The Persians and the Greeks, Part III: Xerxes and the Road to Thermopylae

Emily and Cam dive into Xerxes’ decision to invade Greece, and tell the story of his expedition as far as the Battle of Thermopylae. (Featuring a very brief digression on "300".)Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:https://havetogawilltravel.comIf you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:Our Ko-Fi pageLinksThe first episode in this series (The Persians and the Greeks, Part I: The Rise of the Persian Empire).The second episode in this series (The Persians and the Greeks, Part II: Darius, Great King, King of Kings).Our episode on Aeschylus’ Persians (Aeschylus’ “Persians”: The OG Greek Tragedy).Our episode on heroes in the ancient Greek world (Holding Out for a Hero—in Ancient Greece).----------00:12 - Introduction01:18 - The Last Years of Darius02:38 - Xerxes, King02:59 - Xerxes and the Many Sons of Darius04:57 - Xerxes Quells Rebellions in Egypt and Babylon05:39 - Xerxes’ Project: The Invasion of Greece06:08 - Herodotus’ Understanding of Xerxes’ Motivations08:47 - A Persian Perspective?10:31 - Planning Xerxes’ Campaign11:00 - The Mt Athos Canal and Supply Depots in the Northern Aegean12:39 - Ships and Cables14:07 - Mustering the Army14:28 - Xerxes Travels from Susa to Sardis16:59 - Early Greek Responses to Xerxes’ Plans17:15 - Initial Rumors18:02 - Xerxes Demands Earth and Water20:00 - The Range of Greek Responses: Submission, Accommodation, Resistance25:35 - Greek Spies in Sardis26:04 - Strategy and the Problems of Interstate Rivalries27:28 - The Coming Storm27:54 - Xerxes Crosses the Hellespont: the Pontoon Bridges29:51 - Xerxes Counts his Forces (and why we should doubt Herodotus’ numbers)34:27 - The March to Therma and the Kingdom of Macedonia37:14 - The Greeks at Tempe and the Submission of the North39:46 - Thermopylae and Artemision: Greek Plans and Preparations40:10 - The Geography of Thermopylae and Artemision (with a digression on “300”)43:04 - The Greek Forces48:33 - Thermopylae and Artemision: The Battles48:58 - Spartan Hairstyles and Xerxes’ Frustrations51:56 - The First Day of Fighting: Stalemate43:30 - The Second Day of Fighting: Xerxes, Ephialtes, and the March of the Immortals57:23 - The Third Day of Fighting: The Last Stand65:12 - Wrap-up