Pursuing Greatness — with Pano Kanelos
An interview with Pano Kanelos, the founding president of the University of Austin and the former President of St. John’s College, Annapolis.
In this episode:
- How founding a university is like running a diner
- The flourishing of American universities in the 19th century
- How old philosophers were men of action
- The Intellectual Foundations Program at UATX
- How The Brothers Karamazov explains our current moment
- Pursuing Greatness by finding your North Star
- Plutarch on self-reflection
- Why Heroes and Truth-tellers are needed when forming communities
- Analyzing the opening scene from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
The Cost Of Glory Episodes

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?

Aristotle, Thiel Fellowship, and Human Greatness w/ Michael Gibson
A conversation with Michael Gibson, philosopher and founder of 1517.

Julius Caesar and the Jews, w/ Barry Strauss
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.
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.
