The Eclipse That Doomed 40,000 Athenians in Sicily

The Sicilian Expedition destroyed ancient Athens in just two years. From 415 to 413 BC Athens sent 134 triremes and 40,000 men to conquer Syracuse, only to lose 200 ships and see 7,000 survivors die in Syracuse's limestone quarries. This film traces the tribute that built the Parthenon, Alcibiades' pitch and defection to Sparta, Nicias' fatal 27-day delay after the lunar eclipse of August 27, 413 BC, and the final slaughter at the Assinarus River.