Cost of Glory Alex Petkas
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- History
The most influential biographies ever written, admired by leaders, creators, soldiers, and thinkers for nearly 2,000 years: Plutarch’s Parallel lives. Essential listening for anyone striving after greatness. Alex Petkas, former professor of ancient philosophy and history, revives and dramatically retells these unforgettable stories for modern audiences. The subjects are statesmen, generals, orators, and founders; pious and profane, stoics and hedonists. The stakes bear on the future of Western civilization. The cost of glory is always great. Visit costofglory.com to find out more.
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87 - Pursuing Greatness w/ Pano Kanelos
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 -
86 - Pompey: Aftermath, Comparison w/ Spartan King Agesilaus
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.to/3wp4Wro
-The Battle of Pharsalus: https://amzn.to/3ULWJHk
-"Rome in Crisis" Penguin edition of Plutarch:
https://amzn.to/4b2WgGv (feat. Lives of Sertorius, Lucullus, and Cato the Younger)
-"Fall of the Roman Republic" Penguin Plutarch Volume: https://amzn.to/4a7vpYw (feat. Lives of Sulla, Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, and Cicero) -
85 - Pompey III: Fields of Pharsalus
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 Thug lord
M. Caelius (Rufus) - Cicero's young political analyst friend
Publius Licinius Crassus - The Richest Man's Son
Cornelia - Pompey's final wife
(Q. Caecilius) Metellus (Pius) Scipio - Pompey's new Father in Law
Aulus Gabinius - Pompey's friend, exiled after Egyptian expedition
Ptolemy XII Auletes ("The Piper") - exiled king of Egypt
(C. Scribonius) Curio - Optimate turncoat, Caesar's tribune
M. Antonius (Mark Antony)
M. Claudius Marcellus - Optimate stalwart (Cos 51)
C. Claudius Marcellus - Optimate stalwart (Cos. 50, cousin of Cos. 51)
M. Favonius - "Stamp, Pompey!" Senator
Themistocles - Athenian statesman
Camillus - 4th c. BC Roman statesman
T. Labienus - Caesar's general, deserted to Pompey
(M. Junius) Brutus - Future Conspirator
Theophanes of Mytilene - the Historian
Crassianus - Caesar's centurion at Pharsalus
Cratippus of Pergamon - Philosopher at Mytilene
Ptolemy XIII - Boy king of Egypt
Potheinus - Ptolemy XIII's Eunuch
Achillas - Ptolemy XIII's General
Theodotus - Ptolemy XIII's Rhetoric Teacher
Philippus - Pompey's freedman
Places:
The Roman Forum
The Tiber River
Parthia
Carrhae (Battle of) - in Mesopotamia (Parthian Empire)
Gaul (Mod. France)
Pompey's Theater ("Temple of Venus")
Alesia (Battle of) - in Gaul
Naples (Neapolis)
Ravenna (N. Italy, "Cisalpine Gaul" then)
Rubicon River
Ariminum (Rimini)
Corfinium - Italian town in the Apennines
Brundisium - Eastern Port in Italy
Dyrrhachium (Mod. Durrës) - in Epirus (Rom. province of Macedonia)
Thessaly - large plain in central Greece
Pharsalus - town in Thessaly
Tempē - Valley in Thessaly
Mytilene - City on island of Lesbos
Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org. Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years. -
84 - Pompey II: Empire of Venus
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 Caucasus
Iberians of Caucasus
King Phraates of Parthia
The Parthians
Antiochus XIII, Seleucid King
Aretas, King of the Nabatean Arabs
Aristobulus of Judea
Hyrcanus of Judea
Aulus Gabinius
Josephus (Jewish Historian)
Marcus Licinius Crassus, Richest Man in Rome
Marcus Porcius Cato (the Younger)
Metellus Celer
Metellus Nepos
M. Calpurnius Bibulus
Publius Clodius Pulcher, Slum Lord
Milo
Julia
Domitius Ahenobarbus
Places
Sicily
Sardinia
Corsica
North Africa
Rhodes
Cilicia
Cappadocia
Galatia
Armenia
Artaxata
Mt Ararat
Sophene
Syria
Bithynia
Pontus
Caucasus
Colchis
Albania (Caucasus)
Iberia (Caucasus)
Bosphoran Kingdom (Crimea / Azov)
Damascus
Petra (Arabia)
Judea
Jordan River Valley
Jericho
Jerusalem
Campus Martius
Alban Hills / Lake / Villa
Luca
Image: The Triumph of Pompey, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, 1765. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org. Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years. -
83 - Pompey I: Kid Butcher
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 consul) Lucius Cornelius CINNA (populist consul) Lucius Cornelius SULLA (optimate consul & dictator) MITHRIDATES - King of Pontus Gnaeus Papirius CARBO (populist consul) Antistia (first wife) Marcus Licinius CRASSUS Marcus Aemilus LEPIDUS (rebel consul) Marcus Junius BRUTUS (Father of the conspirator) Quintus Lutatius CATULUS (optimate stalwart) Quintus SertoriusQuintus Caecilus METELLUS PIUS (P's fellow general in Spain)Marcus PERPERNA (populist ally of Sertorius)SpartacusMarcus Terentius VARRO (the scholar)Lucius Licinius LUCULLUS (rival general)Quintus HORTENSIUS Hortalus (optimate stalwart) Aulus GABINIUS (P's tribune buddy)The Pirates"Quirites" (the Roman citizenry)
Key Places: Rome Picenum Asculum North AfricaMutinaSpain LauronSucro RiverOstia (Rome's port)
[Jeremy Giffon on Invest like the Best Podcast, ep. 336: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Vdv5i250hF6EfzOTML9RE?si=98bacff34a7244e9]
Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org. Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years. -
82 - How to Tell a Flatterer From a Friend
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)