111
Caesar's Civil War III: Came Saw Conquered
Episode Length:
93:53
Cost of Glory Greece Retreat: https://costofglory.com/retreat
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 months
- The burning of the Great Library during the harbor battles—400,000 volumes lost
- Caesar's desperate swim to safety while clutching precious documents above water
- Young King Ptolemy XIII's tragic fate and the consolidation of Cleopatra's power
- The lightning campaign against Pharnaces in Asia—"Veni, Vidi, Vici"
- The veterans' mutiny outside Rome and Caesar's masterful psychological manipulation
- Cato's final stand in Africa and his defiant suicide
- The decisive Battle of Thapsus and the strategic genius of fighting on narrow ground
- The massacre of surrendering enemies as Caesar's clemency finally fails
As Caesar recounts, the Republic's future dictator came very close to destruction in the palaces and canals of Alexandria. While Rome descended into chaos under Mark Antony's drunken rule, Caesar fought for his life against war elephants and Numidian cavalry, transformed by his liaison with the living goddess Cleopatra. The man who emerged from Egypt was no longer merely a Roman general, he had consorted with divinity and fathered the son of a pharaoh.
As Cicero wrote in frantic letters to Atticus: "Where am I to look for solace?" The final campaign that would cement Caesar's supremacy began with the most dangerous gamble of his career.
Works Cited: (Affiliate links - support the show!)
As Cicero wrote in frantic letters to Atticus: "Where am I to look for solace?" The final campaign that would cement Caesar's supremacy began with the most dangerous gamble of his career.
Works Cited: (Affiliate links - support the show!)
- Gareth Sampson, The Battle of Pharsalus
- Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman
- James Froude, Caesar: A Sketch,
- Raaflaub (ed.) Landmark Caesar
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
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
38
Series
Episode Length:
68 MINUTES
June 21, 2022
Lysander 3: Kings of Sparta
Lysander returns from his setbacks at Sparta with a revolutionary plan. He consults the gods about the Spartan Kingship; and some of his own prophecies about Greek ge...
Listen Now
37
Series
Episode Length:
72 MINUTES
June 14, 2022
Lysander 2: Thirty Tyrants
Lysander - The Spartan who took down Athens. In this episode: the dangers of success. How (and why) Lysander installed the notorious "Thirty" at Athens, and how he...
Listen Now
36
Series
Episode Length:
71 MINUTES
June 7, 2022
Lysander 1: Death of Democracy
A Spartan; first Greek honored as a god during his lifetime; destroyer of Athenian naval supremacy. In this episode: his rise to power, how he pulled off the greate...
Listen Now
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.
Listener Feedback
We’re all thinking about the Roman Empire...