Herodotus And The Greco-Persian Wars: First Invasion

From the Ionian Revolt to the Battle of Marathon

What you’ll learn
A Better Understanding of Herodotus and His Contributions
A Better Understanding of Greek Culture and Politics in This Epoch
More Historical Knowledge About the Persian Empire
An Understanding of the Events of the Persian Wars to the First Invasion

Requirements
No Previous Background Required

Description
Herodotus was called by Cicero “the father of history” and it is indeed with him that the European tradition of historiography begins. In these chapters of his Histories, he narrates one of the epochal events of human history – the beginning of the Greco-Persian wars. The Greek civilization that laid the foundations of Western civilization in philosophy, art, science, and politics, was then a collection of fractious city-states on a small peninsula. Against it descended the might of the Persian Empire which extended from Egypt to India under the rule of King of Kings. Was ever more at stake? In these lectures, we follow Herodotus as our guide looking at these two great civilizations whose destiny was to clash. We will examine the grand personages like Solon, Cyrus the Great, Darius, and Miltiades, and great events like the emergence of the Persian Empire, the rise of democracy in Athens, and epic battles like Marathon. We will explore also the enduring lessons that are provided by these great events about statesmanship, strategy, and the dangers of hubris. The British Victorian philosopher John Stuart Mill said “•“The interest of Grecian history is unexhausted and inexhaustible. As a mere story, hardly any other portion of authentic history can compete with it. Its characters, its situations, the very march of its incidents, are epic. It is an heroic poem, of which the personages are peoples. It is also, of all histories of which we know so much, the most abounding in consequences to us who now live. The true ancestors of the European nations (it has been well said) are not those from whose blood they are sprung, but those from whom they derive the richest portion of their inheritance. The battle of Marathon, even as an event in English history, is more important than the battle of Hastings. If the issue of that day had been different, the Britons and the Saxons might still have been wandering in the woods.”.”

Overview
Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Section 2: The Persian Empire and the Eastern World

Lecture 2 The Persian Empire and the East

Section 3: The Persian Empire -Religion, Government, Military

Lecture 3 Persia -Religion, Government, Empire

Section 4: Lecture 4 -The Greek World

Lecture 4 Archaic Greece -Athens and Sparta

Section 5: The Ionian Revolt

Lecture 5 The Ionian Revolt

Section 6: The Battle of Marathon

Lecture 6 The Battle of Marathon

Lay people interested in Classical Greek History or the History of the Near East