The Maritime History Podcast
The Maritime History Podcast is a chronological look at maritime history and its numerous facets. Beginning with ancient history, the podcast looks at trade, exploration, boat and ship-building, economics, and the relationship between the ocean and the development of society and culture throughout history. Learn more about the podcast at https://maritimehistorypodcast.com.
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*Unlocked* Member Ep. 015 - The Ship(s) of Theseus
03/25/2022
*Unlocked* Member Ep. 015 - The Ship(s) of Theseus
Welcome, crew. This is a temporarily unlocked member episode, open to everyone for the remainder of March since I was unable to record a regular episode this month. It will revert to subscriber-only access on April 1. Today we depart slightly from a focused look at ships, and branch out to consider mythology that has some loose ties to ships. The Greek mythological king and hero Theseus of course slew the Minotaur, but today we explore the ties of that story, and others, to Athenian naval ambition. Later politicians like Pisistratus and Cimon used the myths of Theseus to help promote the spread of the Delian League, and today we consider this evolution. We also consider the myths, and ties they might have to sacred ships in Athenian history. We also discuss a philosophical question that is known as 'The Ship of Theseus,' although we really don't find any answers. But it's fun to think about.
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043 - The Delian League: High and Dry in Egypt
03/01/2022
043 - The Delian League: High and Dry in Egypt
Today we continue following the evolution and exploits of the Delian League. In the 450s BCE, they become embroiled in two theaters of conflict. The first saw them begin to more squarely meet Sparta and many other allied cities of the Peloponnesian League in what is called the First Peloponnesian War. At the same time, Athens and the Delian League answered the call of a rebel leader in Egypt and there the League got tangled up fighting Persia yet again. A siege at the White Castle (no, not that one) ensues, and in the end the Delian League suffers some pretty heavy losses in a foreign land.
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042 - The Delian League v. Persia: Eurymedon
01/28/2022
042 - The Delian League v. Persia: Eurymedon
Now that we have witnessed the birth of the Delian League, in today's episode we trace their exploits in the 470s BCE. The league does a good job landing more blows against the Persian Empire, but at the same time they begin to more strongly resemble an empire, and some league members are not amused. A new military leader named Cimon emerges to lead the Delian League. He suppresses some piracy, and his trireme fleet is overhauled to more better suit their campaign objectives. We consider all of this, and more, as the Delian League's navy expands and then defeats a Persian fleet at the Battle of Eurymedon River.
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041 - A League of (Our) Own: The Delian League
12/05/2021
041 - A League of (Our) Own: The Delian League
As we kick off Series 3, it's now time to examine one of the most recognizable institutions that existed in Ancient Greece: The Delian League. To make sense of things, we'll compare the Peloponnesian League and Sparta's motivations there, against the Hellenic League that was formed to stand against Persia's incursion. Then, against these two we will finally compare the Delian League, which emerges as a naval-centric league which formally kicks off the time when Athenian empire becomes possible.
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Series 2 Recap
11/15/2021
Series 2 Recap
This episode is a recapitulation of the 20 episodes that make up Series 2 of the Maritime History Podcast. The season as a whole examined the high points of maritime history during the early Iron Age, with a specific focus on the maritime activity of the Phoenicians and how they eventually intersected with the Greeks. Although initially a land-centric empire, the Persians also make a significant appearance. Hopefully this recap can serve as a good summary as we now look to Series 3 and maritime history during classical Greece, and beyond.
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Pod Update - November 2021
11/08/2021
Pod Update - November 2021
A brief update on the state of the podcast, our sailing shape, and what lies ahead.
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The Boats of the “Glen Carrig” by William Hope Hodgson (Part 4)
10/31/2021
The Boats of the “Glen Carrig” by William Hope Hodgson (Part 4)
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson is a horror/survival novel where survivors of a shipwreck, clinging to the remaining lifeboats, contend with the weird and terrifying elements of a strange land. Part 4 contains the chapters 13 through 17. , , and . Chapter 13 - The Weed Men Chapter 14 - In Communication Chapter 15 - Aboard The Hulk Chapter 16 - Freed Chapter 17 - How We Came To Our Own Country
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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (Part 3)
10/29/2021
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (Part 3)
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson is a horror/survival novel where survivors of a shipwreck, clinging to the remaining lifeboats, contend with the weird and terrifying elements of a strange land. Part 3 contains chapter 9 through 12. and . Chapter 9 - What Happened in the Dusk Chapter 10 - The Light in the Weed Chapter 11 - The Signals from the Ship Chapter 12 - The Making of the Great Bow
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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (Part 2)
10/27/2021
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (Part 2)
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson is a horror/survival novel where survivors of a shipwreck, clinging to the remaining lifeboats, contend with the weird and terrifying elements of a strange land. Part 2 contains chapter 5 through 8. Chapter 5 - The Great Storm Chapter 6 - The Weed-Choked Sea Chapter 7 - The Island in the Weed Chapter 8 - The Noises in the Valley
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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (Part 1)
10/25/2021
The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (Part 1)
Halloween is again upon us! This year we have a nautical horror novel to keep us company. The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson is a horror/survival novel where survivors of a shipwreck, clinging to the remaining lifeboats, contend with the weird and terrifying elements of a strange land. Part 1 contains the first 4 chapters and will be followed by 3 more parts. Chapter 1 - The Land of Lonesomeness Chapter 2 - The Ship in the Creek Chapter 3 - The Thing That Made Search Chapter 4 - The Two Faces
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040 - A Themistoclean End
04/30/2021
040 - A Themistoclean End
Today we bring our time with the Athenian leader Themistocles to a close. The character qualities we've seen throughout his career continue to pop up even in the later stages of his life. And although the Greek world continued on in his absence, today we'll try to follow him to his death in exile and see how his supporters and his detractors begin to use his legacy as a battleground for policies that will continue to influence Greece even after his death. - Today's Sponsor
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039 - Aftermath and Mycale
05/09/2020
039 - Aftermath and Mycale
The Greek victory at Salamis was monumental. But in the aftermath of that victory, Greece and her leaders still had many decisions to make. It is here that we begin to see a divergence between the naval-minded leaders and their vision, and the land-centered leaders with a different vision. We begin to discuss these divergent views, how they were debated in Greece, and how the leaders of each view tried to outmaneuver their opponents. Amidst the politics and debate, Greece still had to finish their war with Persia. We witness the conclusion, as battle comes to both Plataea and then to Mycale, where an unexpected final blow decimates the remainder of the Persian naval force.
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038 - The Naval Battle at Salamis
01/17/2020
038 - The Naval Battle at Salamis
We have finally arrived at the Battle of Salamis. There's a lot of buildup before the battle, and surprisingly, this phase is where a lot of the important pieces were moved into place by the wily Themistocles. We witness scenes in both the Greek and Persian camps the day and night prior to the battle, but once the fleets have moved into position, we then witness the clashing ships and the mayhem of close-quarters battle. Queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus makes several appearances throughout, and we conclude with a picture of the battle's aftermath and the resultant carnage.
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Mini Ep - Ship 17 at Thonis-Heracleion
03/27/2019
Mini Ep - Ship 17 at Thonis-Heracleion
In this first of what will be ongoing mini-episodes, we examine the discovery and study of Ship 17 at the ancient Egyptian city of Thonis-Heracleion.
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037 - The Naval Battle of Artemisium - Part II
02/18/2019
037 - The Naval Battle of Artemisium - Part II
In Part II of our look at the naval Battle of Artemisium, we finally get into the heat of battle. The episode is bookended by some trickery and psychological warfare courtesy of the inimitable Themistocles. In the middle, though, we discuss the 3 separate days and 3 separate engagements that made up the battle as a whole. Tactics, planning, chaos: we've got it all today. We've got yet another storm that makes an appearance, and this time it takes 200 Persian ships with it, making them victims of the infamous Hollows of Euboea.
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036 - The Naval Battle of Artemisium - Part I
01/01/2019
036 - The Naval Battle of Artemisium - Part I
Today we open a chapter onto the naval Battle of Artemisium. We begin by considering a prophecy which illustrates the plight that Greece found herself in as the Persian army and navy entered Europe. We discuss the state of preparation in each relative camp as they made their respective preparations for the battle to come. We then discuss the regions in and around Artemisium and the island of Euboea, where the first naval battle of the war would take place. We consider the strategic advantages inherent in certain sites in the region, the theories about how large each navy would have been at this stage in history, and then we get into the opening moves of the chess game that would set up the conflict at Artemisium. A 'Hellesponter' makes an dramatic appearance, and we witness some mishaps at sea in Part One of our look at the naval Battle of Artemisium.
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035 - The Eve of War
06/20/2018
035 - The Eve of War
In today's episode we take a look at the final moves that both Greece and Persia made on the eve of their war. Themistocles and Aristides take center stage as they maneuver through the political scene of Athens, but with the success of the Themistoclean naval policy, we discuss how the Greeks may have rapidly built up their navy. We consider the Greek congress of city-states, their relative lack of support, and the final measures they took to try and recruit allies. We also consider a canal project and pontoon bridges that Xerxes had built to aid his army and navy as they both marched and sailed west to Greece. We conclude with a rather bizarre scene where the Persians try to beat the Hellespont into subjection and, ultimately, they all make it over into Europe. The stage is set for the final Greco-Persian War.
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034 - Marathon and Persian Naval Power
03/04/2018
034 - Marathon and Persian Naval Power
A substantial portion of the Persian fleet was wrecked in a storm in 492 BCE, but after Darius ordered it to be rebuilt, they set sail for Greece in the summer of 490. Today's episode examines the state of the Persian navy at this point, after which we discuss the fleet's route to Eritrea and Marathon, the site of one of Greece's most famous military victories. It was a land battle though, so after a brief look at some naval elements connected to it, we paint a picture of Athens after Marathon, where political leaders like Themistocles had to fear the newly popular use of ostracism. We conclude by setting the stage for the third and final Persian invasion of Greece.
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033 - A 'Heraldless War' and a Man Named Themistocles
01/09/2018
033 - A 'Heraldless War' and a Man Named Themistocles
In today's episode the curtain rises on a young man named Themistocles. He's always recognized for the role that he played at Salamis and in the Greek navy's stand against Persia, but today we go back to the earliest we know about his life. We ended last episode in 493 BCE when the Ionian Revolt was effectively ended at Lade, but in that same year Themistocles was made eponymous archon of Athens. Today we look at the early stages of the naval reforms he tried to institute in Athens, with a particular focus on the Athenian port of Phaleron. It was a weak port despite being the only port Athens had used in her history, so after looking at why it was weak, we then look at the location Themistocles proposed as an alternative, the Piraeus. A story that runs through the episode and probably shaped the views of a young Themistocles is one that involves an island rival of Athens, the mercantile power of Aegina. She'd become a naval power before Athens had, so today we look at an undeclared war that simmered between them, the naval focus of their conflicts, and why Aegina actually played an interesting role in the shaping up of the greater conflict with Persia. There's also a bit in there somewhere about Persia's first attempt to invade Greece and the storm that caused one of the biggest naval disasters to that point in ancient history. A meandering but interesting episode, I hope.
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Halloween Ep. - The Ghost Ship by Richard Middleton
10/29/2017
Halloween Ep. - The Ghost Ship by Richard Middleton
Welcome to our third annual Halloween special here at the Maritime History Podcast. Rather than choose a grim, frightening, or eery tale, this year I felt that a more lighthearted fare was in order. This story was written by an Englishman named Richard Middleton. It tells of a quiet countryside village named Fairfield where the townsfolk are as comfortable with the ghosts that populate the village as they are with their neighbors. After a storm one night, a villager finds a ghostly ship at anchor in his turnip garden, and the story continues to elaborate the rather humorous consequences of having a ghost ship in temporary residence in "the ghostliest place in all England." Backing music for this story comes courtesy of Danish pianist Peter Bille Larsen. This specific song is .
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032 - The Letdown at Lade
09/21/2017
032 - The Letdown at Lade
If Episode 031 covered the heady, opening stages of the Ionian Revolt, then today's episode covers the denouement and rather anticlimactic conclusion of the revolt. At the start of the episode we follow Aristagoras as he goes on a recruiting trip to Sparta and Athens, using a world map to try and sway the Spartan king into joining the revolt. Athenian ships join the revolt, but after some early success in Ionia, Athens quickly withdraws. She has gained the attention of the Persian king by briefly aiding Ionia, but before Darius repays Athenian meddling he resubjugates Ionia and the surrounding regions. The end of the Ionian Revolt and Darius' campaign to retake Ionia centers on Miletus, naturally. The conclusion of our episode focuses on the naval battle that brought an end to the revolt, a letdown of a naval encounter off the island of Lade. Herodotus gives us some great detail about the training of the Ionian navy and the events of the battle itself, so today's episode takes us all over the ancient Greek world.
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031 - A Persian Navy, an Ionian Revolt
08/14/2017
031 - A Persian Navy, an Ionian Revolt
In today's episode we begin our look at the events that directly contributed to the beginnings of the Greco-Persian War. After a brief summation of the events that brought the early Persian Empire into contact with the Ionian Greeks, we take a look at the evidence and theories about what the naval situation was like in the Aegean during the late 6th century BCE. We then consider how and why Persia went about building up its navy, including how Ionian Greek cities fit into the Persian system once they were subjugated. We then meet a tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, who's ambition and cunning spurred an Ionian/Persian invasion of Naxos, where a fleet of 200 ships besieged the island. Following this attempted invasion, we conclude by seeing how Miletus and an Ionian confederation decided to instead seize part of the Persian navy and start revolt against the empire from the east. Somewhere in there we also consider a unique form of punishment aboard a trireme.
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030 - Trireme 101: How to Build, Sail, and Ram and Ancient Greek Warship
06/03/2017
030 - Trireme 101: How to Build, Sail, and Ram and Ancient Greek Warship
Today we have a lengthy primer focused only on the trireme. After a jaunt through some of the evidence related to when the trireme first came into use on the seas of ancient Greece and the Near East we then take a deep dive into the numerous aspects of the ship itself. We discuss the materials used by ancient shipwrights, the process of building and outfitting a trireme, and the design of this ship that set it apart from the oared galleys of archaic Greece. The trireme was essentially an oar-powered maritime missile, so we then outline the various sailors who made up the typical 200-man contingent of each trireme. The trierarch functioned as a ship captain, and from there we meet the other 199 men, 170 of whom were oarsmen. Much of what we know about the trireme has been confirmed via the reconstruction of Olympias and the ensuing sea trials that she underwent. After a bit about Olympias, we conclude with a look at the naval tactics that developed in the wake of the trireme taking over the naval scene in ancient Greece. All in all, what we've got is a 105-minute ode to the most important ship of the ancient world: the trireme.
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029 - Trade with Egypt, Conflict with Carthage
03/28/2017
029 - Trade with Egypt, Conflict with Carthage
In this installment, we continue to follow the Greeks as they expand yet further. Our first destination is Egypt, where the Greek emporion at Naukratis was set up by a diverse group of mercenaries and traders. The recently discovered port of Thonis-Heraklion also makes an appearance, and we see that mercenary sailors worked for the pharaoh at various times. Greece also like Egyptian prostitutes, apparently. The second part of the episode focuses on the extent of Greek meddling in the far western Mediterranean. There the Phocaeans founded Massalia, and tried to get on friendly terms with the locals. But, Cyrus the Great sacked Phocaea in 546 BCE and the Greeks fled to the colony of Alalia on the island of Corsica. Feeling hard done, the Greeks turned to piracy and thereby united Carthage and the Etruscans against them, which resulted in the Battle of the Sardinian Sea. We cover a lot of ground in today's episode!
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028 - Unlocking the Pontus Euxinus
01/31/2017
028 - Unlocking the Pontus Euxinus
In today's installment, we'll tell a tale of two cities in one sense. The age of colonization in Greece had an early leader in the island of Euboea, but as the Euboeans were stretched thin, Corinth and Miletus rose to become the leaders of Greek colonization. We'll look at the wealth that Corinth controlled thanks partially to her location, but also to the diolkos and other maritime innovations that she instituted. Our second city of focus is Miletus, the 'jewel of Ionia'. She was at the forefront of the Greek push into the Euxine Sea, or, the Black Sea. So after laying out the geography of the 'Pontus Euxinus' and her approaches, we'll look at the colonies, resources, and importance of the Greek effort to unlock the Black Sea. We also consider the aeinautae, a group of magistrates who ruled Miletus by sailing out to sea and weighing anchor until they'd made whatever decision was at hand. An interesting method of governing, to be sure.
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Halloween Ep. 2.0 - Manuscript Found in a Bottle by Edgar Allan Poe
10/31/2016
Halloween Ep. 2.0 - Manuscript Found in a Bottle by Edgar Allan Poe
Welcome to our second annual Halloween special here at the Maritime History Podcast. This year I opted for a nautical tale by the ever-popular American author of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Some people love this tale, some hate it, but no matter your side, this is a proper sea-tale of weirdness, "ghosts" and an underlying current of horror, so, without any further rambling, I bring you my reading of Manuscript Found in a Bottle by Edgar Allan Poe.
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027 - Odysseus Builds a Boat
10/30/2016
027 - Odysseus Builds a Boat
Today we fill in some gaps concerning Greek colonization, looking first at the founding of colonies along the eastern coast of Sicily. The Greeks colonized by force more so than did the Phoenicians, so we'll draw some distinctions there and see how the two cultures began to come into more conflict in and around the central Mediterranean. Then, we learn a bit more about the process of Greek colonization, including a small bit about the role that religion played. The Homeric epics then inform us about the state of shipbuilding in the 8th century BCE, with the famous passage where Odysseus builds a boat taking central stage. We wrap up by trying to flesh out why exactly the Greeks and Phoenicians developed animosity toward each other, with tales from Odysseus and Eumaeus from the Odyssey giving us a window into Greek perceptions. The Greeks continue the push west!
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026 - Sailing Advice from Hesiod, the Farmer-Poet
09/18/2016
026 - Sailing Advice from Hesiod, the Farmer-Poet
At long last we make first contact with the Greeks! Today we try to cover the earliest periods of Greek colonization and expansion into the central Mediterranean. Hesiod's writings can give us some insight into the socio-economic conditions in Greece proper, the conditions that spurred the colonization of the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. Early Greek colonies in the Levant connected them with the goods and ideas of the east, flowing west as far is Pithecusae, the oldest Greek settlement west of Greece. From there the colonization really picked up, with settlements being established along the sea-road back toward Greece. We finish our episode by looking at multiple ship depictions on Attic pottery found around the Mediterranean. We try to suss out whether some of these depict galleys or biremes, but the bottom line is the transition to biremes and triremes happened during the colonization phase. By the end today we will have set the stage for the conflicts between trade powers in the central Med, conflicts that will be our focus in coming episodes.
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025 - Carthage: A New (City) Hope
07/15/2016
025 - Carthage: A New (City) Hope
This week we follow the fleeing Elissa, princess of Tyre, to Qart-ḥadašt, the "New City" that would come into wider fame as Carthage. We start with some talk of the mythical founding of Carthage, some conjecture about when the city was really founded, and an overview of the city's early growth. Then, we look at two Phoenician shipwrecks discovered over 33 nautical miles off Asheklon, Israel. The Tanit and Elissa are two of the oldest Phoenician shipwrecks discovered to date, and then can tell us a fair amount about Phoenician shipping practices, also about their religious practices in relation to maritime travel. Another long episode with the Phoenicians it is!
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024 - Go West, O Tyre, Go West
06/17/2016
024 - Go West, O Tyre, Go West
This week we follow the Phoenicians to the western extremity of their trade network and colonization. While it is difficult to paint a chronological picture of when each colony was established, the city of Cadiz, or Gadir, quickly became the hub of western trade. Ancient historians confirm that the rich source of silver in Andalusia was the main attraction for Tyrian merchants, and the wealth that eventually began to flow back east from Tartessos had an influence on Assyria's relationship with Phoenicia. We also discuss a few depictions of Phoenician warships, an evacuation of Tyre, and the role of religion in controlling colonial government and trade, so today's episode is a long one!
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