Here it is, FINALLY — the third installment of ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest’ series, about the Athenian expedition to Sicily during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC. Enjoy! Join CJ as he discusses: The Syracusan reaction to news of a huge, inbound Athenian expeditionary force, including the wise advice of Hermocrates (that wasn’t sufficiently heeded at first) The arrival of the Athenians in the area, & initial difficulties & disappointments they began to encounter The debate among the 3 Athenian strategoi (Nicias, Lamachus & Alcibiades) over how to proceed, the strategy adopted, & the lack of significant progress The recall of Alcibiades to Athens for trial, & his subsequent escape Athenian successes in Sicily that they failed to capitalize upon sufficiently to defeat Syracuse prior to the onset of the winter of 414/415 Athenian & Syracusan diplomatic efforts during that first winter The success of Syracusan diplomacy (with the help of Alcibiades) in securing aid from Corinth & Sparta Gylippus, the Spartan strategos sent to take command of the Syracusan war effort against Athens Initial Athenian successes during the campaign season of 414 that (despite the death of Lamachus) drove the Syracusans to the brink of surrender The arrival of Gylippus in the nick of time, & his stunning successes in turning the tide of the war against Athens & nullifying their efforts to circumvallate & besiege Syracuse Nicias’ extremely downtrodden & pessimistic report back to Athens, sent during the winter of 414/413, in which he demanded that the Athenian Assembly either authorize the evacuation of his expeditionary force, or send him significant reinforcements (men, supplies, & money), along with a strong request that he (Nicias) be relieved of command if they chose the latter option As promised, here’s a zoomed out map of the expedition to Sicily, showing 1) how far the Athenians traveled, & 2) the relative locations of significant cities on Sicily & on the adjacent ‘toe’ of Italy , plus a more zoomed-in map of Syracuse, its harbors, & the surrounding territory. Like this episode? Support the DHP on Patreon! For the entire month of August 2026, CJ’s running a Back to (Dangerous History) School Special: There will be a 25% discount on the first year of an annual membership at any level of support, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership (also at any level of support)! Just use coupon code 826 when signing up! 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 Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING – not just these specific items – 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 Sparta’s Sicilian Proxy War by Paul Rahe The Rise & Fall of Athens by Plutarch Syracuse, 415-413 BC: Destruction of the Athenian Imperial Fleet by Nic Fields A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson 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 CJ’s PO Box Address (For Sending Him Items — Including, but not Limited to — Sacks of Gold Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Freeze-Dried Flapjacks, etc. CJ Killmer Dangerous Media Productions 704 E Moody Blvd #43 Bunnell, FL 32110 The post Ep. 0290: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. III first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.