Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

The states that are subject to Sparta are kind of necessarily involved in that. They have no choice. The Spartans tell them who their friends and enemies are. That is the terms of the treaty they have with Sparta. So most of the Peloponnese is on the side of the anti-Persian alliance, arguably not by choice, but they are part of it at least.

The states that are subject to Sparta are kind of necessarily involved in that. They have no choice. The Spartans tell them who their friends and enemies are. That is the terms of the treaty they have with Sparta. So most of the Peloponnese is on the side of the anti-Persian alliance, arguably not by choice, but they are part of it at least.

The states that are subject to Sparta are kind of necessarily involved in that. They have no choice. The Spartans tell them who their friends and enemies are. That is the terms of the treaty they have with Sparta. So most of the Peloponnese is on the side of the anti-Persian alliance, arguably not by choice, but they are part of it at least.

But they reach out to a bunch of other states and most of them essentially say, we'll see what happens. We'll wait it out. So the Arga have stayed neutral. They plead that they've suffered losses that are too horrible in their war against the Spartans to face further conflict. So they decide to stay neutral. They're later accused of being pro-Persian, actually.

But they reach out to a bunch of other states and most of them essentially say, we'll see what happens. We'll wait it out. So the Arga have stayed neutral. They plead that they've suffered losses that are too horrible in their war against the Spartans to face further conflict. So they decide to stay neutral. They're later accused of being pro-Persian, actually.

But they reach out to a bunch of other states and most of them essentially say, we'll see what happens. We'll wait it out. So the Arga have stayed neutral. They plead that they've suffered losses that are too horrible in their war against the Spartans to face further conflict. So they decide to stay neutral. They're later accused of being pro-Persian, actually.

They go to Sicily, to those powerful Greek states there, but they're also turned down. Other states like Corsaira, which is now the island of Corfu, also more or less decides to stay neutral. So they try to find more Greeks who are willing to help them in their resistance, but most of them just kind of say like, no. You know, it doesn't look good.

They go to Sicily, to those powerful Greek states there, but they're also turned down. Other states like Corsaira, which is now the island of Corfu, also more or less decides to stay neutral. So they try to find more Greeks who are willing to help them in their resistance, but most of them just kind of say like, no. You know, it doesn't look good.

They go to Sicily, to those powerful Greek states there, but they're also turned down. Other states like Corsaira, which is now the island of Corfu, also more or less decides to stay neutral. So they try to find more Greeks who are willing to help them in their resistance, but most of them just kind of say like, no. You know, it doesn't look good.

And so they mostly just don't want to, you know, they don't want to put their chips down on the side of anti-Persian sentiment in case there might be reprisals.

And so they mostly just don't want to, you know, they don't want to put their chips down on the side of anti-Persian sentiment in case there might be reprisals.

And so they mostly just don't want to, you know, they don't want to put their chips down on the side of anti-Persian sentiment in case there might be reprisals.

So most of these states try and stay out of it, with the exception of a couple of states that do try, that do maintain a sort of principled opposition, most of the time because they fear that their own position within the Greek network of states will suffer.

So most of these states try and stay out of it, with the exception of a couple of states that do try, that do maintain a sort of principled opposition, most of the time because they fear that their own position within the Greek network of states will suffer.

So most of these states try and stay out of it, with the exception of a couple of states that do try, that do maintain a sort of principled opposition, most of the time because they fear that their own position within the Greek network of states will suffer.

So what we're told is they initially sent an army up north to Tempe, which is a pass in the shadow of Mount Olympus, north of Thessaly. But then they hear, and this is a story, so we don't actually know if this all happened or if it's just sort of Herodotus foreshadowing what's going to happen.

So what we're told is they initially sent an army up north to Tempe, which is a pass in the shadow of Mount Olympus, north of Thessaly. But then they hear, and this is a story, so we don't actually know if this all happened or if it's just sort of Herodotus foreshadowing what's going to happen.

So what we're told is they initially sent an army up north to Tempe, which is a pass in the shadow of Mount Olympus, north of Thessaly. But then they hear, and this is a story, so we don't actually know if this all happened or if it's just sort of Herodotus foreshadowing what's going to happen.

They're told that they're going to defend a pass against the army of Xerxes, but they're told there's a way around it. And so they abandon the position. And so they retreat and they think about what they should do next. There is an obvious geographical point where historically you stop an army moving south into Greece.

They're told that they're going to defend a pass against the army of Xerxes, but they're told there's a way around it. And so they abandon the position. And so they retreat and they think about what they should do next. There is an obvious geographical point where historically you stop an army moving south into Greece.