109
109 - Civil War 1: Breakdown
Episode Length:
109:20
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 cities surrender without a fight
- The siege of Corfinium and Caesar's revolutionary policy of clemency toward enemies
- Pompey's strategic retreat to Greece, abandoning Rome and splitting the Republic
- The brilliant Spanish campaign at Ilerda, showcasing Caesar's military genius
- The brutal siege of Marseille and Caesar's appointment as Dictator
Caesar's own account reveals a man driven not by revolutionary ambition, but by wounded dignity and the desperate need to defend his honor against enemies who would destroy him through partisan prosecution.
As Lucan wrote of this cosmic struggle: "Of civil wars and worse waged on Thessalian fields / Of crime made law we sing, how a powerful people / Turned on its own heart its conquering hand."
The war that would transform Rome forever begins not with grand ideology, but with Caesar's refusal to submit to humiliation—and his enemies' fatal miscalculation of the man they sought to crush.
Works Cited
Kurt Raaflaub (ed.), The Landmark Julius Caesar
Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman
Erich Gruen, Last Generation of the Roman Republic
As Lucan wrote of this cosmic struggle: "Of civil wars and worse waged on Thessalian fields / Of crime made law we sing, how a powerful people / Turned on its own heart its conquering hand."
The war that would transform Rome forever begins not with grand ideology, but with Caesar's refusal to submit to humiliation—and his enemies' fatal miscalculation of the man they sought to crush.
Works Cited
Kurt Raaflaub (ed.), The Landmark Julius Caesar
Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman
Erich Gruen, Last Generation of the Roman Republic
Thanks to our sponsor, Ai Labs. Visit austinlab.ai to chat with a team member about custom Agentic AI power solutions for your SMB to Enterprise level business. Powered by Shokworks.
Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
The Cost Of Glory Episodes
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103
Episode Length:
25:27
February 6, 2025
103 - The Immortal Cato
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102
Series
Episode Length:
106:20
January 22, 2025
102 - Cato III: The Senate's Ashes
The Finale, of the life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:The burning of the Senate house after Clodius' murder in 52 BCECato's failed bid for consulship and his hardline stance against CaesarThe outbreak of civil war and Caesar's crossing of the RubiconCato's final days and dramatic suicideA tale of principle and paradox, Cato's resolute stand for Republican values helped precipitate its own downfall. His death at Utica - dramatic, philosophical, and on his own terms - marked not just the end of his life but symbolically, the end of the Roman Republic itself.
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101
Series
Episode Length:
100:49
December 21, 2024
101 - Cato II: Seducers of Rome
Part 2 of 3, The Life of Cato the Younger.
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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.
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