Ancient Greece Declassified Dr. Lantern Jack
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- History
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The podcast that transports you to the ancient world and back, with some good conversation along the way. It's not just about ancient Greece. It's about a huge chunk of human history that the Greek texts give us access to: from Egypt and Babylon, to Persia, to Carthage and Rome, we'll sail the wine-dark sea of history with some expert guides at the helm. Topics will include archaeology, literature, and philosophy. New episode every month.
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54 Were the Spartans Proto-Fascist Losers? w/ Bret Devereaux
Bret Devereux is a military historian at North Carolina State University and author of the recent viral article "Spartans Were Losers: The US Military's Admiration of a Proto-Fascist City-State is Based on Bad History." He joins us to explain why he thinks that the traditional image of Sparta as an egalitarian society of warrior badasses is a lie. You can find his blog, where he writes extensively on Sparta, here: https://acoup.blog/2019/08/16/collections-this-isnt-sparta-part-i-spartan-school/
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This episode is available in video format on the Lantern Jack YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VngbinpNGIE
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Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast
Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast -
53 Why Platonism and Stoicism Are Going Viral w/ John Vervaeke
As our world becomes increasingly hi-tech, more and more people have been turning to ancient wisdom traditions in search of meaning. There are two schools of ancient philosophy in particular that have seen a meteoric revival in recent years: Platonism and Stoicism. Cognitive scientist John Vervaeke joins us to explore why this is happening.
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Join the upcoming AGD Tour in Greece: greecepodcast.com/tour
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Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast
Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast
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"Enemies of Athens" Tour Announcement Oct. 11-19, 2023
AGD is going back to Greece this fall (Oct. 11-19) for another epic adventure! This time we'll be exploring areas that in ancient times lay in the shadow of – or in direct conflict with – the Athenian hegemony.
Check out our video from the first tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-w7u6aQz0
To reserve your spot, email us at greecepodcast@gmail.com
For the itinerary visit https://greecepodcast.com/tour
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52 A New Theory of Democracy's Origins (It Wasn't Greece) w/ David Stasavage
This time we're taking a little break from Greece to explore the broader history of democracy. Was democracy really a Greek invention? Historian David Stasavage, author of The Decline and Rise of Democracy, thinks it was not. And in today's episode he explains why.
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Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast
Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast -
51 Anacyclosis – Polybius' Grand Unified Theory of History
Polybius' theory of anacyclosis is the most sophisticated theory of political (r)evolution to have emerged from ancient Greek and Roman political thought.
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To watch the highlight real from the last AGD tour in Greece, click here.
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To read the passage in Polybius where he discusses anacyclosis click here.
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If you'd like to read more about the theory of anacyclosis, I've written a few blogs on the subject:
Anacyclosis, Act 1: From Monarchy to Tyranny
Anacyclosis, Act 2: The Rise of Republics
Anacyclosis, Act 3: The Rise and Fall of Democracy -
Announcing the "Mountains and Oracles" Tour in Greece! Jan. 3-11
AGD is going back to Greece this winter (Jan. 3-11) for an epic tour of Greece's northern regions, focusing on mountains and oracles. For more information or to reserve your spot, email us at greecepodcast@gmail.com
Customer Reviews
R H Darling
I have found you podcast fantastic & hope there are more to come.
Quirky, funny and incredibly insightful
Already a classic
Thinking Again
Great to have such an eclectic mix of material. Such great contributors and Jack seems to bring the best out of each and opens new horizons of thought. This latest series on The Republic has served up Plato as a voice with contemporary resonance much as the Antikythera Mechanism leaves you spinning with “how did they do that?!” Thinking about now, by thinking about then. And go on the tours if you can.