Classical Wisdom Speaks

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 s...

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&a...

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...

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 C...

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...

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 fasc...

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 Cambr...

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...

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, oft...

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 c...

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 . ...

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, Un...

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 t...

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 foun...

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...

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 Gu...

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. Olshi...

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...

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 m...

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 America...

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....

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-...

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 Dr...

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 J...

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 Cl...