Democricide
John Adams once said, ”There’s never been a democracy yet that didn’t die by suicide.” To which we ask, or was it... murder? If regicide is the murder of Kings, homicide is the murder of people, and herbicide is the murder of plants, then democricide is the murder of democracies. In each season of Democricide, sibling hosts Kenny and Heather will look at a different historical democracy and ask the question, who killed it?
Episodes
Athens wasn't always a democracy, but when a tyrant overplayed his hand and a revolutionary proposed something better to the masses, it launched a new form of government that changed the Greek world.
Sources:
- The Peloponnesian War, by Donald Kagan
- Lords of the Sea, by John R. Hale
Athenian Democracy was established, but who cared? Compared to the mighty Persian empire, the Greek city states were a bunch of backwaters. And that's how history may have remembered them, if not for one suicidally ambitious Greek, and one desperately crafty athenian who saved his city from destruction.
Sources:
- The Peloponnesian War, by Donald Kagan
- Lords of the Sea, by John R. Hale
After defeating the Persian empire, Athens and its democratic system were on top of the world. But prize fighters always attract challengers. And just down the road from Athens, another Greek city state thought it should be calling the shots. Envy turned to jealousy. And jealousy turned to murder.
Sources:
- The Peloponnesian War, by Donald Kagan
- Lords of the Sea, by John R. Hale
For 20 years, Athens and Sparta fought, each unable to land a killing blow. But as the democratically elected Athenian leaders focused on the Spartans outside their walls, they lost track of the enemies within their own city. Treason brewed as oligarchs dreamed of murder.
Sources:
- The Peloponnesian War, by Donald Kagan
- Lords of the Sea, by John R. Hale
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.