The nearly three-decade conflict between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta (along with their allies) at the close of the 5th century B.C. marked a substantial shift in the history of the Aegean world. That legendary conflict is the subject of this 36-lecture entry in The Teaching Company's “Great Courses” series, taught by Kenneth W. Harl, professor of Classical and Byzantine History at Tulane University in New Orleans, who studied at Yale University under Donald Kagan, perhaps the most influential contemporary scholar of the war. Naturally, Harl's presentation goes beyond the specific events of 431-404 B.C.E.—covered very knowledgeably in lectures 18-34, with appropriate visual aids—with the first half of the course devoted to pre-war circumstances: the development of Athens and Sparta, differences in leadership and governance, Greek infantry and naval tactics, and the Persian Wars and their aftermath (along with a fine overview of earlier scholarship). The final two lectures look at the aftereffects of the conflict, particularly on the two major combatants, but also more broadly on the whole Hellenic world. Anyone interested in ancient history will appreciate Harl's balanced treatment of the Peloponnesian War (he avoids the preference for Athenian ways over Sparta's supposed provincialism so often found in scholarly studies). A lucid, comprehensive overview (with course books available separately that feature lecture outlines, transcripts, maps, a timeline, glossary, and bibliography) of one of the most significant episodes in the classical era of Greece, this is recommended for academic, high school, and public library collections. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)
Peloponnesian War
(2007) 6 discs. 1,080 min. DVD: $149.95. The Teaching Company. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-59803-370-0. Volume 23, Issue 6
Peloponnesian War
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