sparta

A legendary city-state in Ancient Greece, we associate Sparta with fierce warriors in battle. But what about the everyday? In this second episode with Professor Stephen Hodkinson, we discuss the eatin...

22 Juli 202124min

The Oldest Known Shark Attack

The Oldest Known Shark Attack

It’s a crossover with Jaws and Open Water that we never expected, but a 3,000 year old corpse has thrown a surprising topic into the mix: shark bites. The body, found in the prehistoric Tsukumo hunter...

20 Juli 202127min

The Romans in Brittany

The Romans in Brittany

It was one of the most powerful empires in history, leaving marks and remnants across the globe, but in this episode we are looking specifically at the impact of the Romans on Brittany. Tristan was jo...

17 Juli 202136min

Scythed Chariots

Scythed Chariots

What could be more terrifying than an army racing towards you? An army on chariots? What if those chariots had blades mounted on either side? In this episode, Tristan speaks to Dr Silvannen Gerrard ab...

15 Juli 202159min

Carthage vs Greeks? The First Sicilian War

Carthage vs Greeks? The First Sicilian War

480 BC is a year widely-celebrated in Greek history. When Leonidas' Spartan core and their Hellenic allies fought a powerful Persian army at Thermopylae, and an outnumbered, Athenian-led navy defeated...

13 Juli 202147min

Populärt inom Historia

massmordarpodden
kod-katastrof
historiska-brott
motiv
olosta-mord
p3-historia
historiepodden-se
rss-historien-om
rss-seriemordarpodden
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-brottsligt
rss-historiska-brottslingar
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
krigshistoriepodden
militarhistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
nu-blir-det-historia
rss-arkiv-stieg
palmemordet
vetenskapsradion-historia