Classical Wisdom Speaks: Recent Episodes
Classical Wisdom
A Podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. This podcast is provided by Classical Wisdom, to learn more check out www.classicalwisdom.com
What Did Roman Houses Reveal About the People Who Lived Inside Them? | Ancient Architecture & Morality
Roman houses were more than places to live—they were reflections of identity, values, status, and ideas about how to live a good life.
In this fascinating conversation, Marden Nicholls explores what ancient Roman homes can teach us about architecture, morality, social values, and the relationship between our surroundings and ourselves. Discover how Roman writers viewed the house as a mirror of character, why design choices mattered, and what ancient ideas about sustainable building and meaningful spaces can teach us today.
Perfect for anyone interested in Roman history, ancient architecture, archaeology, classical literature, philosophy, and the everyday lives of people in the Roman world, this episode reveals how the spaces we inhabit shape the way we think, act, and understand ourselves.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
What Roman houses reveal about identity and values
Ancient Roman architecture and social life
The connection between homes and morality
How Roman authors used houses as reflections of character
Architecture, environment, and sustainability
Ancient ideas about living well
How private spaces shaped public identity
Roman construction methods and lasting materials
What ancient architecture can teach modern society
The relationship between surroundings and personal improvement
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & Roman homes
03:00 The meaning of the Roman house
08:00 Architecture, identity & social values
15:00 Ancient texts and household ideals
22:00 How Romans viewed wealth and status
30:00 Materials, sustainability & construction
36:10 Architecture, environment & modern lessons
38:00 The home as a reflection of morality
40:00 Public spaces, private spaces & human behavior
If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more discussions on Ancient Rome, classical literature, archaeology, philosophy, and the lessons the ancient world still offers today.
Comment below: Do you think the spaces we live in influence the people we become?
🔗 LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Full podcast: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/what-does-your-home-say-about-you
👉 Buy How to Make a Home: An Ancient Guide to Style and Comfort: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691249124/how-to-make-a-home?srsltid=AfmBOooKQLgpvMeBjjc_IamYBxRqF5xQrwRX-elm-pZ-j8MLosxuql5w
🎙️ GUEST
Marden Nicholls — Scholar of Classics and ancient Roman culture whose work explores Roman literature, architecture, domestic spaces, and the ways ancient texts reveal ideas about identity, morality, and daily life.
🔖 HASHTAGS
AncientRome #RomanArchitecture #Classics #AncientHistory #Archaeology
Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World | The Ancient Civilization That Still Shapes Your Life
Mesopotamia changed the world.
Many of the systems you use every day began thousands of years ago between the Tigris and Euphrates.
Assyriologist Selena Wisnom explains why Mesopotamia was far more than the "cradle of civilization." Discover how cuneiform writing, libraries, mathematics, literature, timekeeping, and the Epic of Gilgamesh helped shape the modern world.
If you're interested in ancient history, archaeology, ancient literature, or the origins of human civilization, this episode reveals why Mesopotamia remains one of history's most influential cultures.
🔑 KEY TOPICS COVERED
What Mesopotamia actually was
Why it deserves more attention than it receives
The invention of cuneiform writing
How Mesopotamian knowledge shaped the modern world
The Epic of Gilgamesh and its enduring lessons
Ancient libraries and the preservation of knowledge
Learning cuneiform today
The origins of timekeeping, mathematics, and record-keeping
How ideas survive across thousands of years
What modern society still owes to Mesopotamia
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introducing Mesopotamia & Selina Winsome
01:27 Beyond the "cradle of civilization"
04:50 Cuneiform and the invention of writing
09:10 Why Mesopotamian literature matters
14:17 Learning cuneiform today
15:09 The Epic of Gilgamesh explained
19:56 Mesopotamia's impact on modern life
22:53 The Library of Ashurbanipal
24:24 How knowledge survives catastrophe
27:20 Preserving information in the digital age
30:30 The Memory of Mankind project
31:59 Final reflections & closing
If you enjoyed this conversation, please like and subscribe for more deep dives into ancient history, archaeology, mythology, philosophy, and the civilizations that shaped our world.
Comment below: What contribution from Mesopotamia do you think has had the biggest impact on modern life?
🔗 LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Full podcast: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/before-greece-and-rome-the-civilization
👉 Buy Selena’s book, The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World: https://www.amazon.com/Library-Ancient-Wisdom-Mesopotamia-Making/dp/0226849295/
ALSO: Some of the fantastic resources mentioned in the conversation are:
Selena’s Website: www.selenawisnom.com
Including a guide to learning cuneiform: https://www.selenawisnom.com/learning-cuneiform
🎙️ GUEST
Selena Wisnom: Assyriologist, lecturer in Ancient Middle Eastern History at the University of Leicester, and author of The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World. Her research focuses on cuneiform literature, Mesopotamian culture, ancient libraries, and the intellectual legacy of the ancient Near East.
Mesopotamia #AncientHistory #Cuneiform #EpicOfGilgamesh #Archaeology
Do we truly have free will, or are our choices shaped by biology, habits, and unconscious forces?
This fascinating panel explores one of humanity's oldest and most important questions.
Join philosopher Tamar Gendler, psychologist Jeffrey Schaler, and classicist Michael Fontaine as they debate free will, consciousness, Aristotle, and what ancient wisdom can teach us about making better decisions today.
Whether you're interested in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, ethics, or personal development, this conversation offers thought-provoking insights into how we become the people we choose to be.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
What free will actually means
Philosophy vs. psychology on human choice
Are our decisions determined by biology?
Consciousness and self-awareness
Addiction, habits, and responsibility
Aristotle, Plutarch, and ancient ideas of character
Can neuroscience explain behavior?
Moral responsibility and the justice system
Building better habits and exercising self-control
Ancient philosophy for modern life
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & panel introductions
06:40 What is free will?
17:45 Ancient philosophy on choice
30:10 Habits, character & Aristotle
42:05 Neuroscience vs. free will
56:20 Addiction, agency & responsibility
01:10:35 Ozempic, habits & behavior change
01:12:32 Do we really choose our actions?
01:15:03 Audience Q&A begins
01:20:55 Consciousness & self-awareness
01:25:58 Plutarch on becoming better
01:27:08 Final reflections & closing
If you enjoyed this discussion, subscribe for more conversations exploring ancient wisdom, philosophy, psychology, and the ideas that continue to shape the modern world.
Comment below: Do you believe we truly have free will, or are our choices determined by factors beyond our control?
🔗 LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Buy Michael Fontaine's book 'How to Have Will Power': https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691220345/how-to-have-willpower
👉 Buy Jeffrey Schaler's book 'Addiction is a Choice': https://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Choice-Ph-D-Jeffrey-Schaler/dp/081269404X
👉 Buy Tamar Gendler's book 'Thought Experiment: On the Powers and Limits of Imaginary Cases': https://www.amazon.com/Thought-Experiment-Powers-Limits-Imaginary/dp/1138990337
🎙️ GUESTS
Michael Fontaine: Classicist and professor whose work connects ancient philosophy with contemporary questions about ethics, choice, and human behavior.
Tamar Gendler: Philosopher and cognitive scientist whose work explores belief, reasoning, habits, and the philosophy of mind.
Jeffrey Schaler: Psychologist, author, and leading voice on addiction, personal responsibility, and human agency.
FreeWill #Philosophy #Psychology #Consciousness #Neuroscience
The Amarna Letters: Love, War & Diplomacy in the Bronze Age World | Eric Cline
What can 3,400-year-old diplomatic letters teach us about international politics, trade, misinformation, and human nature?
Archaeologist and historian Eric Cline reveals the extraordinary story of the Amarna Letters: hundreds of clay tablets that uncovered a thriving, interconnected Bronze Age world. From royal marriages and diplomatic rivalries to trade networks, proxy wars, and political intrigue, these ancient letters offer a rare window into life before the collapse of the Late Bronze Age.
If you're fascinated by ancient history, Egypt, the Bronze Age, archaeology, diplomacy, or the origins of globalization, this episode will transform how you think about the ancient world, and its surprising similarities to our own.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
What the Amarna Letters are and why they matter
The discovery of the tablets in Egypt
Akhenaten, Amenhotep III, and Bronze Age diplomacy
International trade and globalization in the ancient world
Royal marriages, gifts, and political alliances
How historians deciphered the Amarna archive
The Late Bronze Age international system
Proxy wars, misinformation, and political intrigue
Why the Bronze Age feels surprisingly modern
What the letters reveal about human nature
The world before the Bronze Age Collapse
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & the discovery of the Amarna Letters
01:48 Why Eric Cline wrote this book
03:00 How the tablets were found in Egypt
05:06 The archive of Akhenaten & Amenhotep III
09:07 Why the letters changed ancient history
11:15 Akhenaten and the Bronze Age world
12:39 The Late Bronze Age international network
14:24 A prosperous world before collapse
16:28 Deciphering the tablets
18:18 Surprising insights from the letters
20:54 Proxy wars & Bronze Age politics
23:24 The reality behind royal correspondence
28:00 Diplomacy, trade & international relations
33:03 Why the Bronze Age still matters today
35:08 Human nature across 3,000 years
37:22 Final thoughts & closing
If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more deep dives into ancient history, archaeology, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the civilizations that shaped our world.
Comment below: What surprised you most about the Amarna Letters? Do you think the Bronze Age world was more connected than most people realize?
LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 FULL podcast: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/when-the-world-was-already-global
👉 Buy Eric Cline's book on the Amarna Letters: https://www.amazon.com/Love-War-Diplomacy-Discovery-Revealed/dp/0691274088
GUEST
Eric Cline: Professor of Classics and Anthropology at George Washington University, archaeologist, and bestselling author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, After 1177 B.C., and Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Reveal. His research focuses on the Late Bronze Age, ancient Egypt, archaeology, and the interconnected civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean.
AmarnaLetters #BronzeAge #AncientEgypt #Archaeology #AncientHistory
What can Homer's Odyssey teach us about resilience, trauma, grief, purpose, and living a meaningful life in the modern world?
Clinical psychologist Dr. Sam Akbar joins Classical Wisdom Speaks to explore why The Odyssey remains one of the most powerful guides to human psychology ever written. Drawing on her work with trauma survivors and refugees, she reveals how Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus offer timeless lessons on resilience, emotional growth, identity, belonging, and finding your way home, both literally and psychologically.
Whether you're interested in Greek mythology, psychology, mental health, personal growth, Stoicism, or Homer's epic poetry, this conversation will change how you read The Odyssey.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
The psychology of Homer's Odyssey
Why Odysseus still resonates with modern readers
Resilience, trauma, and post-traumatic growth
What refugees can teach us about the meaning of home
Why flawed heroes are more inspiring than perfect ones
Penelope's hidden psychological strength
Telemachus and the journey to adulthood
Grief, loss, and personal transformation
Ancient wisdom for modern mental health
Community, loneliness, and the Greek concept of xenia
Finding purpose and defining your own Ithaca
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introducing Dr. Sam Akbar & The Odyssey Mindset
01:40 Psychology meets Classics
05:06 What Homer understood about human nature
07:42 Why Odysseus still resonates today
12:18 Trauma, refugees & reading Homer differently
16:10 The Odyssey as a post-war story
20:00 Resilience, acceptance & psychological growth
22:07 Penelope and quiet resistance
24:00 What does “home” really mean?
30:00 Telemachus, mentorship & growing up
34:50 Grief, loss & personal odysseys
41:20 Community, loneliness & modern life
45:00 Catharsis, collective healing & ancient wisdom
50:10 Final reflections
If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more discussions on Ancient Greece, philosophy, psychology, mythology, and the timeless lessons hidden in classical texts.
Comment below: What is your personal “Ithaca”? What lesson from The Odyssey has stayed with you the most?
🔗 LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Buy The Odyssey Mindset by Dr. Sam Akbar: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/dr-sam-akbar/the-odyssey-mindset/9781035090549
GUEST
Dr. Sam Akbar is a clinical psychologist, a Classics graduate from University of Oxford, and author of The Odyssey Mindset: Seven Timeless Lessons on Resilience, Strength, and Purpose. Her work combines psychology, trauma research, resilience, and classical literature to uncover practical lessons from the ancient world.
TheOdyssey #GreekMythology #Psychology #AncientWisdom #PersonalGrowth
Intellectual Slaves in Ancient Rome: The Hidden Minds Behind Roman Literature & Power
What is an intellectual slave, and why did some of the most educated people in ancient Rome live in bondage?
In this fascinating conversation, Princeton classics professor Harriet Flower reveals the overlooked world of learned slaves and educated freedmen in Republican Rome. Discover how enslaved scholars, poets, editors, teachers, and philosophers helped shape Roman culture, literature, politics, and intellectual life, and why some were worth fortunes to Rome’s elite.
If you're interested in Roman history, slavery in the ancient world, classical literature, or the hidden figures behind great civilizations, this episode offers a completely new perspective on how knowledge, power, and status worked in ancient Rome.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
What an “intellectual slave” was in ancient Rome
How educated slaves differed from common perceptions of slavery
Why Roman elites invested heavily in slave education
The connection between slavery, literature, and cultural prestige
How scholars, poets, editors, and philosophers lived within elite households
Famous intellectual slaves and freedmen of the Roman Republic
The economics of highly educated slaves
Why some learned slaves were worth enormous fortunes
How freedmen influenced Roman politics and publishing
The role of education, authorship, and intellectual labor in Roman society
What these forgotten lives reveal about power and culture in the ancient world
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 What is an intellectual slave?
00:55 Educated slaves & freedmen in Rome
02:50 How intellectuals became enslaved
06:43 Why Romans educated slaves
08:58 Philosophy, literature & elite culture
10:12 Educated slaves as luxury assets
13:07 Roman attitudes toward slavery
15:16 Jobs performed by intellectual slaves
18:35 The most expensive slave in Rome
21:18 Intellectuals as status symbols
22:23 Atticus and his scholarly household
25:13 Captured scholars as war prizes
27:00 Archimedes and the value of genius
30:05 Rome's intellectual ecosystem
33:22 Speechwriters, advisers & hidden influence
37:03 Which intellectual slave deserves a movie?
39:26 Final thoughts & closing
If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more deep dives into ancient history, classical philosophy, and the hidden stories that shaped civilization.
Comment below: Which aspect of Roman slavery surprised you most? Were intellectual slaves collaborators, status symbols, victims of circumstance... or all three?
LINKS
👉 FULL EPISODE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/the-price-of-knowledge-in-ancient
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Buy Harriet Flower's Book on Educated Slaves: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691266169/intellectual-property?srsltid=AfmBOor5mD_3-q-hH28k8MpgzGhPMS3qVKSFtkJwak5seb7ryczBzu8x
🎙️ GUEST
Harriet Flower
Andrew Fleming West Professor of Classics at Princeton University and author of Intellectual Property: Learned Slaves and Educated Freemen in Republican Rome. Her research explores Roman history, slavery, political culture, and the intellectual networks that shaped the ancient world.
AncientRome #RomanHistory #Classics #AncientHistory #SlaveryInRome
Why Did Ancient Civilizations Worship Bulls?
From the Minotaur to Taurus, explore how bull symbolism shaped mythology, religion, power, and identity across the ancient world.
This episode is for anyone fascinated by ancient mythology, symbolism, religion, and the hidden meanings behind ancient cultures.
Author and researcher Stephen Palmer explores the history of bull worship in the ancient world, from prehistoric cave art and fertility rituals to Greek mythology, and the enduring cultural power of the bull.
The conversation dives into why bulls became such important symbols of strength, masculinity, divinity, sacrifice, and cosmic order across civilizations.
You’ll also discover how ancient myths and symbols still influence modern culture today: from astrology and storytelling to politics, identity, and human psychology.
If you’ve ever wondered why the bull appears everywhere in mythology and history, this episode offers a fascinating deep dive into one of humanity’s oldest symbols.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
• Why bulls were worshipped in ancient civilizations
• Bull symbolism in Greek mythology and religion
• Taurus and the zodiac explained
• The Minotaur and Minoan Crete
• Bulls as symbols of masculinity, power, and fertility
• Ancient rituals, sacrifice, and sacred animals
• Mythology, storytelling, and oral cultures
• Nature, stars, and symbolic thinking in prehistory
• Shamanism and animal spirit symbolism
• Why ancient myths still shape modern culture
• The psychological power of symbols and stories
• What mythology teaches us about human nature
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & Stephen Palmer
01:12 Why the bull became a sacred symbol
03:45 Bull worship in prehistory
06:18 Bulls in ancient mythology and religion
09:52 Taurus and the zodiac explained
13:40 The Minotaur and Minoan symbolism
18:07 Bulls, kingship, and political power
22:31 Fertility rituals and sacred sacrifice
27:46 Why ancient cultures relied on symbols
31:12 Myth, storytelling, and oral traditions
35:25 Shamanism and animal spirit guides
40:18 Nature as the source of ancient symbols
41:53 Losing our connection with nature
42:46 Why studying mythology still matters today
43:01 Bull symbolism and modern culture
45:20 Why storytelling shapes human identity
46:29 The danger of symbols we don’t understand
46:54 “Question everything”
47:04 Final reflections & closing thoughts
If you enjoy conversations about ancient mythology, history, symbolism, and philosophy, subscribe for more deep dives into the ancient world.
Why do you think the bull became such a powerful symbol across so many civilizations? Let us know in the comments.
LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Guest links: https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Taurus-Stephen-Palmer-ebook/dp/B0CTJJGSCG
GUEST
Stephen Palmer is the author of twenty genre novels, ranging from eco-SF through dark fantasy to steampunk. His short stories have been widely published, and he is the author of the book Tangerine Dream In The 1970s
HASHTAGS
AncientHistory #GreekMythology #Taurus #Mythology #AncientCivilizations
Should philosophy start in childhood?
Discover how philosophy for children can improve critical thinking, empathy, communication, and emotional resilience in the modern world.
This episode is for parents, teachers, students, and anyone interested in philosophy, education, psychology, and child development.
Dr. Maria Kasmirli explores why philosophy should be introduced to children from an early age—not as abstract academic theory, but as a way of encouraging curiosity, dialogue, reasoning, and deeper thinking. The conversation looks at how philosophical discussion helps children develop confidence, communication skills, empathy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to navigate disagreement constructively.
The episode also examines the growing importance of these skills in an age shaped by social media, polarization, distraction, and shallow conversation. Rather than teaching children what to think, philosophy teaches them how to think: how to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and engage thoughtfully with other people.
If you’ve ever wondered whether philosophy belongs in schools, or why critical thinking matters more than ever, this conversation offers a powerful and practical answer.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
Why philosophy should be taught to children
Philosophy for Children (P4C) explained
Teaching curiosity, questioning, and critical thinking
How dialogue improves empathy and communication
Philosophy and emotional resilience
Learning how to disagree respectfully
Confidence, vulnerability, and intellectual humility
The role of parents and teachers as role models
Social media and the decline of meaningful conversation
Why philosophy matters in modern education
Helping children think independently
Philosophy as preparation for citizenship and life
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Should we teach philosophy to children?
00:31 Introduction to Dr. Maria Kasmirli
00:51 Why philosophy for children matters
01:17 What philosophy for children actually looks like
01:51 Questioning, reasoning, and analysis skills
02:12 Why children naturally enjoy philosophical thinking
03:42 Building confidence through discussion
05:11 Philosophy and emotional intelligence
07:04 Why disagreement is valuable
09:26 The importance of listening and dialogue
11:48 Philosophy beyond the classroom
14:17 Can philosophy make us better citizens?
16:45 Social media, distraction, and modern communication
18:56 Intellectual humility and vulnerability
20:42 Teaching through example
23:16 Why role models matter in education
24:27 Final reflections
If you enjoy conversations about philosophy, education, psychology, and the big ideas shaping society, subscribe for more episodes exploring timeless questions and modern challenges.
Do you think philosophy should be taught in schools from an early age? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Full podcast: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/from-plato-to-the-playground-why
GUEST
Dr. Maria Kasmirli – Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield specializing in philosophy, education, and Philosophy for Children (P4C). Her work focuses on helping young people develop critical thinking, dialogue, and reflective skills through philosophy.
HASHTAGS
Philosophy #Education #CriticalThinking #PhilosophyForChildren #ChildDevelopment
What Is the Future of Ancient History?
In this deep, thought-provoking discussion, leading historians and philosophers explore what “ancient history” really means, how it’s taught today, and why it matters more than ever.
If you’re interested in history, philosophy, education, or the future of the humanities, this episode will challenge how you think about the ancient world—and your place in it.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
• What ancient history actually means (and what it doesn’t)
• Why it’s not just about Greece and Rome
• The global vs. local debate in studying the ancient world • How ancient civilizations shaped modern society
• The difference between “ancient history” and “classics”
• Why academic institutions teach history the way they do
• The decline of classics departments and what it means
• How studying the past expands imagination and future possibilities
• The importance of comparative history across cultures
• The future of history, education, and universities
If this changed how you think about history, hit subscribe for more deep conversations.
Drop a comment: What does “ancient history” mean to you?
LINKS 👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
Buy Books by the Guests:
👉 Angie Hobbs’s “Why Plato Matters Now” https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/why-plato-matters-now-9781399403412/
👉 Walter Scheidel's “What is Ancient History?” https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691236650/what-is-ancient-history
👉 Barry Strauss’ “Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire” https://www.amazon.com/Jews-vs-Rome-Centuries-Rebellion/dp/1668009595
GUESTS
Walter Scheidel – Stanford professor, historian, and author of What Is Ancient History?
Barry Strauss – Historian and bestselling author on ancient Rome and military history
Angie Hobbs – Professor of Philosophy and expert on Plato and ancient thought
HASHTAGS #AncientHistory #HistoryExplained #Classics #Philosophy #Humanities
What Did Ancient People Believe About Death and the Afterlife?
Robert Garland explores how Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and other ancient cultures understood death, grief, burial, and the afterlife.
This episode is for anyone fascinated by ancient history, mythology, religion, and the human experience of death.
Classicist Robert Garland discusses how ancient civilizations approached mortality: from Greek ideas of Hades and the afterlife to Egyptian burial practices, reincarnation, grief, cremation, and ritual. Drawing from his book What to Expect When You’re Dead, he reveals how ancient beliefs about death shaped culture, religion, and everyday life.
If you’ve ever wondered how the ancient world dealt with life’s biggest mystery, this conversation offers a fascinating and surprisingly human exploration of death across civilizations.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
Ancient Greek beliefs about the afterlife
Homer’s Odyssey and the underworld
Egyptian burial rituals and mummification
Reincarnation and Pythagoras
Greek funeral customs and expressions of grief
The Eleusinian Mysteries and salvation beliefs
Roman views of death and punishment after death
Ancient cremation and burial practices
The psychology of grief in the ancient world
What ancient cultures can teach us about mortality today.
If you enjoy conversations about ancient history, mythology, and philosophy, subscribe for more deep dives into the ancient world.
Which ancient belief about death or the afterlife surprised you most? Let us know in the comments.
LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Buy Robert Garland's book "What To Expect When You're Dead": https://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-When-Youre-Dead/dp/0691266174
GUEST
Robert Garland is the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor Emeritus of the Classics at Colgate University. He’s written extensively about ancient life and death in books like The Greek Way of Death, Wandering Greeks, and What to Expect When You're Dead: An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife. #AncientHistory #GreekMythology #Afterlife #RobertGarland #AncientGreece
This episode is for anyone interested in ancient Greece, democracy, political history, and rhetoric, especially if you want to understand how the past connects to modern political challenges.
You’ll learn who Demosthenes was, how he rose to power through oratory and persuasion, and why he became known as democracy’s defender during the rise of Macedon under Philip II. This conversation explores the fragility of democracy, the role of speech in politics, and the dangers of misinformation: issues that feel just as urgent today.
If you want a deeper understanding of how ancient political systems worked AND failed this episode offers powerful insights.
KEY IDEAS
Who Demosthenes was and why he matters Ancient Athenian democracy explained
The rise of Macedon and Philip II
Democracy vs monarchy in ancient Greece
The power of rhetoric and political persuasion
Rivalry between Demosthenes and Aeschines
The Battle of Chaeronea and Athens’ defeat
How misinformation and emotional speech shaped politics
Lessons from ancient democracy for today’s world
Why Demosthenes remains a controversial figure
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & James Romm
00:50 Setting the stage: Athens in the 4th century BC
04:08 Rise of political oratory in Athens
05:20 Democracy and the power of speech
08:06 Rise of Philip II and Macedon
10:31 Democracy vs monarchy
12:07 Why Athens was treated differently
14:24 Demosthenes’ early life and speech training
19:08 Political rivals and propaganda
20:19 Fake news and attacks in ancient politics
22:30 Athens decides to fight Macedon
23:29 The Battle of Chaeronea
24:06 Did Demosthenes fail?
25:13 His legacy and historical debate
26:31 What we can learn from ancient democracy
27:05 Misinformation and political chaos
28:03 Trust, leadership, and public decision-making
29:32 Final reflections on democracy
If you’re fascinated by ancient history and its connection to modern politics, subscribe for more deep dives like this.
What do you think: was Demosthenes a hero or a misguided idealist?
Share your thoughts below.
LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Watch the FULL episode: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/democracys-last-defender
👉 Buy Demosthenes: Democracy's https://www.amazon.com/Demosthenes-Democracys-Defender-Ancient-Lives/dp/0300269382
GUEST
James Romm is Professor of Classics at Bard College and acclaimed author of multiple books on ancient Greece, specializing in Greek history, politics, and biography.
He will also be speaking at our upcoming LIVE event "Why Myth Matters", as part of an incredible group of prestigious philosophers, preeminent professors and best-selling authors.
Learn more and register to join us HERE: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/why-myth-matters-tickets-1988334531107?aff=oddtdtcreator
AncientGreece #Demosthenes #GreekHistory #Democracy #PoliticalHistory
What does the story of Demeter really tell us about loss, power, and the human experience?
In this episode, renowned translator and classicist Diane Rayor unpacks the Homeric Hymn to Demeter: one of the most powerful and enduring myths from ancient Greece.
Far more than just a story about gods, this hymn explores grief, motherhood, identity, and the fragile balance between life and death. Diane Rayor brings her deep expertise and fresh translation work to the conversation, revealing layers of meaning that are often missed in traditional readings.
Together, we explore how this ancient text speaks to universal human emotions, and why it still resonates thousands of years later.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
The core story of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and its significance
How Demeter’s grief shapes the natural world and human experience
The role of Persephone and what her story represents
Why this hymn was central to ancient Greek religion and ritual
How translation choices affect our understanding of ancient texts
What this myth can (and can’t) tell us about life today
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & Diane Rayor
01:30 What is the Homeric Hymn to Demeter?
04:10 The story of Demeter and Persephone
08:45 Themes of grief, loss, and motherhood
12:20 The Eleusinian Mysteries and religious context
16:00 Translation choices and interpretation
20:10 Why this myth still matters today
If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about ancient texts and their meaning, subscribe for more episodes with leading scholars and translators. What does this myth mean to you?
LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Diane's Translations of the Homeric Hymns: https://www.amazon.com/Homeric-Hymns-Translation-Introduction-Literature/dp/0520282116
👉 Audio Recordings of Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works: cambridge.org/sappho
👉 No Reply Press: https://www.noreplypress.com/
Featuring guest Diane Rayor:
Diane J. Rayor, Professor Emerita of Classics, Grand Valley State University, Michigan and acclaimed translator known for her accessible and poetic translations of ancient Greek works, including Homer and Sappho.
AncientGreece #GreekMythology #Demeter #Persephone #Classics #DianeRayor
What is the point of studying Classics today?
Mary Beard explains why the ancient world still shocks, challenges, and reshapes how we think. Discover how Greek and Roman history can change your perspective, without offering easy answers.
In this conversation, renowned classicist Mary Beard explores how ancient Greece and Rome remain deeply relevant today, not as a guidebook for life, but as a way to see modern problems differently. You’ll learn how to approach classical history without intimidation, why “the shock of the old” still matters, and how anyone can join the conversation.
If you’ve ever wondered how ancient history connects to today’s world, this episode will change how you think about the past and the present.
KEY IDEAS:
• Why studying Classics isn’t about finding “answers”
• The idea of “The Shock of the Old” and why it still matters
• How ancient texts like Medea continue to unsettle us
• The danger of over-revering Greek and Roman history
• How Classics helps challenge modern “presentism”
• Can the ancient world teach us anything useful today?
• How to get into Classics without knowing Latin or Greek
• Why Classics has no single political agenda
• How the past has been used by both left and right movements
• Finding wonder (“thauma”) in ancient history
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction to Mary Beard & Talking Classics
00:23 Why the Classics still matter
01:24 Why we should revere the ancient world less
02:39 The “shock” of ancient culture (Medea example)
04:48 Wonder and awe in the ancient world
05:44 The Egyptian bread story (first encounter with history)
07:29 Making Classics accessible to everyone
08:43 Do the Greeks and Romans offer life lessons?
10:06 Using Classics to rethink modern problems
11:37 Presentism vs learning from the past
13:22 How to start engaging with Classics
15:04 Podcasts, media, and entry points into history
16:20 Seeing the classical world all around us
19:08 Technology (VR) and experiencing the past
21:05 Is Classics political?
22:25 How different ideologies use ancient history
24:48 Classics and democracy, revolution, and reform
25:38 Who “owns” the past?
26:18 Final thoughts
If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe for more deep dives into history and ideas.
Learn More! Check out these LINKS
👉 Subscribe: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
👉 Watch the full episode: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/mary-beard-why-you-should-argue-with
👉 Mary Beard's "Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old:: https://profilebooks.com/work/talking-classics/
What do you think: can the ancient world still teach us something today? Let me know in the comments.
GUEST Mary Beard – One of the world’s most influential classicists, Professor Emerita at Cambridge, and bestselling author of SPQR and Twelve Caesars. Known for making ancient history accessible, relevant, and thought-provoking.
Classics #AncientHistory #MaryBeard #GreekHistory #RomanHistory
An age of apocalyptic thinking, a clash of empires, and a legacy that still shapes the world today...
Today Anya is joined by Professor Barry Strauss to discuss the Jewish Revolts against the Roman Empire. Discover what fueled these uprisings, and how their dramatic outcome has shaped centuries.
Barry Strauss is the Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University as well as the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell University, where he is the former Chair of the Department of History as well as Professor of History and Classics.
He is the author of many bestselling books, including most recently Jews Vs Rome, which you can buy HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Jews-vs-Rome-Centuries-Rebellion/dp/1668009595
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom.
Become a Member HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=b28f7da1
And access the extended version of this episode HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/jews-vs-rome
Barbarian, witch, murderer… and mother.
Today Anya is joined by author and broadcaster Natalie Haynes to discuss one of Greek mythology’s most famous and dramatic characters, Medea.
Discover the complex legends and legacy of Medea, from her daring love story with Jason to its dark aftermath… and how the Greek tragedian Euripides transformed her how her story is told, forever.
Natalie Haynes is the author of several acclaimed books about women in Greek mythology, including Divine Might, Stone Blind, and most recently No Friend to This House, her own much-anticipated retelling of the myth of Medea.
You can buy a copy HERE: https://www.amazon.com/No-Friend-This-House-Novel/dp/0063258447
Natalie Haynes is an author and comedian as well as a broadcaster for the BBC, and she has written for The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Observer. Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.
To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What were the secrets of Roman warfare?
What is the best way to defeat an enemy… and what does all this have to do with aqueducts?
Today Anya is joined by George Thomas to discuss the life of Frontinus, an ancient Roman general and governor of Roman Britain. In particular, they’re looking at Stratagems, his manual for war, which looked to ancient history to distil key lessons in military strategy and leadership.
George Thomas, also known by his pen name, Quintus Curtius, is an acclaimed translator of ancient texts, including those by Cicero, Sallust, and Cornelius Nepos.
He is an MIT graduate, a former officer in the US Marine Corps, a founding partner of the law firm, Phillips and Thomas.
His most recent work is a translation Frontius' Stratagems, of which we speak about today.
You can buy it HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Stratagems-Translation-Sextus-Julius-Frontinus/dp/B0FPBTNCY5
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom.
Become a Member HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe
And access the extended version HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/a-forgotten-roman-masterclass-in
Long before crowds stormed Bastille or Winter Palace, Greek thinkers treated revolution as the ultimate civic nightmare. So how did an existential danger morph into a promise of liberation—and what happens when that promise curdles into violence?
In this dynamic online forum, Dan Edelstein, Professor of French at Stanford University, is joined by classical-political heavyweights Josiah Ober, Professor of Political Science and Classics at Stanford University, and Melissa Lane, Professorship of Politics at Princeton University, to excavate the deep past of an idea that still jolts headlines and rattles parliaments.
Hosted by Anya Leonard.
Brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Learn more about our mission and sign up for the free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Existing at the very edge of the Classical world, in both time and geography, Saint Augustine has proven to be immensely influential on the modern world… but not always in a good way.
Today Anya is joined by Tony Alimi to discuss the life and philosophy of Saint Augustine, how he was influenced by Roman philosophers, and the ‘entanglements’ that complicate his legacy. In particular, how his theology was used to justify slavery.
Discover how philosophy has been abused by history, and why Augustine still isn't through with us today...
Tony Alimi is assistant professor in the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University and author of Slaves of God: Augustine and Other Romans on Religion and Politics. You can buy it HERE: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691244235/slaves-of-god?srsltid=AfmBOoqe902LK8mqeBd3lUa4L8I9roc6Ouy7KmiNS3xrG-xnotPz5BRw
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom. Become a Member HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe
And access the extended version HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/slave-of-god-rethinking-augustine
What can Plato tell us about life TODAY?
Quite a lot, it turns out…
Today Anya is joined by Professor Angie Hobbs to discuss the essential and enduringly relevant nature of Plato’s ideas. Discover how they are infused in our modern world, in everything from politics to our personal lives.
Angie Hobbs is Professor Emerita of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield and author of Plato and the Hero, Plato’s Republic: A Ladybird Expert Book, and most recently, Why Plato Matters Now.
You can buy a copy HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Plato-Matters-Now-Interfaces/dp/1399403370
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom. Become a Member HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe
And access the extended version HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/why-plato-matters-now-more-than-ever
Was King Arthur real?
What can his story tells us about British history and identity? And what exactly happened to Britain after the Romans left?
Today Anya is joined by Murray Dahm, an independent academic researcher and freelance historian based in Sydney, Australia.
Discover how the era of post-Roman Britain is both a beginning and an ending, the thin line between history and myth, and how the dark age was MUCH shorter than commonly thought.
Murray Dahm is the author of several books, including Finis Britanniae: A Military History of Late Roman Britain and the Saxon Conquest. You can buy it HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Finis-Britanniae-Military-History-Conquest/dp/1398118273
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom. This can be found here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/roman-britain-origin-or-decline
How is Odysseus like the heroes of Indian literature?
And how did two cultures, separated by vast time and distances, come to have such remarkably similar stories?
Today Anya is joined by Roberto Morales to discuss the parallels between ancient Greek, Roman, and Indian literature. They discuss what caused these parallels, and what we can learn from them today...
Roberto Morales is Associate Professor of Sanskrit and Head of the Department of Classical Philology at the University of Costa Rica, and author of The Embassy, the Ambush, and the Ogre, which they discuss. You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Embassy-Ambush-Ogre-Greco-Roman-Influence/dp/1805113615
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What can Seneca, the Roman statesman and Stoic, teach us about life today?
And how can we teach ourselves to do the right thing?
Today Anya is joined by Robert Kaster, Emeritus Professor of Classics at Princeton to discuss the complex and rewarding legacy of Seneca’s Stoicism.
He is the author of many books including his most recent, How to Do the Right Thing: An Ancient Guide to Treating People Fairly, which is drawn from the writings of Seneca.
You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Right-Thing-Treating/dp/0691238642
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
How did ancient Greek culture accomplish so much?
Especially across so many different fields, and in such a comparatively short period of time?
It turns out, having a good debate every now and then is VERY important.
Today Anya is joined by Reviel Netz, the Patrick Suppes Professor of Greek Mathematics and Astronomy in the Department of Classics at Stanford University.
He is the author of many celebrated books, including the bestselling The Archimedes Codex: Revealing the Secret of the World's Greatest Palimpsest, The Shaping of Deduction in Greek Mathematics, as well as his most recent,Why the Ancient Greeks Matter: The Problematic Miracle that was Greece.
You can buy it here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/why-the-ancient-greeks-matter/6C08DD345E62246E02BC0AAD89C3D37C
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
The West’s greatest peril is forgetfulness, its loss of cultural memory. Without knowing where we came from, how can we know what to defend, or even what to value?
In an age when history itself is contested...when the past is either dismissed or distorted...The Golden Thread reminds us why the study of civilization matters. Drawing on nearly three millennia of art, philosophy, politics, and faith, Hankins weaves the story of how our ideas of law, liberty, and virtue emerged...and why they still matter in the modern world.
In this conversation, James Hankins of Harvard and Michael Fontaine of Cornell delve into the urgent question of understanding our history and inheritance, to determine what traditions of the West should be kept... or discarded.
We ask: Was Alexander Great because he attempted to bridge the West and the East? Should armies have foreign soldiers? What happens when there is a breakdown in trust in the judicial system? How has the Islamic world shaped the western tradition?
And is religion and spirituality necessary to revive Classics?
You can find James Hankins' book, The Golden Thread, Here.
Michael Fontaine's latest book, How to Have Willpower, can be found here.
This discussion was hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Who were the women of the Odyssey? How have they been understood (and misunderstood) by history?
And what is the secret of Calypso’s sail?
Today Anya is joined by Emily Hauser, to discuss both the famous and the overlooked women of Homer's epics.
Emily Hauser, an award-winning ancient historian and author, and world-leading voice in rediscovering the women of Greek myth. She studied at Harvard, Yale and Cambridge, where she won the prestigious Chancellor’s Medal for Classical Proficiency.
She is the author of acclaimed novels rewriting Greek mythical women, including For the Most Beautiful, as well as her most recent book, Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, Through the Women Written Out of It, of which we speak about today.
You can buy Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, Through the Women Written Out of It, HERE: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457730/mythica-by-hauser-emily/978152993248
Mythica was published under the title Penelope's Bones in the US, and is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Penelopes-Bones-History-through-Written/dp/0226839680
Hosted by Anya Leonard. This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds.
To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to : https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Bridging the ancient and the urgent, historian James Romm and acclaimed author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn dive into the dramatic story behind Plato and the Tyrant.
This is not the Plato of abstract thought, but a man deeply entangled in the brutal politics of his time...a philosopher who sought to reshape power itself. Romm and Mendelsohn explore how Plato’s real-world entanglements with tyrants and revolutionaries in Syracuse directly influenced his philosophical masterpiece, Republic, and how the ideal of the philosopher-king emerged from a world teetering on the edge of chaos.
With Mendelsohn’s signature insight and Romm’s vivid storytelling, this event is a dynamic exploration of one of history’s greatest minds, revealing a Plato who was ambitious, politically engaged, and profoundly shaped by personal and political crisis.
You can find James’ recently released book,Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece, here. https://www.amazon.com/Plato-Tyrant-G...
Also make sure to check out Daniel’s acclaimed new translation of the Odyssey here. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/...
Hosted by Anya Leonard. This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to : https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Sometimes stories have a life of their own... literally.
Today Anya is joined by Joel Christensen to discuss how mythology acts as a living being in itself.
Discover how stories shape the world around us... and why the movie versions never feel the same as the books.
Joel Christensen is Professor in the Department of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies at Brandeis University. He is the author of many books, including Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things.
You can buy Storylife here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300269234
This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
From specific dietary instructions to detailed systems to categorize foods and their health effects, ancient Greeks and Romans tried to optimize their health and well being through their diet.
But what can we learn from their efforts? What foods were considered instrumental for good living, and likewise what should we avoid?
Featuring Claire Bubb, Assistant Professor of Classical Literature and Science at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University and author of How to Eat to discover ancient ways for modern health.
You can buy How to Eat here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Ancient-Healthy-Readers/dp/0691256993
This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to : https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Tell me about a complicated culture…
From the Peloponnesian War to the women of ancient mythology, today Anya is joined by Jennifer T. Roberts to talk about the rich, complex, and contradictory nature of ancient Greek culture…
Jennifer T. Roberts is Professor of Classics and History at the City College of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. She is author of many books, including most recently, Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture.
You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Out-One-Many-Ancient-Thought/dp/0691181470
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Centaurs, Snake-kings, Griffins, and Gorgons... ancient Greek mythology is filled with haunting hybrids. But how did these horrific monsters evolve? What is their purpose? And most intriguing of all...what do they reveal about ancient Greek history?
Featuring Jeremy McInerney, Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Centaurs and Snake-Kings: Hybrids and the Greek Imagination.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
They were two of Rome's most famous and powerful men.
Both were respected statesmen and feared generals. Both were crucial figures in the final years of the Roman Republic.
But you might not have heard of one of them...
Today Anya is joined by Stephen Dando-Collins to discuss the complex rivalry between Julius Caesar and Pompey.
Allies turned enemies, their battles would ultimately usher in the age of the Roman Empire. But why have their legacies so sharply diverged?
Stephen Dando-Collins is the author of dozens of books on ancient history, including Caesar Versus Pompey: Determining Rome’s Greatest General, Statesman & Nation-Builder.
You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Caesar-Versus-Pompey-Determining-Nation-Builder/dp/1684428955/
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What can Aristotle tell us about how we should live today? What are the ancient secrets to a flourishing life?
And what is 'the art of the interesting?'
Today Anya is joined by Lorraine Besser to discuss the ways Aristotle has influenced modern psychology, and how the path towards a richer life is always within us...
Lorraine Besser is professor of philosophy at Middlebury College. She was a founding investigator on the research team studying psychological richness, and is the author of many books, including The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It.
You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Interesting-What-Pursuit-Cultivate/dp/1538743205/
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
She was one of the most powerful women of the ancient world…
Once mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy.
Yet today she is largely forgotten. Why did this happen?
Today Anya is joined by award-winning novelist Costanza Casati to discuss the ancient Assyrian queen, Semiramis, and the blurry boundary between history and myth.
Constanza Casati is the author of the award-winning novel Clytemnestra, as well as her second novel Babylonia, which in inspired by the life of Semiramis. She also works as a screenwriter and freelance journalist.
You can buy Babylonia by Constanza Casati here: https://www.amazon.com/Babylonia-Novel-Costanza-Casati-ebook/dp/B0CYKVCRP3
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What is the key to happiness? It turns out, the Stoics might just have the answer…
Today Anya is joined by Christopher Gill to discuss ancient Stoic understandings of happiness, how some modern interpretations of Stoicism get it wrong, and what exactly fate has to do with it all.
Christopher Gill is a British philosopher and Emeritus Professor of Ancient Thought at the University of Exeter.
He is author of many books, including Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and its Modern Significance, and most recently Stoic Ethic: The Basics, with Brittany Polat. You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Ethics-Basics-Christopher-Gill/dp/1032813598
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
It’s no secret that the American Founding Fathers were deeply inspired by the Classics. The words of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers suffuse the original documents and ideas that built America.
Today Anya is joined by Jeffery Rosen to talk about how ancient ideas of virtue inspired these pivotal figures in American history.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Right now at Classical Wisdom, we’re celebrating the 4th of July holiday with a special Founding Members deal: Founding Members can now receive our stunning 644 page hardback anthology, The Essential Classics, collecting the greatest ancient works in one beautiful new edition.
Founding Members can read and be inspired by the very texts that moved and motivated the Founding Fathers. And to commemorate the occasion, you can now become a Founding Member for $50 OFF.
So, take advantage of our special Founding Fathers, Founding Members Sale before this Monday to enjoy $50 off and to receive your own hardback Essential Classics anthology… Also, there is free shipping to anywhere in the world!
Click here to become a Founding Member: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribe
Important: The Essential Classics hardback is NOT available for the regular annual or monthly memberships. It is ONLY for Founding Members.
Jeffery Rosen is an American legal scholar who serves as the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. He has written frequently about the U.S. Supreme Court and is author of several books, including his most recent: The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.
There is a place, a narrow strip of land, where bravery and sacrifice became legendary... where the famed ‘300’ laid down their lives to save Hellas in 480 BC...
But that is not the only battle in which blood was shed at Thermopylae...
Dr. Michael Livingston and Myke Cole discuss their recently released book "The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae" and discover the chilling stories found on this particular field...
We not only look at the history of the ‘killing grounds’ but also into the heart of warfare itself: the motivations of those who fight, the strategies they employ, and the horrifying price they have to pay.
From Penelope to Fulvia and beyond, discover the lives of ancient women.
Today Anya is joined by Dr. Daisy Dunn, to discuss the ‘missing thread’ of ancient history: the often-overlooked women who helped shape civilizations.
Dr Daisy Dunn is an award-winning classicist and the author of several books, including The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World through the Women Who Shaped It.
You can buy it here: https://geni.us/TheMissingThread
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Discover the woman who brought Greek mythology to America…
Today Anya is joined by Victoria Houseman to discuss the life and legacy of Edith Hamilton, the American Classicist who brought Greek mythology and ancient cultures to a vast new audience.
Her books remain beloved classics in their own right, and illuminate not only the Greeks and Romans, but also how the ancients can help us understand the tumultuous twentieth century.
Victoria Houseman is a historian and associate professor in the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.
You can buy “American Classicist: The Life and Loves of Edith Hamilton” by Victoria Houseman here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691236186/?bestFormat=true&k=american%20classicist&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_di_k0_1_19&crid=3FOD5P0ESZB2J
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
While Stoicism is currently all the rage -and for good reason- it isn’t the only philosophy to address some of life’s toughest questions.
From dealing with uncertainty, stress, grief and more, we have a wonderful toolbox of wisdom at our disposal, if only we know where to look.
Renowned Stoics and philosophers, Massimo Pigliucci, Donald Robertson and John Sellars, take the lessons of Stoicism... and beyond... to see how we can approach life’s difficulties and incorporate time-tested philosophies into our modern life.
This event is hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and to sign up for the free newsletter, please go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
How did two different philosophies - that have seen a resurgence of interest in the Western world - both arrive at such similar conclusions for how to live a happy life?
Despite being separated by hundreds of years and thousands of miles, Stoicism and Buddhism have striking similarities...so much so some have wondered if there was some exchange of ideas between the forefathers of each ideology.
But how exactly are these philosophies alike? What are the critical differences? And perhaps most importantly of all, what can these philosophies teach us today so we can be better people?
Watch Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom and Dr. Benjamin B. Olshin, Research Associate at Bryn Mawr College, discuss Stoicism and Buddhism and see if they are truly two sides of the same coin...
You can find all of Benjamin’s books and art here: https://benjaminbolshin.net/publications
This event was brought to you by Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What happens AFTER an apocalypse?
How did ancient societies rebuild after catastrophic events… and what can that teach us about our world now?
Today, Anya is joined by DR ERIC H. CLINE, author of the bestselling history book 1177 B.C and its recent sequel, After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations. They’ll be discussing what to do if your society collapses… and why the ancient 'dark ages' weren't so dark.
Dr. Cline is Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology, the former Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and the current Director of the GWU Capitol Archaeological Institute. He is a National Geographic Explorer, a Fulbright scholar, an NEH Public Scholar, a Getty Scholar, and an award-winning teacher.
You can buy After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations here: https://www.amazon.com/After-1177-B-C-Survival-Civilizations/dp/0691192138
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental disorders. Considered pathology, it is the most diagnosed and medicated of all psychological disorders... but what if it isn't always or only a medical condition?
From Greek tragedies and Buddhism to actual practices from famous doctors like Galen, there are a myriad of important lessons about anxiety that can be gleaned from the past. Indeed the ancients had a lot to say about anxiety and mental conditions in general... and their perspective and observations were at times very different from those found in our modern era.
Perhaps it's time to rethink anxiety. With the help of both ancient philosophy and history, how can we see anxiety as a source not only of suffering, but also of insight?
Featuring professor emeritus of philosophy at Brooklyn College and author of “Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide”, Samir Chopra, along with Vanderbilt professor and author of “How to Be Healthy”, Katherine D. Van Schaik, and Michael Fontaine, professor of Classics at Cornell University and author of “How to Grieve”.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Discover how the best physician is also a philosopher…
From the gladiators’ arena to the imperial court, the life and career of the ancient doctor Galen is among the most extraordinary in the ancient world.
A Greek, a Roman, a doctor, and a thinker, Galen was also one of the most prolific of all ancient writers, having written ten per cent of all ancient texts from before 350CE.
Today, Anya is joined by KATHERINE D. VAN SCHAIK, herself both a Classicist and an MD, to discuss Galen’s immense legacy in medicine, what he got right and wrong about health… and how a dream may have changed the course of history.
Katherine D. Van Schaik is a MD, PhD, MA and author of “How to Be Healthy: An Ancient Guide to Wellness”. She received her PhD in Ancient History from the Harvard Department of the Classics and her MD from Harvard Medical School.
You can buy How to Be Healthy: An Ancient Guide to Wellness here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691206271/how-to-be-healthy
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
It’s philosophy’s ultimate dinner party… and you’re invited.
On today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks, Anya is joined by Professor Alex Priou to discuss Plato’s most joyful and playful work, The Symposium.
Discover how taking an unconventional approach to Plato can illuminate both this ancient text and how we live today.
ALEX PRIOU is Associate Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Austin. He is the author of many books, including 'Musings on Plato’s Symposium', as well as a number of articles on the history of philosophy. He is also the co-host of a philosophy podcast, The New Thinkery. You can listen here: https://thenewthinkery.com/
You can purchase ‘Musings on Plato’s Symposium” by Alex Priou here: https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Platos-Symposium-Alex-Priou-ebook/dp/B0CHZ3WS69/
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Discover the ancient nomadic tribe that helped inspire the myth of the Amazons… and their legacy in the world today.
On today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks, Anya is joined by Professor Christopher Beckwith, an expert on the mysterious and compelling Scythians.
Join them as they discuss the secrets of this influential yet overlooked people, their vanished empire, how Herodotus is a very reliable source after all.
You can purchase ‘The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China’ by Christopher Beckwith here:
https://www.amazon.com/Scythian-Empire-Central-Eurasia-Classical/dp/0691240531
Christopher I. Beckwith is an American philologist and distinguished professor in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
They say all philosophy is but a series of footnotes to Plato. Yet the remarkable story of the great philosopher’s life has remained untold—until now.
On today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks, Anya is joined by independent scholar and translator Robin Waterfield to discuss his latest book ‘Plato of Athens’, the first ever full-length biography of Plato.
Separate fact from fiction and discover if Plato really died from not knowing a riddle, whether the so-called letters of Plato are authentic or not… and how Plato was like Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien.
You can purchase ‘Plato of Athens’ by Robin Waterfield here.
ROBIN WATERFIELD is the author of many books, including ‘Plato of Athens: A Life in Philosophy’, as well as ‘Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations: The Annotated Edition’.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Take a deep dive into three of ancient Greece's most fascinating women - both historical and mythological. What can we discover about Sappho, Medea and Antigone by studying the original texts?
Join Diane Rayor, an extremely talented and engaged translator as she takes you 'behind the scenes' of some of the most powerful works from the ancient world.
DIANE J. RAYOR is Professor Emerita of Classics at Grand Valley State University, Michigan. She has published six book translations of ancient Greek poetry and drama: Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works (Cambridge University Press, paperback 2nd edition Feb.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
In a world brimming with information and rapidly shifting beliefs, the lessons from Socrates resonate more than ever.
How do we seek knowledge in an age of uncertainty? How can we engage in meaningful dialogue that encourages critical thinking? What can his ideas teach us about social justice, politics, education and our own minds?
Enjoy this interdisciplinary discussion, looking at the relevance of Socrates today, drawing on the perspectives of classics, history, philosophy, and psychology and discover the life and legacy of one of history's most influential thinkers and why his ideas continue to inspire and provoke us today.
Featuring prominent professors and renowned authors including: Armand D’Angour, Donald Robertson, Angie Hobbs and Massimo Pigliucci. Moderated and hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
The ancients had plenty of thoughts about animals... but are their insights helpful to us now? How did they treat animals? What did they think of them? And should we eat meat?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Mark Usher, the Lyman-Roberts Professor of Classical Languages and Literature and a member of the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Vermont. With his wife, he also built, owns, and operates Works & Days Farm in Shoreham, Vermont. Today we’ll be talking about his most recent book, How to Care About Animals: An Ancient Guide to Creatures Great and Small.
You can purchase his book here
This podcast is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about the Classics and to sign up for our free newsletter, please go to:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Everyone knows Athens and Sparta...and yet, THEBES is not the common household name it should be.
From its captivating mythology to its fantastic history, we’ll look at the archeology, the military, the legends and the truth of this essential city state.
Featuring Paul Cartledge of Cambridge University, James Romm of Bard College, Stephen Dando-Collins of Turner Publishing, Stephanie Larson of Bucknell University, Joel Christensen of Brandeis University and Elton Barker of The Open University.
Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Should Ivanka Trump and Hunter Biden marry? Well, Plato might think that was a good idea...
Today’’s Classical Wisdom speaks podcast is with Melissa Lane, the Class of 1943 Professor of Politics and a faculty member of the Program in Classical Philosophy at Princeton University. She is author of many books, including most recently, “Of Rule and Office: Plato's Ideas of the Political.”
We discuss Juvenal's conundrum, Plato’s political views of rulers and the nature of rule and ask: did Plato believe in ancient Checks and Balances?
You can find Professor Lane's book, “Of Rule and Office: Plato's Ideas of the Political.” here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691192154/of-rule-and-office
If you are interested in learning more about ancient Philosophy specifically and the Classics in general, check out Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
In the boom time in Roman Britain, 3rd century AD, one Roman Emperor made his mark on the chaotic island before he was canceled in his own time... and afterwards. But was the treatment of Magnus Maximus unfair? Was he just a usurper? Or absolutely pivotal in the history and mythology of Britain?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Maxwell Craven, historian, archaeologist, and author of several books, including his most recent: "Magnus Maximus: The Neglected Roman Emperor and his British Legacy", of which we speak about today.
You can buy Max's book on Magnus Maximus here.
If you are interested in learning more about history specifically and the Classics in general, check out Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What do the ancient Greek goddesses reveal about ancient Greek culture? Why did people craft such immoral and often unlikeable gods? And what should we really think about Hera?
Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with NATALIE HAYNES, author of several books, including Pandora’s Jar, Stone Blind and A Thousand Ships, which was a national bestseller and shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Natalie is a comedian— as well as a broadcaster for the BBC, and she has written for The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Observer. Today we'll talk about her most recent book, Divine Might.
You can also buy Divine Might here: https://www.amazon.com/DIVINE-MIGHT-author/dp/1529089484
If you are interested in learning more about mythology specifically and the Classics in general, check out Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
The famed actor and comedian, Stephen Fry, discusses the ancient languages, etymology, and the joy of discovering the Classics through ancient Greek. We question whether Odysseus... or any of the other great names were really heroes and how these stories give us insight on AI and social media, among other things.
Have a listen and let me know why YOU think myths are important...
If you want to enjoy Stephen’s regular witticisms, you can check out his newsletter here: https://stephenfry.substack.com/
You can also buy his Mythos book here: https://www.amazon.com/Mythos-Stephen...
If you are interested in learning more about mythology specifically and the Classics in general, check out Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Flavius Claudius Julianus turned the world upside down.
Also known as Julian the Apostate as well as Julian the Philosopher, he ruled Rome as sole emperor for just a year and a half, from 361 to 363. Nonetheless, his impact was substantial. Despite the fact that he was the nephew of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, Julian fought to return Rome to the old gods who had led his ancestors to build their vast empire.
As emperor, Julian set about reforming the administration, conquering new territories, and reviving ancient religions. He was scorned in his time for repudiating Christianity and demonized as an apostate for willfully rejecting Christ.
Through the centuries, Julian has been viewed by many as a tragic figure who sought to save Rome from its enemies... as well as a traitor to God and violent oppressor of Christians.
But who was he... really? And how did his short time as ruler impact Western history?
Featuring Philip Freeman, Professor of Humanities at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Classical Philology and Celtic Languages and Literatures. He is the author of numerous books, including, “Alexander the Great”, “How to Tell a Story”, “How to Grow Old”, “Julius Caesar” and most recently, “Julian: Rome’s Last Pagan Emperor”.
You can purchase Philip's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Julian-Romes-Pagan-Emperor-Ancient/dp/0300256647
This event is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. You can learn more about our mission and subscribe to our free newsletter here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Is there evidence to the tales of Aeneas and the Trojan refugees migrating to Italian shores? Classical Wisdom presents Petros Koutoupis, as he explores this narrative and attempts to shed light on the archaeology of the region during the Late Bronze Age.
Petros Koutoupis is an author and independent historical researcher, focusing predominantly on the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age periods of the Eastern Mediterranean and general Near East. Petros is also the author and host of the historical newsletter and podcast, Digging Up The Past. You can learn more by visiting https://diggingupthepast.net.
This conversation is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and to sign up for our free newsletter, please go to:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Throughout the ages people have imagined “apocalypses”... but how they determined the end of the world shaped their philosophies... as is still the case. From natural disaster and moral revenge to our modern situation of increasing AI and anthropogenic concerns, contemplating the ‘end of days’ can help us cope with the world as it is... or prepare us for difficult times ahead.
In an actually not morbid at all conversation, Christopher Star, professor of classics at Middlebury College and author of Apocalypse and Golden Age: The End of the World in Greek and Roman Thought, discusses how the ancients thought about catastrophe and why we should think about it now.
You can find Professor Star's book, Apocalypse and Golden Age: The End of the World in Greek and Roman Thought, Here.
This conversation is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and to sign up for our free newsletter, please go to:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
How aware are we when we make choices? From playing rock paper scissors and gambling to complex ethical decisions like the trolley problem and self-driving cars, game theory and choice theory are hugely important and impactful in our modern era... but so too did they play an essential role in the ancient world.
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with Josiah Ober, the Mitsotakis Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Professor of Political Science and Classics and Senior Fellow Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is also the author of the recently released book, "The Greeks and the Rational: The Discovery of Practical Reason."
You can find Josiah's book here: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520380165/the-greeks-and-the-rational
This podcast is brought to you by Classical Wisdom. You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
In 45 B.C., the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero embarked on an almost impossible task... He wrote a philosophical dialogue trying to understand the gods, their nature, how they interact with the world of human beings... and indeed, if they care about humans at all!
On the Nature of the Gods (De Natura Deorum) tries to answer these eternal questions through the ancient philosophical approaches of Epicureanism, Stoicism and Skepticism. While Cicero is present in all the dialogues, he does not participate... instead three speakers represent the three differing perspectives and help illuminate his thoughts.
Containing profound psychological and moral insights, this seminal text - recently translated by George J. Thomas (with the pen name Quintus Curtius) - is a compelling testament to the necessity of human agency in an indifferent universe.
But what do these approaches say... and what can they teach us today?
Famed translator George J. Thomas and Professor of Classics at Cornell University, Michael Fontaine, discuss the Nature of Gods and how ancient philosophy can help us understand the divine.
You can enjoy George's new annotated translation here: https://qcurtius.com/books/on-the-nature-of-the-gods/
For more information about Classical Wisdom and to sign up for our free newsletter, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
What is the future -as well as the past - of literary fiction? It is time for a Renaissance?
Destined for the dustbin of history, to be discarded along with so many quaint anachronisms, or is the genre itself bound for a long overdue renaissance?
Author and self-confessed “hopeless optimist,” Joel Bowman joins us for an in-depth discussion about these subjects in the context of his newest novel – the classically inspired Night Drew Her Sable Cloak.
About the Speaker:
A journalist by vocation, Mr. Bowman’s essays and columns have appeared in numerous news outlets and academic journals in the US and abroad. After two decades writing and speaking publicly about politics, economics and international living, Mr. Bowman turned his hand to fiction. His first novel – Morris, Alive – received critical acclaim from multiple New York Times bestselling authors. Night Drew Her Sable Cloak is his second work of literary fiction.
You can find Joel’s books here: https://joelbowman.substack.com/s/books
This event is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing Ancient Wisdom to Modern Minds. You can learn more about our mission to promote and preserve the Classics and sign up for our free newsletter here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Though it was the largest religion in the ancient world by both the number of adherents and geographical scope, Zoroastrianism is still vastly understudied in religion, history, and especially classics.
What is Zoroastrianism? How has this Iranian religion impacted the Classical World? And why is one of the world's oldest organized faiths so often over looked?
Pablo Vazquez, a noted scholar of and convert to Zoroastrianism, provides an introduction to one of the oldest continuously practiced faiths in history, how the faith influenced the ancient world, and what it is like today.
Central to this will be the Gathas and the Old Avestan texts which are said to be composed directly by the religion's enigmatic founder, Zarathushtra, and thus form the core of Zoroastrianism.
You can order Pablo's book, The Sacred Gathas of Zarathushtra & the Old Avestan Canon: A Modern Translation of Ancient Wisdom, here: https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Gathas-Zarathushtra-Avestan-Canon/dp/1785359614
This podcast was brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
How does the relationship between Odysseus and Telemachus play out? What does the son think about the murder of the suitors? And why exactly has this story of the Trojan Cycle captivated its listeners and readers throughout the millennia... to this very day?
Today’s Podcast is with TAD CRAWFORD, founder and publisher of Allworth Press as well as author of A Floating Life: A Novel, The Secret Life of Money and most recently, On Wine-Dark Seas: A Novel of Odysseus and His Fatherless Son Telemachus...
Now, is this the sequel to the Odyssey? You decide...
You can find Tad's book, On Wine-Dark Seas: A Novel of Odysseus and His Fatherless Son Telemachus, here: On Wine-Dark Seas: A Novel of Odysseus and His Fatherless Son Telemachus
This podcast was brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
The saying “History is myth and myth is history” is something we have been discussing a lot of late at Classical Wisdom. Where does the story of Aeneas lie?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Anthony Adolph, a professional genealogist, broadcaster and writer of numerous books on ancestry and general history, including his most recent, In Search of Aeneas: Classical Myth or Bronze Age Hero?, of which we’ll discuss today.
You can find Anthony's book here.
This podcast is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient Wisdom to modern minds. You can learn more and sign up for our free newsletter here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Marcus Aurelius is generally regarded as one of the "Five Good Emperors" and is often praised for his Stoic philosophy, particularly as expressed in his "Meditations." However, like any historical figure, he is not without criticisms both in his own time and in ours...
But are these insignificant issues? Or do they undermine his position as a philosopher and disciple of Stoicism?
His reign was marked by military conflicts, political intrigues, and compromises that may not align perfectly with Stoic ideals. Was he truly a Stoic?
About the Panelists:
Angie Hobbs gained a degree in Classics and a PhD in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and in 2012 she was appointed Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. She is author of many books, including’ Plato and the Hero’ (C.U.P) and ‘Plato’s Republic: a Ladybird Expert Book’. She contributes regularly to radio and TV programmes and other media, including 26 appearances on In Our Time on Radio 4. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Houses of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster Abbey and been the guest on Desert Island Discs, Private Passions and Test Match Special and has most recently been filmed with Mary Beard discussing Marcus Aurelius. You can follow Angie at @drangiehobbs and learn more about her at angiehobbs.com.
Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. Massimo publishes regular columns in Skeptical Inquirer and in Philosophy Now. His books include ‘How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life’ (Basic Books) and ‘Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk’ (University of Chicago Press). Massimo’s latest book is ‘The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders’ (Basic Books). More by Massimo at https://newstoicism.org.
Donald Robertson is an author and psychotherapist, specializing in the relationship between modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and ancient Greek philosophy. He is one of the founding members of the Modern Stoicism organization and the author of three books on Marcus Aurelius. ‘How to Think Like a Roman Emperor’, a self-help book; 'Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius', a graphic novel; and, most recently, a biography titled 'Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor' due to be released by Yale University Press as part of their Ancient Lives series on February 6th. He has also edited the Capstone Classics edition of the ‘Meditations’ and contributed a chapter on Marcus Aurelius and psychotherapy to the forthcoming 'Cambridge Companion to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.' Donald is also the president and founder of the Plato's Academy Centre nonprofit, based in Greece.
Moderated by Anya Leonard, the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Author of the children’s book, "Sappho: The Lost Poetess", dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho, Anya has also recently launched Classical Wisdom Kids, a program bringing ancient wisdom to future minds. You can see Classical Wisdom's Books here: https://classicalwisdombooks.com/
Plagiarism versus Forgery... Economic versus Individualistic Incentives... Virtuous copying versus pride in originality...
In an era where the discussion of Plagiarism has become all the rage, it's important to look back over the history of Plagiarism, of institutions, of authority and of knowledge itself.
Dr. James Hankins, professor of History at Harvard University and Peter Scott Adamson, professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and host of the weekly podcast History of Philosophy without any gaps discuss what Plagiarism is and how these allegations can be seen both now - and throughout history.
This podcast was brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. You can find out more (as well as sign up for our free newsletter) here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
About the Speakers:
Dr. James Hankins, professor of History at Harvard University and an intellectual historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance and author of many books, including, Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft.
Peter Scott Adamson, professor of philosophy in late antiquity and in the Islamic world at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; and professor of ancient and medieval philosophy at King's College London. He is also host of the weekly podcast History of Philosophy without any gaps and author of Don’t Think for Yourself: Authority and Belief in Medieval Philosophy.
Moderated by Anya Leonard, founder and Director of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
What are Big and Little Caesars? Both in ancient and modern times? And are there certain political and social environments that are fertile for these sorts of Caesars in their rise to power?
And should we know more about this topic before the next election series?
This Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Sir William Robert Ferdinand Mount, British writer, novelist, and columnist for The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and London Review of Books as well as a political commentator.
He is the author of many books, including his most recent, “Big Caesars and Little Caesars: How They Rise and How They Fall - From Julius Caesar to Boris Johnson” Of which we’ll speak about today...
You can find Ferdinand's book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/big-caesars-and-little-caesars-9781399409681/
You can also sign up for Classical Wisdom's free newsletter here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Song is Keyboard Sonata No. 47 in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32: I. Allegro moderato
Today children already have so many expectations. From excelling in school, practicing sports and hobbies, to learning languages that can give them the ‘competitive’ edge, there simply isn't enough time as it is to fit it all in.
In their modern overloaded schedules, it's extremely difficult to see how ancient Greek and Latin feature in young people's lives.
But if we can't inspire an interest in the next generation, do these ancient languages have a future?
Watch an elite panel of ancient Greek and Latin teachers to discuss how can we instill an interest in the youth today, so we can help preserve our collective history for tomorrow.
Featuring the famous Eugenia Manolidou, Greek classical composer, and course director at ancient Greek school Elliniki Agogi, Steven Hunt, from the University of Cambridge and Classics for All, as well as Gerardo Guzmàn, ancient Greek professor at the renowned Vivarium Novum Academy in Rome.
This event was hosted by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
About our Speakers:
Eugenia Manolidou is a Greek classical composer, conductor, entertainment television presenter and course director at Elliniki Agogi, a school dedicated to the ancient Greek language, History and Philosophy to adults and children since 1994.
Steven Hunt, Senior Teaching Associate at the University of Cambridge, Editor of The Journal of Classics Teaching and works with the The Association for Latin Teaching, the Cambridge Schools' Classics Project and Classics for All.
Gerardo Guzmàn is a professor of the Ancient Greek language and teaches at the famous Vivarium Novum Academy in Rome.
Anya Leonard is the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, as well as the newest addition: Classical Wisdom Kids
How do you define a Rebel? Are should we glorify them? Or not? Are they heroes or anti-heroes? Have some done better in the history books than others?
Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with Stephen Dando-Collins, the award-winning and very prolific author of over 40 books, including Rise of an Empire, on which the major motion picture 300: Rise of an Empire was based, as well as his most recent, “Seven Against Thebes”. In today’s episode, however, we discus another one of his recent book, “Rebels Against Rome”.
You can purchase Stephen's book, "Rebels Against Rome: 400 Years of Rebellions Against the Rule of Rome" Here.
You can support Classical Wisdom's mission of bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds by checking our free newsletter at:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Why should we say “no”? What is the importance of being able to do so? And can the ancient philosophy of cynicism help us with our modern ills? Today we’ll look at one of the most controversial philosophers from the classical world - Diogenes the Dog - and how his example can be good for us...?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with M. D. Usher is the Lyman-Roberts Professor of Classical Languages and Literature and a member of the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Vermont. Mark has recently published a book with PUP called, “How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism ”, of which we’ll be speaking about today.
You can find "How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism" here.
This podcast was brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. You can sign up for our free newsletter and bring the classics to your inbox here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Is Democracy dying? Polls show that Americans on both sides of the political spectrum feel it’s under attack... but does the situation have to be so dire?
Professors Brook Manville and Josiah Ober offer a guide to democratic renewal in order to guarantee civic rights of freedom, equality, and dignity.
Tracing the long progression toward self-government through four key moments in democracy’s history: Classical Athens, Republican Rome, Great Britain’s constitutional monarchy, and America’s founding, they compare what worked and what failed in each case... to draw out lessons for how modern democracies can survive and thrive.
You can their book, The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives, here.
About the Speakers:
Brook Manville is an independent consultant who writes about politics, democracy, technology, and business. Previously a partner with McKinsey & Co. and an award-winning professor at Northwestern University, he is the author of The Origins of Citizenship in Ancient Athens (Princeton) and A Company of Citizens: What the World’s First Democracy Teaches Leaders About Creating Great Organizations (with Josiah Ober).
Josiah Ober is the Constantine Mitsotakis Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is the author of The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece, Democracy and Knowledge: Innovation and Learning in Classical Athens (both Princeton), The Greeks and the Rational: The Discovery of Practical Reason, and other books.
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This event is brought to you by Classical Wisdom. To learn more about us and to enjoy our free newsletter, please go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Public bathhouses embodied the Roman way of life, from food and fashion to sculpture and sports. The most popular institution of the ancient Mediterranean world, the baths drew people of all backgrounds....but were all welcome there?
Using the Roman bathhouse - a place suffused with nudity, sex, and magic - as a social laboratory, Professor Yaron Eliav reveals how Jews (and Christians) interacted with Greco-Roman culture... resulting in a cross-cultural engagement that shaped Western civilization as we know it.
Enjoy this provocative discussion with Yaron Eliav and Anya Leonard and discover Jews of antiquity and their relationships in the Classical World.
Yaron Z. Eliav is associate professor of rabbinic literature and Jewish history of late antiquity at the University of Michigan. He is the author of God’s Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place, and Memory and the producer of the documentary Paul in Athens.
Yaron's newest book, A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse, challenges us to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Graeco-Roman society, shedding new light on how cross-cultural engagement shaped Western civilization.
You can learn more about "A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse" HERE:
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691243436/a-jew-in-the-roman-bathhouse
This discussion was hosted by Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and to subscribe to our free newsletter, please go to:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Please note, this was recorded in June 2023
What’s a day on one of the most exciting and famous archaeological sites in the world? Let’s take a tour with the man running the show at the Athenian Agora..
Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with John K. Papadopoulos, Distinguished Professor of Archaeology & Classics, UCLA, and the newly appointed Director of the Athenian Agora Excavations.
You can learn more about this exciting project here: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/excavations/athenian-agora
This Podcast is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. You can now find us - along with our free newsletter at https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Why are video games set in the ancient world? What are some of the major examples? How are women represented in these games? And why does this matter?
I honestly know nothing about video games, with or without classical references. And yet, I enjoyed a fascinating conversation with Professors Cook and Draycott which revealed quite a lot about both the ancient world and the modern players who love it.
So even if you are a complete video game neophyte, like yours truly, or well versed in this virtual world, please enjoy this Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast with Professors Jane Draycott, Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, Scotland and Kate Cook, Associate Lecturer in Classics at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
They are also the editors of the recently released book published by Bloomsbury called “Women in Classical Video Games”, of which we will speak about today.
You purchase Professors Draycott and Cook's book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/women-in-classical-video-games-9781350241930/#
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
From the Corporate to the Political - how can we find our modern values in ancient lessons?
What if Plato ran Facebook? Or Socrates was in charge of Apple? Can you imagine Aristotle running Amazon or General Motors? Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks' guest has thought of just that... and how these ancient thinkers can help with both the corporate and the political world today.... And maybe more importantly, how they can help us find shared values in our devise world.
Featuring Tom Morris, one of the world's top public philosophers and pioneering business thinkers. He is a legendary speaker whose electrifying talks reengage people around their deepest values and reignite their passion for work and life... as well as author of over 30 books, including “If Aristotle Ran General Motors”, and most recently, “The Everyday Patriot: How to be a Great American."
To learn more about Classical Wisdom and to sign up for our Free newsletter, please go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
You can purchase Tom's book, “The Everyday Patriot: How to be a Great American.", here: https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Patriot-How-Great-American/dp/1737722712#
How did the ancient Egyptians handle war, plague and inequality? How did their unique geography shape their history? What was their community 'glue'?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney. Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA, Kara Specializes in craft production, coffin studies, and economies in the ancient world. Cooney produced a comparative archaeology television series, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is available online via Netflix and Amazon.
Please go to Classicalwisdom.substack.com to learn more about our work and to sign up for our Free newsletter.
To read Kara Cooney’s newsletter, you can also find her on substack at https://afterlives.substack.com/.
What is the role of philosophy in history? Do philosophers come up with ideas that spread and influence the world? Or are their works the cumulation of the advances of society? How do good ideas spread? And is this a time for optimism?
Today’s episode of Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Robert Tracinski, editor of Symposium, a journal of liberalism, author of the The Tracinski Letter (https://tracinskiletter.substack.com/) and a Senior fellow at the Atlas Society. We’ll be looking at the relationship between philosophy and history, the "Thales Objection" and Robert’s idea on the virtuous circle.
Please check out https://Classicalwisdom.substack.com to sign up for our free newsletter - We are a reader supported publication and its our wonderful community that makes our site and this podcast possible.
Vitaliy Katsenelson, a podcaster and expert on value investing, and the author of a recent book on Stoicism called Soul in the Game, discusses how Stoicism has influenced his perspective, his book and his investing.
To learn more about Vitalyi’s work, please check his website: https://contrarianedge.com/
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
The story of Medusa has captivated us for thousands of years, that of the beautiful woman turned into a monster... Why has this myth permeated culture so much... and why do we need to revisit this ancient tale?
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with Natalie Haynes, author of several books, including A Thousand Ships, which was a national bestseller and shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Natalie is also a comedian as well as a broadcaster for the BBC. She has written for The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Observer and today’ we’ll talk about her newest book, Stone Blind.
You can purchase Stone Blind Here.
Learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
Is the West in Decline? Is it the end of days or media hype? And what is the "West" anyways?
In this episode of Classical Wisdom Speaks with Spencer Klavan, we discuss how ancient wisdom is necessary to solve modern crises, why ordinary people are the essential component to the solution and whether we can/should save the West.
Spencer Klavan is a classicist with a Ph.D. from Oxford, and host of the Young Heretics podcast, as well as assistant editor of the Claremont Review of Books and The American Mind. He is also author of "Music in Ancient Greece: Melody, Rhythm", and Life as well as most recently "How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises".
You can buy Spencer's book (JUST OUT) here.
Learn more Ancient Wisdom with Classical Wisdom. Check out our articles and Sign up for our free newsletter here: Https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
Whether you are planning a trip to Greece, if you've been and want to see if you got the 'must-see' spots, or you fancy some fun armchair travels, this Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is a MUST LISTEN for ancient history lovers.
Leading us through the archeological sites is veteran guide, Aristotle Koskinas. With 20 years in the field and hundreds of sites under his belt, Aristotle gives us the truly insiders guide on where to travel in Greece for the best ancient sites, hidden gems and even the unknown must sees.
Get ready to explore Ancient Olympia, Naxos, Delphi and more...
New to Classical Wisdom? Check out our website for our free newsletter and articles here:
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
You can follow Aristotle's work here: https://aristotelisguidegr.wordpress.com/
How do the major ancient Greek philosophies really compare? Are some more applicable to our modern lives than others? Today we'll try to step back and get the 'bigger' picture in our attempt to understand, analyze and compare the major ancient Greek philosophies... all in one podcast.
Fortunately, we have none other than the very gifted and knowledgable Gregory Sadler, the President and co-Founder of ReasonIO, Editor of Stoicism Today and Adjunct Professor in Philosophy and Humanities and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design as well as Lecturer in Philosophy and Business Ethics, Carthage College.
To learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
To learn more about Greg and his excellent projects, please go to:
LinkedIn Profile | https://www.linkedin.com/in/reasonio
Philosophy videos | https://www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
Sadler's Lectures podcast | https://soundcloud.com/gregorybsadler
Wisdom for Life radio show | https://www.riverwestradio.com/show/wisdom-for-life/
Classical Wisdom Members can listen to the entire podcast with Greg Sadler on https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
What does the ancient Greek philosophy have to do with African Proverbs and the concept of Ubuntu? Perhaps in more ways than you may think...
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Tiišetšo Maloma from South Africa, who is an Innovation Scholar, Product Creator, Entrepreneur and author of several books, including ‘Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism: Gain Joy, Resilience, Productivity, and Defuse Anxiety.’
We'll be discussing linguistic roots, Individualism vs Collectivism as well as Proverbs & Philosophy...
To learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
To purchase Tiišetšo Maloma's book, ‘Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism: Gain Joy, Resilience, Productivity, and Defuse Anxiety’, please go to here.
How can we be more virtuous? Can we teach our children virtue? And what about politicians?
Well, the latter is probably the most difficult, but continuing our current cycle of cynicism isn't exactly helping us out either... So what can we actually do to make a better society for ourselves... and for the next generation?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Massimo Pigliucci, the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and author of many books, including "How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life"... and most recently, “How to Be Good: What Socrates Can Teach Us About the Art of Living Well”
To learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
To learn more about Massimo and his excellent books, please go to https://massimopigliucci.org/
Classical Wisdom Members can listen to the entire podcast with Massimo Pigliucci on https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
Are you ready to take on a musical journey from the Patagonian Mountains that will immediately transport you to the ancient world? This is a podcast unlike any you have heard before...
We know the importance of music in ancient Greece; the backdrop to every ceremony, festival and religious endeavor it also accompanied dinners, symposiums, and literature itself. Indeed, the plays and poems we love so dearly were all sung...
But what did ancient music sound like? What instruments and melodies did they use? And how can we reconstruct these ancient sounds today?
Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Argentine luthier and musician Alberto Magnin and Classical Wisdom’s former editor, Kristin Deasy; they will take you on an investigation of ancient instruments that will deepen your cultural understanding of the ancient world, bringing sound to history.
Best of all, Alberto and Kristin will perform ancient melodies on ancient instruments... immediately transporting you to another time and place.
To learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
You can find Alberto Magnin’s music on:
Sound Cloud - https://soundcloud.com/albertomagnin
Apple music - https://music.apple.com/ar/artist/alberto-magnin/904106327
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/63Vv31lt7Bh3kIRUlEcWVC
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChNkl3qhlnjMhphWGyTNixw
How to Grieve: From Cicero and Stoicism to Modern practices, How Can Philosophy HELP US Handle Loss? Panel Discussion
In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech―not for others, as had always been done, but for himself.
And it worked.
Cicero’s Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech. Drawing on the full range of Greek philosophy and Roman history, Cicero convinced himself that death and loss are part of life, and that if others have survived them, we can, too; resilience, endurance, and fortitude are the way forward.
This panel discusses the revelations of Cicero’s consolation and how they relate to both the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and modern behavioral cognitive therapy... all with the aim of finding a better understanding on how to grieve.
Watch eminent professors and authors, Michael Fontaine, Massimo Pigliucci, and Donald Robertson for this thought-provoking, important conversation.
About the Speakers:
Michael Fontaine is Professor in the Department of Classics at Cornell University, New York and author of many books and articles, including: How to tell a Joke, The Pig War, How to Drink: A classical Guide to Imbibing, and most recently, How to Grieve: An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation.
Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and author of many books, including How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life... and most recently, How to Be Good: What Socrates Can Teach Us About the Art of Living Well.
Donald Robertson is a writer, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist and trainer, specializing in teaching evidence-based psychological skills and is the president of Plato’s Academy Center. Donald is the author of several books and many articles on philosophy, psychotherapy, and psychological skills training, including How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, and his most recent project, Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, a graphic novel has just been released.
Anya Leonard is the Founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Co-founded in 2013 with Bill Bonner, in conjunction with Les Belles Lettres, the French publishing house. She has recently published a children’s book, Sappho: The Lost Poetess, dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho.
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and our mission to bring ancient wisdom to modern minds here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
From the highway killers confronted by the Greek hero Theseus, such as Procrustes, who tortured and mutilated their victims to the Sphinx, or “strangler,” from the story of Oedipus.. Or child-killing demons and witches and historical figures such as Locusta of Gaul, the most notorious poisoner in the early Roman Empire....Who are the serial killers of the ancient world?From the highway killers confronted by the Greek hero Theseus, such as Procrustes, who tortured and mutilated their victims to the Sphinx, or “strangler,” from the story of Oedipus.. Or child-killing demons and witches and historical figures such as Locusta of Gaul, the most notorious poisoner in the early Roman Empire....Who are the serial killers of the ancient world?
Usually thought to be a more modern phenomenon, Dr. Debbie Felton makes the case that you can find these notorious murderers throughout ancient history and mythology alike.
To learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com
Debbie Felton is the Professor of Classics and Undergraduate Program Director at UMass-Amherst. She is the author and editor of many books which focus on antiquity, folktales, the supernatural and the monstrous, but today we discuss her latest book, Monsters and Monarchs: Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History.
Classical Wisdom Members can listen to the entire podcast with Professor Felton on Classical Wisdom.com.
You can purchase Debbie’s book, Monsters and Monarchs: Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History on amazon.com or https://utpress.utexas.edu/
Not just for dinner parties and sleepy children, learning how to tell a story is an essential component of understanding literature... but do we only become great at it when we break the rules?
We discuss Aristotle's necessary components for storytelling... and why...or why not they matter.
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Phillip Freeman, Professor of Humanities and Fletcher Jones Chair of Western Culture in the Humanities/ Teacher Education Division at Seaver College of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
Phillip is author of many interesting and diverse books, including his most recent: How to Tell a Story, An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Reader, which is a highly readable new translation of Aristotle’s Poetics.
Thank you for listening to Classical Wisdom Speaks. Please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/ to learn more about our work and to sign up for our Free newsletter.
To learn more about Philip Freeman and his excellent books, please go to https://philipfreemanbooks.com/
Mark Antony and Cleopatra on one side... Octavian and his brilliant general on the other. It's one of the most riveting, decisive and climatic moments in ancient history... and yet still such a mystery.
How was it that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were defeated... when they had much larger forces? What were the pivotal - never discussed - moments beforehand that gave Octavian the upper hand?
And what really happened that fateful day when Mark Antony's ships simply didn't set sail?
Discover the gripping story of one of history’s most important wars, the campaign culminating in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC... the war that made the Roman Empire.
Featuring Cornell Classics Professor Barry Strauss, naval warfare expert William M. Murray and famed Egyptologist Kara Cooney, moderated by Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom.
Help support the classics! Find out more about Classical Wisdom and the work we are doing at our new location: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
About the Speakers:
Barry Strauss is the Professor of History and Classics, Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, specializing as a military and naval historian. Barry is also the visiting Corliss Dean Page Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Series Editor of Princeton’s Turning Points in Ancient History, an author of many bestselling books, including: The Death of Caesar, Ten Caesars and most recently, ˆˆThe War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra and Octavian at Actium.
Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. Specializing in craft production, coffin studies, and economies in the ancient world, Cooney received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a comparative archaeology television series, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is available online via Netflix and Amazon.
William M. Murray is the Mary and Gus Stathis Professor of Greek History at the University of South Florida. His interests include all aspects of ancient seafaring from ships and their designs to trade, ancient harbors, naval warfare and weaponry. Over the past 40 years, he has worked at archaeological sites, both underwater and on land, in Greece, Israel, Turkey, France and Italy. He is currently a member of the Egadi Island Survey Project recovering ancient warship rams and other battle debris from the last naval battle of the First Punic War (241 BC) and is also preparing, with others, the final publication of excavations conducted at Augustus’ Victory Monument near Nicopolis in Greece.
Moderated by Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds.
Many people don’t see the connection between the key ancient philosophers, Plato, Socrates and Aristotle and the growing trend of Stoicism - but how was Stoicism influenced by these earlier thinkers?
Nancy Sherman, who holds the rank of a distinguished University Professor at Georgetown university, and has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, discusses the practical tools of Stoicism, how its been influenced by previous philosophers as well as the NEED for Plato.
Nancy Sherman is also a New York Times Notable Author and her most recent book is Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience... she will be speaking LIVE on the topic of "Aristotle and the Stoics on Flourishing" this May 21st, 2022 at the inaugural conference for the Plato's Academy Centre.
Co-hosted by Classical Wisdom, all donations will go to the reconstruction of Plato's Academy in Athens. Make sure to secure your tickets to this HISTORIC event HERE:
https://platosacademycentre1.eventbrite.ca
You can get Nancy's book, Stoic Wisdom, Here:
https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Wisdom-Ancient-Lessons-Resilience/dp/0197501834
Has our modern system of education become obsessed with the practical and technical to the detriment of a contemplative view of education? Can we help students find awe, curiosity, contemplation - and most important of all - meaning?
It’s time to recover the role of Beauty in education, to show how a liberal arts education can form us as integral persons—mind, body, and soul.
Featuring Margarita Mooney Suarez of the Scala Foundation, Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renaissance and Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.
We discuss the nature of poetic knowledge, finding beauty in a multi-cultural world, and the French philosopher, La Jacques Maritain.
This event is brought to you by Classical Wisdom and Civic Renassiance
https://classicalwisdom.com/
https://www.civic-renaissance.com/
About the Speakers:
Margarita Mooney Suarez is currently an Associate Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, having served as faculty at institutions of higher education since 2005. She is also founder and executive director of Scala Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring meaning and purpose to universities and schools by promoting liberal arts education. As a woman whose work lies at the intersection of the social sciences with philosophy and theology, she excels at encouraging students, readers, listeners and audiences to think about important questions in beauty, education, femininity, vocation, hope and faith in new and different ways.
You can find out more about Scala Foundation here: https://scalafoundation.org/
Alexandra Hudson is an award winning journalist, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of Civic Renaissance, a newsletter and intellectual community dedicated to moral and cultural renewal.
Anya Leonard is the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Anya studied philosophy and comparative literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis, a great books program and received her MA in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. She has recently published a children’s book, Sappho: The Lost Poetess, dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho. She currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In 2021 Princeton University scrapped the Ancient Greek and Latin requirements for Classics students... and this sparked a huge debate, both within the classics community and the general classics loving public as well.
We ask: Should ancient Greek and Latin be required for Classics students? What is the future of ancient languages?
It used to be that you couldn't even enter university without knowledge of Latin and Ancient Greek...but as time goes on, these language requirements have been lowered... and today they have been almost completely dropped, even in the Classics department.
Is this good? Is this bad? Should ancient Greek and Latin be required for Classics students? Or are our modern translations sufficient?
Moreover, how can those who don't know ancient languages benefit from the wisdom of these texts? Beyond academe, can the lay person enjoy the wisdom of history to live a richer life?
Featuring former Eton ancient Greek teacher, Lalya Lloyd, Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renassiance and Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.
Learn more about Classical Wisdom here: http://classicalwisdom.com/
And about Civic Renassiance here: https://www.civic-renaissance.com/
About the Speakers:
Lalya Lloyd is an Athens-based teacher and writer who has spent a lifetime living and teaching classics. She was raised by a classicist and studied at Cambridge under Mary Beard. In between she won a prize for the Times Literary Supplement (TLS). More recently, she taught classics at Eton. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and is working on a book about ancient and modern Greece. Other current projects include editing a forthcoming biography of Marcus Aurelius for Yale UP.
Alexandra Hudson is an award winning journalist, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of Civic Renaissance, a newsletter and intellectual community dedicated to moral and cultural renewal.
Anya Leonard is the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Anya studied philosophy and comparative literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis, a great books program and received her MA in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. She has recently published a children’s book, Sappho: The Lost Poetess, dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho. She currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
If Seneca said Luck is when preparation meets opportunity... is Resilience when preparation meets struggle?
Even if you aren't suffering pain, loss, or anxiety now... the reality is one day you will, and how you handle it can be greatly influenced by how you prepare for it...
Aka, it's always worthwhile to do the 'work', philosophically speaking that is... 😉
Stoicism can help with health issues like Chronic pain, PTSD and anxiety... it can improve your relationships as well as your home life...and it has useful tactics that stick... whether you learn them when you need them, or when you prepare for the inevitable.
Listen to this fascinating panel bring together the philosophical and the practical on Stoicism: health, home and community.
Featuring: Karen "Duff" Duffy, model, television personality, actress, and author of “Wise Up”; Donald Robertson, a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, trainer, writer as well as one of the founding members of the non-profit group, Modern Stoicism; and Nancy Sherman, Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and New York Times Notable Author.
Moderated by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds.
You can buy Duff's fantastic book, "Wise Up: Irreverent Enlightenment from a Mother Who's Been Through It" Here:
https://www.sealpress.com/titles/karen-duffy/wise-up/9781541620483/
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: https://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/
You can enjoy Donald's book, How to Think like a Roman Emperor here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Like-Roman-Emperor/dp/1250196620#
Get your own copy of Nancy's Book: Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Resilience here:
https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Wisdom-Ancient-Lessons-Resilience/dp/0197501834
About the speakers:
Karen Duffy is the New York Times bestselling author of Model Patient... and most recently, "Wise Up: Irreverent Enlightenment from a Mother Who's Been Through It ". She is a producer, actress, and former MTV VJ. She has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and O, The Oprah Magazine. She lives in New York.
Nancy Sherman is a New York Times Notable Author. Her most recent book is Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience. She is also the author of Afterwar: Healing the Moral Wounds of our Soldiers; The Untold War: Inside the Hearts, Minds, and Souls of our Soldiers a New York Times Editors' pick; Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind; Making a Necessity of Virtue: Aristotle and Kant on Virtue; The Fabric of Character: Aristotle's Theory of Virtue, and the editor of Critical Essays on the Classics: Aristotle's Ethics. She has written over 60 articles in the area of ethics, military ethics, the history of moral philosophy, ancient ethics, the emotions, moral psychology, and psychoanalysis. She has delivered over 60 named or keynote lectures and plenary addresses here and abroad. Nancy Sherman holds the distinguished rank of University Professor at Georgetown University.
Donald Robertson, president of Plato’s Academy centre, is a writer, trainer, and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist. He is a dual UK and Canadian citizen, with permanent residence in Greece. He is the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, includin
The Time has come... to tell the other side of the myth... the one where Medea isn't so bad... but Penelope is.
What if Pandora didn’t have a box? And it wasn’t even filled with evils? What if Helen of Troy (nay Sparta) wasn’t really the face that launched a thousand ships?
Perhaps it’s time to look at the Greek myths a bit more carefully... and see what versions we are choosing to reiterate... and why?
Featuring NATALIE HAYNES, author of six books, including A Thousand Ships, which was a national bestseller and shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Comedian and ardent proponent of making the classics accessible, Natalie has written and recorded seven series of Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics for the BBC. She has written for The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Observer. Natalie join us from London.
You can purchase Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Pandoras-Jar-Women-Greek-Myths/dp/1509873112/
Want your own guide to the Greek Gods? Get a free e-book here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-guide-to-the-greek-gods/
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Donald Robertson's upcoming Graphic Novel tells the tale of Marcus Aurelius like never before... How did Marcus Aurelius get his nickname? And why was it such a slap in the face... to his brother? And how does this new medium teach about both the Roman emperor and Stoic philosophy at the same time?
We delve into the man, the legend, and who exactly should play Marcus Aurelius in the next Hollywood blockbuster.
You can pre-order your own copy of Verissimus HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Verissimus-Stoic-Philosophy-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/1250270952
Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, trainer, writer as well as one of the founding members of the non-profit group, Modern Stoicism. He's the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, including Stoicism and the Art of Happiness (2013), How to Think Like a Roman Emperor (2019) and his latest graphic novel on Marcus Aurelius, of which we speak about today...
Was Alexander the Great REALLY that Great? Get a free magazine dedicated to the ancient Hellenic King and find out here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-guide-alexander-the-great/
Thank you to our Classical Wisdom Society Members who make this podcast possible. If you would like to become a Society Member and help support the classics, please go to https://classicalwisdom.com/ and click Start here.
The Myth of Atlantis has captured the imagination since ancient times... when even then people questioned whether it was true or not. Renowned British philosopher and academic, Angie Hobbs delves into the validity of Plato's myth... and what it means for us today.
More about Angie:
Angie Hobbs is Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. She contributes regularly to radio and TV programmes and other media, including 24 appearances on BBC’s In Our Time on Radio 4. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Houses of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster Abbey and been the guest on Desert Island Discs, Private Passions and Test Match Special. She was a judge of the Man Booker International Prize 2019 and was on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council 2018-9 for Values, Ethics and Innovation.
Her most recent publication for the general public is Plato’s Republic: a Ladybird Expert Book...which you can purchase here: https://www.amazon.com/Platos-Republic-Ladybird-Expert/dp/0718188527
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: https://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/
Sarcophagus comes from Greek, with "sarco" meaning flesh and "phagus" meaning eater... but what can a flesh eating box tell us about the ancient Romans?
Dr. Ferst drove a hundred thousand miles across four continents in over fourteen expeditions in search of the remaining 2000 stone Sarcophagi scattered across the globe.
Barry Ferst is Professor of Ancient Philosophy, Islam: Philosophy and Culture, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Art and Beauty, Carrol College. He discusses his book, “Stone Sarcophagi of the Roman Empire” and the amazing journeys he embarked on to create it.
You can purchase Barry’s book, Stone Sarcophagi of the Roman Empire Here:
https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Sarcophagi-Roman-Empire-Barry/dp/1984544969
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: https://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/
Why doesn't Homer mention Thebes? It was a powerful city-state, at one point the most powerful in the Mediterranean... and yet it's conspicuously not prevalent in the great epics. Perhaps its absence speaks volumes...
This Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Elton Barker and Joel Christensen, joint authors of both Homer’s Thebes: Epic Rivalries and the Appropriation of Mythical Pasts as well as Homer: A Beginner's Guide.
Elton Barker is Professor of Greek Literature and Culture at the School of Arts & Cultures at the Open University, in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. He is also the General Secretary at Pelagios Network and Author of “Entering the Agon: Dissent and Authority in Homer, Historiography, and Tragedy”.
Joel Christensen is Professor and Chair at the Department of Classical Studies in Brandeis University. In addition to his and Elton’s joint books, he is Author of The Many-Minded Man: The "Odyssey," Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic (Myth and Poetics II)
We’ll discuss women in Archaic Greece, the possibility of a Theban Epic and whether or not Homer stole... or sampled from other traditions.
You can purchase Elton and Joel’s, book, Homer’s Thebes: Epic Rivalries and the Appropriation of Mythical Pasts here:
https://chs.harvard.edu/book/barker-elton-and-joel-christensen-homers-thebes/
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: https://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/
It was said her poetry will be sung as long as there are boats on the nile... There are still boats on the nile (last I checked) and yet almost no one know her works...
So who exactly was Sappho? Why was she so controversial and what happened to her prolific body of work?
Discover the remarkable life, work and loss of the 7th century BC poetess who was considered equal to Homer in this week's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode.
You can help inspire the love of history, poetry and archeology in the next generation with Classical Wisdom's newest children's book - Sappho: The Lost Poetess.
Purchase it on Amazon here: http://tick.news/i2
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: http://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/
Skepticism has woven its way throughout the entire history of philosophy... and yet as a formal school of thought it was (and still is) fairly niche and unknown.
Why is that? What does Skepticism REALLY entail? And what can we learn from the remaining Skeptic works (of which there are so few) that can help us bridge our political divides?
Richard Bett, Professor of Philosophy and Classics at Johns Hopkins University and author of How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic discusses the pros and cons of Sextus’ Empiricus, the only Greek Skeptic whose work has survived.
We'll delve into how exactly can ancient skepticism help you attain tranquility by learning to suspend judgment....
You can find Professor's Bett's book, How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic, Here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691206042/how-to-keep-an-open-mind
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/
Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: http://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/
It's not the most intuitive comparison: Alexander the Great and Hernán Cortés... but what does the Macedonian Conquerer and the Spanish Conquistador have in common?
We look at their commanding abilities, motivations as well as some of the larger questions that emerge from comparing the conquests of the Persian and Aztec Empires....
Featuring Justin D. Lyons, Associate Professor of Political Science, Cedarville University in Ohio and author of the book: Alexander the Great and Hernán Cortés: Ambiguous Legacies of Leadership and Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.
You can purchase Justin's book,Alexander the Great and Hernán Cortés: Ambiguous Legacies of Leadership, Here.
You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks at: https://classicalwisdom.com/
You can also get a FREE E-book on "Money, Gold and the End of an Empire" Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-money-gold-endofanempire/
Is Sparta under attack? Or is it time for a new look at the ancient power?
Myke Cole, author of “The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy” counts up Sparta’s wins and losses and asks: What if, in fact, the Spartans weren’t such great warriors? And what does that mean for us today?
We discuss if this is true, the implications of this research and just as importantly... How should we really remember Sparta?
Myke Cole is an American author of history, fantasy, and science fiction. His emergency response career spans service in the US military, intelligence, law enforcement services as well as firefighting. He starred on CBS’ investigative TV show Hunted, and Discovery Channel’s Contact. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, Slate, The Daily Beast, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic.
To purchase Myke's new book, “The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy”, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Bronze-Lie-Shattering-Spartan-Supremacy/dp/1472843754
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our recent Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Music - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Why did a system of over 1,500 autonomous city-states that had resisted a massive invasion in 480 BC, lose their independent statuses to Macedon 150 years later when they were far richer and more powerful?
Victor Davis Hanson, Professor Emeritus of classics at California State University and Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, delves into the fall of ancient Greece's city-states.
This discussion took place LIVE on Saturday, August 21st as part of Classical Wisdom's Symposium 2021: The End of Empires and the Fall of Nations. If you would like to watch all the recordings please go to:
https://courses.classicalwisdom.com/product/symposium-2021-the-end-of-empires/
or email us at info@classicalwisdom.com.
About our speaker:
Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and chair of the Military History Working Group; Victor is a scholar of ancient and modern warfare and the author of many books. He is a professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno, and the annual Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History at Hillsdale College since 2004. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush, and was a recipient of the Bradley Prize in 2008.
Victor Davis Hanson's newest book, "The Dying Citizen" was just released on October 5th: https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Citizen-Progressive-Globalization-Destroying/dp/154164753X
About our Moderators:
Alexandra Hudson is an author and founder of Civic Renaissance - an intellectual community dedicated to beauty, goodness and truth and reviving the wisdom of the past. She's working on her first book on civil discourse for St Martin's Press.
Alexandra O. Hudson
www.civic-renaissance.com
www.alexandraohudson.com
Anya Leonard is the founder and director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing Ancient Wisdom to Modern minds. Her children's book, "The Lost Poetess" will be released later this month.
https://classicalwisdom.com/
https://classicalwisdom.com/product/sappho-the-lost-poetess/
Celebrated historians Niall Ferguson, James Hankins of Harvard University and renowned philosopher Angie Hobbs delve into the end of empires: How they meet their demise and what that means to us in the here and now.
Hosted by Jack Visnjic of Ancient Greece Declassified Podcast, this conversation covers Ancient, Renaissance and the more modern state of states.
This discussion took place LIVE on Saturday, August 21st as part of Classical Wisdom's Symposium 2021: The End of Empires and the Fall of Nations. If you would like to watch all the recordings please go to: http://classicalwisdom.com/symposium or email us at info@classicalwisdom.com.
About our Panelists:
Niall Ferguson, MA, DPhil, FRSE, is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He is also a visiting professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing. He is the author of sixteen books, including The Pity of War, The House of Rothschild, Empire, Civilization and Kissinger, 1923-1968: The Idealist, which won the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Prize.
He is an award-making filmmaker, too, having won an international Emmy for his PBS series The Ascent of Money. In 2020 he joined Bloomberg Opinion as a columnist. In addition, he is the founder and managing director of Greenmantle LLC, a New York-based advisory firm, a co-founding board member of Ualá, a Latin American financial technology company, and a trustee of the New York Historical Society and the London-based Centre for Policy Studies. His most recent book, The Square and the Tower, was published in the U.S. in 2018, and was a New York Times bestseller. A three-part television adaptation, Niall Ferguson’s Networld, aired on PBS in March 2020. His most recent book, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe, has just been published by Penguin.
Angie Hobbs gained a degree in Classics and a PhD in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. After a Research Fellowship at Christ’s College, Cambridge, she moved to the Philosophy Department at the University of Warwick; in 2012 she was appointed Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, a position created for her. Her chief interests are in ancient philosophy and literature, and ethics and political theory from classical thought to the present, and she has published widely in these areas, including Plato and the Hero (C.U.P). Her most recent publication for the general public is Plato’s Republic: a Ladybird Expert Book. She contributes regularly to radio and TV programmes and other media, including 22 appearances on In Our Time on Radio 4. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Houses of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster Abbey and been the guest on Desert Island Discs, Private Passions and Test Match Special.
She was a judge of the Man Booker International Prize 2019 and was on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council 2018-9 for Values, Ethics and Innovation.
Dr. James Hankins, professor of History at Harvard University and an intellectual historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance. He is the general editor of the I Tatti Renaissance Library, which publishes bilingual editions of important Latin works of the Renaissance as well as author of many books, including, Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft.
What control do we have over the End of Empires? And how can we prepare for their inevitable fall?
Professors A.A. Long and William B Irvine and cognitive behavior therapist, Donald Robertson discuss the role we as individuals can play during the decay of empires...and how we can mentally fortify ourselves for inevitable changes.
This discussion took place LIVE on Sunday, August 22nd as part of Classical Wisdom's Symposium 2021: The End of Empires and the Fall of Nations. If you would like to watch all the recordings please go to: http://classicalwisdom.com/symposium or email us at info@classicalwisdom.com
About our Panelists:
Donald Robertson is a writer, trainer, psychotherapist, and an expert on the relationship between modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and classical Greek and Roman philosophy. He is also the founder of Modern Stoicism and the author of ‘How to Think Like a Roman Emperor’.
William B. Irvine is professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. Among them are A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (Oxford University Press, 2008) and most recently, The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient (W.W. Norton, 2018). He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet.
Anthony Arthur Long is a British and naturalised American classical scholar and Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Classics and Irving Stone Professor of Literature Emeritus, and Affiliated Professor of Philosophy and Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of many books, including Greek Models of Mind and Self, How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life, as well as most recently, Seneca: Fifty Letters of a Roman Stoic.
Joel Bowman, of Bonner Private Research, interviews Anya Leonard from Classical Wisdom about the End of Empires and the Fall of Nations... in anticipation of this week's Symposium 2021 (August 21/22).
Make sure to secure your tickets (and Pay what YOU want) here: https://classicalwisdom.com/symposium-2021-speakers/
Find out more about Bonner Private Research: https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/
Time stamps - A rough guide...
(00:50) - Intro
(02:00) - START
(02:15) - A marital disclaimer from Athens, Greece
(03:05) - Don’t believe everything you hear (or read in the newspapers)
(04:05) - Greece is open for business... Come visit!
(04:45) - Exploring the ancient Greek concept of Xenia
(05:45) - Time travelling to a pre-budget airline Europe
(07:15) - Public space vs. private anxieties: developing a sense of community
(09:05) - Philosophy in the time of Plague - lessons from the ancients
(13:00) - The art of cherry picking - the best of the best from the classics
(17:45) - Contemporary issues viewed through the lens of the past
(20:05) - Rome and the USA: The rise and fall of empires, then and now
(22:15) - How canceling history dooms us to repeating its mistakes
(22:55) - What can we know? The search for truth, even when we’re wrong
(25:15) - The End of Empire and Fall of Nations: A Classical Wisdom Symposium
(28:15) - Rise of the historians: Niall Ferguson on Doom Politics
(28:45) - Speaker Roster: A who’s who of the coming symposium
(31:35) - Ancient Athens... from the comfort of your own home!
(33:15) - Libate while I contemplate? Where can I register?
(35:15) - Adrift in the Aegean: Where to next?
(36:22) - END
Who were the Seleucids?? The largest and most diverse empire of the Hellenistic world, and yet so under-appreciated and overlooked... What do we know about this empire and why do we know so little?
This week's podcast is with Derek L., the host and creator of the Hellenistic Age Podcast about this vast and vastly overlooked period of history.
Now, if you find the rise and fall of empires fascinating, then we do have very exciting news... We have officially launched tickets to Classical wisdom’s symposium 2021: the end of empires and the fall of nations, taking place august 21st and 22nd. We are thrilled to have an amazing line up of some of the most brilliant minds to discuss history, philosophy and mythology. Join Niall Ferguson, Edith hall, Donald Roberson, Paul Cartledge, to name just a few!
Make sure to secure your tickets at: https://classicalwisdom.com/symposium/.
Best of all - we want to make sure anyone and everyone can join us for this star studded event. If you can’t afford the ticket price, just email us at info@classicalwidsdom.com and we will help you out!
You can learn more about the Hellenistic Age with Derek's podcast at: https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/
Or follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod
Formed in 379 BC to combat the Spartan threat...
Hailed by Plato as a force that could never be beaten...
The last hope to preserve the freedom of Greece...
Buried together on the spot they fell....
300 male lovers reveal a dramatic ancient tale whose story will leave you gripped into the end.
James Romm of Bard College, and author of the Sacred Band, discusses Sex, Soldiers and Thebes with Cambridge Professor, Paul Cartledge, and Columbia Professor, Helene Foley. Moderated by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.
They delve into the history of Thebes, the evolution of male eros and the essential role of the Sacred Band in fighting for Greek democracy.
About the Speakers:
James Romm is the James H. Ottaway Jr. Professor of Classics at Bard College and specializes in ancient Greek and Roman culture and civilization. Dr. Romm is author of several books, including Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero, Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and most recently, “The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers fighting to save Greek Freedom”.
Paul Anthony Cartledge is the A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Clare College. He has published extensively on Greek history over several decades, including The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past as well as Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece (2020)
Helene P. Foley is Professor of Classical Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University and a member of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality at Columbia. She specialises in ancient Greek literature, women and gender in antiquity, and the reception of classical drama. Helene is author of many books, her most recent beingReimagining Greek Tragedy on the American Stag.Anya Leonard, Founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a platform dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to Modern Minds. For more information about Classical Wisdom and Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
You can buy the speakers' excellent books below:
The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers fighting to save Greek Freedom:
Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece
Reimagining Greek Tragedy on the American StagSign up to get Classical Wisdom's Free newsletter as well as a FREE E-book on the "Two Sides of Jesus", Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-two-sides-of-jesus/
Super heroes and super twisted plots... is Sophocles a better psychological playwright than Euripides? How can we understand ancient art? And would Plato have liked cubism?
This Classical Wisdom Speaks Episode is with Nickolas Pappas, Professor of Philosophy and Executive Officer of the Philosophy Program, at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He is an expert in Plato and author of several books, including "Plato's Exceptional City, Love, and Philosopher, Politics” and “Philosophy in Plato's Menexenus” as well as “The Routledge Guidebook to Plato's Republic.”
We discuss how we can understand ancient art and theater and the role psychology plays in its understanding...
You can purchase Nicklas’ book, "Plato's Exceptional City, Love, and Philosopher, Politics”, here: https://www.routledge.com/Platos-Exceptional-City-Love-and-Philosopher/Pappas/p/book/9780367424473
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at:http://classicalwisdom.com
Sign up to get Classical Wisdom's Free newsletter as well as a FREE E-book on the "Two Sides of Jesus", Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-two-sides-of-jesus/
What about Thebes?
When thinking of the ancient Greek world, Athens and Sparta are the cities that jump to mind. Of Course the birth of Democracy and the Elite Warrior society capture the imagination right away. Perhaps after that, with the help of capitals and Hannibal's elephants, one might conjure Corinth or Carthage... but Poor little Thebes, so instrumental in history and mythology, often gets overlooked. In fact, when it comes to mythical origin legends, Thebes is rivaled only by Troy itself.
It was in Thebes that Cadmus, one of the very first Greek Heroes, founded the citadel Cadmea and there sown the seeds of the Spartoi or "Sown Men", the origin of the Theban nobility.
It was in Thebes young Dionysus was sewn into his father’s godly thigh after he had accidentally blown up poor the mother, Semele, into smithereens after jealous Hera tricked Zeus’s young lover into demanding the king of gods show his full - lightning bolt - glory.
It was in Thebes that the seven gated wall was built by Amphion and his brother Zethus.
It was in Thebes the tale of Laius, whose misdeeds culminated in the tragedy of Oedipus and the wars of the Seven against Thebes, took place. Outside the city walls, the path where Antigone dragged the dead body of her brother was a popular ancient tourist attraction.
And of course it was in Thebes that Heracles, arguably the most famous of all the Greek heroes was born and raised.
But it is not only for the incredibly rich and extensive myths that Thebes deserves our attention. Its historical relevance can not be understated; at one point Thebes was the most powerful city in ancient Greece. This peak culminated in 371 BC when the Thebans enjoyed a remarkable victory against Sparta - all due to the Sacred Band of Thebes.
But who were these ancient warriors? What role did they play in Theban history... and maybe more importantly, what did the discovery of the burial site of the sacred band reveal about Thebes, its role in ancient politics as well as ancient Greek culture?
This June 8th, you can find out.
James Romm, chair of Classics at Bard College and author of "The Sacred Band", discusses Sex, Soldiers and Thebes with Cambridge Professor and author of “Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece”, Paul Cartledge, and Columbia Professor, Helene Foley.
Join this fascinating conversation (including Q&A), hosted by Classical Wisdom, on Tuesday, June 8th, 2021 at noon EDT (That’s NY Time) to discover the history of Thebes, the evolution of male eros and the essential role of the Sacred Band in fighting for Greek democracy.
Simply to go to https://classicalwisdom.com/sex-soldiers-thebes/ to learn how you can watch and participate in this live event for free.
Can we understand the Classics without the Classroom? A guide to getting (really) educated… with Dr. James Hankins, Professor of History at Harvard University, Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, and Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renaissance.
If you already know WHY we should preserve the classics... It's time to ask HOW... and how YOU can help.
What are the resources? Where can we begin? And who can help?
As mainstream educational institutions move away from a classical core in the liberal arts, it can be tempting to feel despondent about the future of this educational model that has educated men and women for millennia.
Yet there are a growing number of organizations around the world committed to remedy this. These non-accrediting institutions are nourishing those who care about ideas and the wisdom of the past and are offering people a chance to engage in the Great Conversation.
What can we learn from these initiatives? How can we promote more of them? How can these new organizations nurture the values of curiosity and lifelong learning?
About the Speakers:
Dr. James Hankins, professor of History at Harvard University and an intellectual historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance. He is author of many books, including, Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft. You can purchase his book here.
Anya Leonard, Founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a platform dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to Modern Minds. You can learn more about Classical Wisdom here.
Alexandra Hudson, curator of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to the wisdom of the past. Sign up for Civic Renaissance here.
Resources
Podcasts:
Classical Wisdom Speaks
Ancient Greece Declassified
Hellenistic Age Podcast
The Partially Examined Life Podcast
Community/E-learning:Ralston College
Classical Pursuits (travel with the classics)
Modern Stoicism
Articles:
"The Forgotten Virtue" explores the classical notion of humanitas, or love of humanity, that the ancients cultivated through education and the Renaissance Humanists revived in their own era.
"What are the classics for?" By Alexandra Hudson. This essay explores recent criticisms of the classics and looks at what an omnicultural core might look like today.
Books:
"A Great Idea at the Time" by Alex Beam
"Know Thyself" by Ingrid Rossellini
"How to live on 24 Hours a day" by Arnold Bennett
"Virtue Politics" by James Hankins.
"Lost in Thought" by Zena Hitz.
How can we Truly be lost in thought? What does the love of learning look like... can it be corrupted? And how can we find the time for leisure?
This week’s episode is with Dr. Zena Hitz, Tutor at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD and Winner of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, The Dallas Institute. Zena is also the author of Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life.
We discuss how we can find leisure, why it's important, and the fantastic story behind MC Hammer and Zena’s friendship.
You can purchase Zena’s book Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life Here.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
It’s Niche. Very Niche... But how exactly did ancient Athens bury their soldiers? How did this change over time? And what huge implications could this difference mean both then... and now?
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Cezary Kucewicz, a National Science Centre Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of History, University of Gdansk, Poland, and Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, UK. He is also the author of The Treatment of the War Dead in Archaic Athens.
We discuss what exactly are the ancient war dead, how the custom changed dramatically between the archaic and classical periods of ancient Greece and what that change signifies...
If you would like to learn more about Cezary’s book, The Treatment of the War Dead in Archaic Athens, please go to: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-treatment-of-the-war-dead-in-archaic-athens-9781350151550/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
How are the Classics relevant to modern leaders? What lessons can they learn from Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides or Aristotle? And what can these ancient texts teach us in light of our modern technology and the state of democracy?
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Claudia Hauer, an expert on liberal education, military education, and the relationship between the two. Claudia teaches humanities, science, and languages in the Great Books program at St. John's College, and moral philosophy at the United States Air Force Academy, where she holds the Lyon Chair in Professional Ethics. She is also the author of Strategic Humanism: Lessons in Leadership from the Ancient Greeks.
We discuss strategic humanism, lessons from the ancient world and how we can connect theory to practice.
You can find Claudia’s book, Strategic Humanism: Lessons in Leadership from the Ancient Greeks at: https://www.politicalanimalpress.com/product/strategic-humanism/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Sign up to get Classical Wisdom's Free newsletter as well as a FREE E-book on the "Two Sides of Jesus", Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-two-sides-of-jesus/
What is the Canon? How is it defined? What should it look like... and should we even have it in the first place?
This week’s Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Zachary Davis, the founder and president of Lyceum, an educational audio studio, the VP of Content for Himalaya as well as the organizer of the Sound Education conference. Zachary is also the host of Ministry of Ideas and Writ Large, a founding member of the Hub & Spoke audio collective.
We discuss the history of the cannon, how it has evolved and what it should look like.
To learn more about Zachary's work, please go to:https://www.zacharystevendavis.com/For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Sign up to get Classical Wisdom's Free newsletter as well as a FREE E-book on the "Two Sides of Jesus", Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-two-sides-of-jesus/
What was the Stoic Formula for living the good life? When was the idea of moral duty conceived? And why was its invention so controversial?
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with Jack Visnjic, also known as Lantern Jack, host of the - Ancient Greece Declassified Podcast and Director of Research at the Anacyclosis Institute. He is also author the new book, “The Invention of Duty: Stoicism as Deontology”
You can find Jack's book here: https://brill.com/view/title/58430
You can listen to Jack's podcast, Ancient Greece Declassified, here: http://greecepodcast.com/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Music - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Can we experience Stoic Joy? Why has there been a dramatic change in how we perceive Stoicism? And how can the ancient philosophy reduce stress and anxiety as well as help us achieve our goals?
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with William B. Irvine, Professor of Philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Author of seven books, including The Stoic Challenge, and A Guide To The Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Irvine’s books, includingThe Stoic Challenge and A Guide to the Good Life, please look at his website: williambirvine.com/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Learn more about our upcoming Stoic ESSAY Competition here: https://classicalwisdom.com/stoicism-essay-competition/
Get our Classical Wisdom Magazine - dedicated to new exciting themes each month - check out our subscription special Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
*Please note, this podcast was originally recorded in 2019, before the pandemic.
What happened to Lost technology? Was there an ancient advanced society? How did the ancients decipher reality... and has the concept of Time itself changed since the classical era?
This week’s Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Dr. Benjamin B. Olshin, retired Professor of Philosophy, History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, and Design at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Dr. Olshin is a researcher, musician, artist, consultant and author of several books including “ Lost Knowledge”, “Deciphering Reality”, and “The Mysteries of the Marco Polo Maps.”
We will discuss the way the ancients understood their world, reality and time... as well as how they transmitted technology.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Olshin’s books, including Lost Knowledge and Deciphering Reality, as well as his diverse projects, you can find everything at:
https://www.benjaminbolshin.net/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at:http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our recent Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Music - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Are the Humanities under attack? Are the Classics being Canceled? And if so, how and why should we come to its defense?
We live in an era that frequently questions the utility and benefit of classical education and a liberal arts core curriculum—a mode of education that has nourished the minds of men and women for thousands of years. As these criticisms gain traction in our public square, it feels like we're at an inflection point.
What is the future of the humanities in general, and the classics in particular? How inclusive can they be? Is the Greco-Roman world still relevant today?
Dr. Eric Adler, a classist at the University of Maryland and author of "Battle of the Classics," recently published by Oxford University Press, discuss these questions and more, along with Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom and Alexandra Hudson, curator of Civic Response..
Together they explore the weaknesses of modern defenses of the humanities, including an over reliance on the “critical thinking” they build.
They also discuss the best contemporary criticisms of the classics, including that they are overly “Western-centric.” We will also discuss thoughtful ways to approach these concerns, including the possible utility of a “living” and perhaps more omni-cultural, core that reads Western texts alongside Eastern literature.
This event is in partnership with Classical Wisdom, and online platform that provides commentaries and opinions on Ancient Greek and Latin literature, and Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to the wisdom of the past, beauty, goodness and truth.
https://classicalwisdom.com
https://www.civic-renaissance.com
You can purchase Eric's Book here: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Classics-Nineteenth-Century-Debate-Humanities/dp/0197518788
Were Homer and the tragic myths considered history? How were they able to revere goddesses, but not the average woman? And what exactly did the ancients find Taboo in Euripides’ controversial works? Hint: it’s not what we would be offended by today...
Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Anya Leonard and Classical Wisdom's resident classicist, Ben Potter on the foundational myths of ancient Greece, cultural taboos and how the theater competitions worked.
Test Drive Classical Wisdom's Magazine Risk Free Here: http://classicalwisdom.com/free-trial/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
**What does Taylor Swift have to do with Ancient Greek Music? What role did it play in the ancient world? And if we listened to it properly, would we actually like it???
It's time to discover the fascinating world of ancient music...**
This Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Spencer Klavan, host of the Young Heretics podcast, assistant editor of the Claremont Review of Books and The American Mind, and author of Music in Ancient Greece: Melody, Rhythm, and Life.
We discuss the role music played in the ancient world, the new discoveries that have been found in this previously mysterious field, as well as the fascinating intersection between music, cosmology and education.
Additional Note from Spencer: The Mesomedes hymns were published in 1581 by Vincenzo Galilei. I believe I said that the documents of ancient greek music notation have been around since the 18th century. They've actually been around longer than that--modern scholars have known about them since the 16th century, but many of them weren't discovered until the 18th century.
CORRECTION: Spencer's book is now Available!
You can get Spencer's Book, Music in Ancient Greece: Melody, Rhythm, and Life, here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/music-in-ancient-greece-9781350119949/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our recent Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Music - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Rediscovering Ancient Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hOK7bU0S1Y
Let’s talk... about Corinth... why was it so important? What were its contributions? And how did the Corinthians portray Medea??
This week’s Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Dr. Amelia R. Brown, Senior Lecturer in Greek History & Language in the Classics & Ancient History discipline of the School of Historical & Philosophical Inquiry, at the University of Queensland, Australia. We discuss the essential role Corinth played in both ancient greek history... and mythology.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
To Learn more about Dr. Brown's Research:
https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/2277
To learn more about the Corinth Excavations (also collections, and Hesperia journal):
https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/excavations/ancient-corinth
University of Sydney excavations at Paphos, Cyprus:
http://www.paphostheatre.org/
Who was the Emperor Vespasian? What makes him so interesting? And where does history meet fiction?
Today Classical Wisdom Speaks' episode is with Robert Fabbri, Author of the best selling Vespasian Series. We discuss the Emperor himself, the world of ancient Rome, and the power of historical writers.
You can buy the best selling Vespasian series on Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Fabbri/e/B008W8WZKA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
and Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fabbri/e/B008W8WZKA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1581074260&sr=8-1
You can learn more about Robert Fabbri and his books here: https://www.robertfabbri.com/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
What makes a robot? Why is there a timeless desire to create artificial intelligence? And what’s up with the prevalence of war machines and ancient fembots?
This episode of Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Adrienne Mayor, a Research scholar at Stanford University, a folklorist and historian of ancient science. Adrienne discusses her most recent book, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology and explains how the Greeks imagined automatons, replicants, and Artificial Intelligence in both ancient myths and machines.
You can purchase Adrienne's book, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology, here:
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691183510/gods-and-robots
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
What is the nature of Power? How is it demonstrated in the ancient world? Can we learn from History’s examples of war, peace, and plague? And what relevancy does Thucydides' speeches have in the here and now?
This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Dr. Johanna Hanink, Associate Professor of Classics at Brown University about her recent translation of Thucydides.
You can get Johanna’s latest book, "How to Think about War: An Ancient Guide to Foreign Policy", Here:
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691190150/how-to-think-about-war
For those interested in the Essential Greeks Program, starting Sunday, January 17th, 2021 please go to:
https://courses.classicalwisdom.com/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here:
https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Which ancient holidays influenced Christmas? Why did the ancients know how to throw such a good party? And what was the real story around Jesus’ birth?
Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Anya Leonard and Classical Wisdom's resident classicist, Ben Potter on the ancient influences on Christmas and the historical context of Jesus’ birth and death.
To get this Month's Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine: Jesus and the Ancient World, subscribe here:
https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
NB: Makes an excellent last minute gift as well!
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Should we be afraid of death? What about being maimed? And how do the ancient philosophies of Epicurus and Lucretius fit in with modern religion?
Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with an old friend, Ian Blaustein, Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at Tufts University in Massachusetts about Epicurean and Hedonistic philosophy and whether or not it can help us with our fear of death.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
How exactly did the classics influence the founding fathers? The surprising difference in what ancient history they focused on, compared to what we learn today and the lasting impact the ancient world has had in government...
Today's episode of Classical Wisdom Speaks features Tom Ricks, an American journalist and author who specializes in the military and national security issues. He is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting as part of teams from the Wall Street Journal (2000) and Washington Post (2002). We discuss how a classical education has had a lasting impact on America.
You can purchase his most recent book, First Principles: What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country, here:
https://www.amazon.com/First-Principles-Americas-Founders-Learned/dp/0062997459
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Interested in learning more? Get a FREE E-book on "Money, Gold and the End of an Empire" Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-money-gold-endofanempire/
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
How can we win an argument, why should we learn about rhetoric and is the art of persuasion just a form of manipulation?
James M. May is the Professor of Classics at St. Olaf's, Minnesota and the Kenneth O. Bjork Distinguished Professor (2014-2017) as well as the Author of How to Win an Argument: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion. He discusses tips for improving your rhetoric... and why it's so important.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
You can purchase Dr. James M. May's book, "How to Win an Argument: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion" here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691164335/how-to-win-an-argument
What makes a monster? Why are ancient monsters so cool? And how can mythology help us in our day to day lives?
Dr. Liz Gloyn, Senior Lecturer in Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK and author of "The Ethics of the Family in Seneca (2017)" and most recently, “Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture” delves into all things Monster...
You can listen to Dr. Liz Gloyn LIVE in Classical Wisdom's upcoming Symposium 2020: Power and Politics, taking place October 24 - 25, 2020.
You can purchase either a one day or two day pass to the Symposium HERE: https://classicalwisdom.simpletix.ie/e/59069
You can purchase Liz's book, "Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture" Here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/tracking-classical-monsters-in-popular-culture-9781350109612/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Ancient Mummy Glamour shots, a Minoan scandal everyone should be talking about, the Baltimore painter, Elephants on sarcophagi and the funny history of behead statues...
These are just a few of the fascinating pieces discussed with Lisa Anderson-Zhu, the Associate Curator, Art of the Mediterranean, 5th millennium BCE to 4th century CE at the The Walters Art Museum, in Baltimore, Maryland. Links to all the pieces mentioned below.
You can listen to Lisa Anderson-Zhu LIVE in Classical Wisdom's upcoming Symposium 2020: Power and Politics, taking place October 24 - 25, 2020.
You can purchase early bird tickets, as well as an exclusive Mediterranean Wine Collection, carefully selected for the event, HERE: http://www.bonnerwine.club/CWW
*Wine option ends October 13th.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Pieces Mentioned:
Baltimore Painter Vase https://art.thewalters.org/detail/30814/volute-krater/
The Minoan Statuette https://art.thewalters.org/detail/25734/goddess-or-priestess/
Artemis-Aphrodite https://art.thewalters.org/detail/22879/torso-of-artemis-with-head-of-aphrodite/
Marcus Aurelius https://art.thewalters.org/detail/10416/portrait-of-the-emperor-marcus-aurelius/
...and his former torso https://art.thewalters.org/detail/90260/
Augustus https://art.thewalters.org/detail/767/portrait-of-emperor-augustus/
Sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysus https://art.thewalters.org/detail/33305/sarcophagus-with-the-triumph-of-dionysus/
Funeral Stele of Antaios Meilesios https://art.thewalters.org/detail/30157/funeral-stele-2/
Mummy Portrait with the Gold Necklace https://art.thewalters.org/detail/30478/mummy-portrait-of-a-woman-from-fayum-egypt/
Mummy Portrait of a Bearded Man https://art.thewalters.org/detail/7962/mummy-portrait-of-a-bearded-man/
More information on the Walters Museum can be found at @walters_museum
How can ancient philosophy help us deal with natural disasters? Are we too reliant on technology? And can anyone truly understand stoicism without suffering?
These are the questions we discuss with this week's special guest, Dr. Anthony Arthur Long, Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Classics at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Long is often credited with spearheading the revived interest in Stoicism as well as other ancient philosophies and has written several books on the topic, including How to be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life.
We discuss his recent exploration on Natural Catastrophe in Greek and Roman Philosophy and what ancient philosophies can teach us in the here and now.
You can listen to Professor A.A. Long LIVE in Classical Wisdom's upcoming Symposium 2020: Power and Politics, taking place October 24 - 25, 2020.
You can purchase early bird tickets, as well as an exclusive Mediterranean Wine Collection, carefully selected for the event, HERE: http://www.bonnerwine.club/CWW
Please Note: There is limited availability for the wine, so please act fast!
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
~
Professor Long is presently completing two books: one is a study of Plotinus's essay (Ennead II.4) On Matter for Parmenides Publishing, and the other, along with Margaret Graver, is a selection of fifty of Seneca's Moral Letters, for Chicago University Press, based upon their previous book, Seneca. Letters on Ethics, in which they translate all 124 of the Letters.
He is required reading at West Point, and yet less known outside the Military world... In today's Podcast with Emily Baragwanath, the Associate Professor of Classics at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill we discuss Xenophon – who he was, why we should know about him and why we don’t… We also discuss his very unusual depiction of women.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Interested in learning more? Get a FREE E-book on "Money, Gold and the End of an Empire" Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-money-gold-endofanempire/
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Persia - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here:
https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Cyrus the Great is considered the "Anointed One", the originator of human rights, and ruthless conqueror. Find out the true story of the founder of the Persian Empire in this week's Classical Wisdom Speaks Episode with Stephen Dando-Collins.
Stephen Dando-Collins, the award-winning author of 40 books, including Rise of an Empire, on which the major motion picture 300: Rise of an Empire was based, delves into the history of Cyrus the Great, the topic of his most recent book.
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Persia - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/patron-member-cww-bc-20/
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Interested in learning more? Get a FREE E-book on "Money, Gold and the End of an Empire" Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-money-gold-endofanempire/
For information on Stephen's book, Cyrus the Great, please visit: https://stephendando-collins.com
Was there Mental Illness in the ancient world? What did people think about Suicide or Schizophrenia? How did the philosophies of Epicurus or Hippocrates help? And what can this teach us about Mental Illness today?
Michael Fontaine, Professor and Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education, The Department of Classics, Cornell University, New York treats us to a new perspective on the extremes of the human condition.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Interested in learning more? Get a FREE E-book on "Money, Gold and the End of an Empire" Here:
https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-money-gold-endofanempire/
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here:
https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
Here are some links to references mentioned on the podcast:
- The paper Michael gave at the American Psychiatric Association about Thomas Szasz and Epicurus (on mental illness): https://www.madinamerica.com/2014/08/religious-psychiatric-atheism-success-epicurus-failure-thomas-szasz/
- A long review essay on “Mental Disorders in the Classical World.” (It’s all about classics, and a good overview to how Michael approaches mental illness): https://www.madinamerica.com/2015/10/mental-disorders-in-the-classical-world-a-book-review/
-
- ‘On Being Sane in an Insane Place—The Rosenhan Experiment in the Laboratory of Plautus’ Epidamnus,’ Current Psychology 32, 348-365. – This paper is about Plautus’ Menaechmi (the twins separated at birth).
-
- ‘Schizophrenia, then and now: The Libation Bearers of Aeschylus,’ in J.A. Schaler, H.Z. Lothane, and R.E. Vatz, eds., Thomas S. Szasz: The Man and his Ideas. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, New Jersey, pp. 169-193. – This was summarized in the podcast.
- The world's first Lobotomy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ancient-insights/202002/did-psychosurgery-start-out-joke
- You can get Michael's latest books, How to Drink: A Classical Guide to the Art of Imbibing here: https://tinyurl.com/y6stsjjk
as well as The Pig War: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732475075
***Update from Michael: Also, since we did our podcast, a bombshell of a book came out that casts doubt on some of what I say about the modern experiment in article #3 down below. You can read my review of it in Psychology Today here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ancient-insights/201911/the-big-lie-psychiatry
***The interview initially took place in August 2019.
Anya Leonard and Alex Barrientos discuss the Paradox of Theseus' Ship. It is an ancient riddle that asks if every part of the ship is eventually replaced, is Theseus' Ship still the same ship?
We can then apply this to ourselves: In a state of constant changing, what makes you YOU?
Time to don the thinking cap and get philosophizing...
Interested in learning more? Get a FREE E-book on "Money, Gold and the End of an Empire" Here:
https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-money-gold-endofanempire/
Get our Latest Magazine - dedicated to Statesmen - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/
To Learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, a podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, check out:
https://classicalwisdom.com/podcast-classical-wisdom-speaks/
Victor Davis Hanson, an American classicist and military historian, discusses ancient parallels to cancel culture and monument removals.
Victor explains why he feels that the American president Trump is a tragic Greek hero, the cyclical nature of history and what knowledge of the ancient world can do to help you understand modern events.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
For information on Victor Davis Hanson and his books, please visit http://victorhanson.com/
Stephen Dando-Collins, the award-winning author of 40 books, including Rise of an Empire, on which the major motion picture 300: Rise of an Empire was based, delves into the history of the notorious Roman emperor, Caligula.
Does Caligula deserve his reputation? How did damnatio memoriae affect our knowledge of him... and can we compare Caligula to Trump? For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
For information on Stephen's book, Caligula: The Mad Emperor of Rome, please visit https://stephendando-collins.com
This episode was originally recorded in September 2019
Why should we care about Homer's Odyssey? What lessons can it teach us for our modern world? Should we like Odysseus? Or do we want to see him fail?
In this funny Classical Wisdom Speaks episode, Anya Leonard and Ben Potter discuss Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey and its modern relevance.
To Learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, a podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, check out:
https://classicalwisdom.com/podcast-classical-wisdom-speaks/
David Lewis, Lecturer of Greek History and Culture at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland discusses ancient bondage. How did slavery work in the ancient Greek world? Who were the slaves and what do we really know about their lives?
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Madeline Miller, the New York Times best selling author of Circe and Song of Achilles, discusses the reasons we need a new perspective for the Odyssean witch, why she evolved into an evil seductress, the role of gods and whether we should like Odysseus in the first place?
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
You can learn more about Madeline Miller on her website: http://madelinemiller.com/circe/
You can purchase Madeline's book, Circe, here: https://www.amazon.com/CIRCE-New-York-Times-bestseller/dp/0316556343
In today's confusing world with its conflicting reports, how do we know what is true? How can we seek it and what should we do when we hear ideas we DON'T agree with? Is there a need for controversy, debate and finding value in the opposition's ideas?
In this Classical Wisdom Speaks Episode, Anya Leonard and Alex Barrientos explore what is Truth, whether can we know it and how should we seek it...
To Learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, a podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, check out:
https://classicalwisdom.com/podcast-classical-wisdom-speaks/
Anya Leonard and Donald Robertson discuss Stoicism: How it can help during the pandemic, its rise in popularity, its influence in parenting and whether or not the philosophy is too deterministic. Listen for practical techniques for dealing with isolation, anxiety and depression...
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
For more information on Stoicism and Donald's work, please see below:
Modern Stoicism: https://modernstoicism.com/
Modern Stoicism Downloads and Courses: https://learn.modernstoicism.com/
Donald Robertson's website: https://donaldrobertson.name/
Donald Robertson's downloads and courses: https://learn.donaldrobertson.name/
Aaron Smith, Fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, talks about Aristotle, his impact on Rand, why she called him the 'cultural barometer of western history' - as well as 'the forgotten man of philosophy'. What did Rand love about Aristotle... and what did she hate?
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
Aaron Smith's biography at the Ayn Rand Institute: https://ari.aynrand.org/experts/aaron-smith/
Ayn Rand's review of Aristotle by John Herman Randall, Jr..: https://courses.aynrand.org/works/review-of-aristotle-by-john-herman-randall-jr/
Aaron's article on Stoicism: https://newideal.aynrand.org/the-false-promise-of-stoicism/
The Objectivist Academic Center: https://aynrand.org/students/objectivist-academic-center/
The ancient philosophy of Stoicism has been enjoying a rise in popularity of late... but does it live up the hype? Is it philosophically sound? And does it really help? In this Classical Wisdom Speaks Episode, Anya Leonard and Alex Barrientos explore the nature of Stoicism and its application here and now.
To Learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, a podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, check out:
https://classicalwisdom.com/podcast-classical-wisdom-speaks/
James S. Romm, James H. Ottaway Jr. Professor, Director of the Classical Studies Program at Bard College, Annandale, NY discusses dying every day, the ancient philosophy of Seneca and how we learn how to die.
For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcasts with Professors, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com
You can purchase Dr. James S. Romm's book, "Dying Every Day" here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/209852/dying-every-day-by-james-romm/9780307743749/
Did Rome commit suicide? Or was it Murdered?
Barry Strauss, Professor of History and Classics, Cornell University, discusses the Fall of the Roman Empire, Roman women in power and the role of Immigration in Ancient Rome.
Anya Leonard, Founder of Classical Wisdom (http://classicalwisdom.com) presents...Classical Wisdom Speaks: A Podcasts dedicated to bringing Ancient Wisdom to Modern Minds. This podcast is made possible by Classical Wisdom Members. If you wish to become a Member and support the Classics, learn more here: https://classicalwisdom.com/classical-wisdom-membership/
For more information regarding Barry Strauss' book, Ten Caesars, please click here: http://tick.news/28
For more information on Barry's Podcast, please click here: http://tick.news/29
Original podcast was recorded in 2019
In honor of the Ides of March, April 15, Anya Leonard and Alex Barrientos discuss whether Brutus was the Patriot or Traitor... and whether it's moral to kill the Tyrant?
To Learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, a podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds, check out:
https://classicalwisdom.com/podcast-classical-wisdom-speaks/