Cost of Glory

Something is very wrong in the opening scenes of the Odyssey. 

The master of the house is gone. His wife is besieged. His son is powerless. And the men eating him out of house and home are waiting for the right moment to strike. 

Welcome to Part 1 (of 6!) of our new series, where we cover Homer's great epic. 

Part 1 covers Books 1 to 4, the monsters haven't arrived yet — but the groundwork for everything is laid h...

A conversation with Morgan Watkins of TheBaseCreates and George Carter from Old Sovereign Publishing about the importance of re-enchanting the world through theatre and the tradition of the classics, specifically focusing on a new drama competition called "The Great Panathenaea". 

Links: 

• TheBaseCreates YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBaseCreates 
• TheBaseCreates X: https://x.com/thebasecreates

Subscribe to ...

My conversation with author, soldier, and scholar, Nicholas Tobias.

This is the first public interview with Nicholas, and he agreed to speak on condition that we'd preserve his alias and therefore his anonymity. 

Hence there is no video of him, and the sound quality from his undisclosed location was not perfect. 

But this was a fascinating conversation that I'm going to be thinking about for a long time.

Let me know what ...

-Lessons both personal and political from the life of Caesar.  
-The Net Worth of Caesar's Estate
-Also, could he be in heaven? What should a Christian's, or any modern man's attitude be toward Caesar?

-Thanks to sponsors Shokworks and Dr. Richard Johnson!
-Shout out to Ward Farnsworth, author of The Practical Stoic, Classical English Rhetoric, and more!

Find out more about The Classical Society: https://theclassic...

A conversation with American classicist, military historian, and conservative political commentator Victor Davis Hanson.

We discuss:

• Why Epaminondas remains one of the most underrated commanders in Greek history, and how the loss of Plutarch's Life of Epaminondas has obscured his legacy
• The pivotal liberation of Thebes in 378 BC: how a small band of conspirators overthrew the Spartan-backed oligarchy and sparked a democratic revol...

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

Thanks to o...

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 change...

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 h...

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 unacknowle...

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 for six mon...

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 Dyrrha...

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 ci...

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
• The death ...

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
• His famous...

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 future o...

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 heroic Fa...