Cost of Glory

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 later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.In this episode:The hunt for the cr...

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 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.In this episode:Caesar’s return to Brita...

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 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.In this episode:The Sueb...

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 state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.In this episode:Caesar faces the sea-faring people of VenetiCaesar plays political gamesS...

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 tells how it all happened with his own pen.In this episode: -A conspiracy of the powerful, warlike Belgae (Belgian tribes). -The battle of the...

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 with his own pen.I’m having a blast revisiting this classic, and I think you will too.Subscribe to the CoG Substack to get high...

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 BooksThe Duality of Heroism & Rousseau as Hero WorshipperRousseau’s balanced treatments of Nietzsche’s IdeasWhy do we need Heroes?The Difference between Desire for Power and Execution of that PowerSilicon Valley Entrepreneurs and their Selfish Desire for GloryThe...

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 traditionObstacles as a Ladder to GreatnessThe Potency of Xenophon’s ‘Education of Cyrus’The Leadership Qualities of CyrusThe Complex Enduring Power of Cicero’s ‘On Duties’Cultivating Greatness of Soul and the Magnitudo Animi of ChurchillMachiavelli as Practitioner, not Political PhilosopherWhere should an 18-year old dedicate himself to?Washington’s Farewell Address as...

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 ChallengeEarly Attempts to Open the ScrollsUsing a Particle Accelerator to Scan the Scrolls!Partnering with Daniel Gross and Brent SealesNat’s Childhood experience with Open-source CommunitiesHow to Design Prize Incentives for a Complex ContestDoing Crazy, Strange and Risky ProjectsA Possible Resurgence of Epicureanism?For the episode transcript, be sure to subscribe to my Substack!

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 dinerThe flourishing of American universities in the 19th centuryHow old philosophers were men of actionThe Intellectual Foundations Program at UATXHow The Brothers Karamazov explains our current momentPursuing Greatness by finding your North StarPlutarch on self-reflectionWhy Heroes and Truth-tellers are needed when forming communitiesAnalyzing the opening scene from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

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 Sampson: Rome's Great Eastern War, Lucullus, Pompey and the Conquest of the East: https://amzn.to/3wrVGD1 -The Battle of Dyrrhachium: https://amzn...

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 (M. Calpurnius) Bibulus - Cos. 59 P. Clodius Pulcher - Populist Thug lord (T. Annius) Milo - Pompey's T...

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 Tigranes the Great of Armenia Tigranes the Younger, Prince Albani(ans) of Cau...

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.orgKey Names: Agesilaus of Sparta Julius Caesar Alexander the Great Pompeius STRABO (father) Social War Gaius MARIUS (populist consul) Lucius Cornelius CINNA (populist consul) Lucius Cornelius SULLA (optimate consul & dictator) MITHRIDATES - King of Pontus Gnaeus Papirius CARBO (populist consul)  Antistia (f...

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 WarIn 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*.htmlhttps://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Sayings_of_Spartans*/main.htmlhttps://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Sayings_of_Spartans*/Agesilaus.htmlhttps...

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: @spencerklavanIn 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 of "Art for Art's Sake": Why it's interesting, plausible, and wrong.-Epic heroes singing Epic Poetry-Great books for busy dadsAnd much, much more...

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 Archiahttps://www.attalus.org/cicero/archias.html People in this episode: Mithridates, King of Pontus Tigranes, King of Armenia Clodius, the Brother in Law Pompey Clodia, the Bad WifeS...

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