Tag Archives: Sparta

Ancient World

Ancient World Now: Philopoemen, Part II

Click here for direct link to audio podcast Episode #56.

Click here for previous audio episodes.

Imagine the enemy is at the city gates and the residents of a Greek city sow corn in the streets to stay alive during the siege. And imagine the Roman ascendancy finding a broken Sparta (compliments of Philopoemen), only to turn it into a sort of theme-park complete with the trappings and discipline of better days.

Learn the details of Philopoemen’s leadership from Plutarch’s Lives for Boys & Girls, retold by W.H. Weston, and illustrated by W. Rainey, published in London & Edinburgh in the early 1900′s.

Sorry to have been so out-of-touch, but that is the life of a junior high schoolteacher! Those of you who are following my work will be excited to know that I am on my way to London to research a children’s book I am working on set in Roman Britain. I hope to return with plenty of cool stories to share with you about my discoveries. See you soon!

Ancient World

Ancient World Now: Pelopidas, Part II

Click here for direct link to audio podcast Episode #49.

Click here for previous episodes.

The Sacred Band was an elite fighting unit of 300 men from the Greek city-state of Thebes. They were famous throughout the ancient world for their invincibility on the battlefield; their success attributed to the fact that the Sacred Band of Thebes was a unit of 150 couples described by Plutarch thus:

“a band cemented by friendship grounded upon love is never to be broken, and invincible; since the lovers, ashamed to be base in sight of their beloved, and the beloved before their lovers, willingly rush into danger for the relief of one another.” ~from Plutarch’s Lives

In today’s podcast, this band is led by Pelopidas against the Spartans. The Sacred Band was undefeated until the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE, where Philip of Macedon annihilated them. After this all-important historical battle, Philip wept and paid homage to the courageous fallen. A tomb was erected, and in the 19th century, excavations discovered 254 bodies arranged in 7 rows.

Listen to today’s podcast to find out how Pelopidas led them to victory against the Spartans in 375 BCE.

A minor surgery has laid me up for a bit, and set us back a couple of weeks. Sorry about that, faithful listeners, including Amanda in Virginia, who used our podcasts to help her understand The Odyssey this past semester. One good thing about this surgery, it got me reading lots about ancient medicine, wounds, surgery, and healing. Did you know that honey was packed into the wounds of men on the battlefield to stop bloodflow and start healing? I have lots more to share with you, but first we must get through Plutarch’s Lives for Boys and Girls.

Ancient World

Ancient World Now:Pelopidas, Part I

Click here for direct link to audio podcast Episode #48.

Click here for previous episodes.

So glad to be back!

Athens, Sparta, Thebes…Famous rivals, all. Today we hear of the Spartan hegemony over Thebes and what a small band of rebels decided to do about it. Again, I read from Plutarch’s Lives for Boys & Girls, retold by W.H. Weston, and illustrated by W. Rainey, this book was published in London & Edinburgh in the early 1900’s.

Ancient World

Ancient World Now: Aristides, Part II

Click here for direct link to audio podcast Episode #45.

Click here for previous episodes.

Lucky for us Plutarch was born around 45 AD/CE! The assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March was just over the metaphoric-historic horizon. Presumably, Plutarch would have been able to talk to people with whom that event involved family and friends. And when he speaks about Aristides at Plataea, centuries before, it sounds as if he knows him personally. One of the most valuable things about Plutarch is that he chooses to focus his attention on the character, rather than on the achievements, of the individual. And because of his interest in the details of the everyday lives of his subjects, we get a very real presentation of the difficulties in bringing people together for a difficult task. Indeed, he sets out to show the burning rivalry between Athens and Sparta that would eventually destroy the hope of Greece in the Peloponnesian War.

Plutarch’s Parallel Lives examines the characters of great historical leadership, and much of our historical knowledge is based on his many writings. Plutarch’s selections highlighting the qualities of extraordinary leaders have shaped untold millions over the years. Standard reading in military academies for thousands of years!

Join us today on the battlefield of Plataea. Will the Spartans and Athenians stop bickering and join together to defeat the Persian Mardonius? And what’s up with the Thebans going behind everybody’s back with the enemy? Today we finish with Aristides in Weston’s retelling of Plutarch’s Lives. Will the Greeks unite and vanquish the invader? Check out today’s audio podcast (a lengthy 30 minutes!) to find out.

Ancient World

Ancient World Now:Thermopylae

Click here for direct link to audio podcast Episode #42.

Click here for previous podcasts.

Thank the gods Themistocles had the nerve to convince the Athenians to use the profits from the silver mines of Laurium to build a fleet of warships! And thank the gods Leonidas & his 300 took a stand at that narrow mountain pass. Check out today’s podcast to find out what all the fuss was about.

www.thegreekwarriors.com…Last month I came across an exciting website that I just have to share with you. Let these guys be a lesson to all of us who strive to live lives full of passion and fun. George & Dave are brothers who share a love of ancient history and turned their passion into a reality when they started The Greek Warriors reenactment society. I asked permission to include their photos on my website & got a few emails back in response. Check out their amazing work. I told George I didn’t understand why people would NOT want to dress up in Greek armor, and he agreed, adding this about his work:

“What you see on my website has taken years to accomplish. I make a lot of what you see. We buy the helmets, greaves, metal chest armor, and spear heads and butt caps. But I make most of the shields, do a lot of the leather work, and make just about all of the helmet crests. They are made of real horse hair, and the whole process is quite tedious. But it’s all worth it. I have taken my love of the ancient Greek warrior, and brought him to life again. Glad you like it.

Thanks again Gwen, and please carry on.

Sincerely,

George – Commander of The Greek Warriors
www.TheGreekWarriors.com

And if you’d like to set yourself up with your own horsehair-crested helmet, here’s a direct link to The Greek Warriors arms & armor page! And be sure to tell them George & Dave sent you! Enjoy!