Classical Wisdom Speaks

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 ty...

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 auth...

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...

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, in...

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 G...

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...

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. Sh...

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...

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 i...

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 C...

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 stori...

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...

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 t...

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......

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. Bu...

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...

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. Indee...

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 jo...

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 Aust...

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...

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 r...

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 Emer...

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...

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...

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 Buc...