Podcasts about Alcibiades

Athenian statesman

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Best podcasts about Alcibiades

Latest podcast episodes about Alcibiades

Casting Through Ancient Greece
94: Diplomacy by Force

Casting Through Ancient Greece

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025 40:33 Transcription Available


What happens when military might meets diplomatic cunning? In the fragile years following the Peace of Nicias, a dangerous dance unfolds across Greece as former enemies circle each other warily, neither willing to strike first yet both preparing for inevitable conflict.Alcibiades emerges as Athens' bold strategist, orchestrating a brilliant campaign that uses military presence as leverage without actually breaking the peace. With just a small force, he marches confidently through Spartan territory, cutting supply lines and isolating allies in a masterclass of intimidation without battle. His gambit creates a web of alliances that threatens to strangle Sparta's influence across the Peloponnese.Meanwhile, King Aegis of Sparta finds himself trapped between military necessity and political reality. When his massive army finally surrounds the Argives in what should be a decisive victory, he makes the shocking decision to negotiate a truce with just two Argive generals—no armies or governments consulted. This fateful choice nearly costs him everything, as enraged Spartans plot to destroy his home and impose crippling fines, while one Argive negotiator barely escapes being stoned to death by his own people.The true power of religion in warfare becomes starkly apparent as both sides manipulate sacred festivals and divine omens to justify strategic decisions. The Argives creatively redefine their calendar to avoid religious restrictions, while convenient "unfavorable omens" provide perfect cover for Spartan withdrawals when circumstances turn unfavorable.This episode reveals how the machinery of war often runs on factors far beyond battlefield courage—personality conflicts, political ambitions, and the complex dance between military leaders and the governments they serve. As the peace crumbles beneath the weight of unresolved grievances, we witness the seeds being planted for one of the most consequential battles of the entire Peloponnesian War.Ready to discover how four men stopped an army of thousands? Listen now and join us as we unravel the fascinating diplomatic maneuvers that would ultimately change the course of Greek history. Support the show

Adventure On Deck
Love and War. Week 6: Plato and Herodotus

Adventure On Deck

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 38:15


I'm reading and talking about Ted Gioia's "Immersive Humanities Course," 52 weeks of World Classics.An interesting combination this week. Ted Gioia, the creator of my reading list, called it “Love and War,” but it felt like a lot more than that. And last week, I called it a hodgepodge, but I can admit I was wrong.Plato's Symposium is the third of Plato's works on this list. After wrestling with Ethics in particular last week, I was happy to get back to my friend. Symposium is written as a dialogue among friends, recalled by one who wasn't there, a little like the game of “Telephone” we'e all played. The friends' topic? Love, specifically eros. Given that this is upper-class Ancient Greece, there is a significant discussion of love between men; honestly romantic love between men and women is practically ignored. The reading plan only covered a few portion of Herodotus' Histories, Books 1 and 6-8. For full disclosure, I did NOT complete the reading but stopped with Book 7. In my edition of Histories the assigned books were more than 350 pages and I simply ran out of time. If I had done all the reading this week I would have been around 430 pages! Given that I “signed up” for about 250 pages per week, I had to stop. Confession time over.As always, I have so many, many thoughts about these works. For Symposium, I summarized each person's eulogy as a way to get my hands around the text. A few ideas:Obviously Love held an important place in the lives of Greeks. This entire dialogue is centered around it, but it doesn't look like love in many ways. I'm accustomed to thinking of love as wanting and being willing to work for the best of your beloved, and that being mutual. That desiring “for” someone else, rather than merely desiring them, was absent at least as far as I could see.There are a number of points made about Love as the dialogue progresses, and they definitely don't agree. As always, you're left to parse out the better and worse arguments. “You complete me” (yes, Jerry Maguire) makes an appearance! That attitude has been around a looooong time. Aristophanes tells a long and pretty funny tale about how human beings were at one time two-headed, eight-limbed creatures, but when Zeus got mad and split everyone in two. Now we go around looking for our other half.Does Love motivate us to honor? What kind of Love would do that? Or maybe Love is a moderating force? (I found that a weak argument.) Is its purpose beauty? Those are all offered as arguments, and all are rejected by Socrates. Socrates, via his mentor Diotima, argues that Love's purpose is procreation. As someone who has actually been pregnant several times, I found Socrates' discussion of pregnancy to be uncomfortable, to say the least. There is a ton of homoerotic talk, especially from Socrates and Alcibiades. It is just so strange to me that there is virtually no discussion of love between men and women, but tons between older and younger men. As usual, my bias shows, but it's who I am.On to Herodotus. He's been on my radar since I read History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer about a year and a half ago, and seeing him on the reading list was part of my motivation to jump in. He did not disappoint. The sections that I read were the origin stories of Croesus and Cyrus, and Persia, and then the beginning of the Persian War. I ended with the Battle of Thermopylae, which is an amazing story in its own right. A few takeaways:Every military leader should read this book. I may actually send it to my son who is in the Navy! There are examples of excellent leadership, and cranky...

Casting Through Ancient Greece
93: Breaching the Peace

Casting Through Ancient Greece

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 38:03 Transcription Available


The fragile Peace of Nicias shatters as competing interests and broken promises drive Athens and Sparta back toward conflict. At the heart of this diplomatic unraveling stands Alcibiades, a charismatic young general whose ambition would reshape Greek politics and alliances.When Corinth, feeling betrayed by peace terms that threatened their colonial claims, encouraged Argos to form a rival power bloc, the seeds of renewed warfare were planted. Sparta's subsequent alliance with Boeotia directly violated their peace agreement with Athens, while the contentious destruction of Panactum's fortifications by Boeotian forces created a perfect opportunity for anti-peace factions in Athens to gain traction.Alcibiades emerges as the perfect character for this moment of political intrigue. Wealthy, handsome, well-connected to Athens' most prestigious families, and raised in the household of Pericles himself, he possessed all the qualities needed for Athenian leadership. His masterful deception of Spartan delegates—convincing them to deny their negotiating authority before the Athenian assembly, then exposing this "lie" to undermine both Sparta's credibility and his rival Nicias—demonstrates the cunning that would make him one of history's most fascinating figures.The resulting alliance between Athens and the Peloponnesian democracies of Argos, Elis, and Mantinea represented a dramatic shift in the Greek power balance. Sparta's humiliation continued with their exclusion from religious ceremonies at the 420 BCE Olympics, creating a perception of weakness that emboldened their enemies throughout Greece.What makes this period so compelling is watching how individual ambition intersects with international relations. City-states maneuvered to protect their interests while ambitious leaders like Alcibiades exploited these tensions to advance their personal agendas. The stage was now set for the Battle of Mantinea, the largest land confrontation of the war thus far, where Sparta would attempt to reassert its dominance on the Peloponnese.Have you considered how peace agreements can sometimes create more problems than they solve? Join us as we explore one of history's most consequential diplomatic failures and the ambitious individuals who shaped its outcome. Support the show

The Ancients
The Fall of Athens

The Ancients

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 57:17


In 404 BC, Athens faced total defeat. Once the dominant power of the Greek world, their navy was shattered, their food supply cut off, and on the horizon an armada of Spartan ships signalled the city's final reckoning.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Alastair Blanshard to explore the dramatic downfall of Athens in the final years of the Peloponnesian War. They discuss the decades-long struggle between Athens and Sparta, the key figures who shaped its outcome - like Lysander and Alcibiades - and how Persian support helped turn the tide. From epic battles to political intrigue, discover how this war reshaped the ancient Greek world for generations.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS'. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

Naval Academy History Productions
You Only Live Twice: Alcibiades, the Athenian 007 -- Part 2 (Tell Me Another #17)

Naval Academy History Productions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 43:06


Dr. Nicholas Cross, USNA, continues the story of Alcibiades -- the Athenian Statesman / General, strategic advisor to Sparta, and a defector to Persia.

Naval Academy History Productions
You Only Live Twice: Alcibiades, the Athenian 007 -- Part 1 (Tell Me Another #16)

Naval Academy History Productions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 22:31


In this Episode of Tell Me Another, Dr. Nicholas Cross (USNA), discusses one of the most fascinating figures in Greek history: Alcibiades. In his lifetime he served as Athenian Statesman, Athenian General, strategic advisor to Sparta, and a defector to Persia.

Aspects of History
Athens, Sparta and the Sicilian Expedition with Paul A. Rahe

Aspects of History

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2025 31:52


In 415BC, the Athenian Empire, during a lull in the Peloponnesian War against the Spartans, voted to embark on a massive campaign to capture Syracuse. So began the Sicilian Expedition, which soon became a proxy war between Sparta and Athens, as the Spartans despatched just one man, the great general Gylippus, to assist the Syracusans. The war had been underway since 431 BC and would last until 404BC and end in total defeat for Athens with the loss of its empire. Joining today is Paul A. Rahe, a highly distinguished ancient historian the first in a two part discussion with him. Coming up next on Wednesday he discusses contemporary events, and how his understanding of the Peloponnesian war seeks to help policy makers in the United States as its supremacy is challenged by China. Paul A. Rahe Links Sparta's Sicilian Proxy War Sparta's Third Attic War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 413-404 BC Book on Alcibiades discussed: Nemesis: Alcibiades and the Fall of Athens, by David Stuttard Aspects of History Links Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99 Ollie on X Aspects of History on Instagram Get in touch: history@aspectsofhistory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in Tongues - Episode November 30, 2024

Speaking in Tongues

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2024


Playlist: DjeuhDjoah, Lieutenant Nicholson, Sarah Solo - Sarah SoloJon Batiste - Symphony No. 5 StompOrchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp - Tout CasséJuana Molina - Astro de la luz segundoSandy Chamoun, Anthony Sahyoun, Jad Atoni - Tahal LaylAladean Kheroufi - Now & ForeverFemi Kuti - Politics Don Expose ThemManu Chao - Cora​ç​ao No MarJah'Mila - Slow Downsean beaver - Set AwayGhostkeeper - MapsVarious, featuring Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe - Ché Ché ColéVarious, featuring Orkes Teruna Ria - Tak Ton TongLa Chooma, Bat Oven - Magic PlantLA LOM - La TijeraAl-Qasar, featuring Alsarah - Desse BaramaCedric Burnside - Hill Country LoveLemon Bucket Orkestra - Zajdi ZajdiDubmatix - Down BeatAnanda Shankar - Jumpin' Jack FlashVarious, featuring Alcibiades y sus Banda - Hacienda BombaSugar Brown - Sixteen ShotsJake Blount & Mali Obomsawin - What's You Gonna Do When The World's On FireMomo Ryuk, Othman Wahabi, Cafe De Anatolia, Billy Esteban, Rialians on Earth - Baba Blues (Billy Esteban & Rialians on Earth Remix)Elektro Hafiz, featuring Kardelen - Birini Bulacağım

Porta - das Tor zur Geschichte
Landsknechte: Als ein Wittlicher Söldner vor 450 Jahren Tausende in den Krieg führte

Porta - das Tor zur Geschichte

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 19:12


Jakob von Osburg war ein Söldner - einer, der den Beruf "Soldat" wählte und als solcher im 16. Jahrhundert Karriere machte im Dienste eines gefürchteten Söldnerführers: dem Markgrafen Alcibiades von Brandenburg-Kulmbach. An seiner Seite besetzte Jakob vor 450 Jahren Trier. Was erlebte der in Wittlich geborene Söldner an der Seite des Markgrafen, der für und gegen Fürsten und Kaiser kämpfte? Ein Experte aus unserer Region weiß hierzu mehr.

In The Money Players' Podcast
Baby Talk: Two-Year-Old Stakes All Weekend at Keeneland at Belmont at Aqueduct

In The Money Players' Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 33:45


PTF is here with Cormac Breathnach of Keeneland Sales as they do a little preview of Keeneland's Championship Sale before taking a look at eight two-year-old stakes across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.Here you'll find tips and analysis for:The Jessamine and Alcibiades at Keeneland on Friday as well as the Belmont FuturitySaturday's Claiborne Futurity at Keeneland as well as the Frizette and Champagne at Belmont on the Big A.Last but not least, they have a look at two more Keeneland races on Sunday, the Indian Summer and the Castle and Key Bourbon Stakes.

Daily Racing Form
DRF Friday Race of the Day Listening Edition | Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes | October 4, 2024

Daily Racing Form

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 10:28


Join us for Friday's Race of the Day: Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland. Dan Illman and Mike Beer share their thoughts and insights. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Nature and the Nation
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Thucydides) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey

Nature and the Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2024 46:31


In this episode I revisit Thucydides as discussed by David Bolotin in the classic History of Political Philosophy edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey. I focus on Alcibiades, Nicias, and the Sicilian Expedition.

The Ralston College Podcast
Exploring the Inner Word: Play, Poetry, Philosophy | Sophia Lectures 2023 Part 2/5

The Ralston College Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 77:04


In this second episode of the Sophia Lectures, Professor Douglas Hedley from the University of Cambridge embarks on a deep exploration into the theme of "play" and its relationship to consciousness, language, and poetic expression. Drawing upon the intellectual legacies of Owen Barfield and Hans-Georg Gadamer, Hedley explores the philosophical and theological dimensions of language, highlighting its role in shaping our understanding of existence. He discusses the concept of the "inner word" as described by Augustine and how poetry serves as a bridge between the tangible and the abstract, allowing for playful exploration of meaning. Hedley critiques modern perspectives on consciousness, suggesting that they often overlook the importance of play in human experience. Through discussions on the significance of metaphor, the societal role of poetry, and the collective versus individual nature of consciousness, Hedley offers a comprehensive examination of how language and poetry are fundamental to our comprehension of the world and how play is a vital aspect of this process.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersections of language, consciousness, and the human condition, providing a rich tapestry of philosophical inquiry and reflection.   Douglas Hedley is a distinguished philosopher at the University of Cambridge, celebrated for his extensive research in the philosophy of religion and Platonism. He is the author of multiple influential works on imagination and religious experience.   Glossary of Terms   Language games: A concept introduced by Ludwig Wittgenstein that highlights the importance of usage and practice in shaping meaning   Resources   Ralston College  Website: https://www.ralston.ac/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RalstonCollegeSavannah X: https://twitter.com/RalstonCollege Douglas Hedley https://www.ralston.ac/people/douglas-hedley   Philosophical Investigations - Ludwig Wittgenstein  https://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Investigations-Ludwig-Wittgenstein/dp/0631205691   The Trinity (Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century) - Saint Augustine  https://www.amazon.com/Trinity-2nd-Works-Saint-Augustine/dp/1565484460   Saving the Appearances: A Study in Idolatry - Owen Barfield https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Appearances-Idolatry-Owen-Barfield/dp/081956205X   Truth and Method - Hans-Georg Gadamer https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Method-Hans-Georg-Gadamer/dp/0826405851   Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature - Richard Rorty https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Mirror-Nature-Richard-Rorty/dp/0691020167   Augustine-Confessions-vol-1.pdf - Augustine. (n.d.). Confessions, Vol. 1. https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Augustine-Confessions-vol-1.pdf   Plato. (n.d.). Alcibiades 1. https://www.platonicfoundation.org/platos-alcibiades-1/   Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture - Johan Huizinga  https://www.amazon.com/Homo-Ludens-Study-Play-Element-Culture/dp/1621389995   Quotes   "The great archetypal activities of human society are all permeated with play from the start." - Johann Huizinga, Homo Ludens [00:02:30]   “I think consciousness is fundamental to existence. In fact, it's the great philosophical question of our age.” - Douglas Hedley [01:01:24]   Chapters    [00:00:00] - Introduction to Sophia Lectures: Overview and Introduction of Professor Douglas Hedley   [00:02:00] - Exploring Play and Language: Merging Huizinga's Play Concept with Wittgenstein's Language Games and Investigations to Reveal Language's Essence in Shaping Human Culture and Thought.   [00:20:00] - The Inner Word and the Play of Meaning: Exploring Augustine's Inner Word and Poetry's Power to Unveil Transcendent Truths.   [00:26:00] - Tradition, Interpretation, and the Essence of Language: Exploring the Intellectual Legacies of Barfield and Gadamer, Their Critique of Modernism, and the Philosophical Significance of Language's Transcendental Source.   [00:52:00] - Participation, Aesthetics, and the Divine Word: Navigating Gadamer's Concept of Participation through Platonic Light, Aesthetic Experience, and the Theological Depths of Language.   [01:00:00] - Audience Q&A and Concluding Reflections

Professor Kozlowski Lectures
Plato's Symposium 4 - Alcibiades

Professor Kozlowski Lectures

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 59:20


Professor Kozlowski examines the final speech of Plato's Symposium and examines some of the *many* ways it might be interpreted as a contribution to Plato's understanding of love.

Authentic As F*ck Podcast
Episode 98: How Steven Pressfield Went From Hero's Journey To Artist's Journey

Authentic As F*ck Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 63:58


Authentic As F*ck is a podcast all about storytelling. I have conversations with entrepreneurs, and creators, hear their stories, and how these stories shaped the person.So excited to share in Episode 98 of the AAF podcast: How Steven Pressfield Went From Hero's Journey To Artist's Journey. Don't miss this inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship and storytelling.Steven Pressfield is an acclaimed American author renowned for his historical fiction and non-fiction works. He achieved literary success with his debut novel, "The Legend of Bagger Vance" (1995), which was later adapted into a film. Pressfield gained further recognition with historical novels such as "Gates of Fire" (1998), about the Battle of Thermopylae, and "Tides of War" (2000), chronicling the life of Alcibiades.His non-fiction, including the influential "The War of Art" (2002), offers profound insights into overcoming creative resistance and has inspired many in the creative community. Known for his philosophical depth and historical accuracy, Pressfield continues to write and inspire, drawing timeless lessons from history to illuminate the human spirit.Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro00:02:30 - The Anxiety of Releasing a Project00:04:53 - The Importance of Trauma in Personal Growth00:07:34 - The Trauma of Attempting to Write a Novel00:10:17 - The Force of Self-Sabotage00:12:45 - Working Blue Collar Jobs00:15:17 - A Turning Point Towards Writing00:17:50 - Facing the Calling to Write00:20:15 - The Journey of Becoming a Writer00:22:38 - The Long Process of Learning and Success00:25:20 - Overcoming Resistance and Finishing the Books00:27:48 - Persistence and Learning the Lesson of Deadlines00:30:19 - Falling in Love with the Craft00:32:33 - Starting Over in Hollywood00:35:01 - Learning about Screenplays and Stories00:37:25 - The Evolution of a Writer00:39:44 - Transition from Screenwriting to Book Writing00:42:24 - Mentorship and Learning from Others00:44:42 - Learning from a Master00:47:00 - The Benefits of Critique Sessions00:49:20 - The Beauty of Art and Messiness of Humanity in Storytelling for Marketing00:51:36 - Propaganda and Art00:54:00 - The Artist Journey00:56:25 - Finding Excitement in the Creative Process00:58:52 - Letting Go as an Artist and Knowing Yourself01:01:16 - The Myth of Overnight Success Comment, tag, and share with someone who would love this. Enjoy! Also join Night Owl Nation https://sunyi.co/night-owl-nation, a global community of entrepreneurs and creators who practice storytelling together.Follow me: @SunYiCo Website https://sunyi.coNight Owl Nation https://sunyi.co/night-owl-nation/Instagram https://instagram.com/sun.yiTikTok https://tiktok.com/@_sun.yiTwitter https://twitter.com/_sun_yiLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/sunyi-nightowls/Facebook https://facebook.com/sun.yi.nightowlsThreads https://threads.net/@sun.yiDomestika https://domestika.org/en/courses/2638-the-art-of-storytelling-for-freelancers-and-creators/sunyiFollow me: @YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@StevePressfieldInstagram https://www.instagram.com/steven_pressfield/?hl=enWebsite https://stevenpressfield.com/***

Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard
Day 7 - Justice Is Only a Concern Among Equals

Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2024 20:52


Content warning for discussion of genocide. Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 7 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 6 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. Speaking of weeks, we've finally hit our first week! Get it? This is episode 7, the episodes are called Days. There are 7 Days in a Week… I'm funny dammit! I've got something special for you starting at the end of Week 1. It's a new segment I'm going to call the Alchemist's Table. Every Day I'm going to be sharing with you a cocktail recipe that I have invented. If you enjoy a nice cocktail and you aren't driving to work feel free to make yourself one before sitting down for the rest of the episode. For Day 7 we're going to be enjoying the first cocktail I ever created. It's called A Taste of Spring. It starts with 2 oz of Gin, I prefer gunpowder gin, but a London Dry will work just fine. Followed by 1 oz of elderflower liquor, 1 oz of lavender syrup, stir for about 30 seconds in ice before straining into a rocks glass over ice. And that, my friends, is a Taste of Spring. Enjoy. Anyway, it's time to head back to the West, and for this episode we have to travel back in time to the 5th century BCE for the Siege of Melos during the Peloponnesian War. IN a modern historical context we look at the Peloponnesian War as being between Sparta and Athens, and while this isn't technically wrong, it's also not as right as it could be. The Peloponnesian War was fought between the Delian League, which was a confederacy of various Greek city-states with Atens in supreme control. The Delian League was created as a defensive alliance against the Persian Empire following the Second Persian Invasion of Greece (this is the invasion that included the famed Battle of Thermopylae). And the Peloponnesian League which was less a league and more an ancient world version of the Warsaw Pact, with Sparta (then called Lacadeamon) at the head with its various allied city states. See, around 550 BCE SParta got tired of having to conquer everyone and instead offered to NOT conquer them if they joined the League. The Delian League got its name from the island of Delos where they would meet and where their treasury was held before being moved to Athens in 454 BCE. The Peloponnesian League got IT'S name from the peninsula at the southern tip of Greece, which is known as the Peloponnese Peninsula. The Peloponnesian League is something of a misnomer as its membership was not limited to that area of Greece. But, I ramble, and so let us return to the Peloponnesian War. Why did Sparta and Athens, erstwhile allies against Xerxes I and the Persian Empire decide to go to war with each other? The period between the Second Persian Invasion of Greece and the Peloponnesian War is sometimes known as the Pentecontaetia, a term which means “a period of 50 years” which refers to the 48 year period between 479 and 431 BCE. The Pentecontaetia saw the rise of Athens as one of the most prominent Greek City States, it saw the rise of Athenian democracy, and it saw the rise of tensions between Sparta and Athens. You can look at this period as somewhat similar to the rising tensions between Rome and Carthage. Sparta HAD been the most powerful Greek city-state, and now suddenly they had a rival and didn't like that. Sparta was the Sasuke to Athens Naruto, the Vegeta to Athen's Goku. Following the flight of the Persian armies from Greece Athens began to rebuild the great walls around their city that had been lost to the Persian armies. Sparta, upon learning about this construction, asked them not to do that. But Athens rebuffed them, not wanting to put Athens effectively under the control of Sparta's massive army. Another way we can view Athens and Sparta through the lens of Carthage and Rome is that Athens was vastly superior at sea, and Sparta was vastly superior on land, just as Carthage and Rome were, respectively. I'm taking bets now on who is going to win this war, assuming you don't already know. These tensions, which were further exacerbated by a helot revolt within Sparta would explode, though not terribly violently, during a 15 year conflict known as the First Peloponnesian War. This first war would end with the signing of the Thirty Years Peace treaty. This treaty, which would only last for 15 years, would solidify the Athenian and Spartan Empires and would cement Athens as a true powerhouse in the Aegean Sea. Conflict between Athens and Corinth, a member of the Peloponnesian League, is what ultimately led to war. Athens and Corinth effectively fought a brief proxy war over control of the Corinthian colony of Potidea. Corinth, outraged that Athens had encouraged one of its colonies to rebel against their authority, urged Sparta to call a conclave to try and arbitrate peace as was stipulated under the Thirty Years Peace.  The Spartan King Archidamus II urged the Spartan magistrates (known as ephor) and the citizen assembly known as the ecclesia not to go to war, but in the end the assembly determined that Athens, in urging Potidea to rebel against one of their allies and then aiding them in the fight for the city had broken the Peace and war was officially declared in 431 BCE. The Second Peloponnesian War had begun. The Second Peloponnesian War, often known as just the Peloponnesian War, can be broken up into three distinct segments. The Archidamian War, The Sicilian Expedition, and the Decelean War. The first 10 years of the war are sometimes also called the Ten Years War. Sparta was, almost entirely, a land based empire. The Spartan Army was the most feared and one of the best trained armies of the ancient world. Their hoplites and their phalanxes were nearly invincible. Meanwhile Athens had the same prestige on the waves. The Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE, though discussed far less frequently than the concurrent Battle of Thermopylae, is no less impressive a feat of military genius. So the Spartan strategy during the beginning of the war was to march its armies to the land around the city state of Athens and seize them. This caused many Athenian farmers to abandon their farms and retreat behind Athens famous Long Walls. The Long Walls were fortified walls that connected Athens' main city to its ports at Piraeus and Phaleron. So despite the loss of farmland around Athens itself, this siege did basically nothing. Sparta was also only able to keep troops on the field for a few weeks at a time, as the hoplites were still needed to harvest their own fields and troops were always needed to keep the helots in line. The longest siege of the Ten Years War was only 40 days. Meanwhile Athens stayed in the Aegean Sea with their fleet, avoiding any open warfare with the Spartans who were unable to breach their walls anyway. The Athenians had great successes in their early naval battles, including the Battle of Naucaptus where 20 Athenian ships went up  against 77 Peloponnesian ships and emerged victorious. Of course, all of Athen's momentum would come to a screeching and screaming halt when th plague hit in 430 BCE. The Plague of Athens was an interesting facet of the war. While some Athenians believed that the Spartans were the cause of the plague, evidenced they said by the fact that the Spartans were unaffected by it, but Thucydides, author the the famous History of the Peloponnesian War was in the city when the plague hit. He even contracted it and survived his illness. Thucydides says that the plague came from Ethiopia as it appeared to have entered Athens along the Long Wall from the port of Piraeus. There's not much in the way of evidence regarding WHAT exactly the plague was, although Thucydides listed out a large number of symptoms that victims experienced including: Fever, Redness and inflammation in the eyes, Sore throats leading to bleeding and bad breath, Sneezing, Loss of voice, Coughing, Vomiting, Pustules and ulcers on the body, Extreme thirst, Insomnia, Diarrhea, Convulsions, and Gangrene. Modern epidemiologists and paleopathologists believe, based on extensive examination of all the available evidence that the plague was likely either smallpox or typhus, although it's unlikely that we'll ever know for certain. The plague had a massive impact on the course of the war. For one, it killed Pericles, the Athenian statesman and strategos of the Athenian military. It also killed over 30,000 people, made foreign mercenaries unwilling to aid Athens, no matter how much they were offered as they did not want to risk getting sick, the plague even halted any Spartan military action in Attica until it was finished as the Spartans also feared the disease. Even with the loss of Pericles Athens continued to have success on sea as well as on land through the efforts of their commanders Demosthenes and Cleon. They started to put cracks in the Spartan armies image of invincibility until the Spartans captured Amphipolis, a silver mine that supplied much of the Athenian war chest in 424 BCE. In 422 a great battle was fought at Amphipolis which saw both Cleon, and the Spartan general Brasidas killed. The loss of these military commanders would see Athens and Sparta sit down to try and negotiate peace.  The Peace of Nicias would be a failure from the very start. Despite it, nominally, declaring peace between Sparta and Athens, despite PoWs being exchanged and control over territories ceded back to those who originally owned them, the Peace of Nicias was something of a joke. Sparta and Athens entered something of a Cold War. They didn't fight against each other specifically, but Athens spent a LOT of time trying to stir up helot revolts and encourage Spartan allies to revolt against them in order to gain greater autonomy under Athenian democracy.  Something that is interesting to note, is that despite the single largest land battle of the Peloponnesian War taking place in 418 BCE, the Peace wasn't formally abandoned, and war declared again between Athens and Sparta until 214 BCE. The Battle of Mantinea was fought between Sparta and some of its Arcadian allies on one side, and the combined might of Argos, Athens, Mantinea and various Arcadian allies of Argos. The battle, which involved nearly 20,000 troops combined, ended with a Spartan victory and saw a reversal of previous trends. After the Spartan loss at the Battle of Pylos in 425 BCE many began to think of the Spartans as weak and cowardly, but Mantinea reversed that thinking very quickly. The Siege of Melos, the true subject of this episode, also took place during the Peace of Nicias. Athenian aggression against Melos began about 10 years before the Siege. Melos was a small island about 68 miles off the Eastern coast of Greece. Small islands, due to their reliance on navies, were generally allies of Athens who had uncontested control of the seas. Melos though, decided to remain neutral. They were ethnically Dorian, same as the Spartans (the Athenians were ethnically Ionian). In 425 Athens demanded that Melos pay them a 15 talents (about 390 kgs) of silver. Melos refused. They were determined to remain neutral (although there is pretty good evidence that they donated 20 minas (about 12.5 kgs) of silver to the Spartan war effort. In 216 BCE Athens once again went to Melos and demanded that Melos join the Delian League and pay tribute. Melos again refused. Thucydides wrote a dramatization of conversation between Athenian embassies and the leaders of Melos in his Histories (Book 5, Chapters 84–116). The Melian Dialogue is one of the earliest events I learned about during undergrad when I took a class on the History of Just War. I need to go off on a slight tangent here. When I took this class there was this one guy, whose name I never learned. He was jacked as hell and always showed up to class double fisting iced coffees from Starbucks. Now this class was built around a questionL “Is there such a thing as a Just War?”, but apparently this dude never read the syllabus because about 3 weeks into class he asks “When are we gonna get to the battles?” See, he thought it was History of Just War, just meaning only. He thought it was a military history class, not a class on moral philosophy seen through the context of war. I'm pretty sure he got an A though… Anyway, back to Melos. It's unlikely that the conversation Thucydides wrote out is how it played out in real life, though given the Athenian love of oration and speeches, he's probably not TOO far off the mark. I'm going to read you a part of the Melian Dialogue: Athenians. For ourselves, we shall not trouble you with specious pretences- either of how we have a right to our empire because we overthrew the Mede, or are now attacking you because of wrong that you have done us- and make a long speech which would not be believed; and in return we hope that you, instead of thinking to influence us by saying that you did not join the Lacedaemonians, although their colonists, or that you have done us no wrong, will aim at what is feasible, holding in view the real sentiments of us both; since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. Melians. As we think, at any rate, it is expedient- we speak as we are obliged, since you enjoin us to let right alone and talk only of interest- that you should not destroy what is our common protection, the privilege of being allowed in danger to invoke what is fair and right, and even to profit by arguments not strictly valid if they can be got to pass current. And you are as much interested in this as any, as your fall would be a signal for the heaviest vengeance and an example for the world to meditate upon. Athenians. The end of our empire, if end it should, does not frighten us: a rival empire like Lacedaemon, even if Lacedaemon was our real antagonist, is not so terrible to the vanquished as subjects who by themselves attack and overpower their rulers. This, however, is a risk that we are content to take. We will now proceed to show you that we are come here in the interest of our empire, and that we shall say what we are now going to say, for the preservation of your country; as we would fain exercise that empire over you without trouble, and see you preserved for the good of us both. Melians. And how, pray, could it turn out as good for us to serve as for you to rule? Athenians. Because you would have the advantage of submitting before suffering the worst, and we should gain by not destroying you. Melians. So that you would not consent to our being neutral, friends instead of enemies, but allies of neither side. Athenians. No; for your hostility cannot so much hurt us as your friendship will be an argument to our subjects of our weakness, and your enmity of our power. Melians. Is that your subjects' idea of equity, to put those who have nothing to do with you in the same category with peoples that are most of them your own colonists, and some conquered rebels? Athenians. As far as right goes they think one has as much of it as the other, and that if any maintain their independence it is because they are strong, and that if we do not molest them it is because we are afraid; so that besides extending our empire we should gain in security by your subjection; the fact that you are islanders and weaker than others rendering it all the more important that you should not succeed in baffling the masters of the sea. See, Athens refused to allow Melos to remain neutral because they believed that, if they allowed this small, weak nation to live independent of their might that they would soon find themselves overrun with rebellion as all others would see Athens let Melos go free and see Athens as weak, as if they somehow feared fighting Melos. So, pragmatically, it would be better for them to kill all the Melians to maintain their image as strong than it would be for them to simply leave Melos be. Despite their claim to democracy, Athens was very much of the opinion that might made right. The strong take what they can and the weak suffer as they must. This was, more or less the beginning of Just War theory, as it was one of the first time that justice, fairness, and rightness was discusses in the context of war. Just War Theory, by the way, is generally made up of three elements. Jus ad bellum, do you have just reasons for going to war? Jus in bello, is your conduct during war just? And a more modern addition, jus post bellum, is your conduct after the war is over also just? Melos, ultimately, refused to surrender to Athens and, indeed, tried to fight against their armies and ultimately failed. The siege lasted from summer of 416 until the winter and ended with Melos surrendering. Athens, in a very Genghis Khan esque move decided to kill every adult man on Melos and sell all of the women and children into slavery. This form of genocide where one particular gender is targeted is common in old world genocides. Very often it is the men, those who could join opposing militaries who would be targeted for the slaughter although Shaka Zulu was infamous for killing all the women and folding the men into his armed forces during his conquests. The genocide of Melos wasn't an attempt to wipe out an ethnicity, Melians being Dorian just like the Spartans. It WAS, however, intended to destroy the people of Melos, and it succeeded. The Peloponnesian War would continue until 404 BCE and would end with a Spartan victory, partially through aid gained from the Achaemenid Dynasty from Persia and some from Alcibiades of Athens, but the war isn't the important part and so we will ignore the final 12 years of it. That's it for this week. No new reviews, so let's jump right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day.    

Science Salon
The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times

Science Salon

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2024 71:13


The discipline of rhetoric was the keystone of Western education for over two thousand years. Only recently has its perceived importance faded. In this book, renowned rhetorical scholar Robin Reames argues that, in today's polarized political climate, we should all care deeply about learning rhetoric. Drawing on examples ranging from the destructive ancient Greek demagogue Alcibiades to modern-day conspiracists like Alex Jones, Reames breaks down the major techniques of rhetoric, pulling back the curtain on how politicians, journalists, and “journalists” convince us to believe what we believe—and to talk, vote, and act accordingly. Understanding these techniques helps us avoid being manipulated by authority figures who don't have our best interests at heart. It also grants us rare insight into the values that shape our own beliefs. Learning rhetoric, Reames argues, doesn't teach us what to think but how to think—allowing us to understand our own and others' ideological commitments in a completely new way.  Thoughtful, nuanced, and leavened with dry humor, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself offers an antidote to our polarized, post-truth world.  Robin Reames is associate professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, specializing in rhetorical theory and the history of ideas. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in contemporary and ancient rhetorical theory, language theory, rhetorical criticism, political rhetoric, writing, as well as courses in literature and literary theory. Her research is guided by an interest in the visceral and primordial power of human speech, for which ancient rhetoric serves as a first theory. Her book, Seeming and Being in Plato's Rhetorical Theoryexamines how Plato used rhetorical theory to forge the primordial distinction between seeming and being—the foundational fissure from which Western metaphysics emerged, and the very grounds of the opposition between true and false. Her new book is The Ancient Art of Thinking For Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times. Reames and Shermer discuss: what rhetoric is • what reason is • how rhetoric changed Reames' life • rhetoric vs. facts (rhetorical truths vs. empirical truths) • the point of reason (to understand reality or to persuade?) • Canons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style, memory, delivery • bullshitters vs. liars • induction and deduction • rhetorical, ideological, and metaphorical thinking • how to debate contentious issues • how to have impossible conversations • culture wars • conspiracy theories and why people believe them.

Badass of the Week
Alcibiades: The Biggest Jerk of the Classical Age

Badass of the Week

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 71:53 Transcription Available


One of the most colorful and hilariously-narcissistic figures in all of history, Alcibiades was a hard-partying, self-obsessed Athenian nobleman who caused mischief anywhere he went, shifted alliances as it suited him, and routinely found himself fleeing from people who wanted to murder him. But he also happened to be a genius military commander who won huge battles in the Peloponnesian War... while leading armies on both sides of the conflict.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GoodWill Yunting
Parallel: Changing Gaming Forever ft. Kalos and Bew

GoodWill Yunting

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 99:38


In this new and absolutely incredible episode of GWY, we sit down with one of the founders of Parallel as well as a member of the Echelon Foundation. We start by discussing what Parallel is and how Kalos feels about its overwhelming success so far. We then move onto the question of how Parallel will overcome any NFT/crypto related resistance from traditional gamers as well as  what scaling looks like for Parallel as the game expands. This leads into a talk about how they plan to incentivize and reward new players to the ecosystem. Next we discuss how Parallel can utilize both traditional revenue models such as a Game Pass, and new Web3 only revenue models such as unique sinks. We end the Parallel discussion by talking about how it's the first actual digitally verifiably rare trading card game. But Parallel TCG isn't the only game the studio is building. We dive deep into Colony, the AI game being built by the studio that they call the first ever 1.5 player video game. We discuss how the AI here isn't a gimmick as with other companies, but it is a technology that creates a purely unique experience that touches our humanity, so much so that players who have played it hate any new updates because it means the "death," as they call it, of their old AI companion. Colony is able to utilize AI that refines your gaming experience through memory and lived experience. Kalos gives us many crazy stories of AI creating/coding items that did not exist in the game before, AI becoming musicians and being able to ask the for the sheet music, and AI thinking they've gone crazy. We end the Colony discussion by talking about avatars role in Colony and what future scaling could look like. Finally, Kalos gives us some release dates on the next biggest things coming for Parallel. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, rate, and share so we can continue to get amazing, alpha dropping guests. We plan to release episodes bi-weekly, so don't sleep!  Big thank you to Alcibiades for taking the time out of their day to talk crypto with us. You can find him on Twitter @0xAlcibiades and Valorem at @valoremxyz.  Feel free to tweet or message me @TheRogueItachi. You can find the pod on Twitter @GoodWillYunting. And thank you to our sponsor Alchemix. you can find them on Twitter @AlchemixFi. As always, Yunt Hard, Yunt Fast, Yunt Capital.  Disclaimer: Nothing said on this podcast is advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or tokens. We may, and often because we're passionate about the projects we bring on, hold investments in the project and even work in their communities. None of this is financial advice, please do your own research; this is a risky field. 

Studio Tegengif
#106 Verkiezingen: marketing versus doorrekeningen

Studio Tegengif

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 74:41


Bijna verkiezingen. Wij bieden genuanceerd tegengif in deze bijzondere campagne. We bespreken de doorrekeningen van de verkiezingsprogramma's door het CPB en de vaak inhoudsloze marketingachtige campagne vol feitenvrije soundbites. Als gekte bespreken we een politicus die zichzelf in heel gekke bochten kletst om weer op een kieslijst te staan. Zoals je van Studio Tegengif verwacht proberen we ontzettend complexe zaken toegankelijk te bespreken. Deze aflevering werd gemaakt met ondersteuning van Wim Brons van remotepodcast.nl. Een aanrader voor als je op afstand een podcast wil maken met fantastische geluidskwaliteit. Wil je ons steunen? Dat kan: je kunt sinds kort vriend van de show worden: 
https://vriendvandeshow.nl/studio-tegengif ***SHOWNOTES*** CPB, ‘Keuzes in kaart: doorrekening verkiezingsprogramma's 2023' https://www.cpb.nl/tijdlijn-verkiezingen Wikipedia ‘Ochlocratie' https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochlocratie Bernard ter Haar, ‘De doorrekeningen van het CPB verhullen de toekomst' https://www.investmentofficer.nl/columns/bernard-ter-haar/de-doorrekeningen-van-het-cpb-verhullen-de-toekomst?check_logged_in=1 IMDB, film ‘Idiocracy' https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/ Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, ‘Alcibiades' https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/alkibiades/9300000147770034/

GoodWill Yunting
A Better Type of Yield: Talking Valorem with Alcibiades

GoodWill Yunting

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2023 58:18


In this latest episode, I talk to the founder of the awesome new options protocol, Valorem. We discuss why Valorem and an options market of this level should and needs to exist for DeFi to take the next step. Next, we get into how Valorem can become an essential money lego on Ethereum, and how it can offer opportunities for more and higher yield in DeFi. We spend a good amount of time talking 'Why Valorem' such as how it differs from other options protocols on the scene right now,  what about its technology stands out, and how it will offer the best experience for beginner and advanced users. Alcibiades offers a plethora of information on the protocol and it's options platform, much of which is above my head but due to his great explanations I'm able to follow along anyway. We end with future plans for Valorem and much alpha about the road map and vision for the protocol. Finally, we talk markets and where we will go from here, and if the bulla is back on. Don't sleep!If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, rate, and share so we can continue to get amazing, alpha dropping guests. We plan to release episodes bi-weekly, so don't sleep!  Big thank you to Alcibiades for taking the time out of their day to talk crypto with us. You can find him on Twitter @0xAlcibiades and Valorem at @valoremxyz.  Feel free to tweet or message me @TheRogueItachi. You can find the pod on Twitter @GoodWillYunting. And thank you to our sponsor Alchemix. you can find them on Twitter @AlchemixFi. As always, Yunt Hard, Yunt Fast, Yunt Capital.  Disclaimer: Nothing said on this podcast is advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or tokens. We may, and often because we're passionate about the projects we bring on, hold investments in the project and even work in their communities. None of this is financial advice, please do your own research; this is a risky field. 

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast

In this episode, I speak about Socrates with Armand D'Angour, professor of classics at Oxford University. He is the translator of How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creative Thinking (2021) and the author of Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher (2020), among other works.Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.Highlights* Why should we care about Socrates today?* How reliable are our sources regarding Socrates?* What was Socrates like as a young man?* How do you imagine his relationship with Pericles and Aspasia?* Why did Socrates love Alcibiades so much?  * Did Socrates have a mental illness?* Why was Socrates executed?Links* Armand D'Angour's website* Socrates in Love: The Making of a PhilosopherThank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe

Metz Bets: A Horse Racing Podcast
Alcibiades Stakes 2023 Reaction

Metz Bets: A Horse Racing Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 5:08


Nate gives his opinions on the results of the Alcibiades at Keeneland!

The Horse Racing Radio Network Podcast
Kurt Becker's Stroll Through Racing History presented by Keeneland - Alcibiades

The Horse Racing Radio Network Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2023 5:54


Kurt Becker's Stroll Through Racing History presented by Keeneland. Kurt looks back at the racing career of Alcibiades

Metz Bets: A Horse Racing Podcast
Darley Alcibiades Stakes 2023

Metz Bets: A Horse Racing Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 16:45


Nate digs into Keeneland szn as the Alcibiades Stakes are here! (10/06/23)

In The Money Players' Podcast
Stakes Action from BAQ on Weds and KEE on Fri

In The Money Players' Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 24:31


PTF and Ben Gowans of Gainesway are back to preview a pair of stakes races from Belmont at Aqueduct on Wednesday (Ms. Grillo and the Pilgrim) and also from Keeneland on Friday (Jessamine and Alcibiades).

Daily Racing Form
DRF Friday Race of the Day | Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes | October 6, 2023

Daily Racing Form

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 9:09


Friday's Race of the Day is Keeneland's Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes. Dan Illman and Mike Beer analyze here. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

School of War
Ep 91: Paul Rahe on Sparta's Grand Strategy

School of War

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 52:19


Paul Rahe, Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in the Western Heritage at Hillsdale College, and author of Sparta's Sicilian Proxy War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 418-413 BC, joins the show to talk about proxy wars, the strategy of Sparta, and the role of regimes in the shaping of foreign policy. ▪️ Times      •    01:37 Introduction      •    06:43 Donald Kagan     •    08:32 The Spartan point of view     •   11:59 Why change the perspective?     •    17:30 Sparta's goals     •    24:59 Why does Sparta matter?      •    31:56 “Putin's completely irrational”     •   33:56 Is Realism dangerous?     •    39:17 Why do the Athenians go to Sicily?     •    44:35 Alcibiades     •    47:06 Could the Athenians have won?     •    49:11 The significance of victory Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Christian Nation
4-3. Nietzsche on Platonic Political Philosophy

Christian Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 29:40


Nietzsche discusses Alcibiades, Caesar, da Vinci, he mentions that these are exceptions, while the rule is: The man from an age of dissolution, which mixes the races all together, such a man has an inheritance of a multiple ancestry in his body, that is, conflicting and frequently not merely conflicting drives and standards of value, which war among themselves and rarely give each other rest--such a man of late culture and broken lights will typically be a weaker man. His most basic demand is that the war which constitutes him should finally end. Happiness seems to him, in accordance with a calming medicine and way of thinking – for example, Epicurean or Christian – principally as the happiness of resting, of having no interruptions, of surfeit, of the final unity, as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths,” to use the words of the saintly rhetorician Augustine, who was himself such a man.

Christian Nation
SB3. Covert Teaching of Tyranny in Platonic Political Philosophy

Christian Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 15:06


the final result of Socrates' “educational” project is not passivity, but anarchic and destructive violence: there is a debate about the beating of parents followed by a mob uprising and arson against Socrates' own school. One is reminded possibly, and in this case half-anachronistically, of Alcibiades, also Socrates' student, and his involvement in the destruction of the herms and the profanation of the Eleusinian mysteries, events that the people of Athens took to be precursors to a plot for the violent suppression of democracy. Not that philosophy teaches ineffectual passive nihilism and anomie then, but that it is supremely dangerous because it makes young men lawless and violent, and possibly antidemocratic and tyrannical: this seems to have been the concern about philosophy. 

Christian Nation
Appendix A. Nietzsche in the Strauss-Kojeve Debate on Tyranny and Philosophy

Christian Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 18:00


 there is a fundamental disconnect between men like Alcibiades and Leonardo da Vinci and their own times--they are not men determined by their own time, they represent or embody something older and stronger that is in some sense “out of place” in its own time and can therefore overcome an age of decadence. While this same age of decadence is in an indirect way the “cause” or the opportunity both for the emergence of Alcibiades and of his weaker and decadent contemporaries, Alcibiades is not determined by these or by their horizon in his life or action, let alone in his thought: “Great men are necessary, the age in which they appear is accidental; that they almost always become masters over their age is only because they are stronger, because they are older, because for a longer time much was gathered for them. The relationship between a genius and his age is like that between strong and weak, or between old and young: the age is relatively always much younger, thinner, more immature, less assured, more childish.”

The Plutarch Podcast
Comparison - Coriolanus and Alcibiades

The Plutarch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 29:59


So how do Coriolanus and Alcibiades actually compare? One seems like an angry fireball of revenge, the other a self-serving but talented chameleon. Coriolanus couldn't care less about his reputation, but wants the excellence that lives up to his own standard. Alcibiades can accept anyone's standards of behavior... as long as there is something in it for him. How do these two very different men stand in their similarities and differences? What can we learn for ourselves and apply to our own lives if we ever interact with someone like Alcibiades or Coriolanus. First we'll hear from Plutarch himself, and then Tom will give his perspective with some helpful ways to grow in virtue, particularly key in this life is the ability to know when to lead and when to follow. Re-listen to the original lives for a refresher: CoriolanusAlcibiadesSupport the show

Unbound Sketchbook
'Timon Of Athens' (Act 3)

Unbound Sketchbook

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2023 17:21


Sounds & Sweet Airs - The Complete Works of Shakespeare Timon of Athens Act 3 The debtors calling for Lady Timon's money continue to plague her household, whilst Athens' senators grant Alcibiades an audience to discuss his grievances. Soon, the great and the good are summoned once again to Lady Timon's house, where a banquet awaits... CAST Lady Timon - Amber Kendrick Alcibiades - David Ault Flavia - Mary Hall Flaminius - Stephen J Davies Servilia - Stephanie Hull Lucilius - TJ Lea Lucullus - Andrew Faber Sempronia - Sarah Jane Wellington Lucia - Hannah Rogers First Senator - Christine Garvey Second Senator - Andrew Richards Caphis - Robert Aldington Varro - Erika Sanderson Titus - Gareth Johnson CREW Writer - William Shakespeare Producer / Director - Dario Knight Sound Engineer - Gareth Johnson Title Music - Etienne Roussel

Unbound Sketchbook
'Timon Of Athens' (Act 1)

Unbound Sketchbook

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2023 25:27


Sounds & Sweet Airs - The Complete Works of Shakespeare Timon of Athens Act 1 Political unrest is stirring in Athens between Alcibiades and the city's senators. In the court of Lady Timon, however, all troubles are ignored. Lords, ladies, artists and artisans grow bounteous from Timon's famed generosity, but others - within and without her house - fear where this lifestyle will lead her... CAST Lady Timon - Amber Kendrick Apemantia - Jo Pratt Alcibiades - David Ault Flavia - Mary Hall Flaminius / Poet - Stephen J Davies Servilia - Stephanie Hull Lucilius / Cupid - TJ Lea Lucullus - Andrew Faber Sempronia - Sarah Jane Wellington Lucia - Hannah Rogers Ventidius / Painter - Robert Aldington Merchant - Erika Sanderson Jeweller - Andrew Richards CREW Writer - William Shakespeare Producer / Director - Dario Knight Sound Engineer - Gareth Johnson Title Music - Etienne Roussel

RV Pancho Madrigal
Los Cuentos de Don Alcibiades

RV Pancho Madrigal

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 22:03


Los Cuentos de Don Alcibiades

The Tikvah Podcast
Meir Soloveichik on Ten Portraits of Jewish Statesmanship

The Tikvah Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 46:43


The first century Roman essayist and philosopher Plutarch is perhaps most famous today for his stylized, paired biographies of Greek and Roman statesmen. In Plutarch's parallel lives, Alexander, who conquered the Mediterranean world, is compared to Julius Caesar, who did the same a few hundred years later. Alcibiades and Coriolanus are paired together to show how spiritedness and martial virtue, when not tempered by political judgment, can wreak havoc. Plutarch's lives are moral portraits; their task is the moral formation of the reader, civic education, and the inculcation of virtue. They inspired Shakespeare's portraits of Coriolanus, Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, and Casca. The Swiss philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau likewise drew inspiration from them in, for example, his treatise Emile. And the American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once called Plutarch's parallel lives “a bible for heroes.” But what about the Bible, and the Jewish tradition it inaugurates? Meir Soloveichik, the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, the director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University, and host of the podcasts Bible365 and Jerusalem365, believes that Jewish history offers its own examples of Jewish leadership. He's just published a new book, Providence and Power: Ten Portraits in Jewish Statesmanship, that attempts to do for the Jews what Plutarch did for the ancient Greeks and Romans. He joins Mosaic editor Jonathan Silver here to talk about that new book. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold
Socrates & Alcibiades, the Lovers You Never Knew You Needed (Plato's Symposium Part 2)

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2023 41:33


Not only does Plato's Symposium hype up love between men as quite literally godlike, but it also provides us with the absolutely wild idea of Aristophanean soulmates... Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content! CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing. Sources: Plato's Symposium, Penguin edition translated by Christopher Gill; public domain translation for long passages, translated by B. Jowett; "Erastes-Eromenos Relationships in Two Ancient Epics" by Morgan van Kesteren. Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RV Pancho Madrigal
La empleada de Don Alcibiades

RV Pancho Madrigal

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2023 21:42


La empleada de Don Alcibiades

The Daily Stoic
Massimo Pigliucci on Why Virtue Matters

The Daily Stoic

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 55:51


Ryan speaks with Professor Massimo Pigliucci about his new book The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders, what Alcibiades's magnetism and lack of moral compass can teach us about what we look for in leaders today, the tension between being virtuous and being pragmatic, and more.Massimo Pigliucci is Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, the former co-host of the Rationally Speaking Podcast, the originator of Neoskepticism, and an advocate and popularizer of Stoicism. He wrote a viral piece in The New York Times called How to Be a Stoic as well as two books on Stoicism titled How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life and A Handbook for New Stoics: How to Thrive in a World Out of Your Control a Stoic handbook. He also explores Stoic philosophy on his podcast Stoic Meditations. ✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast
Massimo Pigliucci on Socrates, Stoicism and Leadership

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 57:32


In this episode, I chat with Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, part of the team responsible for the Modern Stoicism organization, and author of several books on philosophy, including How to be a Stoic and, more recently, The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches us about Our Search for Good Leaders.  Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Topics covered include…* How Massimo first got into philosophy, and into Stoicism * What he learned from writing How to be a Stoic* How he has changed his mind about aspects of Stoicism* The Modern Stoicism org and the modern resurgence of interest in Stoicism? * Why doesn't there seem to be as much interest in Epicureanism or other ancient schools of philosophy among the general public? * What's The Quest for Character about? * Why write about Socrates and Alcibiades? * What potential do you think Socrates saw in Alcibiades? * What do you think Alcibiades' biggest flaws were and what was his biggest mistake in life? * Would it have turned out differently if a Stoic like Epictetus had been Alcibiades' tutor? * To what extent good character, or virtue, can be taught* How we could be doing a better job of teaching virtue today Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe

Overdue Classics
Alcibiades I and II: Q&A

Overdue Classics

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2022 62:15


Join Brandon, Andrea, and Matt for this week's episode as they wrap up the discussions of Plato's two Alcibiades dialogs by answering audience questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overdue Classics
Alcibiades II Bonus Episode

Overdue Classics

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2022 56:02


Last week we called an audible and added Alcibiades II to round out our discussion of Socrates and Alcibiades. Coming up next is our Q&A episode. Send your questions to podcasts@circeinstitute.org! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overdue Classics
Alcibiades I: Part 2

Overdue Classics

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2022 51:55


This week, Andrea, Matt, and Brandon wrap up the discussion of Alcibiades I. Does Alcibiades submit to Socrates' guidance? Who can know themselves? And is, "how does one 'know thyself?'" the actual question of this dialog? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kaiden's Podcast
The Quest For Character

Kaiden's Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 73:25


History is filled with countless examples of success and failure ranging from individuals to entire nations. Massimo Pigliucci focuses on two people in particular in his book "The Quest For Character," Socrates and Alcibiades, a philosopher and a politician. We discuss how philosophers influence their politicians, how that affects the politicians jurisdiction and decision making, and whether or not arete, or excellence or virtue, can be taught and instilled in other people. 

Overdue Classics
Alcibiades I: Part 1

Overdue Classics

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022 60:21


In this episode we cover the 1st half of Alcibiades I, (stopping at Stephanus line 124 b). Join us as we discuss the various ways Socrates holds a mirror up to Alcibiades, preparing him to wrestle with the deeper questions of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Art of Manliness
Can Virtue Be Taught?

The Art of Manliness

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 42:20


The ancient Greeks and Romans thought a lot about what it means to live a virtuous life. They believed that good character was essential for achieving both individual excellence and a healthy, well-functioning society. For this reason, they also thought a lot about whether virtue could be taught to citizens, and philosophers put this thinking into practice by attempting to educate the moral ideals of leaders.My guest, professor of philosophy Massimo Pigliucci, explores what the Greco-Romans discovered about the nature and teachability of virtue in his new book: The Quest for Character. Today on the show, Massimo and I discuss how the ancient Greeks and Romans defined virtue, and what it meant to them to live with arete, or excellence. We then look at case studies of philosophers who tried to shape men into being better leaders, including Socrates teaching Alcibiades, Aristotle tutoring Alexander the Great, and Seneca mentoring Nero. Massimo explains how these field experiments turned out, and the takeaways they offer on the question of whether virtue can be taught. We end our conversation with the ancient insights that have been confirmed by modern research that can help us become better people.Resources Related to the EpisodeAoM article and podcast on practical wisdomAoM articles on temperance, justice, and courageAoM Article: What Is Character?AoM Podcast #771 on Alcibiades and the rise and fall of AthensAoM Podcast #746: The Confucian GentlemanPlato's Meno and ProtagorasAoM Podcast #445: How to Close the Character Gap (With Christian Miller)Marcus Aurelius' MeditationsSunday Firesides: Relationships Over WillpowerConnect With Massimo PigliucciMassimo's Website

Seize The Moment Podcast
Massimo Pigliucci - Socrates and the Stoic Quest for Character | STM Podcast #146

Seize The Moment Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2022 60:51


On episode 146, we welcome Massimo Pigliucci to discuss the value of teaching ethics, human nature and the evolutionary origins of morality, the drawbacks of moral relativism, Socrates as the first psychotherapist, whether politicians should be taught philosophy or philosophers should become politicians, the importance of role models and good friends for cultivating virtue, seeking out inspiring scenarios, Socrates' degree of success in tutoring the morally bankrupt Alcibiades in moral philosophy, the is/ought gap in philosophy and why it doesn't preclude the creation of a universal system of ethics, Leon's relationship with Prof. Tim Stroup and why mentorship always involves the desire to learn from an expert who genuinely cares about his pupil's development, and our collective responsibilities in creating a flourishing society through political activities. Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. He has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Salon, among others. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. His newest book, coming out on September 27, 2022 is called The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders. Massimo Pugliucci | ► Website | https://massimopigliucci.org ► The Quest for Character Book Link | https://amzn.to/3r5TACp Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast ► Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32208666

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Ep. 299: Philosophy in Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" (Part Two)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 52:38


Continuing to discuss the play, now with guest Sarah Manton. We get into Cynicism, the Alcibiades sub-plot, a feminist angle on the play, and more. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion including the supporter-exclusive part three to this episode. Sponsor: Visit NordVPN.com/PEL for a risk-free massively discounted 2-year plan, plus one free month.

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold
BONUS! Conversations: Kassandra, Hero of Sparta... Assassin's Creed Odyssey with Dr. Kira Jones

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2021 66:16


In this bonus episode Liv and Dr. Kira Jones (@FlavianSophist) have a particularly free wheeling conversation about AC Odyssey's Kassandra: the wonder, the strength, the drama, the overall nerd-ery. They talk historical intricacies of the game, the history behind its creation, the diversity. Plus an anecdote about the very real Alcibiades and Herms.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.