{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Rise and Fall of Sparta","description":"From the legendary stand at Thermopylae and the fearsome warriors of 300, to the brutal training system and the enigmatic helots, Sparta has fascinated people for over two thousand years. It's been held up as a model of discipline, courage, and military excellence \u2014 and sometimes as a cautionary tale of rigidity and decline. Our guest today is Dr. Andrew Bayliss, Associate Professor in Greek History at the University of Birmingham and a leading expert on Sparta. In his latest book,&amp;nbsp;Sparta: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Superpower, he strips away centuries of legend, navigates the biases of ancient sources, and reveals the unique quirks \u2014 from its unusual double monarchy and powerful women to the constant shadow of helot revolts \u2014 that propelled Sparta's ascent and ultimately contributed to its fall. &amp;nbsp; DON\u2019T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW:&amp;nbsp;https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/c\/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE:&amp;nbsp;https:\/\/www.historyshortspodcast.com\/advertise&amp;nbsp; LEARN MORE:&amp;nbsp;https:\/\/www.historyshortspodcast.com\/ &amp;nbsp; SPONSORED BY:&amp;nbsp;www.thecollector.com&amp;nbsp; ","author_name":"History Shorts","author_url":"https:\/\/www.historyshortspodcast.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/40913420\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/200913970"}