W T M ARS HAT ADE THE W W : ESTERN ORLD THE PERSIAN WARS, THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR, AND THE PUNIC WARS COURSE GUIDE Professor Timothy B. Shutt KENYONCOLLEGE Wars That Made the Western World: The Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the Punic Wars Professor Timothy B. Shutt KenyonCollege RecordedBooks™isatrademarkof RecordedBooks,LLC.Allrightsreserved. WarsThatMadetheWesternWorld: ThePersianWars,thePeloponnesianWar, andthePunicWars ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt (cid:2) ExecutiveProducer JohnJ.Alexander ExecutiveEditor DonnaF.Carnahan RECORDING Producer-DavidMarkowitz Director-MatthewCavnar COURSEGUIDE Editor-JamesGallagher Design-EdwardWhite Lecturecontent©2004byTimothyB.Shutt Courseguide©2004byRecordedBooks,LLC 7 2004byRecordedBooks,LLC Coverimage:ReenactmentofRomanLegion©PictureQuest #UT051 ISBN:978-1-4193-1381-3 Allbeliefsandopinionsexpressedinthisaudio/videoprogramandaccompanyingcoursestudyguide arethoseoftheauthorandnotofRecordedBooks,LLC,oritsemployees. CourseSyllabus WarsThatMadetheWesternWorld: ThePersianWars,thePeloponnesianWar, andthePunicWars AboutYourProfessor......................................................................................................4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................5 Lecture1 ThePersianWars:GreeceandPersia, theOpeningRounds..................................................................................6 Lecture2 ThePersianWars:Darius,Miltiades,andthe BattleofMarathon ..................................................................................10 Lecture3 ThePersianWars:Xerxes,Leonidasandthe 300Spartans,theBattleofThermopylae................................................15 Lecture4 ThePersianWars:Xerxes,Themistocles,and theBattleofSalamis................................................................................20 Lecture5 ThePersianWars:MardoniusandtheFinalVictory ofGreece:TheBattlesofPlataeaandMycale........................................24 Lecture6 ThePeloponnesianWar:TheOutbreak, Pericles,andthePlague..........................................................................28 Lecture7 ThePeloponnesianWar:MelosandMytilene, AthensOverreaches................................................................................32 Lecture8 ThePeloponnesianWar:Alcibiades,Nicias, andSyracuse;SpartaSendsaGeneral..................................................36 Lecture9 ThePeloponnesianWar:Arginousai,Aegospotomoi, LysanderandtheBitterEnd....................................................................40 Lecture10 ThePunicWars:RomeandCarthage,the FirstPunicWar........................................................................................45 Lecture11 ThePunicWars:TheSecondPunicWar, HannibalCrossestheAlps,LakeTrasimene..........................................50 Lecture12 ThePunicWars:CarthageTriumphant,theBattleof Cannae,FabiusMaximus—Cunctator.....................................................54 Lecture13 ThePunicWars:RomeWinsatLast, ScipioAfricanusandZama......................................................................58 Lecture14 ThePunicWars:“CartagoDelindaEst,” theThirdPunicWar.................................................................................64 CourseMaterials............................................................................................................68 3 Shutt B. Timothy About Your Professor of Photocourtesy Timothy B. Shutt Fornineteenyears,ProfessorTimothyBakerShutthastaughtatKenyon College,famedforsplendidteaching,foritsliterarytradition,andforitsunwa- veringcommitmenttotheliberalarts.NoteacheratKenyonhaseverbeen moreoftenhonored,bothbythecollegeandbystudents,forexceptionalskills intheclassroomandasalecturer.ProfessorShutt’scoursesinKenyon’s interdisciplinaryIntegratedPrograminHumaneStudiesandintheDepartment ofEnglishalikearealwaysheavilyoversubscribed,andhelecturesonHomer, Plato,Aristotle,theBible,theGreekhistorians,Virgil,andDanteeveryyearto apackedhouse. ShuttisanativeofOhio,raisedinMichiganandschooledinConnecticut. DuringhishighschoolyearsattheHotchkissSchool,hewashonoredasan All-Americanswimmeranddevotedmuchofhistimetodrama.Hemajoredin EnglishasanundergraduateatYale(’72).AfterthreeyearsatSt.Mark’s SchoolofTexas,wherehetaughtEnglishandhistory,andcoachedswim- ming,ShuttwentontograduateschoolinEnglish,specializinginmedievallit- eratureandthehistoryofideasattheUniversityofVirginiaasaDuPont Fellow.AfterearninghisPh.D.in1984,Shuttspenttwofurtheryearsat VirginiaasMellonPost-DoctoralResearchFellowandtookapositionat Kenyonin1986,wherehehastaughthappilyeversince,deeplyenjoyinghis contactswithhisstudentsandthepeacefullifeoftheOhiocountryside. Shuttisajovialextrovertandapolymath—abornteacherandlecturer—inter- estedinnearlyeverythingandeverybody.IntheIntegratedPrograminHumane Studies,heteachesliterature,philosophy,history,arthistory,religiousstudies, and,attimes,thehistoryofscience.Hehaswrittenonmilitaryhistory,baseball, andbirdinginadditiontohisacademicstudiesandgivesregulartalksatthe BrownFamilyEnvironmentalCenteratKenyononmigratorybirdsandonobser- vationalastronomyandtheloreofthestars.Healsoworks,whentimepermits, asasportsannouncerforKenyonfootballgames,andforchampionshipswim- mingmeetsnationwide,claiminglongtimeDetroitTigerannouncerErnieHarwell ashisinspiration.ShuttalsotravelsregularlyasaspokespersonforKenyon,giv- ingtalksandlecturesonbehalfofthecollegefromcoasttocoast.Buthisreal vocationisreadingandtheclassroom. 4 Quest Picture © Introduction Thiscourseaddressesthreewarsfoughtinantiquity,eachofwhichhad— eventwothousandyearsandmorelater—adecisiveeffectinshapingour communalsenseofwhoweare,notonlyinEurope,butthroughoutthe Europeanculturaldiaspora,intheAmericas,inOceania,andtosome degree,atleast,inAsiaandAfricaaswell—wherever,inshort,Westernval- ueshold.Thethreewarstobeinvestigatedhereare(1)thePersianWars, betweenacoalitionofGreekcity-statesor“poleis,”mostnotablyAthensand Sparta,andtheAchaemenidPersianempire,thecentralanddecisiveportion ofwhichtookplacebetween490and479B.C.E.;(2)thelaterPeloponnesian WarbetweenAthensandheralliesandSpartaandhers,431-404B.C.E.; andfinally(3)thethreePunicWarsbetweenRomeandCarthage,which stretched,onandoff,forwellmorethanacentury,from264to146B.C.E. Eachofthesewarshelped,inprofoundandperhapssurprisingways,to shape,evenstill,ourideals,ouridentity,andourvalues. 5 Lecture1: ThePersianWars: GreeceandPersia,theOpeningRounds Beforebeginningthislectureyoumaywantto... ReadPeterGreen’sTheGreco-PersianWars. erodotus’analysisofthePersianWarsinhisHistoriesmarkssomething closetoanewmodeofconsciousness,notonlyintermsofhistorical vision—intermsofHerodotus’notionthatwhowearedependsinlarge partonwhowehavebeen,whatwehavedone,andwhathashappenedto us.Itissomethingnewaswellinthesurprisinglyfair-mindedandsympathetic distinctionshedrawsbetweenthe“Hellenes”orGreeksandtheirPersian rivals.Mostlanguagesseemtodrawdistinctionsbetween“us”and“them”in termsthatgenerallytranslatetosomethinglike“thehumanbeings”and“the stinkers.”Ethnicslursarenothingnewintheworldandseemtobeaboutas oldaslanguageitself.Herodotusfollowsthecustomaryusageofhistimein termingthePersians,andindeed,allwhodonotspeakGreek,“barbaroi,”or “barbarians.”ButHerodotusisfarlessdismissiveof“barbarians”thanmost Greeks,andthePersianswere,fromhispointofview,theEgyptiansaside, themostimpressive“barbarians”ofall.Nonetheless,hedrawssharpdistinc- tionsbetweenGreeksandPersians,andbetweenGreekandPersianculture, andthosedistinctionstothisdayconstituteafundamentaltaprootofour senseofwhoweare. TheessentialdistinctionHerodotusseesbetweenGreeksandPersiansis thattheGreeksarefreeandthePersiansarenot.Courageous,honest, capable—filledwithallsortsofvirtues,yes.Butnotfree.InHerodotus’view, eventhoughtheywerevastlyoutnumbered,theGreekswonthePersian Wars,andfinallydeservedtowin,becausetheywerefree.Itisanattitude thatisstillverymuchwithus.Itispreciselyourownfreedom—social,intel- lectual,andpolitical,eveneconomic—thatwebelievesetsusapart,andnot onlysetsusapart,butpreservesourvirtueandourprosperity. Itisonlyfairtoaddthatthe“freedom”oftheGreeks—oftheAtheniansand, stillmore,oftheSpartans—wasbyourownstandardsseverelycompro- mised.BothAthensandSpartawereslave-owningsocieties.Sparta,indeed, wassoobsessivelyconcernedwithmaintainingcontroloveritsserf-slaves,or “helots,”whovastlyandthreateninglyoutnumberedthetinySpartancitizen elite,thatkeepingalidonthehelotsshapedSpartansocietyfromtoptobot- tom.Andfullcitizenshipwasrigorouslyconfined,inAthensaswellasin Sparta,notonlytomen,buttofree-bornnativemen.ButGreekcitizenswere characteristicallyfreer,andclearlythoughtofthemselvesasfreer,thantheir Persiancounterparts,whowere,accordingtoHerodotus,littleshortofslaves E N ofthe“GreatKing,”howeverhightheirpositioninPersiansociety. O E GermanphilosopherGeorgFriedrichWilhelmHegelsuggestsnotonlythat R U ourconsciousnessarisesasaresultofhistoricalprocesses,butthatinthe CT courseofthoseprocesses,wedefineourselvesbysettingourselvesapart E L 6 from“others.”Andthatsenseof“otherness”crystallizesfortheWestin Herodotus—itwasthePersianWars,inshort,thatforgoodorill,madethe Westself-consciouslyWestern. Democracyandfreedom,howeverlimitedandqualifiedtheymayhavebeen, andtheimmenselyfruitfulnotionthatthebestwayofattackingproblemsis systematicrationalanalysisarevaluesworthdefending.AndsotheGreeks did.Inthatsense,theconflictwithPersiahasbeentermedthefirst“ideologi- cal”war,fought,inasense,foradistinctively“Western”culturalvision. What,then,wereGreeceandPersialike?Inmanyrespects,theywerevery different.Persiawasagreatlandempire,politicallyunified(moreorless) underthehegemonyofthe“GreatKing,”themostextensiveempiretheworld hadyetseen.Butitwasthedirectsuccessorofthousandsofyearsofurban- izedlifeintheancientMiddleEast.UrbanlifeinSumer,intheBabylonof Hammurapi(orHammurabi),stretchedbackintosecond,orinthecaseof Sumer,eventhethirdandfourthmilleniumBCE. MorerecentMiddleEasternculturesweretheHittitesandthefierce Assyrians,enjoyingtheirheydayunderleaderslikeTiglath-PilaserII,Sargon, andSennacheribanddefeatedfinallybyarevivifiedBabylonatthebattleof Carchemish.ItwasthefounderofthePersianEmpire,CyrustheGreat,who in539conqueredBabylon(andshortlythereafter,allowedtheexiled IsraelitestoreturntoZion). Cyrus(or“Kurash”or“Koresh”inPersian)isafascinatingfigureinhisown right,greatlyadmiredevenbyhisenemiesandmanyofthoseheconquered. SubstantialcontactbetweentheGreeksandPersiansseemstohavebegun withCyrus’conquestofKingCroesusofLydiainwhatisnowwesternTurkey (CroesusnumberedamonghissubjectsagoodmanyIonianGreeks,living onorneartheAegeancoastofhisdomains).CyrusconqueredCroesusin 547/46,and,ambitionsunslaked,undertooktoconquertheMassagetae,a fiercenomadicCentralAsianpeople,anddiedintheattemptin530,onlyto besucceededbyhissonCambyses,whoruledfrom530to522andman- agedduringhisrelativelyshortreigntoaddEgypttothePersiandomain. ThedeathofCambyses,however,precipitatedasuccessioncrisis,andthe upshotwastheruleofDarius,whogainedthecrownthroughasortofcoup d’état.Dariusprovedaverycapablerulerandheldthethronefrom522until hisdeathin486.ThestoryofthePersianWarsbeginswitharevoltonthe partofDarius’IonianGreeksubjects,formerlypartoftheLydiankingdomof Croesus,whointheyear499roseup,seekingtothrowoffPersianrule. TheAthenians,themselvesIonianGreeks,thoughsettledontheotherside oftheAegean,decidedtoassisttheirIonianfellows,andin498helpedto burnthelocalPersiancapitalatSardis.Thisprovedtobeanunwisemove, whichtheAthenianssoonrecognized,withdrawingtheirsupportoftherevolt soonafterwards.ButDariusdidnotforget.ThePersiansregainedcontrolof theregionby493,andDarius,soHerodotustellsus,designatedaslaveto remindhimto“remembertheAthenians”threetimesadayatdinner(5.105). Itwasunseemlytohavesuchfractious,independentfolksonhisborders, andDariusdecidedtotakecareoftheproblem.In491,hesentmessengers tovariousGreekcity-states,or“poleis,”demandingthattheygiveover“earth 7 andwater”asatokenofsubmission.Understandablyintimidatedbythevast empiretotheeast,manycity-statescomplied.AthensandSparta,however, didnot.TheAthenians,infact,disposedofDarius’envoysinapitreserved forthebodiesofexecutedcriminals,andtheSpartans,nottobeoutdone, threwtheenvoysdownawell,where,sotheysuggested,theenvoyscould findalltheearthandwaterthattheymightwant(7.133).Predictablyand rightly,Dariustooksuchgesturesasdeliberateactsofdefiance,andthewar, verysoon,wason. WhatwasthePersianempirelike,besidesvast,rich,andpowerful?Itwas autocratic,butbythestandardsofthetime,andcertainlybythestandards setbyMiddleEasternpowersliketheAssyrians,itwasrelativelybenign.The Persianswerewillingtogoalongwithlocalcustomsandevenlocalrulersas longasPersianhegemonywasassuredandthetaxrevenuesweresteady. Theempirewasdividedinto“satrapies”(“khshathrapavan,”wearetold,in Persian),administrativesubunitsgenerallymanagedbylocalaristocratsor membersoftheroyalfamily.ThoughtheirownreligionwasMazdaism,asort ofethicaldualismpostulatinganongoingcosmicbattlebetweentheforcesof lightanddarkness,theywererelativelytolerantonsuchmattersaslongas thingsremainedorderlyandtherevenueskeptcomingin. TheGreekcity-statescouldhardlyhavebeenmoredifferent.Therewasno overarchingGreekpoliticalorder.“Hellenism,”or“Greekness,”wasamatter oflanguage,religion,andculture,notofpoliticalunity.Thecity-stateswerein factfiercelycompetitiveandindependent.Theyseldomcooperatedor agreed.Inthisregard,themoreorlessunifiedPersianempireenjoyedan immenseadvantage. Thepoleiswereforthemostpartsmall.Thereweremorethan1,000of them,andnoneofthemremotelyapproachedthePersianempireinsize. Beyondthat,byPersianstandards,theGreekpoleiswerepoor.Thenand now,thereisnotmuchgoodagriculturallandinGreece.Butiftheywere smallandpoor,thepoleiswerenothingifnotproud,contentious,andinde- pendent.Manyofthemremainfamoustothisday—Argosandthegreat SiciliancolonialcityofSyracuse;Thebes,Athens’greatrivaltothenorth, famedasthehomeofOedipus;theluxury-andtrade-lovingCorinth,atthe Peloponnesianisthmus;andaboveallAthensandSparta,theleadersofthe defenseagainstPersia. E N O E R U T C E L 8 FORGREATERUNDERSTANDING (cid:2) Question 1.InwhatsensewerethePersianWarsadecisivemomentinformulatinga self-conscioussenseofWesternculture?OfGreekculture? 2.Whatisapolis?WhatwerethemostinfluentialpoleisinancientGreece? WhateffectsdidthepolishaveonGreekcultureandday-to-daylife? 3.WhatwasitliketoberuledbythePersianempire? Suggested Reading Green,Peter.TheGreco-PersianWars.Berkeley:UniversityofCalifornia Press,1996. Other Books of Interest DiodorusofSicily.DiodorusofSicily.Trans.C.H.Oldfather.10vols.Loeb ClassicalLibrary.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1933. Fuller,J.F.C.AMilitaryHistoryoftheWesternWorld.2vols.NewYork:Funk &Wagnalls,1954. Hanson,VictorDavis.TheWesternWayofWar:InfantryBattleinClassical Greece.Intro.JohnKeegan.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,1989. Herodotus. The Histories. Oxford World’s Classics. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Ed.,notes,andintro.CarolynDewald.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,1998. Plutarch.Plutarch’sLives.Trans.BernadottePerrin.11vols.LoebClassical Library,1914;Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1985. Pomery,SarahB.,StanleyM.Burstein,WalterDonlan,andJenniferTolbert Roberts.AncientGreece:APolitical,Social,andCulturalHistory.Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress,1999. Warry,John.WarfareintheClassicalWorld.Norman:Universityof OklahomaPress,1995. 9