Alastair Blanshard

Yes, yes. And that was a byproduct of Athens retreating behind its walls. It takes its population in from the countryside. They retreat behind the walls, safe, but also extraordinarily unhygienic and a kind of absolute recipe for the outbreak of plague, which is what they suffer from.

Yes, yes. And that was a byproduct of Athens retreating behind its walls. It takes its population in from the countryside. They retreat behind the walls, safe, but also extraordinarily unhygienic and a kind of absolute recipe for the outbreak of plague, which is what they suffer from.

Yes, yes. And that was a byproduct of Athens retreating behind its walls. It takes its population in from the countryside. They retreat behind the walls, safe, but also extraordinarily unhygienic and a kind of absolute recipe for the outbreak of plague, which is what they suffer from.

That's what the Arcadamian War, named after the king Arcadamus, who's the leading Spartan king at that point.

That's what the Arcadamian War, named after the king Arcadamus, who's the leading Spartan king at that point.

That's what the Arcadamian War, named after the king Arcadamus, who's the leading Spartan king at that point.

In Athens, that's right.

In Athens, that's right.

In Athens, that's right.

Well, because Athens just can't keep itself. fingers out of Greek politics. It keeps on trying to expand. It's an expansionist power. It seems to have done okay in the first phase of the war. It decides to egg on Argos, another power in the Peloponnese, who'd been up until that point neutral, hoping that an Athenian-Argive alliance might be able to take on Sparta.

Well, because Athens just can't keep itself. fingers out of Greek politics. It keeps on trying to expand. It's an expansionist power. It seems to have done okay in the first phase of the war. It decides to egg on Argos, another power in the Peloponnese, who'd been up until that point neutral, hoping that an Athenian-Argive alliance might be able to take on Sparta.

Well, because Athens just can't keep itself. fingers out of Greek politics. It keeps on trying to expand. It's an expansionist power. It seems to have done okay in the first phase of the war. It decides to egg on Argos, another power in the Peloponnese, who'd been up until that point neutral, hoping that an Athenian-Argive alliance might be able to take on Sparta.

So it's much more activist, and it's that inability for the Athenians to settle, to be happy with what they have, and that general kind of expansionist drive which I think kicks off really the second phase of the Peloponnesian War, but also is responsible for some crazy decisions.

So it's much more activist, and it's that inability for the Athenians to settle, to be happy with what they have, and that general kind of expansionist drive which I think kicks off really the second phase of the Peloponnesian War, but also is responsible for some crazy decisions.

So it's much more activist, and it's that inability for the Athenians to settle, to be happy with what they have, and that general kind of expansionist drive which I think kicks off really the second phase of the Peloponnesian War, but also is responsible for some crazy decisions.

That brings us to, I guess, perhaps the craziest decision, at least according to the historian Thucydides that the Athenians undertook, which was their mad expedition to Sicily.

That brings us to, I guess, perhaps the craziest decision, at least according to the historian Thucydides that the Athenians undertook, which was their mad expedition to Sicily.

That brings us to, I guess, perhaps the craziest decision, at least according to the historian Thucydides that the Athenians undertook, which was their mad expedition to Sicily.

Well, good question. I mean, and that certainly was Thucydides' question. I mean, it must be said that the Athenians had been increasingly interested in the West from about the mid-5th century onwards. In particular, they have diplomatic relations with cities like Leontini, Regium, those kinds of places.

Well, good question. I mean, and that certainly was Thucydides' question. I mean, it must be said that the Athenians had been increasingly interested in the West from about the mid-5th century onwards. In particular, they have diplomatic relations with cities like Leontini, Regium, those kinds of places.