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Expedition to Disaster

Amazon.com Price:  $23.22 (as of 03/05/2019 07:08 PST- Details)

Description

The Athenian expedition to triumph over Sicily used to be one of the vital pivotal events of the classical period. At the moment (415 BC), Athens used to be locked in a decades-long struggle with Sparta for mastery of the Greek world. The expedition to Sicily used to be intended to present Athens the extra money and resources to crush the Spartans. New archaeological discoveries allow the ensuing siege to be reconstructed in greater detail than ever before. The cast of characters includes Alcibiades, the flamboyant, charismatic young aristocrat; Nicias, the aging, reluctant commander of the unwell-fated expedition and Gylippus, the grim Spartan general sent to mastermind the defense of Syracuse. It used to be he who stopped the Athenians dead in their tracks within weeks of his arrival, then turned the tables at the invaders. The Athenians were in their turn surrounded, besieged, and forced to ask for mercy from a man who had none to present. In short, we now have an epic story packed with colorful characters and dramatic episodes. There are battles on land and sea, siege and counter-siege and tales of self-sacrifice, villainy and heroism. Yet there may be the overarching unifying theme which is the story of the expedition itself. Philip Matyszak’s combination of thorough research and gripping narrative makes him the easiest man to do justice to this famous story.

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