Combat Story (Ep 42): Barry Strauss on Brasidas | Spartan Legend | Commander | Special Ops Pioneer
About This Episode
Today we have a unique History Edition of Combat Story focused on Sparta. As you know, I’m fascinated by the experiences of warriors in combat and I’ve always wanted to better understand what the combat experience would have been like for veterans from history like the Spartans, Romans, or Mongols.
On this episode, we’ll interview Professor Barry Strauss, an accomplished scholar, historian, and expert on ancient military history. Barry brings to life a very famous Spartan warrior named Brasidas as we dive into his combat story.
Brasidas led warriors into remarkable battles employing conventional tactics but also leveraging special operations and psychological or hybrid warfare with great success. Barry gives us a front row seat of what it was like to grow up and live in this austere, militaristic, and aggressive society we know as Sparta.
We could not have done this without Barry, who is a Professor of History and Classics at Cornell University, Series Editor of Princeton’s Turning Points in Ancient History, author of eight books, and a military and naval historian and consultant.
Professor Strauss is a recognized authority on the subject of leadership and the lessons that can be learned from the experiences of the greatest political and military leaders of the ancient world (Caesar, Hannibal, Alexander among many others).
He has a new book coming out in March 2022 titled The War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium.
I hope you enjoy this unique Combat Story and the dive into the world of Sparta as much as I did.
Website https://barrystrauss.com/ Author of The War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium, available March 2022 https://tinyurl.com/cz545kex Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barrystrauss.author Twitter @barrystrauss https://twitter.com/barrystrauss Podcaster, ANTIQUITAS: Leaders and Legends of the Ancient World
Follow on Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory Follow on Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial Email ryan@combatstory.com Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Guest: Dr. Barry Strauss Host: Ryan Fugit Editor: Owen Fugit
Show Notes
Special Ops Pioneer
Chapters
- 0:00Intro
- 1:46Interview begins
- 1:55Warriors of the Past
- 3:50Barry’s background
- 7:18Facts and Fiction about Sparta
- 9:14The Greek and Persian Empires
- 12:20The Peloponnesian War
- 15:57Brasidas, Son of Tellis
- 17:55About Thucydides
- 18:47Life of a Spartan
- 22:52The Hoplites and the Phalanx
- 23:14“You had to fight as a unit, and you needed not to run away when the going got rough.”
- 23:44The Secret Service: The Spartan Rite of Passage
- 25:15Spartan Women
- 26:03“When the men were away fighting, it’s the women who ran the households in Sparta.”
- 27:05“I’d rather you came back dead than come back alive without your shield.”
- 28:35Spartan Loyalty
- 29:18“When Spartan males married, they had to sneak off to see their wives at night.”
- 30:31Secrecy as a Weapon.
- 31:44“The Spartans would do unconventional things to protect their security.”
- 32:18The Difference in Brutality in Spartans and Athenians
- 32:57Rising in the Ranks as a Spartan
- 34:08The Spartan Way of War
- 35:48The Athenian’s First Encounter with Brasidas
- 48:58“Brasidas is just an incredible leader. He’s a man of amazing charisma.”
- 50:58Brasidas’ Greatest Coup
- 52:02The Exile of Thucydides
- 52:53Siege of Toroni
- 55:31“It’s not the kind of thing that you expect to see from the Spartans. This guy’s thinking outside the box.”
- 56:30Siege Warfare
- 57:49Brasidas’ Number One Enemy
- 1:00:41“The Spartan way of war is being on the offensive and fighting a conventional battle. “
- 1:01:20“They believe that long hair made good-looking men look better and ugly men look more frightening.”
- 1:02:09Psychological Warfare
- 1:02:59The Death of Brasidas
- 1:03:00“If the Athenians had been halfway competent, Brasidas would have been stuck.”
- 1:03:58The Pro-Athenian and Pro-Spartan Factions
- 1:04:29Discovering the Possible Remains of Brasidas
- 1:05:07“There aren’t other Spartans who engage in tactics like his.”
- 1:06:00In some ways, Brasidas is a one-off. In other ways, he has a big impact on future generations of Spartans.”
- 1:06:30Retirement from Spartan Military
- 1:08:02Barry’s Upcoming book - The War that Made the Roman Empire
- 1:11:00What excites Barry about writing
