Cost of Glory: Recent Episodes
Alex Petkas
The most influential biographies ever written, admired by leaders, creators, soldiers, and thinkers for nearly 2,000 years: Plutarch’s Parallel lives. Essential listening for anyone striving after greatness. Alex Petkas, former professor of ancient philosophy and history, revives and dramatically retells these unforgettable stories for modern audiences. The subjects are statesmen, generals, orators, and founders; pious and profane, stoics and hedonists. The stakes bear on the future of Western civilization. The cost of glory is always great. Visit costofglory.com to find out more.
The story of Marcus Licinius Crassus, Richest man in Rome.
In this episode:
-The Real Spartacus
-How to make a fortune, ancient style
-Why Crassus was a better spender than modern billionaires
Plutarch gives more examples of how to get it right, from Great Leaders of Greece & Rome
-Phocion
-Agathocles
-Pericles
-Sulla
-Themistocles
Highlights from Rome's Deadliest Conspiracy, the Catilinarian conspiracy.
Featuring speeches by Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger.
Get into one of the great moments of history - highlights from Cicero's speech Against Catiline. Featuring a quote or two from the original Latin.
The Conspiracy to overthrow the Roman Republic at the height of its power. Catiline and his associates challenge Cicero and Cato.
Rumors were that Crassus and Caesar were involved...
Part I: Highlights from Sallust's War with Catiline.
ANNOUNCING - New Megaseries: Visions of Caesar. I am beginning an arc on the biographies of all the most prominent of the era of Caesar, including The Man himself. Crassus, Pompey, Cato, Caesar, Cicero, Brutus, Antony.
The Greatest hero of all, Hercules - told by Seneca: Billionare, Politician, Stoic Philosopher, and... Tragic Playwright.
Highlights and power quotes from Seneca's "The Madness of Hercules":
in a new, brilliant, poetic translation by one of America's great poets, Dana Gioia
Get a copy here: https://amzn.to/42TEUqJ
(and support the show thereby)
More about Dana Gioia and his work here:
https://danagioia.com/
How do you buy yourself some time when you can't afford to tell people the reason why? A strategy used by a Spartan commander, Dercylidas. Brought to you by the Greek philosopher-historian-warrior Xenophon.
How should we look at the lives of “problematic” great figures? Join us as we join the ancient philosopher Plutarch, in sizing up two incredible men of action. Who wins?
Shout out to sources and inspirations:
Ancient:
Plutarch, life of Sulla
Plutarch, life of Marius
Plutarch, life of Sertorius
Plutarch, life of Pompey
Plutarch, life of Lucullus
Appian, Civil Wars
Appian, Mithridatic Wars
Cicero, pro Sexto Roscio
Sallust, Jugurtha
Secondary:
Arthur Keaveney (R.I.P.), Sulla, The Last Republican
Theodor Mommsen, History of Rome
Gareth Sampson, Collapse of Rome
Catherine Steel, The End of the Roman Republic; “Sulla the Orator”
Adrienne Mayor, The Poison King
Mass murderer or brilliant patriot? Whatever your take on Sulla, it's worth analyzing the qualities that made him a joy to his friends, and a terror to his enemies.
How do you keep your team together in a civil conflict? Can a country right itself by warring with itself? What are the limits to which one man will go to punish his enemies?
In this episode, Sulla’s most famous, or rather infamous, acts as a leader.
—People—
Sulla
Plutarch
King Pyrrhus
Cinna
Metellus Pius
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Carbo
Gaius Norbanus
Lucius Cornelius Scipio (Asiaticus)
Sertorius
Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)
Gaius Marius (Jr.)
Damasippus
The Samnites
Telesinus
The Lucanians
Lucius Ofella
Sextus Roscius (Amerinus)
Cicero
Catiline
Julius Caesar
The Gracchi
Metella
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 78 BC)
—Places—
Apollonia
Epirus
Adriatic Sea
Italy
Dalmatia
Campania
Mt Tifata
Capua
Capitoline Hill
Picenum
Praeneste (Palestrina)
Rome
Colline Gate
Antemnae Field of Mars (Campus Martius)
Temple of Bellona
Circus Flaminius
Ameria
Cumae
How does a great commander handle being undermined by his government back home? How should we treat opponents we defeat? And how do we negotiate the best deal when our backs are against the wall and our counterparts know it?
In this episode: Sulla goes to Greece, to war against Rome’s arch rival Mithridates of Pontus. Can he hold out against a vastly superior enemy army? And can he weather the escalating crisis in Rome?
People
Sulla, The Hero
Plutarch, The Narrator
Marius, The Scoundrel
Sulpicius, The Henchman
Cinna, The Politician
Mithridates, The King
Aristion, the Tyrant
Archelaus, The Foe
Flaccus, The Replacement
Fimbria, The Backstabber
Apellicon, The Book Collector
Andronicus, The Editor
Places
Rome
Athens
Piraeus
Epidaurus
Olympia
Delphi
Boeotia
Mt Parnassus
Chaeronea
Thebes
Livadeia
Orchomenus
Lake Kopais
Asia (Minor)
The Dardanelles
Dardanus
Euboea
Halae
Divinities
Ma
Bellona
Minerva
Venus
Aphrodite
Apollo
Asclepius
TrophoniusHow does a great commander handle being undermined by his government back home? How should we treat opponents we defeat? And how do we negotiate the best deal when our backs are against the wall and our counterparts know it?
How do we get Fortune on our side? What are the qualities necessary for daring unthinkable, unspeakable acts? When is it justififable to massacre your enemies? Sulla: A man of contradictions. Enjoyer of dramas and hedonistic pleasures; most successful general of his generation, and one of the greatest of all time. Patriot and champion of the ancient constitution; the Roman responsible for more Roman deaths than perhaps any other man in history.
Was Sulla one who broke the Republic?
In this episode learn the arts of:
-Wisdom
-charm
-gift giving
-deception
People:
Gaius Marius
Jugurtha
King Bocchus
The Cimbri and Teutones
Quintus Lutatius Catulus
The Metelli
Aemilius Scaurus
Mithridates of Pontus
The Parthians
Quintus Pompeius Rufus
Manius Aquillius (cameo)
Publius Sulpicius Rufus
Places:
Rome
Numidia
Gaul
Cilicia
Cappadocia
Armenia
Euphrates River
Persia
Parthia
Nola
A principle for building exercises to control your anxiety or fear. Favorinus, a philosopher from the time of Plutarch, offers some deft observations about Socrates.
How to turn bad luck around. SPOILER: it's not just more effort.
Stories of Timotheus and Sulla
What happened after Lysander died? What was his legacy? What can we learn from his life?
Lysander returns from his setbacks at Sparta with a revolutionary plan. He consults the gods about the Spartan Kingship; and some of his own prophecies about Greek geopolitics come true.
In this episode: How should protegés treat mentors? How do you change a deeply conservative state? And, as always, what is the cost, for an individual, for a state, of striving for supreme glory?
Characters:
Alexander Hamilton (cameo)
Lysander
Tissaphernes, Satrap of Lydia
The Pythia
Agesilaus
Cyrus the Younger
King Pausanias
Thrasyboulus of Athens
Places:
Sparta
Oracle of Delphi
Oracle of Dodona, in Epirus
Oracle of Zeus Ammon (Amun Ra), Libya
Ephesus
Thebes
Haliartus
Lysander - The Spartan who took down Athens. In this episode: the dangers of success.
How (and why) Lysander installed the notorious "Thirty" at Athens, and how he came to be worshipped as a god. Could Sparta contain such a man?
Characters:
Lysander
Socrates
Theramenes
Critias
King Pausanias
King Agis
Thrasyboulus
The Thirty
The Mob
Key Virtues:
Patience
Flexibility
Obedience
Indifference to Money
Resilience
Key Places:
Athens
Sparta
Thebes
Samos
Miletus
Delphi
A Spartan; first Greek honored as a god during his lifetime; destroyer of Athenian naval supremacy.
In this episode: his rise to power, how he pulled off the greatest naval upset in Greek history, and WHY he did it.
Characters:
Lysander
Socrates
Xenophon
Alcibiades
Prince Cyrus the Younger
Agesilaus
King Agis
Kallikratidas
The Mob
Key Virtues:
Patience
Flexibility
Obedience
Key Places:
Athens
Sparta
Ephesus
Dardanelles / Hellespont
Harry Truman was a great admirer of Plutarch's lives, and recommended them often. He discusses why.
Quotes taken from Miller's oral biography of Truman, "Plain Speaking."
How do we translate the advice Plutarch gives on free speaking, with the example of Pericles, into the world of modern media?
What combination of habits produces both strength and peace? How do we become more sovereign over our lives, over ourselves? With some references from a famous, classic text from Plutarch's works.
Why do we work? How should we spend our leisure? Also, announcing the next biography subjects!
A transcript of an article from Antigone Journal. Read the article here:
https://antigonejournal.com/2022/03/publius-rutilius-rufus/
Rutilius was a side character in the Life of Marius, but deserves his own treatment here. See also his treatment in the book Lives of the Stoics by Holiday and Hanselman, which inspired this essay.
This is the story of how Gaius Marius went from being the Greatest Man in Rome to Public Enemy #1.
But Marius, usually master of the political narrative, ended up having his story written by his political rivals. What was the true character of this surprisingly elusive figure?
What is worth imitating? What is worth avoiding?
Before fully answering these questions, we must understand the details of his story, one of the most dramatic and memorable sequences in all of Plutarch’s lives.
On today’s podcast:
- One way to respond when you’re being undermined
- The problem with putting off legitimate political complaints
- Marius, Drusus, and the beginning of the Social War
- Sulla, Marius, and the beginning of the Civil War
- Marius’ harrowing escape
- The prophecy about Marius’ 7 consulships
- The Bloody Return of Marius
Links:
- Thanks to our sponsor - ideamarket.io - @ideamarket_io on twitter!
- Thanks to our guest narrator, Justin Murphy! visit otherlife.co, indiethinkers.org, or @jmrphy on twittter
In this episode, Gaius Marius goes from upstart commander to Third Founder of Rome.
Roman writer and historian Sallust said Marius possessed Virtus (“manliness, prowess, virtue” - but, was Marius ultimately a “good man”?
In part two of The Life of Gaius Marius, Marius captures Jugurtha, he enlists the help of a prophetess to annihilate an army of Teutones, and triumphs over the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae. And how he became six times Roman consul.
But in order to reach the top, Marius had to dispatch political enemies, and make alliances with some dubious characters. Was it worth it?
Thanks to sponsor ideamarket.io! (@ideamarket_io)
On today’s podcast:
- The power of narrative
- How to commandeer a war from a decorated general
- Marius the Military Reformer and Strategist
- The battles of Arausio, Aquae Sextiae, Vercellae
- Third Founder of Rome
- How to engineer the downfall of a rival
Links:
- ideamarket.io
Hated by many contemporaries, admired by even more - and later Romans, such as the emperor Augustus.
“Seven times Consul, Praetor, Tribune of the Plebs, Quaestor, Augur, Military Tribune, Marius waged war against Jugurtha, the King of Numidia and captured him. He annihilated an army of Teutones. He triumphed over the Cimbri…”
Gaius Marius, an outsider, an Italian… A story of rising from obscurity to the apex of the Roman hierarchy. How did he do it?
And does he deserve the blame for starting the Roman Civil War?
Nobody becomes the greatest Roman alive in times of peace.
Marius was a young man of incredible ambition and razor sharp perception. He not only noticed the rare opportunities, but he seized them with dogged determination. Even more remarkably, Marius’ achievements didn’t happen until he was an older man.
In fact, Marius’ story was practically just beginning when he was age 50. Perhaps yours will too.
In this first installment of The Life of Gaius Marius, we learn about the foundations Marius laid in his early life as he positioned himself for greatness.
Thanks to sponsor ideamarket.io! (@ideamarket_io)
On today’s podcast:
- Learning the populist game from Scipio Africanus and the Gracchi
- Fitting in but staying different
- Acquiring a fortune and a reputation
- Entering Roman politics as an outsider
- Conciliating Rivals
- From Tribune, to Praetor, to Consul
- War with Jugurtha
Why did Plutarch write biographies? What does one hope to get out of a biography podcast?
Plutarch on what the octopus, and the mythic figure Proteus (who King Menelaus met on his way back from Troy) can tell us about friendship.
Coming back to Plutarch's essay on having many friends, with remarks from Zeuxis, Chilon, and Thucydides
A quote and meditation from Plutarch's On Having Many Friends.
Sign up for our email list at ancientlifecoach.com!
Merry Christmas (etc.) from Ancient Life Coach. The historical aftermath of Pyrrhus' death, and some thoughts on gift giving.
In this episode:
The fate of Pyrrhus' kingdom
Pyrrhus's role in the outbreak of the great Punic Wars?
Merry Christmas (or Saturnalia) to all!
Antigonus was famously once asked, “who is the greatest General of our day?” to which he replied, “Pyrrhus, if he lives to be old.”
This is the third and final installment of The Life of Pyrrhus, King of Epirus.
[Original music score based on Epirot and other Greek folk traditions, by Ilias Markantonis.
See Ilias' work on Facebook, or Instagram (@ilias_markantonis)]
Pyrrhus takes opportunity after opportunity, always imagining this will further his cause. It begins with a Sicilian expedition. After this, Pyrrhus returns to Italy to fight the Battle of Beneventum. Then he goes to Macedonia to try and claw back an opportunity he didn’t pursue earlier.
It’s a predictable pattern, according to Plutarch:
“Pyrrhus was always entertaining one hope after another, and since he made one success but the starting point for a new one, while he was determined to make good each disaster by a fresh undertaking, he allowed neither defeat nor victory to put a limit to his causing trouble for himself and for others.”
Pyrrhus made his mark by cultivating an almost maniacal focus on winning in battle - he had a lust for combat. In doing so he won for himself long lasting glory. But we should perhaps ask, together with Plutarch - what was the cost? And was it worth it?
On today’s podcast:
- Pyrrhus’ whirlwind Sicilian expedition
- Fabricius’ revenge
- Pyrrhus vs Antigonus
- The Siege of Sparta
- The Battle for Argos
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
Some Places Mentioned
Akragas (Agrigento)
Leontini (Lentini)
Tauromenium (Taormina)
Eryx (Erice, Trapani)
Lilybaeum (Marsala)
Tarentum (Taranto)
Beneventum (Benevento)
Syracuse
Calabria
Aegae
Sparta
Crete
Corinth
Argos
Nafplio
“Pyrrhus… saw clearly what great happiness he was leaving behind him. But he just couldn’t renounce his hopes of obtaining what he eagerly desired.”
We can think of many ambitious leaders or groups who made a big dent in the world by smashing through boundaries: The Mongols, The British East India Company, Moses and Joshua taking the promised land. But many dreamed big and failed to deliver: Napoleon in Russia, Xerxes in Greece.
Which kind of leader will Pyrrhus be?
In this episode, the story of Pyrrhus' great challenge to the Romans; the first well-documented visit to Rome by a Greek; Pyrrhus' famous utterance, “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.”
Some takeaways:
Fortune favors the bold: if you have your heart set on something, why not do everything within your power to achieve it? Show compassion even when you don’t have to - Pyrrhus consistently showed respect for his enemy. Also Pyrrhus is not famous for being a politician, but he was a competent negotiator who sought a peaceful resolution before resorting to violence.
On today’s podcast:
- The cost of following your dreams
- Showing respect for your adversary
- Winning wars without resorting to violence (sometimes)
- Letting your strengths guide your decisions
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
[Original music score based on Epirot and other Greek folk traditions, by Ilias Markantonis.
See Ilias' work on Facebook, or Instagram (@ilias_markantonis)]
Thanks to our sponsor, Ovadia Heart health! You can support this podcast by visiting the following links and, if you like something, make a purchase.
Dr. Philip Ovadia's Metabolic Health Tracking System
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"Stay off My Operating Table" eBook
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Pyrrhus, the Warrior King. Father of the "Pyrrhic Victory." Smuggled out of the palace at two years old. Raised in exile by Illyrians. Pyrrhus grew to be the "greatest commander of his day" according to observers like Hannibal and Antigonus.
[Original music score based on Epirot and other Greek folk traditions, by Ilias Markantonis.
See Ilias' work on Facebook, or Instagram (@ilias_markantonis)]
In this episode:
-Find a mentor
-Transcend a mentor
-Identify the Master Skill in your field, and focus
-How to master fear
-Seizing opportunities to expand your network
Thanks to our sponsor, historical fiction author Jackson Riddle! www.jacksonsriddle.com
Check out his new book, A Potter's Vessel, an alternative telling of the conflict that became the US Civil War.
Pyrrhus of Epirus (319-272 BC) was a cousin of Alexander the Great. He was the first man to take battle elephants to Italy. He defeated the Romans on several occasions in what became known as the Pyrrhic Wars.
In Part 1, we meet Pyrrhus as a 2 year old, as he is snatched from his crib in a deadly coup.
As he struggles to establish himself in his kingdom through his teenage and early adult years, he learns that the only path toward self-reliance for him and for his kingdom is through the sword.
Some lessons:
It's always useful to have a mentor. But you may not have to bind yourself to that person forever.
“As his former mentor and now esteemed arch enemy, Demetrius put Pyrrhus through the best school of war anyone could hope for – strategy, tactics, hand to hand combat – Pyrrhus could learn it all from the best - if he could keep his head.”
Also, seize any opportunity to expand your network both professionally and personally. Case in point: Pyrrhus in Asia, and Egypt.
Find a master a skill in your own field. If there is one thing Pyrrhus exemplifies, it is the power of personal courage in a leader. So if that’s an area you need to work on (hint: you can never have too much courage), start now. Courage is physical.
"Satisfy your souls on Plutarch, and dare to believe in yourselves when you believe in his heroes" - Nietzsche
PYRRHUS ARRIVES NEXT WEEK
Friedrich Nietzsche: Greek Scholar, Plutarch fan, student of history, incisive critic of history nerds such as your host.
How does history help us, actually? Is it in the ways we think?
Listen to this episode for encouragement if you feel woefully ignorant about history. Or, if you are a big history buff and need the occasional kick in the pants.
Insights and Quotes from Nietzsche's Essay "On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History."
Available on its own here
or in this collection.
Plato spent time around some bad people. But he had a way of trying to stay at the top of his virtue game despite the many bad influences he was around.
You can use it too.
Links to Lysias' Against Eratosthenes (Lysias 12), mentioned in the episode:
A PDF (It's public domain):
https://ryanfb.github.io/loebolus-data/L244.pdf
Perseus (Annoying interface, but convenient):
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0154%3Aspeech%3D12
How enemies can be more useful than Reason itself. Anecdotes from Chilon of Sparta, Scipio Nasica. From Plutarch's treatise How to Profit from your Enemies.
His treatise was addressed to Cornelius Pulcher, of Epidaurus, custodian of the cult of Asclepius.
In the Parallel Lives, the philosopher Plutarch pairs individual Greeks and Romans with each other, comparing their lives. In the last few episodes of The Cost of Glory we’ve shared Plutarch’s stories about the lives of Eumenes of Kardia and Sertorius of Rome, pulling out key lessons for modern leaders.
In this comparison episode, we’re joined by guest narrator Stephen Blackwell, President of Ralston College, Savannah, Georgia.
(www.ralston.ac)
Plutarch offers his own thoughts on the lives of Eumenes and Sertorius.
We offer ours on their respective legacies.
Both Eumenes and Sertorius lived similar lives, with similar fortunes, and competed using similar qualities. They both possessed great innate talent, and a tremendous dedication to hard work and perfecting their skills. They were also motivated by powerful ambition, but were both ultimately betrayed by people on their own team.
Lessons?
1: If you’re a leader, you need to do everything you can to read the character and disposition of your immediate reports. Are they following you willingly? Or are they likely to jump ship when something better comes along? Take measures to learn the character of your subordinates.
2: For your legacy: Leave behind living people who admire and respect you. People for whom you gave everything you had, to help and defend their rights, to promote their flourishing in the world, even at the highest cost. They’re the ones who will ensure your good work lives on.
On today’s podcast:
- Plutarch’s comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes
- Julius Caesar and the legacy of Sertorius
- The importance of having favorable storytellers: Hieronymus and Sallust
- Is loyalty a virtue?
- The importance of being faithful
- Channel your ambition into a cause and principle
Links:
- www.ancientlifecoach.com
- Plutarch’s essay
- Ralston College
What happened to Alexander's kingdom after the death of Eumenes?
In this episode:
-The end of the Eumenes Story
-The age of warring successors begins.
-What is special about Eumenes?
In this final part of his Life, Eumenes’ loyalty to the legacy of Alexander is put to the ultimate test. He faces off against Antigonus, on behalf of Queen Olympias, over rulership of the kingdom and the regency of the kings.
A notable historian, A.B. Bosworth, remarks that the struggle between Eumenes and Antigonus “Did more than anything to determine the shape the Hellenistic world.”
Our guest narrator is Dawn LaValle Norman, a classicist and scholar of Plutarch and his era.
Eumenes has the choice at multiple points to retire in peace. But he fights on. Why? And what can we learn from his example?
Eumenes knew the secrets of how to secure the loyalty and admiration of followers, and the compliance of reluctant subordinates.
He took his men on grand campaigns from the steppes of central Turkey to the marshes of Babylonia, the death valley of Susa, and the Iranian highlands.
As Plutarch remarks: “Success… makes even men of smaller character look impressive to us, as they stare down upon us from the heights, but it is when misfortune strikes, that the truly great and steadfast man becomes unmistakeable.”
On today’s podcast:
- How to secure loyalty from reluctant followers
- How to wait out a siege
- The brittle peace after Antipater’s death, and the wrench that smashed it
- How Eumenes made it into the Babylonian Chronicle
- Why the debtor rules the creditor
- The way Eumenes fought when the odds were against him
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
What would you do if your closest friend died unexpectedly, leaving an incredible legacy, and an infant son. How far would you go to defend his rights? Would you give your life?
In this episode Eumenes emerges onto the world stage as one of antiquity’s brilliant generals.
What is it like to believe in a divine kingship? Or, at least, to act as though you do believe?
Eumenes fought rebel Persian satraps, upstaged Macedonian warrior nobles, arranged dynastic marriages, fought in hand to hand combat with great commanders. He was visited in his dreams by the gods. He strove mightily against fate.
Like the figures he worked for and fought with, he seems larger than life sometimes. What can we take away from his biography?
Eumenes stayed true to his principles, kept his word in an increasingly faithless age, and though all adversity, by gradually taking on larger and larger challenges and responsibilities, he transformed himself, and became an equal of the great lords who were deciding the fate of the throne of Alexander.
On today’s podcast:
- Why you should be careful who you marry
- How to remain loyal to yourself and the cause you believe in
- How the The first great War of the Successors began
- How to get the gods to fight on your side
- Eumenes’ transformation from a man of letters to a man of war
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
As the Royal Secretary to Alexander the Great, Eumenes of Kardia had a front row seat to Alexander bringing his impossible dream crashing into the real world.
As a young man, Eumenes couldn’t possibly have known that the Mediterranean world he lived in was on the cusp of the most dramatic political and cultural shift in its recorded history, up to that point. And that he would be at the very center of the administrative and military machine that brought that change about.
But just when Eumenes was on top of this new world order he had helped forge, Alexander died. And things suddenly looked like they were starting to unravel. When this happened, Eumenes was determined to keep it all together, because he was one of the only people who could.
Not many people can expertly pivot their position so smoothly, but in the aftermath of Alexander’s unexpected death, Eumenes adroitly converted his position and influence into political power.
In this first part of The Life of Eumenes of Kardia, we learn why King Philip of Macedonia initially hired Eumenes as his secretary, how Eumenes grew close to Alexander, why Eumenes got on Olympias’ good side, and on Antipater’s wrong side, the expeditions Eumenes accompanied Alexander on, why the expedition into the Punjab region transformed Eumenes from administrator to taking charge of an elite division of cavalry, Eumenes’ role in settling the succession of Alexander at the Partition of Babylon, and finally why Perdiccas sent Eumenes to Cappadocia.
From the outset, Eumenes displayed the traits of a great leader - his ability to be an effective follower of the right cause, and a loyal servant to the decision makers in the situation he found himself in. He was able to slow his mind down and comprehend the situation as a whole, and find where the real potential for action was, the real leverage points. But more importantly, Eumenes performed all his roles, no matter how minor, with excellence, because he saw in them the clear potential for much greater roles.
So, if like Eumenes, you’re looking for a way to sharpen your present self, download and listen to this latest episode.
On today’s podcast:
- How to excel in the service of charismatic leaders
- That some accountants can wrestle
- Philip II of Macedon’s conquest of Greece, and subsequent Murder
- The importance of being trustworthy
- Alexander’s conquest of Asia and beyond
- How to build up creds and respect as an outsider
- Eumenes’ role in the Partition of Babylon - The post- Alexander settlement
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
Plutarch in On Tranquillity of Mind discusses a way to use the famous phrase Know Thyself.
Some Figures mentioned:
Sertorius
Eumenes,
Philip II of Macedon
Alexander the Great
Dionysius I, Tyrant of Syracuse
Philoxenus the Poet
Pindar
Empedocles
Plato
Democritus
Ismenias, wealthy citizen of Thebes
Epaminondas, Theban general
Euripides
Quotes:
"Know Thyself"
"Rule the Sparta you got"
How do you keep a positive frame of mind in challenging circumstances? Troubles with loved ones, at work, with poverty, business? Try this tool, drawn from a passage of Plutarch's moral writings (Moralia).
Treatise mentioned: On Tranquility of Mind (from the Moralia)
People Mentioned:
Paccius - a Roman senator, not known outside of Plutarch's works. Possibly a friend or acquaintance of Pliny the Younger, Tacitus.
Epaminondas - Famous Theban general and statesman. Major character in the Life of Pelopidas, brief mention in the Life of Eumenes.
Fabricius - Famous Roman general and statesman. Major character in the Life of Pyrrhus (also coming soon)
Tool discussed: reframing the conception of external circumstances, in order to alter one's inner state.
This episode provides a brief summary of the life of Sertorius (spoiler alert), recounts events at Rome after his death, and offers a few practical takeaways.
Go deeper! Sign up for Ancient Life Emails at ancientlifecoach.com.
Life of Sertorius Cheat Sheet - ancientlifecoach.com/quintussertorius
(To skip the summary, go to 6:00)
There is some closure to the story - the wicked are punished, at least some of them. But in the wake of the civil war, Sertorius' legacy was, for now, in jeopardy. The narrative was controlled by his enemies. But this situation did not last forever.
Some Takeaways:
How to work your hardest
Which game to play
How to survive when death and failure threaten
How to bring people in to your dream
How do you fight off the greatest military machine the world had ever produced? How do you take back an empire?
In his quest to win a better life for himself and the men he led, Sertorius shows what talented and determined people can do when they justly feel they have been wronged and have been given no recourse.
He makes allies with unexpected leaders, he mentors those beneath him, and inspires thousands of people, time and again, to fight alongside him.
In this third and final installment of the Life of Sertorius, we follow Sertorius’ stunning and improbable rise to the leadership of a rival Roman state. Hunted by his enemies, he throws in his lot with pirates from Cilicia. When they abandon him, he battles against them in a proxy war in Mauretania (Morocco). The Lusitanians, a Spaniard tribe, invite him to be their leader. He persuades them to join him in a bold mission to restore Rome from Spain.
He evades the great Metellus Pius, using guerrilla tactics, and sets about Romanizing the native peoples of Spain. The Senate sends in Pompey the Great. Sertorius schools him too.
But the greatest challenge Sertorius faces is in sharing his power - in trusting other Romans who are not like him, who lack his vision, humility, and discipline.
Sertorius’ life provides many valuable lessons for leaders: lessons on strategy and tactics, the importance of preparation, surprise, speed, knowing your territory, but also the power of trustworthiness, empathy, and patience.
A great Roman historian, a nobel laureate, Theodor Mommsen, called Sertorius, “one of the great men, perhaps the greatest of all Rome had produced, and one who in more fortunate circumstances could perhaps have become the regenerator of his country.”
If you’re looking for a way to sharpen your present by learning from the lives of famous leaders such as Sertorius, download and listen to this latest episode.
On today’s podcast:
- Guest Narrator! Dr. Anika Prather. https://drprather.com/
- The Pirates of Cilicia
- Usurpers and the Giant’s tomb in Morocco
- Guerilla Warfare, Roman style
- The Lusitanians and their role in the great Sertorian rebellion
- Diana, the Hunter goddess, and her divine “gift”
- Sertorius’ famous opponents: Metellus Pius, Pompey the Great
- Spectacular military exploits at Lauro, Sucro, Saguntum, and more
- Beginning the Romanization of Spain
- A rival Senate, a rival State
- Sertorius’ final achievement
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
Sponsors
- The Paideia Institute - classical tours and classical language teaching
- www.paideiainstitute.org
Alexander Hamilton - future founder and lawgiver - was just a young aide of General George Washington in the American Revolutionary war. This was much like Sertorius’ role under Gaius Marius in the last episode.
Very few Camp Aides go on to great things, like becoming General. If you want to be one of those people, the ones who make the most of the opportunity to level up, what do you do?
Hamilton, like many ambitious people before and after him, read Plutarch’s Lives, taking notes on the biographies of the founders and lawgivers of Athens, Rome, and Sparta, learning how they overcame challenges in order to triumph.
Sertorius, at this point in his career, as a political outsider, had to perform that much harder than his peers from noble families. In this episode we trace his rise to political prominence. He performs deeds of shocking daring and decisiveness when there are opportunities, and when all doors seem shut he patiently bides his time. In all cases, he maintains an iron will to survive and thrive.
We learn how Sertorius permanently secures two cities in Spain in one night. How he becomes Quaestor. How he loses his eye in the Social wars. We listen as he’s enrolled as a member of the senate, as he runs for Tribune of the Plebs only to have Sulla form a cabal and block him. We witness the return of Marius - Marius 2.0, Make Marius Great Again. We listen as Sertorius makes an alliance with Cinna, before he, Cinna and Marius take back control of Rome. And finally, we hear how Sertorius is sent back to Spain as Governor, in the midst of a great civil war before being forced to take to the sea in a desperate attempt to keep hope alive for his cause.
So, if like Hamilton, you’re looking for a way to sharpen your present by learning from the lives of famous Greeks and Romans, such as Sertorius, download and listen to this latest episode.
On today’s podcast:
- How Sertorius became Quaestor
- Why Sulla blocked him from becoming Tribune of the Plebs
- Marius 2.0: Make Marius Great Again
- The Social Wars and Civil Wars
- The alliance between Sertorius, Cinna and Marius
- Becoming Governor of Spain
- Sertorius’ decision to challenge the power of Rome
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
Sponsors
- The Paideia Institute - classical tours and classical language teaching
- www.paideiainstitute.org
Sertorius - the greatest Roman rebel - was a commander whose story inspired both Beethoven and Machiavelli. As Beethoven realised he was going deaf, he turned to the ancient philosopher, Plutarch, and his work, Parallel Lives, for inspiration.
Plutarch’s biographies gave Beethoven the strength and determination to carry on, to cope, to overcome his aural tragedy and go on to become one of the greatest composers of all time.
But what is it about Sertorius’ story that Beethoven, and many famous and ambitious people who followed him, admired? What can we take from Sertorius’ story that will sharpen us, and prepare us to face the present, whatever it throws at us?
“Sertorius was a traitor in the eyes of many, and a hero to others. He went on to be perhaps the greatest Roman Rebel, and certainly he was the greatest Roman Guerilla warrior.”
We start with his early career.
We meet Sertorius as he attends his first triumphal parade. We hear about that hot August day in 105 BC when the Romans were defeated by the Cimbri in battle. We learn that as a kid from Nursia, trying to get ahead in this world, he was looking for ways to stand out in front of the people who could make or break his career. But when there weren’t any great battles where he could win glory, he realized he’d have to create an opportunity. When he met with setback, he knew there was no use wallowing in resentment, waiting for yet another big shot to notice him.
“He focused on what he could control, and that is… honing his craft, the art of war.”
On today’s podcast:
- How world class performers deal with setbacks
- Why Beethoven turned to Plutarch
- What Sertorius can teach us about learning to defy fate
- The Battle of Arausio and the Cimbrian Wars
- The rise and fall of General Gaius Marius
- Saturninus the rogue Tribune
- The Gold of Tolosa
- The origins of the Roman Civil War
Links:
- https://ancientlifecoach.com/
Sponsors
- The Paideia Institute - classical tours and classical language teaching
- www.paideiainstitute.org
Introducing The Cost of Glory, launching August 2021.
For more information, visit https://ancientlifecoach.com