Syracuse 415413 BC by Nic Fields, Peter Dennis - 9781846032585

Name: Syracuse 415413 BC by Nic Fields, Peter Dennis - 9781846032585
Brand: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Syracuse 415413 BCDestruction of the Athenian Imperial Fleet\nAuthor(s): Nic Fields, Peter Dennis\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, United Kingdom\nImprint: Osprey Publishing\nISBN-13: 9781846032585, 978-1846032585\nSynopsis\nA detailed, illustrated account of a key strategic failure for the Athenian state.\n\nIn the midsummer of 415 BC Athens launched a pre-emptive attack on Syracuse, urged on by the brilliant but reckless Athenian general Alcibiades, who claimed the Syracusans were providing the hostile Peloponnesian League with supplies. Moreover, if Athens could establish itself in Sicily then it would be in a commanding position for future aggression against Carthage. Possession of Syracuse would also allow the Athenians to dominate the Mediterranean.\n\nNic Fields examines the foolhardy campaign in which Athens ignored the strategic implications of attacking a nation that was over 1,100 km away as two enormous armadas and 60,000 Athenians and their allie.