Were the Greeks who fought for Persia really traitors? Through the eyes of a captured Greek mercenary after the Battle of the Granicus, explore one of Alexander the Great's most thought-provoking moral dilemmas. This immersive historical podcast challenges the meaning of loyalty, identity, and patriotism in the ancient Greek world where victory often decides who gets to tell the story.

Narrator: Timon, a Greek mercenary captured after the Battle of the Granicus

Setting: A prisoner column marching west after Granicus, 334 BCE

1. Historical Sources

a. Ancient Sources

• Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander
• Diodorus Siculus, Library of History
• Plutarch, Life of Alexander

b. Modern Sources

• Adrian Goldsworthy, Philip and Alexander
• Peter Green, Alexander of Macedon
• Philip Freeman, Alexander the Great
• The Landmark Arrian

2. Author's Note

a. Historical:

• Presence of Greek mercenaries in Persian service at Granicus.
• Defeat and capture of many surviving Greek mercenaries.
• Alexander's decision to send many prisoners in chains to Macedonia.
• Alexander's justification that they had fought against the common Greek cause.

b. Reconstructed:

• Timon and his family.
• Conversations with guards.
• Personal motivations.
• Emotional reactions and reflections.
• Specific encounters with Macedonian soldiers.

This episode is intentionally designed as the first major moral gray area of the season. Every major fact is historical, but the narrator's perspective challenges the audience to consider how the same event can look completely different depending on who is telling the story.