Knowledge from the Ancients
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Alexander's Sack of Thebes, w/ Victor Davis Hanson
A conversation with American classicist, military historian, and conservative political commentator Victor Davis Hanson.
Caesar 3: Divus Julius
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?
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Eumenes 3: Loyalty
How far are you willing to go for what you believe in? Eumenes of Kardia had the choice at many points to retire from conflict and be satrap of Cappadocia, to raise hi...
Eumenes 2: Man of War
From Secretary to Satrap to Warrior Lord. Eumenes was one of the few true believers in the divine monarchy of Philip and Alexander. How do you keep your head in the ...
Eumenes 1: The King's Secretary
Eumenes stayed at the center of the greatest historical events of his age, by working hard, thinking harder, and keeping his cool. If, like Eumenes, you’re looking for...
Rule the Sparta you got (Tranquillity Part 2)
A story about Dionysius I of Syracuse, and some encouragements from Plutarch on how to approach other people's Lives.
Plutarch on Tranquillity of Mind
How do you keep a positive frame of mind in challenging circumstances? Troubles with loved ones, at work, with poverty, business? Try this tool, drawn from a passage...
End of the Sertorius Story, and Takeaways
After Sertorius died, what happened to his men? What was his legacy? What happened to Perperna? What can we learn from the example of Sertorius? Takeaways: How ...
Sertorius 3: Public Enemy Number One
Sertorius’ life provides many valuable lessons for leaders: lessons on strategy and tactics, the importance of preparation, knowing your territory, the power of trustw...
Sertorius 2: Crisis in Rome
Alexander Hamilton read Plutarch’s Lives, taking notes on the biographies of the founders and lawgivers of Athens, Rome, and Sparta, learning how they overcame tragedi...
Sertorius 1: Survival
Can biography arm you against misfortune? Beethoven turned to Plutarch when he went deaf. It may have been the story of Sertorius - the greatest Roman rebel - that in...
History Contains Power
My name is Alex Petkas, and in The Cost of Glory, I present you with the best stories, analyses and takeaways, from the greatest and most influential figures from Greco-Roman antiquity.