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 geopolitics come true. In this episode: How should protegés treat mentors? How do you change a deeply conservative state? And, as always, what is the cost, for an individual, for a state, of striving for supreme glory?
The Cost Of Glory Episodes

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...

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...

Socrates on Public Shaming
A story about how Socrates reacted when he got publicly shamed.
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.