Classical Wisdom Speaks

Throughout the ages people have imagined “apocalypses”... but how they determined the end of the world shaped their philosophies... as is still the case. From natural disaster and moral revenge to our modern situation of increasing AI and anthropogenic concerns, contemplating the ‘end of days’ can help us cope with the world as it is... or prepare us for difficult times ahe

How aware are we when we make choices? From playing rock paper scissors and gambling to complex ethical decisions like the trolley problem and self-driving cars, game theory and choice theory are hugely important and impactful in our modern era... but so too did they play an essential role in the ancient world. Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with Josiah Ober, the Mits

In 45 B.C., the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero embarked on an almost impossible task... He wrote a philosophical dialogue trying to understand the gods, their nature, how they interact with the world of human beings... and indeed, if they care about humans at all! On the Nature of the Gods (De Natura Deorum) tries to answer these eternal questions through the ancient philos

What is the future -as well as the past - of literary fiction? It is time for a Renaissance?Destined for the dustbin of history, to be discarded along with so many quaint anachronisms, or is the genre itself bound for a long overdue renaissance?Author and self-confessed “hopeless optimist,” Joel Bowman joins us for an in-depth discussion about these subjects in the context of h

Though it was the largest religion in the ancient world by both the number of adherents and geographical scope, Zoroastrianism is still vastly understudied in religion, history, and especially classics.What is Zoroastrianism? How has this Iranian religion impacted the Classical World? And why is one of the world's oldest organized faiths so often over looked? Pablo Vazquez, a

How does the relationship between Odysseus and Telemachus play out? What does the son think about the murder of the suitors? And why exactly has this story of the Trojan Cycle captivated its listeners and readers throughout the millennia... to this very day? Today’s Podcast is with TAD CRAWFORD, founder and publisher of Allworth Press as well as author of A Floating Life: A Novel

The saying “History is myth and myth is history” is something we have been discussing a lot of late at Classical Wisdom. Where does the story of Aeneas lie? Today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Anthony Adolph, a professional genealogist, broadcaster and writer of numerous books on ancestry and general history, including his most recent, In Search of Aeneas: Classic

Marcus Aurelius is generally regarded as one of the "Five Good Emperors" and is often praised for his Stoic philosophy, particularly as expressed in his "Meditations." However, like any historical figure, he is not without criticisms both in his own time and in ours...But are these insignificant issues? Or do they undermine his position as a philosopher and disc

Plagiarism versus Forgery... Economic versus Individualistic Incentives... Virtuous copying versus pride in originality...In an era where the discussion of Plagiarism has become all the rage, it's important to look back over the history of Plagiarism, of institutions, of authority and of knowledge itself. Dr. James Hankins, professor of History at Harvard University and Peter

What are Big and Little Caesars? Both in ancient and modern times? And are there certain political and social environments that are fertile for these sorts of Caesars in their rise to power? And should we know more about this topic before the next election series?This Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Sir William Robert Ferdinand Mount, British writer, novelist, and columnist