King of Sparta: Who Was Leonidas?

Description

Who was the real Leonidas from the movie 300? In this podcast episode of the Ancients with Dr Andrew Bayliss and Tristan Hughes, they uncover the ancient historical figure of King Leonidas. In 480 BC, at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, a vastly outnumbered Greek force prepares to face the advancing army of the Persian king Xerxes. At its head stands Leonidas, king of Sparta, ready to make a final stand that will become one of the most famous moments in ancient history. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Andrew Bayliss to peel back the myth and uncover the real story of Leonidas. Tracing Leonidas's origins amid the turbulent politics of Sparta’s Agiad dynasty to his denouement at the hot gates of Thermopylae, they explore Leonidas's journey to power, his dogged defiance against the Persians and what his story reveals about Spartan society, kingship and warfare at the height of the Greco-Persian Wars. 0:00 Introduction to Leonidas 2:35 The Sources: Herodotus and the Legend 6:18 The Spartan Royal Houses: A Unique Dierarchy 12:50 The Death of Anaxandridas and the Rise of Cleomenes 13:33 Inside the Agoge: Leonidas’s Brutal Upbringing 18:46 The Scandalous Reign of King Cleomenes 23:32 Dorieus: The Angry Brother and the Failed Colony 27:32 The Mysterious Death of Cleomenes 32:58 The Road to Thermopylae 40:16 The Three Days of Fighting at the Hot Gates 52:45 The Death and Legacy of a Spartan Icon Presented by Tristan Hughes. Producers are Joseph Knight & McKenna Fernandez, senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Editor is Matthew Wilson. Channel manager is Vilde Øksnes. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #HistoryHitPodcast #TheAncients #300 #Leonidas