Uploaded February 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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A history documentary on the data behind the largest battles of Ancient Greece. To learn more go to curiositystream.thld.co/invicta_0223 and use code INVICTA to save 25% off today. Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.

In this history documentary we look look at the history of Greece from Antiquity to the Middle Ages through the lens of its battles. To do so we have collected data on all major battles with recorded figures. We then present these on a graph for context while rendering them in 3D battle dioramas to give you a more real sense of their scale.

The documentary begins in 500 BC at the very outbreak of the Ionian revolt which in turn leads to the Greco Persian wars. It is here that the famous battle of Marathon, battle of Thermopylae, battle of Salamis, and battle of Plataea stand out as some of the most intense conflicts of the period. In the aftermath, the ensuing Peloponnesian war saw battles of higher frequency but lower magnitude. Yet with the rise of the Macedonians and the Roman invasion of Greece both of these would increase. The siege of Corinth and the battle of Pydna in particular stand as massive clashes.

The ensuing Roman era would see few battles but when they did occur, either due to civil war or barbarian invasion, they tended to be quite large. The Roman campaigns into Dacia and Illyria were particularly bloody. Battles then see an uptick in the crisis of the third century and maintain a relatively high level due to the persistent wars between the Byzantines and their rivals. The crusades and the rise of the Ottomans in particular greatly increase the size of battles in the late medieval period.

Finally we summarize the history of ancient greek battles with analytics and compare them to those of other regions such as France and the British Isles. Stay tuned for our next episode as we explore the history of ancient Italy with the explosive rise of the Romans.

Credits
Research = Sophia Ware
Script = Sophia Ware
Narration = Invicta
Artwork = Penta Limited

#history
#documentary
#greece