Cost of Glory

Caesar faces the Gallic Grande Armée through fire and snow, in part 7, the climax of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).   This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a c...

Caesar fights through enemy tribes and orders a Purge in his manhunt for Ambiorix, in part 6 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).   This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years l...

The mighty Caesar returns to Britain, and faces uprisings and deadly skirmishes in Gaul, in part 5 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).   This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 y...

Caesar crosses two major bodies of water (and he hasn’t even gotten to the Rubicon yet), in part 4 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).   This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 y...

Caesar faces enemies at home and on sea, in part 3 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).   This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the...

Caesar almost loses it all, in part 2 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).   This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tel...

The beginning of a new series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic Wars (De Bello Gallico). It’s a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.  Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened wit...

Johnathan Bi left success in the startup world to focus on researching the deep ideas that power the world, and has recently launched his series on the Great Books of the West, starting with his lecture on Nietzsche. In this episode: What is Rousseau’s impact on the world? Johnathan’s Journey towards the Great Thinkers and their Books The Duality of Heroism & Rousseau as Hero Worshipper Rousse...

An interview with Johnny Burtka, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute . He is a graduate of Hillsdale College, and his most recent book is titled “ Gateway to Statesmanship—Selections from Xenophon to Churchill ” . In this episode: The Mirrors for Princes tradition Obstacles as a Ladder to Greatness The Potency of Xenophon’s ‘Education of Cyrus’ The Le...

An interview with Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub and creator of the Vesuvius Challenge , which aims to crack the riddles of the Herculaneum Papyri. In this episode: The Genesis of the Vesuvius Challenge Early Attempts to Open the Scrolls Using a Particle Accelerator to Scan the Scrolls! Partnering with Daniel Gross and Brent Seales Nat’s Childhood experience with Open-source Communities How to...

An interview with Pano Kanelos , the founding president of the University of Austin and the former President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. In this episode: How founding a university is like running a diner The flourishing of American universities in the 19th century How old philosophers were men of action The Intellectual Foundations Program at UATX How The Brothers Karamazov explains our curr...

In which we follow the lead of Plutarch and study Pompey's character and analyze what we can learn from the life of Pompey the Great, by comparing him to King Agesilaus of Sparta, whom Plutarch paired him with.  Sources and Further Reading for the Life of Pompey:   John Leach, Pompey the Great: https://amzn.to/3UxOsW8   Robin Seager, Pompey: a Political Biography: https://amzn.to/3UPpeUg   Gareth...

Life of Pompey Part 3 of 3: Pompey's final rise to the heights of Roman power, his war with his friend Julius Caesar, and his final downfall.   People: (M. Tullius) Cicero  (Titus Pomponius) Atticus  C. Julius Caesar  Cn. Pompeius Magnus (Pompey)  Julia, Caesar's Daughter  (M. Licinius) Crassus  (L. Domitius) Ahenobarbus - Optimate Stalwart (Cos. 54)  (M. Porcius) Cato "The Younger" - the Stoic  (...

Pompey becomes Rome’s greatest conqueror, and empire builder, but faces even greater trials back home in Rome.    People  Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, "Pompey the Great" Sulla Felix, the Dictator  Pompey  The Pirates  Posidonius the Stoic  Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus  Lucius Licinius Lucullus  Cicero, the Orator  Manilius, the Tribune  Julius Caesar  Theophanes of Mytilene  Queen Monime  Tig...

Pompey, the Great.  Part 1 of 3.  Pompey's rise to become one of Rome's greatest generals - before he's even old enough to hold office.  How he got the nickname of "Kid Butcher" or "The Butcher Boy". Thanks to our Sponsor, Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org Key Names:  Agesilaus of Sparta  Julius Caesar  Alexander the Great  Pompeius STRABO (father)  Social War  Gaius MARIUS (populist...

Check out Ralston College's FUNDED MA program: https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma  ! ...Plutarch offers some advice on how to choose your friends, and how to be a good one.  Examples include Alexander the Great, Cato, Carneades, Plato, Dionysius the Tyrant, and more. (Here depicted: the monument of Philopappus in Athens, to whom Plutarch's essay is dedicated)

An interview with Barry Strauss , Spartacus expert, and author of The Spartacus War In this episode:  -How Spartacus' Slave revolt almost failed in its early stages -Overcoming short term thinking as a leader -Spartacus' influence on modern leaders

A method for reading that can transform your life. W/ help from Dana Gioia , California Poet Laureate, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts 2003-2009. Get his new book Sentences from Seneca, here ! Some Sources: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_108 https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Sallust/Bellum_Jugurthinum/3*.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu...

Why does Achilles, slaughterer of men, play the lyre? A conversation with Spencer Klavan of the Young Heretics podcast. Check out the Cost of Glory Men's Leadership Retreat: costofglory.com/retreat ! Spencer on Twitter: @spencerklavan In this conversation, we discuss: -Spencer & Alex's common ground training as classicists -How one gets into these ancient books in the first place -The theory o...

The fall and political struggles of the great Lucullus, rival of Pompey and Caesar. Cost of Glory Men's Retreat 2024 application open! - costofglory.com/retreat   Thanks to our sponsor Ancient Language Institute - Tutoring now available: Latin: https://ancientlanguage.com/latin-tutorials/   Ancient Greek: https://ancientlanguage.com/ancient-greek-tutorials/   Cicero's Pro Archia https://www.attalu...

Lucullus drives Mithridates out of Pontus, and war escalates In this episode: -The power of concentration -Nothing is more important than sleep -Bold Barbarian Queens -The value of bad news -Battle of Tigranocerta Book Rec - Gareth Sampson, Rome's Great Eastern War

Lucullus, Conqueror of Armenia.  Highlights from Plutarch's biography of the great foe of Pompey Thanks to our sponsor Ancient Language Institute - Tutoring now available: Latin: https://ancientlanguage.com/latin-tutorials/   Ancient Greek: https://ancientlanguage.com/ancient-greek-tutorials/   In this episode:  -How to get noticed early on in your career  -Seducing your way to warlord status  -Ta...

The vice of "dysopia" brings down even the strongest.  Plutarch gives some advice on how to fortify ourselves against it.  Reach out to alex@ancientlifecoach.com for more info on the 2024 Cost of Glory Men's retreat in Rome! Link to a translation of Plutarch's text : https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/De_vitioso_pudore*.html

What happened to Crassus' captured soldiers?  To his family?  What can we learn from his successes and his world-historic failure?  ANNOUNCEMENT! Cost of Glory Men's Leadership Retreat in Rome - July 2024.  Reach out to alex@ancientlifecoach.com if you're interested. Buy the books: - Penguin edition of Plutarch including Life of Crassus -Sallust's war with Catiline -Tom Holland's Rubicon -Barry St...

Crassus' famous campaign against the Parthians - what motivated it?  What happened at Carrhae?  What can we learn from it? Thanks to our Sponsor! Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com Key Figures Marcus Licinius Crassus - The Protagonist  Gaius Pompeius Magnus - Pompey, the Rival  Lucius Licinius Crassus - the Orator  Publius Licinius Crassus - Crassus' father  Publius Licinius C...