Classical Wisdom Speaks

Classical Wisdom
  • 4.8 (31)
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A Podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. This podcast is provided by Classical Wisdom, to learn more check out www.classicalwisdom.com

  1. 4D AGO

    The Life-Changing Lessons of Stoicism

    What can Seneca, the Roman statesman and Stoic, teach us about life today?  And how can we teach ourselves to do the right thing?  Today Anya is joined by Robert Kaster, Emeritus Professor of Classics at Princeton to discuss the complex and rewarding legacy of Seneca’s Stoicism. He is the author of many books including his most recent, How to Do the Right Thing: An Ancient Guide to Treating People Fairly, which is drawn from the writings of Seneca.  You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Right-Thing-Treating/dp/0691238642  Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    37 min

  2. 12/19/2025

    How Ancient Greece Revolutionized Thought

    How did ancient Greek culture accomplish so much?  Especially across so many different fields, and in such a comparatively short period of time? It turns out, having a good debate every now and then is VERY important. Today Anya is joined by Reviel Netz, the Patrick Suppes Professor of Greek Mathematics and Astronomy in the Department of Classics at Stanford University. He is the author of many celebrated books, including the bestselling The Archimedes Codex: Revealing the Secret of the World's Greatest Palimpsest, The Shaping of Deduction in Greek Mathematics, as well as his most recent,Why the Ancient Greeks Matter: The Problematic Miracle that was Greece.  You can buy it here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/why-the-ancient-greeks-matter/6C08DD345E62246E02BC0AAD89C3D37C Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    38 min

  3. 12/05/2025

    Have We Broken the Golden Thread? Why the West’s Future Depends on Remembering Its Past

    The West’s greatest peril is forgetfulness, its loss of cultural memory. Without knowing where we came from, how can we know what to defend, or even what to value? In an age when history itself is contested...when the past is either dismissed or distorted...The Golden Thread reminds us why the study of civilization matters. Drawing on nearly three millennia of art, philosophy, politics, and faith, Hankins weaves the story of how our ideas of law, liberty, and virtue emerged...and why they still matter in the modern world. In this conversation, James Hankins of Harvard and Michael Fontaine of Cornell delve into the urgent question of understanding our history and inheritance, to determine what traditions of the West should be kept... or discarded. We ask: Was Alexander Great because he attempted to bridge the West and the East? Should armies have foreign soldiers? What happens when there is a breakdown in trust in the judicial system? How has the Islamic world shaped the western tradition? And is religion and spirituality necessary to revive Classics?  You can find James Hankins' book, The Golden Thread, Here. Michael Fontaine's latest book, How to Have Willpower, can be found here. This discussion was hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    1h 39m

  4. 11/25/2025

    Homer's Forgotten Women

    Who were the women of the Odyssey? How have they been understood (and misunderstood) by history? And what is the secret of Calypso’s sail? Today Anya is joined by Emily Hauser, to discuss both the famous and the overlooked women of Homer's epics. Emily Hauser, an award-winning ancient historian and author, and world-leading voice in rediscovering the women of Greek myth. She studied at Harvard, Yale and Cambridge, where she won the prestigious Chancellor’s Medal for Classical Proficiency. She is the author of acclaimed novels rewriting Greek mythical women, including For the Most Beautiful, as well as her most recent book, Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, Through the Women Written Out of It, of which we speak about today. You can buy Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, Through the Women Written Out of It, HERE:  https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457730/mythica-by-hauser-emily/978152993248 Mythica was published under the title Penelope's Bones in the US, and is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Penelopes-Bones-History-through-Written/dp/0226839680 Hosted by Anya Leonard. This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds.  To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to : https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    32 min

  5. 11/06/2025

    Plato and the Tyrant: What Inspired Philosophy's Greatest Masterpiece?

    Bridging the ancient and the urgent, historian James Romm and acclaimed author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn dive into the dramatic story behind Plato and the Tyrant.  This is not the Plato of abstract thought, but a man deeply entangled in the brutal politics of his time...a philosopher who sought to reshape power itself. Romm and Mendelsohn explore how Plato’s real-world entanglements with tyrants and revolutionaries in Syracuse directly influenced his philosophical masterpiece, Republic, and how the ideal of the philosopher-king emerged from a world teetering on the edge of chaos. With Mendelsohn’s signature insight and Romm’s vivid storytelling, this event is a dynamic exploration of one of history’s greatest minds, revealing a Plato who was ambitious, politically engaged, and profoundly shaped by personal and political crisis.  You can find James’ recently released book,Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece, here. https://www.amazon.com/Plato-Tyrant-G...  Also make sure to check out Daniel’s acclaimed new translation of the Odyssey here. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/...  Hosted by Anya Leonard. This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to : https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    1h 2m

  6. 10/23/2025

    The Life of Stories

    Sometimes stories have a life of their own... literally. Today Anya is joined by Joel Christensen to discuss how mythology acts as a living being in itself.  Discover how stories shape the world around us... and why the movie versions never feel the same as the books. Joel Christensen is Professor in the Department of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies at Brandeis University. He is the author of many books, including Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things. You can buy Storylife here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300269234 This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    50 min

  7. 10/09/2025

    The Ancient Secrets to a Healthy Diet

    From specific dietary instructions to detailed systems to categorize foods and their health effects, ancient Greeks and Romans tried to optimize their health and well being through their diet.  But what can we learn from their efforts? What foods were considered instrumental for good living, and likewise what should we avoid?  Featuring Claire Bubb, Assistant Professor of Classical Literature and Science at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University and author of How to Eat to discover ancient ways for modern health.  You can buy How to Eat here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Ancient-Healthy-Readers/dp/0691256993 This discussion is brought to you by Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, go to : https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    1h 11m

  8. 09/25/2025

    They Contain Multitudes: The Contradictions of the Ancient Greeks

    Tell me about a complicated culture… From the Peloponnesian War to the women of ancient mythology, today Anya is joined by Jennifer T. Roberts to talk about the rich, complex, and contradictory nature of ancient Greek culture… Jennifer T. Roberts is Professor of Classics and History at the City College of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. She is author of many books, including most recently, Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture. You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Out-One-Many-Ancient-Thought/dp/0691181470 Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

    29 min
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4.8
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31 Ratings

About

A Podcast dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. This podcast is provided by Classical Wisdom, to learn more check out www.classicalwisdom.com

Information

  • Creator
    Classical Wisdom
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Classical Wisdom Speaks
  • Show Website
    Classical Wisdom Speaks

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