Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II
Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II  
Podcast: The Dangerous History Podcast
Published On: Thu Jun 11 2026
Description: Here it is — the 2nd installment of CJ’s already-epic mini-series, ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ set in the Peloponnesian War in 5th-century BC Greece. Join CJ as he shares an overview of some of the events of the first half of the Peloponnesian War, including: Spartan-led Peloponnesian invasions of Attica (the countryside around Athens), which used the traditional Greek tactic of ‘ravaging’ farms in order to try to provoke the Athenians to confront them in a decisive hoplite battle Athens’ refusal to do so, as they followed Pericles’ strategy of being purely defensive on land while waging naval & amphibious warfare against the coastal strongholds of the Peloponnesian League The horrific plague that afflicted Athens for the first few years of the war, which likely killed 20-30% of Athens, including, eventually, Pericles himself The leadership void left by Pericles, which was filled by men of much less competence, none of whom ever enjoyed the supermajority support that Pericles had The ‘Peace of Nicias,’ concluded in 421 BC, which was never fully adhered to & wouldn’t last long The growing political feud between Nicias & the Athenian doves vs. Alcibiades & the Athenian hawks The appeal for Athenian assistance from a few Sicilian poleis against Syracuse, the most powerful polis on that island, & the Athenian debates over the wisdom of intervening there, dominated by debates between Nicias & Alcibiades The decision of a majority of the Athenian Assembly to intervene on a massive scale Religious/political scandals that created serious potential problems for the Athenian expedition to Sicily on the eve of its departure The departure, to great fanfare, of a massive Athenian & allied force to Sicily Like this episode? Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon! You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box) Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!) The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan The Life of Greece: The Story of Civilization, Vol. II by Will Durant Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Instagram Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event The post Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.