Ancient Greece Declassified
07 The Persian Wars w/ Ian Morris (Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon)
Feb 27, 2017
Archaeologist and professor of Classics at Stanford University, Ian Morris, discusses the Persian expeditions against Greece in 490-479 BC. He explains the latest research on economies, technologies, and demographics of both civilizations and how they may have affected the outcome of the conflict. The episode touches on some main ideas from Morris' book 'War: What is it good for?' which counters the belief that warfare has made human societies progressively less violent. The podcast explores the concept of productive vs unproductive war, the differences between the Persian Empire and the ancient Greek world, the role of democracies and republics in going to war, and the geographical significance of Maelidus in history.
48:59
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Quick takeaways
- The Persian Wars marked the beginning of Athens' cultural and economic dominance in Greece for nearly a century.
- The concept of culminating points in empires highlights the need for reassessing strategies and pursuing diplomatic means after failed invasions.
Deep dives
The Persian Wars and the Resilience of Athens
The episode introduces the Persian Wars, which posed a threat to Greece's fledgling democracy and theater traditions. Despite initial devastation, Athens rose from the ashes as a powerful state due to factors like democracy and innovative military tactics. The Persian invasion put Athens under immense pressure, but their navy's victory and the defeat of the Persian land forces shifted the tide. This marked the beginning of Athens' cultural and economic dominance in Greece for nearly a century.
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