Classical Stuff You Should Know

You guys. It's spring. If you find yourself ready to take a walk, go on a journey, or otherwise just be outside, you're no different from anyone in the 1300s. In this episode, we'll journey with Chaucer and his buddies on their trip to Canterbury.

So, who IS allowed to pass judgment on great works of art? Is the layman? Is a college freshman? Where does the dollar stop?

The saga of English kings continues, and in this one they go to France! Granted, it's to take over, but that's cool, right?

The third part of Cicero's "On Duty" doesn't fail to disappoint. Or, at least, it wasn't what A.J. was expecting going in. On the other hand, we get to go through some fun moral cases involving vermin, grain, and two drowning wise men having discussions about boards.

One of our last episodes elicited more listener emails than we've ever received, and a fair bit of consternation. We address a little of that here.

In the fourth installment of the Plantagenet series, we learn about Edward Longshanks and his son, Edward Shortshanks.

Take just a short pause from smooching, listener to aurally imbibe these ancient tales of ardent amory. .

The first book of Cicero's "On Duty" concerns what is morally right for men to do. The second is what is expedient, or how to get what you want. Cicero isn't exactly a face-melter, so it's easier to get the synopsis here than it is to read on your own (don't let me stop you, just don't say I didn't warn ya).

In Milton's Paradise Lost, the demons hold council after the fall to decide their next course of action. Three demons stand and make suggestions. We discuss their infernal ideas.

Turns out that the heretics weren't usually burned at the stake. Sure, sometimes they got punched in the mouth by Santa, but most of the time they lived happy lives. Let's chat about em.

Cicero was a legendary statesman and orator. He wrote a treatise on moral philosophy to his son in the hopes that his son would follow in his footsteps. In this episode, we review part one (with parts two and three to come), and make a few poop jokes. Heh. Doody.

Hamlet is a complicated play, and probably, besides the star-crossed-lovers, his most famous. Graeme helps us understand Hamlet's web of lies.

All those tests you take on the internet might be helpful, but we take some serious beef with the Meyers-Briggs test and its implications.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Classical Stuff! In this episode, we fight through the background noise of a vigorous floor buffing to bring you tales of Ol' Saint Nicholas, who was real. . . and leaks.

We discuss whether the classical movement, or even a preference for old things (books especially), is really just veiled chronological snobbery.

Thucydides wrote down, best he could, the funeral oration of Pericles, one of the greatest rulers(ish) of Athens. You'll hear the whole thing, then we discuss.

Satire: can it ever be virtuous? We submit that it can.

William Blake was a printer and a precursor to the Romantics. In this episode, we discuss his "Marriage of Heaven and Hell."

As the history of the Brits continues, so does our podcast about it. In this episode, Graeme tells us about how Edward's shanks were indeed long.

Josh Gibbs is a scholar we're all fond of, and in this episode we discuss his new book.

Sir Gawain was a member of King Arthur's court . . . and a pipsqueak. This is his story.

The Song of Roland is one of the oldest examples of French literature. It also has some of my favorite things: swords, horses, war horns and Nicolas Cage. Just kidding, there are no swords.

In the last play of the Theban cycle, Antigone, a bunch of folks die because of one already dead dude. Also, we discuss law.

Frankenstein is a warning against ambition. And science. Mostly science. Also, Satan is in there somewhere.

Michelangelo painted some pretty sweet things on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but the wall is probably cooler still.