An orator of premium quality, I wish I had a professor like him in my history class. His tone and pension for story telling kept me interested all the way through the end.
This is a wonderful telling of a horrific event. It's Homeric in its detail of beauty and carnage. So few people know of this story, and so many lessons can be learned from it. Nemesis punishes Hubris! What a great movie this would make.
You're right, history in general is rich in their lessons to future generations. The Sicilian campaign in particular is an interesting study for students of war for its numerous strategic blunders. Aside from this, another event that for some reason is not covered at all by any of the popular RUclips military history channels is the "March of the Ten Thousand" including the Battle of Cunaxa, its such an epic military adventure. Its got war, betrayal, drama, adventure, redemption....everything Hollywood would want in a movie.
@@iandespalo2949 Now that you mention it, I can't believe that the "March of the Ten Thousand' aka "The Anabasis" has never been made into a movie, or better yet, a series. Netflix, are you hearing this? Lol. I can picture it being told through the eyes of Xenophon. It's perfect! There is a movie very loosely based on it called "Warriors". It's an 80's movie about street gangs, and it's surprisingly based on the Anabasis. Hey, thanks for posting the videos that you do. I'm subbed, and I'm happy that I found your channel.
you're welcome, unfortunately the external hard drive i store all these lecture videos stopped working...so for now, i can't upload any new ones until i get it fixed, if ever.
Good lecture, but the lack of cavalry was just as important a reason for the Athenian defeat as the less than passionate approach of Nicias in prosecuting the war. A future historical parallel was that Napoleon lost so many horses in his Russian campaign that he could not win or fully win battles after he came back to France. Nicias was no Napoleon; and even with Napoleon's genius, his lack of adequate cavalry hampered him from winning battles after his return from Russia. Yes, Napoleon won the Battles of Lutzen and Bautzen, but either one could have been a second Austerlitz if he had had more horses. Nicias warned that Athens had not enough horses in his attempt to talk the Athenians out of the Sicilian Expedition. Unfortunately, his speech had the opposite effect he intended. Napoleon said that an army is better managed by a single bad general than by two good ones. Since Syracuse and Athens were both democracies, this should put an end to the saying that democracies usually do not fight each other. @13:25 if Gongylus and Gylippus had shown up a day or two later, the Syracusans might have surrendered, and perhaps there might have been no Roman Empire. If Athens had taken Syracuse, they could have conquered the rest of Sicily with adequate cavalry.
This is a great orator but I dont think that he does Nicias' character justice. Nicias was not a" most incompetent of generals", and a man of honour, courage and principle.
Wiat a damn minute. Thucydides himself did not ascribe to Nicias nearly anything that this man did. When Nicias dies Thucydides declares that the most virtuous man in the war was lost. I like this man's oratory style but what is this? I just read the Peloponnesian war and finished it today.
Fears likes to paint a picture in his lectures that he wants you to see sometimes. Just be aware of the times he does it and push past it and enjoy the lecture overall.
dans nos écoles, c'est que des bons petits taulards français, type quentin de montargis; alors ? y a le clan des sidaïste blanc typé Houligan russe aussi. Ma culture !
Boy. Can this guy tell a story!
An orator of premium quality, I wish I had a professor like him in my history class. His tone and pension for story telling kept me interested all the way through the end.
Yes he is excellent.
Very well told story of history👍
Wow...someone in the comments seems a bit touched...RIP JRF! We don't have scholars like this anymore! Invaluable lecture series!
He paints quite a vivid picture of the Athenian defeat.
This is a wonderful telling of a horrific event. It's Homeric in its detail of beauty and carnage. So few people know of this story, and so many lessons can be learned from it. Nemesis punishes Hubris!
What a great movie this would make.
You're right, history in general is rich in their lessons to future generations. The Sicilian campaign in particular is an interesting study for students of war for its numerous strategic blunders. Aside from this, another event that for some reason is not covered at all by any of the popular RUclips military history channels is the "March of the Ten Thousand" including the Battle of Cunaxa, its such an epic military adventure. Its got war, betrayal, drama, adventure, redemption....everything Hollywood would want in a movie.
@@iandespalo2949 Now that you mention it, I can't believe that the "March of the Ten Thousand' aka "The Anabasis" has never been made into a movie, or better yet, a series. Netflix, are you hearing this? Lol.
I can picture it being told through the eyes of Xenophon. It's perfect!
There is a movie very loosely based on it called "Warriors". It's an 80's movie about street gangs, and it's surprisingly based on the Anabasis.
Hey, thanks for posting the videos that you do. I'm subbed, and I'm happy that I found your channel.
@@TheLacedaemonian300 no prob, just sharing the wealth.
Hi i am from brazil and i loved this video, thank you so much for the good work and amazing content
you're welcome, unfortunately the external hard drive i store all these lecture videos stopped working...so for now, i can't upload any new ones until i get it fixed, if ever.
One historian has written that Athens divided the vast world into two camps: enemies and people they haven't met yet.
Wow
Good lecture, but the lack of cavalry was just as important a reason for the Athenian defeat as the less than passionate approach of Nicias in prosecuting the war. A future historical parallel was that Napoleon lost so many horses in his Russian campaign that he could not win or fully win battles after he came back to France. Nicias was no Napoleon; and even with Napoleon's genius, his lack of adequate cavalry hampered him from winning battles after his return from Russia. Yes, Napoleon won the Battles of Lutzen and Bautzen, but either one could have been a second Austerlitz if he had had more horses. Nicias warned that Athens had not enough horses in his attempt to talk the Athenians out of the Sicilian Expedition. Unfortunately, his speech had the opposite effect he intended. Napoleon said that an army is better managed by a single bad general than by two good ones.
Since Syracuse and Athens were both democracies, this should put an end to the saying that democracies usually do not fight each other.
@13:25 if Gongylus and Gylippus had shown up a day or two later, the Syracusans might have surrendered, and perhaps there might have been no Roman Empire. If Athens had taken Syracuse, they could have conquered the rest of Sicily with adequate cavalry.
This is a great orator but I dont think that he does Nicias' character justice. Nicias was not a" most incompetent of generals", and a man of honour, courage and principle.
who is the lecturer?
Rufus Fears, unfortunately he's passed away now.
Thanks! Perhaps that note should be added to the description.@@iandespalo2949
Wiat a damn minute.
Thucydides himself did not ascribe to Nicias nearly anything that this man did.
When Nicias dies Thucydides declares that the most virtuous man in the war was lost.
I like this man's oratory style but what is this? I just read the Peloponnesian war and finished it today.
Fears likes to paint a picture in his lectures that he wants you to see sometimes. Just be aware of the times he does it and push past it and enjoy the lecture overall.
moins qu'allemand, c'est chaud quand même !
dans nos écoles, c'est que des bons petits taulards français, type quentin de montargis; alors ? y a le clan des sidaïste blanc typé Houligan russe aussi. Ma culture !
c'est l'p'tit frère d'annick plichta !
Un hooligan russe !
mais ils sont associaux vos associés !
c'est quoi une insulte pour une femme blanche ?
il a tellement pas d'vie l'blanc, qu'il va courir tout seul dans les bois !
mais blanc c'est juif en fait, tu peux violer n'importe quel fraçais ou allemand, c'est une coutume en france.