The John Batchelor Show

 THE LEGACY OF THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR Colleague Max Boot. Boot reflects on Reagan's legacy, noting his "genial and aloof" personality rooted in childhood trauma. He discusses the superficial nature of Reagan's diaries, his economic record aided by Paul Volcker, and his unassuming nature, exemplified by a story about an uncomfortable chair he refused to complain about. NUMBER 8 1927

COLD WAR DIPLOMACY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCANDALS Colleague Max Boot. Focusing on foreign policy, Boot details Reagan's shift from "Evil Empire" rhetoric to a constructive partnership with Gorbachev to end the Cold War. He also addresses the administration's failures, including the chaotic tenure of Don Regan, the Iran-Contrascandal caused by Reagan's disengagement, and weak responses to apartheid. NUMBER 7 1984 PONT DU HOC

ASSASSINATION SURVIVAL AND THE FIRST TERM AGENDA Colleague Max Boot. Boot describes Reagan'ssurvival of the 1981 assassination attempt as his "finest hour," boosting his popularity and legislative agenda. He explains the power dynamics of the White House "Troika," specifically James Baker's influence, the implementation of tax cuts despite deficits, and the historic appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor. NUMBER 1981 INAUGURAL BALL

THE ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE: CAMPAIGNS OF 1976 AND 1980 Colleague Max Boot. Discussing the path to the presidency, Boot analyzes Reagan's close 1976 loss to Gerald Ford and his victorious 1980 campaign. He highlights the firing of campaign manager John Sears, Bill Casey's role in the potential "October Surprise" regarding Iranian hostages, and Reagan's decisive debate performance against Jimmy Carter. NUMBER 5 1971 GOVERNOR'S BALL

THE SHIFT TO CONSERVATISM AND THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION Colleague Max Boot. Boot traces Reagan's political evolution from New Deal Democrat to conservative icon while hosting General Electric Theater. He covers Reagan's breakout 1964 speech for Goldwater, his election as California governor, his confrontational handling of student protests, and his complex relationship with President Nixon before the Watergate scandal. NUMBER 4 1952

HOLLYWOOD POLITICS, DIVORCE, AND MEETING NANCY Colleague Max Boot. Boot examines the collapse of Reagan's marriage to Jane Wyman as her career outpaced his post-WWII. He discusses Reagan's navigation of the "Red Scare" as SAG president—publicly liberal but privately an FBI informant—and his subsequent marriage to Nancy Davis, who became his essential protector and political partner. NUMBER 3 1946

FROM IOWA RADIO TO WARNER BROTHERS STARDOM Colleague Max Boot. Boot details Reagan's college romance with Margaret Cleaver and his early career shift from sportscasting in Iowa to acting in Hollywood. He explains Reagan's initial success in B-movies at Warner Brothers and his courtship of actress Jane Wyman, leading to their marriage and his ascent in the film industry. NUMBER 2 1940 SANTE FE TRAIL

A MIDWESTERN CHILDHOOD: ROOTS OF OPTIMISM AND DETACHMENT Colleague Max Boot. Biographer Max Boot discusses Ronald Reagan's difficult childhood in Illinois during the Great Depression. He details how Reagan's alcoholic father, Jack, created family instability, while his mother, Nelly, instilled optimism and a love for performance. Boot also highlights Reagan's formative experience as a lifeguard, shaping his desire to be a hero. NUMBER 1 1916 THE REAGANS

THE DEATH OF CLODIUS AND THE REPUBLIC'S END Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin recounts the violent death of Clodius by rival gangs, marking a turning point toward the Republic's collapse. He views Clodia's subsequent disappearance from history as a symbol of the loss of women's influence and civic rights, framing her story as a cautionary tale about political violence. NUMBER 16

THE TRIAL OF RUFUS AND CICERO'S MISOGYNY Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin describes a trial where Clodia accused her ex-lover Rufus of poisoning. Cicero defended Rufus by launching misogynistic attacks on Clodia, calling her "cow-eyed" and alleging incest. Boin argues this famous speech unfairly solidified Clodia's negative historical reputation while obscuring the political power she wielded. NUMBER 15

THE POLITICS OF TRIBUNES AND REFORM Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin details the divide between the Optimates and Populares. He explains how Clodia and her brother Clodius used the office of Tribune—the "people's protector" with veto power—to enact reforms. This strategy allowed them to challenge the Senate's authority and set the stage for Clodius's political dominance. NUMBER 14

CLODIA'S PRIVILEGE AND CICERO'S AMBITION Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin introduces Clodia, a privileged woman from an ancient Roman family on Palatine Hill. He contrasts her aristocratic, independent nature—manifested in her name spelling—with the rise of Cicero, a talented outsider. Boin frames their eventual conflict as a clash between established power and ambitious newcomers. NUMBER 13

ROMAN EXCEPTIONALISM VS. HUMAN TRAGEDY Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. They discuss whether the Aeneid justifies Roman empire or tells a human story. McGill argues the poem survives because it creates sympathy for antagonists like Dido and Turnus. They explore how Virgil portrays the costs of empire and Aeneas's rage, complicating the narrative of Augustan propaganda. NUMBER 12

THE AENEID'S PLOT AND HOMERIC INFLUENCES Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. McGill and Wright summarize the plot, from Troy's destruction to the war in Italy. They analyze Virgil's dialogue with Homer, noting how the poem's opening words invoke both the Iliad's warfare and the Odyssey's wanderings. They also highlight the terrifying, visual nature of Virgil's depiction of the underworld. NUMBER 11

TRANSLATING THE SOUND AND METER OF VIRGIL Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. The translators explain choosing iambic pentameter over dactylic hexameter to provide an English cultural equivalent to the original's epic feel. They describe their efforts to replicate Virgil's auditory effects, such as alliteration and assonance, and preserve specific line repetitions that connect characters like Turnus and Camilla. NUMBER 10

VIRGIL'S RURAL ORIGINS AND AUGUSTAN CONNECTION Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. The guests discuss Virgil's birth in 70 BCE near Mantua and his rural upbringing, which influenced his poetry. They trace his move to Rome during civil war and his eventual connection to Augustus, noting that Virgil promised a grand epic for the emperor in his earlier work, the Georgics. NUMBER 9

THE Q SOURCE AND MARY'S TEACHINGS Colleague James Tabor. Tabor identifies the "Q" source as a collection of ethical teachings shared by Matthew and Luke. He attributes these core values—such as charity and humility—to a family tradition taught by Mary to Jesus, James, and John the Baptizer, aiming to restore Mary'shistorical influence as a teacher. NUMBER 8

THE TALPIOT TOMB AND DNA EVIDENCE Colleague James Tabor. Discussing the Talpiot tomb, Tabor details ossuaries bearing names like "Jesus son of Joseph" and "Mariamne." He argues statistical clusters and potential DNA evidence suggest this is the Jesus family tomb, positing that physical remains support historical existence without necessarily negating the concept of spiritual resurrection. NUMBER 7

THE FLIGHT TO PELLA AND MARY'S DEATH Colleague James Tabor. Tabor discusses the Christian flight to Pella during the Roman revolt. He speculates Mary died before this event, likely around 49–63 CE, and was buried on Mount Zion. Consequently, she disappears from the New Testament record, which shifts focus to Peter and Paul after the Jerusalem church's dispersal. NUMBER 6

THE HEADQUARTERS ON MOUNT ZION Colleague James Tabor. Tabor describes excavations on Mount Zion, identifying a first-century house foundation as the "upper room" and headquarters of the early movement. He visualizes Mary as the matriarch in this courtyard, welcoming pilgrims and apostles like Paul, and establishes James as the leader of this house synagogue. NUMBER 5

JAMES THE JUST AS TRUE SUCCESSOR Colleague James Tabor. Tabor asserts James, Jesus's brother, was the movement's true successor, not Peter. Citing Acts and the Gospel of Thomas, he notes James led the Jerusalem council and stood at the cross. Tabor argues the "beloved disciple" entrusted with Mary's care was this blood brother, not Johnthe fisherman. NUMBER 4

RECLAIMING THE HISTORICAL JEWISH FAMILY Colleague James Tabor. Highlighting the Protoevangelium of James, Tabor contrasts its depiction of a perpetual virgin Mary with historical evidence of a large Jewish family. He argues Mary had numerous children and that her parents were likely wealthy property owners in Sepphoris, integrating Jesus into a close-knit extended family. NUMBER 3

INVESTIGATING THE NAME PANTERA Colleague James Tabor. Tabor explores the name "Pantera," found in rabbinic texts and on a Roman soldier's tombstone. He suggests this might be a family name rather than a slur, investigating the possibility that Jesus's father was a relative or soldier, which challenges the theological narrative of a virgin birth. NUMBER 2

SEPPHORIS AND THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF MARY'S LIFE Colleague James Tabor. Tabor identifies Sepphoris, a Roman capital near Nazareth, as Mary's birthplace. He reimagines Jesus and Joseph as "tektons" (builders) working in this urban center rather than simple carpenters. This proximity meant Mary witnessed Romanbrutality and the city's destruction, influencing her family's spiritual views on the Kingdom of God. NUMBER 1

PREVIEW Guests: Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. Rice University classicists McGill and Wright discuss their new translation of Virgil's Aeneid, a "Hollywood worthy" epic detailing the origins of Rome. The narrative follows Aeneas leading a band of refugees from the burning ruins of Troy westward to their destined home in Italy. Their journey is fraught with the goddess Juno's opposition, leading to a detour in Carthage and a tragic romance with Dido. The poem concludes with a fierce war in Italy, ending abruptly as Aeneas kills his rival Turnus, securing the legacy where Trojansultimately become Romans. MORE TONIGHT AUGUSTUS, OCTAVIA AND LIVIA, LISTENING TO A READING OF THE AENEID BY VIRGIL HIMSELF

PREVIEW Guest: Douglas Boin. This discussion centers on Boin's new book regarding Clodia, who was the wealthiest woman in Rome during the tumultuous era of Julius Caesar. The narrative explores why Cicero, the era's most famous lawyer, became obsessed with her, resulting in her prosecution and humiliation in the Roman Senate. While the historian Plutarch later hinted at a romantic interest, available evidence only documents Cicero's intense disdain for her "confident heirs," leading him to famously refuse to say her name aloud. This personal feud reflects the broader shift from the Republic to the Empire. 1870 EXCAVATING THE FORUM

Professor Matthew Longo. Reflecting on the site thirty years later, Longo discusses the philosophical implications of freedom using Isaiah Berlin and Hannah Arendt. He contrasts Western "negative liberty" with the solidarity desired by East Germans, noting how the former borderland has transformed into an unremarkable green belt. 1985 CZECH FRONTIER

Professor Matthew Longo. Longo describes the tension at the campsite where East German refugees, monitored by Stasi agents, gathered. He recounts the chaotic border breakthrough, highlighting the moral choice of Hungarian guards who allowed refugees to cross into Austria rather than shooting, marking a bloodless victory for freedom. 2016 GERMANY

Professor Matthew Longo. Longo shifts focus to "radical nobodies," specifically activists Ferenc and Maria, who conceived the Pan-European Picnic. He describes their audacious, naive plan to host a party at the lethal Iron Curtainborder near Sopron, intending to celebrate European togetherness and unwittingly sparking a major historical event. NOVEMBER 1961 BERLIN

Professor Matthew Longo. Longo details the geopolitical backdrop of 1989, focusing on Hungarian Prime Minister Miklós Németh. He explains Németh's clash with Romania's Ceaușescu and a pivotal, secret meeting with Gorbachev, where Németh received tacit approval to dismantle the Iron Curtain's physical border defenses. 1960S

Professor Barry Strauss. Following the Gallus revolt in 351 AD, Rome eventually renamed Judea to Syria Palaestinato erase Jewish connection to the land. Control shifted to the Byzantines and then the Muslims in the 7th century, significantly altering the religious and political landscape of Jerusalem. 2010 MASADA

Professor Barry Strauss. In 132 AD, Simon Bar Kokhba led a major rebellion, utilizing underground tunnels and guerrilla warfare to ambush Roman forces. Viewed by many, including Rabbi Akiva, as a Messiah, he established a short-lived administration that issued coins before Rome ruthlessly crushed the revolt and killed him at Betar. 1850 SIEGE JERUSALEM

Professor Barry Strauss. Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina, dedicating it to Jupiter and banning the Jewish Temple to crush rebellious spirits. While Rome viewed Jewish monotheism with confusion, the Parthiansmaintained good relations with their Jewish population, who had helped them against Roman aggression. 1920 MASADA

Professor Barry Strauss. During Trajan's campaign against Parthia, a coordinated Jewish revolt erupted across Libya, Egypt, and Cyprus. This massive insurgency threatened Rome's grain supply, forcing Trajan to divert troops. The suppression of this revolt devastated the historic Jewish community in Alexandria and strained Roman resources. 1843 MASADA

Professor Barry Strauss. Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70 AD, leaving the city in ruins and enslaving survivors. Rome established a permanent legion to ensure security. The revolt concluded with the fall of Masada, where defenders largely committed suicide rather than surrender to the Roman governor. 1850 MASADA

Professor Barry Strauss. Three Jewish factions fought for control of Jerusalem, destroying their own grain supplies and exacerbating the famine. While rebels used guerrilla tactics against Rome, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai escaped in a coffin to preserve Judaism at Yavneh, and Christians reportedly fled to Pella for safety. 1492

Professor Barry Strauss. Following Nero's suicide and the chaotic Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian claimed the throne while his son Titus moved to besiege Jerusalem. The rebels believed their fortifications and supplies made the city impregnable, unaware that internal strife would soon undermine their defenses against Rome. 1492

Professor Barry Strauss. Josephus commanded the defense of Jotapata against Vespasian in 67 AD. After the city fell, he survived a mass suicide pact in a cave through luck or manipulation. He saved his own life by prophesying Vespasianwould become emperor, defecting to the Roman side. 1492 JOSEPHUS FLAVIUS

Professor Toby Wilkinson. After their defeat, Antony died in Cleopatra's arms. Cleopatra committed suicide to avoid Roman humiliation, ending the Ptolemaic dynasty. Octavian annexed Egypt, dismissing its religious traditions regarding the Apis Bull and exploiting the land solely as a grain source for the Roman Empire. 1900

Professor Toby Wilkinson. Cleopatra seduced Mark Antony with a theatrical entrance as Aphrodite, securing a romantic and political partner. Antony relied on Egyptian wealth for his campaigns but suffered military setbacks, alienating Rome by adopting Eastern customs. Their union produced children and challenged Octavian's authority, leading to inevitable conflict. 2900 SUEZ

Professor Toby Wilkinson. Cleopatra VII aligned with Julius Caesar to secure her throne, using her intellect and charisma to win his support. During Caesar's defense against Egyptian forces, he burned ships in the harbor, an inferno that accidentally spread to and destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria. 1892 CAIRO

Professor Toby Wilkinson. The Ptolemies practiced sibling marriage, creating complex family rivalries. Powerful queens like Cleopatra I and III emerged as capable rulers who navigated civil wars and stabilized the kingdom. Cleopatra III, in particular, was a formidable strategist who managed conflicting dynastic ambitions through force of personality. 1845

Professor Toby Wilkinson. Egypt's wealth allowed the Ptolemies to hire mercenaries and engage in arms races involving African war elephants against Seleucid Indian elephants. Despite early military successes like the Battle of Raphia, the dynasty began to decline with the accession of child kings like Ptolemy V, leading to internal factionalism. 1846

Professor Toby Wilkinson. The Ptolemies leveraged Egypt's grain and gold to build a prosperous economy. They constructed the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Museum, which attracted scholars like Archimedes. Zenodotus, the first head librarian, invented bibliography to organize the Library's massive collection of scrolls. 1856 CLEOPATRA NEEDLE

Professor Toby Wilkinson. Ptolemy I Soter, a scholar and general under Alexander, founded a dynasty by integrating Greek and Egyptian traditions. He appointed Egyptian advisors and created the hybrid god Serapis to unify his subjects, successfully establishing a stable, wealthy empire that included Cyprus and parts of the Mediterranean. 1900 NILE

Professor Toby Wilkinson. Alexander the Great besieged Gaza, dragging its governor to death to mimic Achilles and signal his dominance. Seeking divine validation, he trekked to the Siwa Oasis, where priests confirmed him as the son of Zeus Ammon. He later founded Alexandria, orienting Egypt toward the Mediterranean. 1842 EGYPT

PREVIEW THE PTOLEMAIC ARMS RACE: WAR ELEPHANTS AS ANCIENT BATTLE TANKS Colleague Professor Toby Wilkinson. Professor Wilkinson details the military "arms race" between the Ptolemies and Seleucidsinvolving war elephants, the "battle tanks" of the ancient world. He explains how the Ptolemies utilized flighty Africanelephants against their rivals' Indian elephants, creating a strange but critical competition to amass military power.

PREVIEW CLEOPATRA III: A FORCE OF NATURE WITHIN THE PTOLEMAIC DYNASTY Colleague Professor Toby Wilkinson, Cambridge University. Wilkinson identifies Cleopatra III as a "force of nature" within the Ptolemaic dynasty. He highlights her strategic ability, absolute conviction, and sheer personality, suggesting she is the most fascinating figure for a dinner party, even compared to her famous descendant, Cleopatra VII. 1770

PREVIEW PTOLEMY I: THE GENIUS WHO UNIFIED GREEK AND EGYPTIAN CULTURES Colleague Professor Toby Wilkinson. Wilkinson characterizes Ptolemy I as a genius who unified Greek and Egyptian cultures following Alexander the Great's death. By employing diverse advisors and inventing the hybrid god Serapis, Ptolemy Isuccessfully forged a single identity from many strands, effectively implementing an ancient version of e pluribus unum.

PREVIEW; In this interview, historian James Tabor discusses his research into the historical identity of Jesus's biological father, as explored in his book The Lost Mary. He examines the ancient name Pantera, which appears in early texts and has been linked to both the family of Joseph and a specific Roman soldier stationed in Germany. By analyzing a nineteenth-century archaeological discovery of a tombstone belonging to a soldier from the Sidon region, Tabor investigates whether this individual could be the man mentioned in ancient traditions. While traditional scholarship identifies Josephas the father, Tabor uses archaeological evidence and linguistic clues to consider alternative possibilities. His work seeks to reconstruct the life of Mary by synthesizing fragmentary historical records and physical artifacts. This investigation highlights the complexities of tracing ancestral lineages through the intersection of biblical tradition and Roman military history. MORE TOMORROW, CHRISTMAS DAY. 1687

PREVIEW:  This audio excerpt features an interview with Professor Barry Strauss regarding his book, which chronicles the Jewish rebellion against Roman authority during the first century. The discussion focuses on the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, led by Titus, the son of Emperor Vespasian. Although the Jewish resistance considered their capital an impregnable fortress due to its geographic defenses and abundant resources, the city remained vulnerable along its northern wall. Internal leadership struggles and incomplete fortifications ultimately hampered the rebels' ability to withstand the Roman military onslaught. This historical account highlights the intense defiance of the Judean people as they faced a concentrated effort by the Roman Empire to suppress their revolt. MORE LATER.