By Charlie Roadman

Description

It is not without due cause that historians and scholars have attempted to understand and retell Thucydides’ story of the Peloponnesian War, without pause, since it was first written. Athens v. Sparta now joins that tradition, infusing the classic narrative of the Peloponnesian War with a take that is vibrant, modern, and above all, musical. Led by a veteran of the San Antonio and Austin indie music scene, Charlie Roadman, Athens v. Sparta was inspired by Thucydides and his successor Xenophon (who took up the history upon Thucydides’ death) to create a new version, capturing the gravity of the ancient narrative within the approachable framework of well-crafted latter-day musical sensibilities. The result is a vivid, fascinating, occasionally humorous, and often surprising fusion, which achieves its aim well: to present the fullness of the war, its circumstances and consequences, to ears not yet attuned to the niceties and nuances of ancient history. The CD educates and entertains. It is ideal for garnering the interest of students new to Greece and the classical world.

Using the celebrated edition of Thucydides by Robert B. Strassler, the principal and most dramatic events of the war are divided into fifteen tracks, chronologically ordered, covering the full extent of the conflict. Each track develops the story in two ways. First come the words of Thucydides and Xenophon themselves, poignantly narrated alongside musical backing by renowned Austin actor and director, Ken Webster. Second, cutting through the narrative, is Charlie Roadman’s own interpretation of the events, put to lyrics, and often telling the stories of those who do not find a voice in Thucydides’ text: onlookers, combatants, hapless victims of the battles. Like the primary sources, the musical version of the Peloponnesian War covers not only those moments of confrontation between the two sides, but also reflects the rich detail of the period: life in Athens, relationships between allies, the open sea, diplomatic encounters, and the historical reputation of the principal characters in Thucydides’ work, from Pericles to Alcibiades. All in all, each song, with great pathos, relates the essence of this deep and drawn-out conflict and the ancient texts that told it, attracting newcomers, history enthusiasts, and music fans alike.

Comments and Reviews

An indie rock release from Austin, Texas, relating the history of the Peloponnesian War? You’ll believe it when you hear it. Athens v. Sparta—about the conflict the historian Thuycidides called “a great war, more worthy of recounting than any that preceded it”—features songs like “The Oligarchic Coup” and “The Sicilian Disaster.” The combination of grim narration, ethereal music and trenchant lyrics is spellbinding.

– Steven Saylor, Author of Roma Sub Rosa series

A combination pop-opera, Greek drama, modern allegory, and historical CliffsNotes created by Trinity University history grad and musician Charlie Roadman, the album resonates on several levels and is likely unlike anything you’ve ever heard. It details how Athens’ cultural hubris, faltering democracy, self-serving oligarchs, indifference to its allies, and ill-considered military adventurism resulted in a war doomed by poor prosecution and overextended forces.

– Chris Parker, San Antonio Current

Athens v. Sparta is exactly what the title suggests: a history of the Peloponnesian War of 431-404BC. Conceived and created by Charlie Roadman of locals F for Fake, the album sets narration by Hyde Park Theatre’s Ken Webster from the histories of Thucydides and Xenophon to pleasantly downbeat electronic pop. Roadman’s bandmate Kevin Higginbotham plays Nate Dogg to Webster’s Warren G, crooning melodic interludes that provide imagined first-person perspective on the conflict. Such a project is necessarily somewhat quixotic: Thucydides’ account alone runs more than 300 pages, of which the album can cover only a fraction. So, despite Roadman’s best efforts (including an attractive lyric sheet and map), a listener coming to the CD in ignorance will require further reading in order to know what the heck is going on and why. Still, incentivizing the further study of history is hardly a major flaw.”

– Austin Chronicle, Jan 22, 2009