Cost of Glory

Part 3 of 3 of the Life of Julius Caesar. 

Did Caesar want to be a King? A god? What was his vision for Rome? Was there a way he could have prevented his assassination? 

In this episode:

• Caesar returns to Rome 
• His Triumphs
• His Reforms 
• His Clemency 
• His Final War in Spain; the Batle of Munda
• The Octavius Question
• The Plots, Dreams, Portents, 
• The men he trusted; the men who betrayed him

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A conversation with the bestselling author, classicist and the military and naval historian Barry Strauss about his latest book Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire.

We explore:

• Why Julius Caesar became a key patron of the Jews and how his support shaped Jewish life in the Roman Empire
• The pivotal moment when Antipater (Herod's father) saved Caesar in Egypt, and how it cha...

A conversation with Johnathan Bi (Cosmos Institute, The Great Books podcast) for a deep dive into Stoicism through the life and philosophy of Cato the Younger.

We explore:

• Why Stoicism continues to attract modern audiences
• Jonathan’s personal journey with Stoicism—and why he ultimately turned to other philosophies
• Nietzsche’s critique of Stoicism as a coping mechanism
• How Cato embodied Stoic principles (and where he may hav...

A conversation with Rob Henderson — Air Force veteran, psychologist, and author of the bestselling "Troubled". 

In this episode:

• Rob's journey from foster care to Cambridge and lessons about status, envy, and human nature
• The psychology of envy and jealousy - from Julius Caesar's assassination to modern politics
• Difference between dominance and prestige in human behavior
• Why envy is one of the most powerful yet unacknowledg...

Part 3 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. From triumph to near-disaster. Caesar's Egyptian entanglement transforms him from a glorious victor to a desperate challenger. In this episode:

• Pompey's assassination in Egypt and Caesar's unexpected grief over his former ally's death
• Cleopatra's legendary entrance in a bed-sack and her political seduction of Caesar
• The brutal urban warfare trapping Caesar in the palace quarter fo...

Part 2 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. After his lightning conquest of Italy, Caesar faces his greatest challenge yet as Pompey masses a vast army in Greece. In this episode:

• Caesar's second dictatorship and revolutionary reforms in Rome—citizenship grants, debt relief, and restoration of the proscribed
• The dangerous winter crossing of the Adriatic, splitting his forces against Pompey's naval supremacy
• The siege of Dyr...

Part 1 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. The die is cast—Caesar crosses the Rubicon and plunges Rome into civil war. In this episode:

• The political crisis of 51-50 BCE as Caesar's enemies demand his recall from Gaul
• Curio's shocking defection and proposal that both Caesar and Pompey lay down arms
• The breakdown of negotiations and Pompey's fateful acceptance of command against Caesar
• His lightning campaign through Italy as...

Part 2 of 3 of the Life of Julius Caesar. In this episode:

• Caesar forms the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus, uniting Rome's most powerful men
• His revolutionary consulship of 59 BCE bypasses Senate opposition through popular assemblies
• The brilliant staging of the Gallic conquest, using allies and tribal conflicts as pretexts for expansion
• His management of Rome through letters while commanding armies across Gaul
• T...

The much awaited series on Julius Caesar begins, with the inaugural episode: "Man of Destiny".

In this episode:

• Caesar's formative years in the shadow of Sulla's dictatorship
• His early political boldness and refusal to divorce Cornelia
• The capture by pirates and his merciless revenge
• Caesar's rise through the ranks of Roman politics as Quaestor and Aedile
• The Catilinarian conspiracy and Caesar's narrow escape from execution
• H...

A conversation with Dr. Brent Seales, professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky and a modern day Indiana Jones who has been using advanced technology to restore and redeem cultural and historical artifacts from the ravages of time.

In this episode:

• The 'virtual unwrapping' of the Vesuvius scrolls
• Unearthing an entire new Renaissance
• Brent's encounters with Silicon Valley and some DOGE members
• The long-term...

A conversation with Doyle Glass, author of Swift Sword, The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967. 

Intro Story featuring BlackJack Mulligan.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack_Mulligan)

In this episode:
Mastering Fear in Combat

A lawyer's journey to becoming an artist and an author
The ambush begins: "The tree line stood up"
Clear headed leadership of Lieutenant Murray
The heroi...

The Finale, of the life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:

• The burning of the Senate house after Clodius' murder in 52 BCE
• Cato's failed bid for consulship and his hardline stance against Caesar
• The outbreak of civil war and Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon
• Cato's final days and dramatic suicide

A tale of principle and paradox, Cato's resolute stand for Republican values helped precipitate its own downfall. His deat...

Part 2 of 3 of the Life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:

• Cato confronts the rising power of Caesar and Pompey in the Senate
• The scandalous note from Servilia that backfired on Cato
• His principled handling of the Cyprus annexation mission
• The formation of the First Triumvirate and Cato's resistance
• His memorable year as Praetor and battles against corruption
• The death of Julia and Crassus sets the stage for civil war

Caesar ties all loose ends in his Gallic Campaign, in part 8, the final episode 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 enem...