The Battle of Syracuse, 413 B.C. Athens Declines Into Subservience, Paving the Way for Alexander the Great
10/01/24 • 24 min
The crushing defeat of Athens shattered its naval supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean, precipitating its fall as the foremost Greek polis. This disaster not only stripped Athens of its dominance but also extinguished its ambitions of establishing control across the entire Mediterranean, thwarting what might have been an empire stretching to Carthage and Rome.
Syracuse. 415 - 413 B.C.
Athenian Forces: ~ 200 Galleys and 45,000 to 50,000 Soldiers.
Syracusan Forces: ~ 45,000 Soldiers with 4,400 Spartans.
Additional Reading and Research:
- Fuller, J.F.C. A Military History of the Western World.
- Jowet Translation: Thucydides. The Peloponnesian Wars.
- Kagan, Donald. On the Origins of War.
- Creasy, Edward. Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World.
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The crushing defeat of Athens shattered its naval supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean, precipitating its fall as the foremost Greek polis. This disaster not only stripped Athens of its dominance but also extinguished its ambitions of establishing control across the entire Mediterranean, thwarting what might have been an empire stretching to Carthage and Rome.
Syracuse. 415 - 413 B.C.
Athenian Forces: ~ 200 Galleys and 45,000 to 50,000 Soldiers.
Syracusan Forces: ~ 45,000 Soldiers with 4,400 Spartans.
Additional Reading and Research:
- Fuller, J.F.C. A Military History of the Western World.
- Jowet Translation: Thucydides. The Peloponnesian Wars.
- Kagan, Donald. On the Origins of War.
- Creasy, Edward. Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World.
[?] Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe and share with a friend!
www.HistorysGreatestBattles.com
Social Media:
www.HistorysGreatestBattles.com
Youtube | TikTok
Support The Show:
https://covertwars.com
Previous Episode
The Battle of Tricameron, 533 A.D. Belisarius Unites East and West under Roman Rule for Justinian
The triumph in North Africa restored Byzantine dominance over the region, bringing it back into the fold of the Eastern Roman Empire. From this strategic foothold, the Byzantines launched their bold invasion of Italy, momentarily reuniting the sundered Eastern and Western Roman Empires under a single imperial banner—if only for a fleeting chapter in history.
Tricameron. December, 533 A.D.
Byzantine Forces: 10,000 Infantry, 5,000 Cavalry.
Vandal Forces: 50,000 Soldiers, mostly Cavalry.
Additional Reading and Research:
- Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora.
- Fuller, J.F.C. A Military History of the Western World.
- Dewing Translation: Procopius, Vol IV.
- Treadgold, Warren. Byzantium and Its Army 284 - 1081.
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The momentary hesitation of the German high command became a turning point in the war, granting the British forces a narrow window to escape from France. This delay preserved the core of Britain’s army, ensuring they could stand as the island's shield in its darkest hour and fight another day on the battlefields of Europe.
Dunkirk. 24th May - 4th June, 1940.
Allied Forces: Nine British and Five French Divisions totalling roughly 400,000 Soldiers.
German Forces: Nine Divisions totalling roughly 200,000 Soldiers.
Additional Reading and Research:
- Churchill, Winston. Their Finest Hour.
- Liddell, Hart. History of the Second World War.
- Bryant, Arthur. The Turn of the Tide.
[?] Subscribe and Share this podcast!
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History's Greatest Battles - The Battle of Syracuse, 413 B.C. Athens Declines Into Subservience, Paving the Way for Alexander the Great
Transcript
Thank you for tuning into this episode of History's Greatest Battles. Subscribe and share this episode and podcast with a friend.
Our battle today involves a defeat so absolutely catastrophic that the losing city-state, Athens, temporarily set aside democracy, the very thing they believed responsible for their ascendancy. The man with the silver tongue that convinced the populous to vote in favor of the battle lived. And of hint was written that Athens both loved him and hated him fiercely
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