Podcasts about Cicero

Jonathan Drake wraps up Spooner's rights argument by taking direct aim at voting itself, arguing that if a right is truly exclusive, you cannot claim a right to override your neighbor's rights just by being part of a bigger group. Expect the "nine men voting on the tenth" thought experiment revisited, a dig into the actual Latin origin of the word "legislation," a surprising cameo from Cicero making a very Spooner like argument centuries early, and a candid aside on Romans 13 that Jon promises to unpack more fully later. He also touches on Bitcoin's philosophical roots in Spooner's writing, a security incident in that space, and an AI research project he's building to study natural law thinkers. Lighter moments include a firewood callback and some sponsor fun, but the core is a sharp, sobering case for why majority rule cannot manufacture legitimate authority.

In 63 BC, Rome faced a conspiracy that threatened to tear the Roman Republic apart. At its centre stood two figures: Marcus Tullius Cicero, the grand old orator of Rome and Lucius Sergius Catilina, accused of plotting violence, rebellion and the overthrow of Rome's political order. But was the danger as great as Cicero claimed?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Catharine Edwards to uncover the truth behind the Catiline Conspiracy. Did Cicero save the Roman Republic in his finest hour, or did he exaggerate the threat to destroy a political rival? Join us to discover the story behind one of ancient Rome's most notorious political crises.MORE:CiceroListen on AppleListen on Spotify Battle of Mutina: Cicero's Fight for the Roman RepublicListen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcastPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Astall. Produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Tortora (DT) welcomes Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Commissioner Jim Phillips back to "WakeUpCall" as the duo speaks on saying what you mean & meaning what you say, valuing people, the world of Autonomy in collegiate athletics & where we could be heading, only wanting schools that want to be in the ACC, reflecting on the addition that brought SMU, Stanford, & Cal to the ACC, being who you are amidst all that is around you, Jim being open with his faith, the Protect College Sports Act, expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 Teams, & More, including Jim putting DT on the Hot Seat in "Rapid Fire"! Stay close to "WakeUpCall" on Facebook, X, & Instagram! Listen LIVE to "Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora" MON through FRI, 9-11amET on wakeupcalldt.mixlr.com & on the homepage of WakeUpCallDT.com from ANY Device inside the Great Lakes Honda City Studios (7140 Henry Clay Blvd, Liverpool, NY)! You can also Watch LIVE MON through FRI, 9-11amET on youtube.com/wakeupcalldt, facebook.com/wakeupcalldt, & facebook.com/LiveNowDT. This special is Proudly Presented by: Great Lakes Honda City The Wildcat Sports Pub Graze Craze Clay, NY Ma & Pa's Kettle Corn & Popcorn Factory The Baked Potato Express Skippy's Ice Cream Willow Rock Brewing Company K-9 Kampground Dog Boarding Game Point Sports Complex Binghamton University Pizza Man Pub K-9 Kamp Dog Daycare Avicolli's Restaurant Mother's Cupboard Chick-fil-A Cicero

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Substackhttps://substack.com/@theoccultrejects?r=7auau0&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageCash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsFull Episode BibliographyPrimary SourcesAeschylus. Eumenides. Used for the ancient tradition of succession at Delphi and the mythic movement from older powers to Apollo.Cicero. On Divination. Used for ancient discussion of divination and the tradition of Delphic inspiration connected with breath or exhalation.Herodotus. The Histories. Used for Croesus, the danger of ambiguous prophecy, the Athenian “wooden wall” oracle, Themistocles' interpretation, and Delphi's role in war and public decision-making.Homeric Hymn to Apollo. Used for Apollo's Delphic foundation myth, the serpent, the movement from sacred landscape to Apollonian institution, and the Cretan priests connected with Apollo's dolphin form.Pausanias. Description of Greece, Book 10. Used for later ancient traditions concerning Delphi, foundation myths, Gaia, Themis, Python, Apollo, sacred monuments, and the Delphic landscape.Pindar. Pythian Odes. Used for the Pythian Games, victory poetry, Apollo, prestige, and the transformation of athletic victory into sacred memory.Plutarch. Life of Lycurgus. Used for Lycurgus, the Great Rhetra, and the tradition of Spartan law receiving Delphic sanction.Plutarch. Moralia: “On the E at Delphi.” Used for the mysterious letter E at Apollo's temple and ancient philosophical interpretations of its meaning.Plutarch. Moralia: “The Oracles at Delphi No Longer Given in Verse.” Used for Delphic verse, the change in oracular style, and ancient reflection on why the Pythia no longer gave responses in meter.Plutarch. Moralia: “The Obsolescence of Oracles.” Used for Delphi in the Roman period, the decline of oracular centers, Plutarch's reflections on divine inspiration, and the tradition that Delphi once had multiple priestesses.Strabo. Geography. Used for ancient geographical description of Delphi and the tradition of the oracle's inspiration being connected with a breath or vapor rising from below.Official and Reference SourcesArchaeological Site of Delphi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture. “History of Delphi.” Used for Delphi's geography, Mycenaean background, Apollo's cult, Python, Cretan priests, the Amphictyony, sacred administration, Sacred Wars, Roman history, decline, and excavation.Archaeological Site of Delphi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture. “Mythological Versions of the Foundation of the Oracle.” Used for Gaia, Themis, Phoebe, Apollo, Python, Poseidon, the tripod, Athena Pronaia, the Thriae, and the dolphin/Cretan priest tradition.Archaeological Site of Delphi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture. “The Temple of Apollo.” Used for the sacred center of the sanctuary, the adyton, the temple's rebuilding history, and the architectural setting of the oracle.Archaeological Site of Delphi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture. “The Sphinx of the Naxians.” Used for the Naxian dedication, apotropaic symbolism, civic prestige, and the monument's role in the Sacred Way.Archaeological Site of Delphi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture. “The Treasury of the Siphnians.” Used for the Siphnian Treasury, its sculptural program, caryatids, wealth, painted decoration, and sacred display.Archaeological Site of Delphi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture. “Excavations.” Used for the Great Excavation, the village of Kastri, French archaeological work, and the modern recovery of Delphi.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Delphic Oracle.” Used for the Pythia, Apollo's oracle, Delphi's high prestige, and the use of Apollo's sanction by lawmakers, colonists, and political leaders.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Delphi.” Used for the general history and significance of Delphi as a sanctuary, oracle, and pan-Hellenic religious center.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Python.” Used for Python as the serpent or dragon killed by Apollo at Delphi.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pythian Games.” Used for the games at Delphi, their musical and athletic character, their relationship to Apollo, and the laurel wreath.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hieromnemon.” Used for the Amphictyony, pylagorai, hieromnemones, treasury supervision, and administration of sacred affairs.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. “Archaeological Site of Delphi.” Used for Delphi's world heritage description, pan-Hellenic importance, sacred landscape, and historical significance.Modern ScholarshipChappell, Mike. “Delphi and the Homeric Hymn to Apollo.” The Classical Quarterly 56, no. 2, 2006. Used for the Homeric Hymn's Delphic foundation narrative and Apollo's Pythian identity.Fontenrose, Joseph. The Delphic Oracle: Its Responses and Operations with a Catalogue of Responses. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978. Used as a major scholarly backbone for Delphic responses, authenticity problems, categories of consultation, and the operation of the oracle.Forrest, W. G. “The First Sacred War.” Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 80, 1956. Used for the First Sacred War, Krisa/Crisa, sacred access, and the political framing of Delphi's early pan-Hellenic importance.Fragkaki, Maria. “The Great Rhetra.” Rosetta 17, 2015. Used for the Great Rhetra as a Delphic oracle and the divine validation of Spartan political order.McInerney, Jeremy. “Parnassus, Delphi, and the Thyiades.” Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 38, no. 3, 1997. Used for Dionysus, the Thyiades, Parnassus, mountain ecstasy, and the fact that Delphi's sacred landscape was not purely Apollonian.Piccardi, Luigi. “Active Faulting at Delphi, Greece: Seismotectonic Remarks and a Hypothesis for the Geological Environment of a Myth.” Geology 28, no. 7, 2000. Used for Delphi's faulted landscape and the modern geological debate around the oracle.de Boer, Jelle Z., John R. Hale, and Henry A. Spiller. “The Delphic Oracle: A Multidisciplinary Defense of the Gaseous Vent Theory.” Clinical Toxicology 40, no. 2, 2002. Used for the modern argument that gases, possibly including ethylene, may have contributed to the Pythia's altered state.Etiope, Giuseppe, et al. “The Geological Links of the Ancient Delphic Oracle.” Used for critique and reassessment of the geological and gaseous explanations of Delphic inspiration.Scott, Michael. Delphi: A History of the Center of the Ancient World. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014. Used for the broader historical arc of Delphi as sacred center, political institution, cultural symbol, and archaeological site.Strolonga, Polyxeni. “The Foundation of the Oracle at Delphi in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo.” Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 51, 2011. Used for Apollo's foundation myth and the literary shaping of Delphi's origin story.Music, Inscriptions, and ArchaeologyFouilles de Delphes. École française d'Athènes. Used for the archaeological publication tradition connected with Delphi's excavation, architecture, inscriptions, sculpture, and sanctuary remains.The Delphic Hymns to Apollo. Used for Apollo's musical cult, sacred song, and the role of hymn, inscription, and performance at Delphi.Archaeological Museum of Delphi materials. Used for the Charioteer, Antinous, Kleobis and Biton, the Sphinx of the Naxians, the Siphnian Treasury, and other major finds from the sanctuary.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. 

Welcome to Episode 344 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes. This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 10 of Book Two. Our text will come fromCicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archivehttps://www.epicureanfriends.com/thread/5192-episode-344-eataq26-what-is-our-mind-s-role-in-determining-truth/#post40862

Send us Fan MailShe finished her last tour event last night and still showed up today with stories, secrets, and the kind of candor that makes us love Annabel Monaghan even more. We're raising a glass for “Cinco De Annabel” and talking Dolly All The Time, her Good Morning America Book Club pick that delivers a swoony summer romance!We get the behind-the-scenes version of author life, from London and Paris publishing visits to the pure excitement of sitting on the Good Morning America couch and knowing every awkward second lives forever. Then we pivot to Dolly herself: what her podcast would be, why her talents read like survival skills, and the moment Annabel realized Dolly's caretaking had a shadow side. We dig into the emotional truth of overfunctioning, people-pleasing, and how “doing it all” can rob the people around you of the chance to show up.The conversation also turns personal, with honest parenting insight on middle school friendships and raising teenage boys, plus a reminder that silence can be a powerful kind of support. Annabelle shares why Sancerre made it onto the page, how Newport mansions helped her build Stewart's old-fashioned energy, and the magical real-life origin story of meeting an actual reader named Dolly who sparked the novel. And yes, there's a teaser for the next book: a slow train to Montauk, a four-hour connection, a brutal platform twist, and a jump to age 39.If you love author interviews, romance novels, summer reads, and conversations that mix craft with real life, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a good book, and leave us a review telling us what you're reading right now.Mike Haggerty Buick GMCRight on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Where did America get the idea that "all men are created equal"? Princeton's Dr. Robert George traces it back further than Aristotle or Cicero, all the way to Genesis 1. Come along as we explore what this may mean for how we understand faith, truth, and the American founding today.  Guest bio:  Dr. Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.  Show Notes:  museumoftheBible.org/america-250 RobertpGeorge.com rgeorge.scholar.princeton.edu x.com/McCormickProf Books by Robert George, PhD (Amazon)  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

This lecture was recorded by Melissa Lane on the 11th of June 2026Melissa Lane is the Class of 1943 Professor of Politics, Princeton University and is also Associated Faculty in the Department of Classics and Department of Philosophy. Previously she was Senior University Lecturer at Cambridge University in the Faculty of History and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge.She studied for her first degree in Social Studies (awarded summa cum laude) at Harvard University, and then took an MPhil and PhD in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, where she was a student at King's College, supported by appointments as a Marshall Scholar, Truman Scholar, and Mary Isabel Sibley Fellow of Phi Beta Kappa.Professor Lane is an author, lecturer and broadcaster who has received major awards including being named a Guggenheim Fellow, and the Lucy Shoe Meritt Resident in Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome. She has published widely in journals and authored or introduced nine major books including Greek and Roman Political Ideas; Eco-Republic; and most recently, Of Rule and Office: Plato's Ideas of the Political, which was awarded the 2024 Book Prize of the Journal of the History of Philosophy, and was published in a paperback edition with modifications in 2025.Professor Lane is the only person ever to have delivered both the Carlyle Lectures and the Isaiah Berlin Lectures at the University of Oxford.The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/ciceroGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham College's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukX: https://x.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greshamcollegeSupport Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-todaySupport the show

Welcome to Episode 343 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes. This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 10 of Book Two. Our text will come fromCicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archivehttps://www.epicureanfriends.com/thread/5184-episode-343-eataq25-in-the-search-for-knowledge-is-probable-good-enough/

Episode Synopsis:Paul is eager to come to Rome to preach the gospel.  These words have long been familiar to Christians, and we understand Paul's sentiment.  Yet, in Paul's day, preaching the gospel was an absolutely scandalous message.  The gospel is centered on the cross of Jesus Christ.  For us, a cross is a well-known Christian symbol.  But for those in Paul's day, the cross was a sign of shame and denigration.  It was something people abhorred and would not speak about.  The noted Roman statesman and orator Cicero spoke of the cross as so horrible that Roman citizens should never be subject to such a thing, and should never even entertain the thought of such a horrible manner of death, much less speak of it.  So why would Paul be eager to preach such a message if it was likely to repulse and offend people, rather than draw or attract them?Paul knows that this gospel—centered in the cross of Jesus Christ—is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.  God uses this scandalous message to call his people unto himself, create faith, and grant them eternal life.  As Paul tells the Romans, the gospel was first preached to Jews in the types and shadows of the Old Testament, and then through recounting the events associated with the messianic mission of Jesus Christ, which culminated in his suffering and death upon a Roman cross.  When the crucified Jesus was raised from the dead three days after his crucifixion, God demonstrated his power—which is of a different kind and far greater than all the military might of Rome.  Jesus is truly Lord—not Caesar nor any of the Roman gods.  So, when Paul says he desires to come to Rome to preach this message, he is trusting the power of God to do what is impossible for sinful humans: to be given new life, the forgiveness of sins, and to be counted as righteous before God.Paul is also eager to preach the gospel because in it the righteousness of God is revealed.  Sinful men and women can be reckoned or credited as righteous by trusting in the crucified and risen Savior proclaimed by Paul.  No amount of sorrow or tears, no enlightened teacher or guru, and no amount of good works can grant this righteous status to sinful people.  The only proper response to Paul's gospel is the empty hands of faith—the reception of this free gift of a perfect and faultless righteousness that is found in the gospel.  This is why Paul is eager to come to Rome and preach this scandalous message.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here:  https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

This episode is sponsored by Explore Oak Park and Beyond which is a collection 20 of communities just due west of Chicago, including Oak Park, River Forest, Hillside and many others. Show notes here! Send us Fan MailSupport the showIf you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠admin@77flavors.orgWATCH US ON YOUTUBE ⁠HERE⁠!Visit our *NEW* website ⁠https://www.77flavors.orgFollow us on IG:77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠Dario ⁠dariodurhamphotoSara @sarafaddah

Welcome to Episode 342 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes. This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 10 of Book Two. Our text will come fromCicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archivehttps://www.epicureanfriends.com/thread/5173-episode-342-eataq24-were-our-minds-designed-to-be-good-at-pursuing-knowledge-yet/

Send us Fan MailYou know those conversations that start with a normal life update and somehow end with you rethinking your entire home setup? That's where we land today, starting with Fourth of July traditions and the kind of small-town parade day that leaves you both exhausted and happy.Then we take a sharp turn into curiosity bait: the naked bike ride in downtown Chicago (go as bare as you dare), a blind taste test of a cinnamon bun Oreo, and a hit of pure nostalgia when we scroll through retired 90s candy. If you grew up on Butterfinger BB's, Lifesaver Holes, String Thing, and peak convenience store snacks, this one will pull you right back. We also react to the internet's most questionable food inventions, from Pringles chip-flavored hot dog buns sold one bun per can to over-the-top stadium food that makes us beg for plain hot dogs and popcorn.The heart of the conversation is linens: bed sheets, top sheets, duvet covers, fitted sheet folding, towel quality, bath sheets, terry cloth robes, cloth napkins, and linen clothing that wrinkles if you look at it wrong. We trade practical tips, pet peeves, and the little household habits that quietly shape your day, plus a quick detour into luxury bedding economics (yes, we found sheets that cost five figures and a mattress that costs as much as a house).If you laughed, learned, or felt personally attacked by the top-sheet debate, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. Are you team top sheet, or are you with Gen Z?Mike Haggerty Buick GMCRight on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Dan Tortora (DT) honors Rosario Gates on the heels of him winning the 2026 Teammate Award from CNS Boys Lacrosse, followed by the "Annoying Moment of the Week" having to do with selfishness & how people treat you, good or bad, "LEAD" focuses on why Dan chooses to believe in God, Dan honors people who do for others expecting nothing in return as the "Top Dogs of the Week", & concludes with an Attitude of Gratitude following the Big 12 Football Media Days... Stay close to "WakeUpCall" on Facebook, X, & Instagram! Listen LIVE to "Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora" MON through FRI, 9-11amET on wakeupcalldt.mixlr.com & on the homepage of WakeUpCallDT.com from ANY Device inside the Great Lakes Honda City Studios (7140 Henry Clay Blvd, Liverpool, NY)! You can also Watch LIVE MON through FRI, 9-11amET on youtube.com/wakeupcalldt, facebook.com/wakeupcalldt, & facebook.com/LiveNowDT. This special is Proudly Presented by: Great Lakes Honda City Meier's Creek Brewing Company The Wildcat Sports Pub Graze Craze Clay, NY Ma & Pa's Kettle Corn & Popcorn Factory The Baked Potato Express Skippy's Ice Cream Willow Rock Brewing Company K-9 Kampground Dog Boarding Game Point Sports Complex Binghamton University Pizza Man Pub Chick-fil-A DeWitt K-9 Kamp Dog Daycare Avicolli's Restaurant Mother's Cupboard Chick-fil-A Cicero

Welcome to Episode 341 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes. This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 9 of Book Two. Our text will come fromCicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Jay Cicero, the president of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, joined Sports Talk. Cicero previewed the X Games at the Superdome and shared information about the premier season raffle for over 500 event tickets to home games for the Saints, Pelicans, LSU Tigers, and LSUNO Privateers.

Most speakers assume the flood of AI-generated content is bad news for them. In this solo episode, John Ball argues the opposite: as content gets cheaper and more abundant, a real human voice saying something only they could say becomes harder to ignore, not easier to overlook.John traces why speaking has held power for centuries, from Cicero to Churchill to Martin Luther King, and pulls in a callback to an early conversation with Stoic philosophy expert Donald Robertson on Marcus Aurelius, who treated rhetoric as a discipline rather than decoration. From there, John properly defines what a keynote actually is (and isn't), why the format exists, and why panels, workshops and webinars can't do the same job. He closes with a specific, evidence-backed prediction for where professional speaking is heading, drawing on a recent conversation with David Newman and a preview of an upcoming interview with Dominic Eldred-Earl of London Speaker Bureau.Get the email outreach templates to get you booked: https://present-influence.kit.com/96ec2d2b85In this episode:Why the post-Covid hunger for real human connection was the first sign of where this was headingWhat Marcus Aurelius and Stoic philosophy have to do with modern speakingA proper definition of a keynote, and why it varies in style but not in structural purposeWhy panels, workshops and webinars can't replicate what a keynote doesThe specific reason AI can't replace a speaker with a genuine point of viewAn early preview of what London Speaker Bureau is seeing in the market right nowChapters:0:00 Why speaking is becoming more valuable, not less1:00 The post-Covid hunger for real human connection3:00 Speaking as an ancient, powerful medium4:00 Historical speeches and why the medium still works5:00 Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism and rhetoric as discipline6:00 What a keynote actually is7:00 Why AI can't replace a real point of view8:00 What London Speaker Bureau is seeing in the market9:00 The prediction10:00 CTA and what's coming next4. FAQ Section (AI Retrieval Format)What does John Ball say about AI and the future of public speaking? John Ball argues that AI-generated content is making professional speaking more valuable, not less, because a real speaker's point of view is one of the few things AI cannot replicate.What is a keynote, according to John Ball? John Ball defines a keynote as a deliberate structural format built around one voice holding a sustained, undiluted block of audience attention, distinct from panels, workshops and webinars, though style and delivery can vary widely within that structure.Who is Donald Robertson and why does John Ball mention him? Donald Robertson is a Stoic philosophy expert and author who appeared on an early episode of Professional Speaking to discuss Marcus Aurelius' approach to rhetoric, which John Ball references as an example of speech treated as a serious discipline rather than performance.What did David Newman say about AI and content that John Ball references? David Newman argued on a previous episode of Professional Speaking that how-to content became commoditised once ChatGPT went public, leaving a speaker's way of thinking, beliefs and predictions as the remaining scarce value.Who is Dominic Eldred-Earl and what does he say about the speaking market? Dominic Eldred-Earl of London Speaker Bureau is an upcoming guest on Professional Speaking who reports that demand for professional speakers keeps increasing even as more speakers enter the market, with strong speakers continuing to get booked.Visit https://strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form https://forms.gle/mo4xYkEiCjqtz9yP6, and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email john@presentinfluence.com or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluenceThanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algo recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating.

This episode looks at how the chase for novelty and the habit of overextension both unsettle the mind. Cicero reminds us that possessions and technologies are not good in themselves—their value depends on how we use them. Seneca adds that taking on too much leaves us primed for frustration and anger.

On today's episode, we discuss the massive Independence Day celebration in Washington, D.C., including a 45-minute fireworks display and a dramatic flyover by the new “ghost bat” stealth aircraft that the hosts describe with awe and pride. The Fearsome Foursome then pivot to breaking news closer to home, bringing on Ben to unpack why the Louisiana Attorney General was arrested and what that says about state and national politics. As the conversation deepens, they critique government spending, taxation, and social programs, highlighting a story about a friend receiving substantial disability payments and questioning the incentives created by such policies. From there, the hosts launch into a historical and ideological discussion of communism, referencing atrocities under Lenin and Stalin, contrasting them with fascism, and arguing that many schools downplay these histories to keep citizens dependent. Throughout the episode, they emphasize the importance of teaching uncomfortable historical truths, quoting Cicero's idea that ignorance of history keeps people childlike and calling on listeners to learn and share statistics about totalitarian regimes. Don't miss it!

[0:06] The psychology of vocal fry. Why ending a sentence in vocal fry removes commitment from your message. [1:07] Introducing Dr Louise Mahler: from singing opera on the great stages of Europe to Top 30 Global Guru in body language, vocal intelligence and communication; author of the bestselling book, Gravitas. [1:50] What's wrong with communication today? We've left out the most important part - delivery. [2:30] How gestures fell out of fashion after World War Two, and why body language theory of the 1970s-80s got it wrong; communication is about bringing your best, not pandering to others' perceptions. [3:30] Cicero: it's not about how to be understood; it's how not to be misunderstood. [4:10] The five canons of rhetoric, and why delivery was considered the most important; gravitas as the manner of trust and respect. [5:20] Gravitas is not seriousness; it's equally weighted with humour and levity. Cicero was said to be the funniest man in ancient Rome. [6:30] A keynote timing mix-up in front of hundreds of CFOs, and how walking on stage laughing set the room on fire. [7:20] Laughter is the bouncing of the diaphragm; only people who trust you will laugh with you. [7:50] Do some people just have executive presence, or can it be learnt? It's always learnt. [8:40] Creating anchors in the air with gestures; what the ancients called architecturally designing your material. [9:40] Three reasons to move: breathing, visual interest, and memory . . . how Roman orators presented for hours without notes. [11:00] The three rules of gestures: always congruent, never repeated more than twice, and hold each gesture until the next one. [12:20] Why breathing matters so much: if the breath doesn't work, go home. What a held diaphragm does to your voice and why upper-body tension reads as aggression. [14:00] Do you need vocal warm-ups before a meeting? The voice is warm all the time; just kick the diaphragm free. [15:00] A fix for nerves and self-doubt: confidence is competence. Without training there is no knowledge; without knowledge there is no confidence. [16:30] On a good day natural talent will arise; on a bad day they fall back on the craft. The amateur practises till they get it right; the professional practises till they can't get it wrong. [17:40] Where practice really happens: internalising your material in everyday life so it comes out authentically, improvised within a framework. [19:00] How metaphor speaks to the unconscious mind; opening with a creative link that connects to your message. [20:20] The autostereogram (magic eye picture) as a metaphor for transformational change: refocus the eyes and see the real picture behind the abstract. [21:20] Vocal fry explained: closing the throat, jamming the diaphragm, and why salespeople sabotage the end of their sentences. You never run out of breath; you only run into tension. [22:30] One thing to do before a big meeting tomorrow: breathe out, throw the elbows off the body, and show your palms - the gesture of trust. [23:00] How to work with Dr Louise Mahler: online and face-to-face coaching, keynotes and executive team work. Closing thought: delivery, delivery, delivery CONTACT DR LOUISE MAHLER https://www.louisemahler.com.au/ Connect with Dr Louise Mahler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisemahler/ ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday's latest book, ‘'Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can't Fake'' now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don't need a Kindle device.  === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au...⁠ === To visit Nina Sunday's speaker site for global in-person speaking bookings visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ninasunday.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ === Connect with Nina Sunday on LinkedIn ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/ === To subscribe to Nina Sunday's blog go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and scroll to bottom of the page to register Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exemplarity and Allusion in Macrobius' Saturnalia (Oxford UP, 2026) offers a new framework for interpreting interactions with classical source material in Macrobius' Saturnalia. It argues that the Saturnalia, an educational dialogue from the fifth century ce, does not view its Greco-Roman models as hegemonic sources of authority but engages with these texts in dynamic and critical ways. In particular, Macrobius responds to both the literary and ethical agendas of his predecessors, a strategy which is termed ethical allusion. The book explores this intertwining of moral, social, and aesthetic commentary in the Saturnalia's allusions to authors such as Aulus Gellius, Cicero, Plato, Plutarch, and Virgil. It also examines Macrobius' ethical allusions alongside the aesthetic practices and moral thought of the late fourth and the fifth centuries, and sheds light on the Saturnalia's role in pioneering a late antique intellectual culture at once less hierarchical and less engaged with civic life. New Books in Late Antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review. Katherine Krauss is Assistant Teaching Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Penn State. Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Exemplarity and Allusion in Macrobius' Saturnalia (Oxford UP, 2026) offers a new framework for interpreting interactions with classical source material in Macrobius' Saturnalia. It argues that the Saturnalia, an educational dialogue from the fifth century ce, does not view its Greco-Roman models as hegemonic sources of authority but engages with these texts in dynamic and critical ways. In particular, Macrobius responds to both the literary and ethical agendas of his predecessors, a strategy which is termed ethical allusion. The book explores this intertwining of moral, social, and aesthetic commentary in the Saturnalia's allusions to authors such as Aulus Gellius, Cicero, Plato, Plutarch, and Virgil. It also examines Macrobius' ethical allusions alongside the aesthetic practices and moral thought of the late fourth and the fifth centuries, and sheds light on the Saturnalia's role in pioneering a late antique intellectual culture at once less hierarchical and less engaged with civic life. New Books in Late Antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review. Katherine Krauss is Assistant Teaching Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Penn State. Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Exemplarity and Allusion in Macrobius' Saturnalia (Oxford UP, 2026) offers a new framework for interpreting interactions with classical source material in Macrobius' Saturnalia. It argues that the Saturnalia, an educational dialogue from the fifth century ce, does not view its Greco-Roman models as hegemonic sources of authority but engages with these texts in dynamic and critical ways. In particular, Macrobius responds to both the literary and ethical agendas of his predecessors, a strategy which is termed ethical allusion. The book explores this intertwining of moral, social, and aesthetic commentary in the Saturnalia's allusions to authors such as Aulus Gellius, Cicero, Plato, Plutarch, and Virgil. It also examines Macrobius' ethical allusions alongside the aesthetic practices and moral thought of the late fourth and the fifth centuries, and sheds light on the Saturnalia's role in pioneering a late antique intellectual culture at once less hierarchical and less engaged with civic life. New Books in Late Antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review. Katherine Krauss is Assistant Teaching Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Penn State. Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Exemplarity and Allusion in Macrobius' Saturnalia (Oxford UP, 2026) offers a new framework for interpreting interactions with classical source material in Macrobius' Saturnalia. It argues that the Saturnalia, an educational dialogue from the fifth century ce, does not view its Greco-Roman models as hegemonic sources of authority but engages with these texts in dynamic and critical ways. In particular, Macrobius responds to both the literary and ethical agendas of his predecessors, a strategy which is termed ethical allusion. The book explores this intertwining of moral, social, and aesthetic commentary in the Saturnalia's allusions to authors such as Aulus Gellius, Cicero, Plato, Plutarch, and Virgil. It also examines Macrobius' ethical allusions alongside the aesthetic practices and moral thought of the late fourth and the fifth centuries, and sheds light on the Saturnalia's role in pioneering a late antique intellectual culture at once less hierarchical and less engaged with civic life. New Books in Late Antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review. Katherine Krauss is Assistant Teaching Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Penn State. Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 4 of the "WakeUpCall" segment entitled "World Cup on Call" comes to you in this installment where Dan Tortora (DT) & Zach Bowden (Zach B) speak on the hydration breaks/tv timeouts, the growth of the MLS, the World Cup rising above all international events in the nationality/heritage response, a prayer for Venezuela, who advanced through the Group Stages, the four pods that make up the Knockout Round of 32, ranking the most difficult pod to the one that is most wide open, biggest surprises, & More! Stay close to "WakeUpCall" on Facebook, X, & Instagram! Listen LIVE to "Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora" MON through FRI, 9-11amET on wakeupcalldt.mixlr.com & on the homepage of WakeUpCallDT.com from ANY Device inside the Great Lakes Honda City Studios (7140 Henry Clay Blvd, Liverpool, NY)! You can also Watch LIVE MON through FRI, 9-11amET on youtube.com/wakeupcalldt, facebook.com/wakeupcalldt, & facebook.com/LiveNowDT. This special is Proudly Presented by: Great Lakes Honda City Meier's Creek Brewing Company The Wildcat Sports Pub Graze Craze Clay, NY Ma & Pa's Kettle Corn & Popcorn Factory The Baked Potato Express Skippy's Ice Cream Willow Rock Brewing Company K-9 Kampground Dog Boarding Game Point Sports Complex Binghamton University Pizza Man Pub Chick-fil-A DeWitt K-9 Kamp Dog Daycare Avicolli's Restaurant Mother's Cupboard Chick-fil-A Cicero

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of America's founding, it would be wise to look back at the ancient thinkers and writers who helped inspire its early leaders. Perhaps the preeminent role model was the Roman statesman and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. So here in Episode 11 of Season 5, I interview Michael C. Hawley to talk about the political philosophy of Cicero and his influence on the American Republic. Michael Hawley is an assistant professor in the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A 2025-2026 Visiting Fellow with the James Madison Program, he wrote the book, Natural Law Republicanism: Cicero's Liberal Legacy (2022). Now, he's working on a new one, Preaching to the Choir: The Rhetoric of Prophets, Reformers, and Demagogues. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on the JMP substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of America's founding, it would be wise to look back at the ancient thinkers and writers who helped inspire its early leaders. Perhaps the preeminent role model was the Roman statesman and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. So here in Episode 11 of Season 5, I interview Michael C. Hawley to talk about the political philosophy of Cicero and his influence on the American Republic. Michael Hawley is an assistant professor in the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A 2025-2026 Visiting Fellow with the James Madison Program, he wrote the book, Natural Law Republicanism: Cicero's Liberal Legacy (2022). Now, he's working on a new one, Preaching to the Choir: The Rhetoric of Prophets, Reformers, and Demagogues. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on the JMP substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Welcome to Episode 340 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes. This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 9 of Book Two. Our text will come fromCicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of America's founding, it would be wise to look back at the ancient thinkers and writers who helped inspire its early leaders. Perhaps the preeminent role model was the Roman statesman and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. So here in Episode 11 of Season 5, I interview Michael C. Hawley to talk about the political philosophy of Cicero and his influence on the American Republic. Michael Hawley is an assistant professor in the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A 2025-2026 Visiting Fellow with the James Madison Program, he wrote the book, Natural Law Republicanism: Cicero's Liberal Legacy (2022). Now, he's working on a new one, Preaching to the Choir: The Rhetoric of Prophets, Reformers, and Demagogues. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on the JMP substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of America's founding, it would be wise to look back at the ancient thinkers and writers who helped inspire its early leaders. Perhaps the preeminent role model was the Roman statesman and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. So here in Episode 11 of Season 5, I interview Michael C. Hawley to talk about the political philosophy of Cicero and his influence on the American Republic. Michael Hawley is an assistant professor in the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A 2025-2026 Visiting Fellow with the James Madison Program, he wrote the book, Natural Law Republicanism: Cicero's Liberal Legacy (2022). Now, he's working on a new one, Preaching to the Choir: The Rhetoric of Prophets, Reformers, and Demagogues. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on the JMP substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of America's founding, it would be wise to look back at the ancient thinkers and writers who helped inspire its early leaders. Perhaps the preeminent role model was the Roman statesman and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. So here in Episode 11 of Season 5, I interview Michael C. Hawley to talk about the political philosophy of Cicero and his influence on the American Republic. Michael Hawley is an assistant professor in the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A 2025-2026 Visiting Fellow with the James Madison Program, he wrote the book, Natural Law Republicanism: Cicero's Liberal Legacy (2022). Now, he's working on a new one, Preaching to the Choir: The Rhetoric of Prophets, Reformers, and Demagogues. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on the JMP substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

The Catiline Conspiracy and the Perils of Invincibility. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. The rivalry between Cicero and Catiline represented a clash between a "new man" and an established aristocrat. Catiline was a brave soldier from an ancient family who felt humiliated after losing the consular election to the newcomer Cicero. As the economic situation in Italy worsened due to a credit crisis, Catiline adopted a populist platform, calling for debt reform and the cancellation of loans. Cicero, who was aligned with the financial elite of Rome, viewed Catiline's plans as a threat to the republic's stability. When Catiline lost a subsequent race, he became desperate and organized a group of fashionable young men to support a conspiracy. Cicero used an extensive network of spies to monitor these developments, fueled by his own justified paranoia. He eventually denounced Catiline in the Senate, leading to a showdown where Catiline fled to lead an army. Although Catiline died in battle, the fallout from the conspiracy would eventually lead to Cicero's greatest political crisis. Cicero believed this moment was his peak, marking his place in history as the savior of the republic. 4CARTHAGE

Exile, Humiliation, and the Power of the Tribune. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Seeking revenge for the Bona Dea trial, Clodius Pulcher transferred his status from patrician to plebeian to run for the office of tribune. Once elected, he passed legislation that targeted anyone who had put Roman citizens to death without a trial. This law was aimed directly at Cicero for his actions during the Catiline conspiracy. Recognizing the danger, Cicero fled Rome and went into exile, during which Clodius's supporters destroyed his mansion on the Palatine Hill. Clodius even built a shrine to the goddess Freedom on the site to humiliate his rival. During his exile, Cicero's wife, Terentia, worked to manage their affairs and protect their children while seeking his restoration. Cicero's departure was highly theatrical; he adopted the appearance of a mourner in "ashes and sackcloth" to stir public pity. Despite his attempts to gain sympathy, Clodius's populist support and political maneuvering ensured the law remained in effect, marking a devastating period of ruin for Cicero. He eventually returned to Rome, but his political influence was permanently diminished. 6CRETE MINOANS

  The Philippics, a Tragic Alliance, and a Heroic End. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. In the chaotic aftermath of Caesar's death, Cicero delivered the Philippics to trash Mark Antony's reputation. In an attempt to destroy Antony, Cicero formed an alliance with Caesar's young heir, Octavian. He believed he could use the boy to further his own political goals, but this strategy backfired. Octavian eventually joined forces with Antony and Lepidus, and together they ordered Cicero's execution as an act of vengeance for Caesar. Legend says that Cicero faced his death heroically, extending his neck to the soldiers sent to kill him. This account was likely perpetuated by his loyal secretary, Tiro, who published Cicero's works after his death. Two thousand years later, Cicero's writings remain a staple for students of Latin and rhetoric. His speeches are still valued for their entertainment value and their insightful political put-downs. His life serves as a testament to the high stakes and theatrical nature of Roman political life, illustrating the end of a republic and the birth of an empire. 8SULLA

Civil War, the Ides of March, and the Spiritual Godfather. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Cicero eventually returned to Rome, but the republic was sliding toward civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Although Cicero tried to remain neutral, he eventually joined Pompey's side but was pardoned by Caesar after the latter's victory. Cicero was present in the Senate on the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. While he was not part of the conspiracy, he celebrated the act and was famously hailed by Brutus as a spiritual "godfather" of the plot. The aftermath was chaotic, as the assassins' hope for celebration was met with a swift popular reaction against them. This shift was largely due to Mark Antony, who gave a dramatic funeral eulogy and displayed Caesar's blood-spattered toga to the crowd. Cicero recognized that Antony's genius utilized the same rhetorical techniques he had mastered: demonstrating feelings rather than just talking about them. This moment locked Cicero into a final, deadly contest with Antony over the future of the republic. He began writing and delivering the Philippics, a series of speeches designed to destroy Antony's political standing. 71450 VIRGIL

The Rise of a New Man and the Trial of Roscius. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Marcus Tullius Cicero was born into a non-elite family in 106 BCE, making him a "new man" in the Roman Republic. Rising through the political ranks required winning elections that were typically controlled by a small group of powerful families. Cicero gained fame as a masterful orator and defense attorney by navigating the Roman criminal courts, which were often used to target corrupt politicians. These trials were held in the public forum to allow citizens to see justice being served. In his debut criminal case, a thirty-year-old Cicero defended a man named Roscius against a charge of parricide. Parricide was considered a uniquely dreadful crime by the Romans, punishable by being sewn into a sack with animals and cast into the sea. Cicero functioned as his own private detective, investigating the facts behind the prosecution's claims. He discovered that a group had taken advantage of the elder Roscius's death to seize his property for a low sum. By telling a compelling story and asking "cui bono"—who stands to gain—Cicero successfully argued that his client had been framed. This high-stakes victory established his reputation and demonstrated his ability to use the courtroom as a stage for political advancement. 1CARTHAGE

Challenging the Crooked Establishment in Sicily. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. The Roman Republic's political landscape was heavily influenced by money, a reality exemplified by the case of Verres. Verres was the governor of Sicily, the vital "breadbasket" of Rome, where he systematically plundered art and embezzled funds. Although Cicero usually preferred defense work to earn favors, he made a strategic decision to prosecute Verres on behalf of the Sicilians. This choice was influenced by a shifting political tide and the support of powerful figures like Pompey, who wanted a symbolic cleanup of government corruption. Verres was a well-connected billionaire and a former follower of the dictator Sulla, making the prosecution a high-risk endeavor for Cicero. Cicero positioned himself as a crusading outsider fighting against a "crooked establishment" to protect the interests of the Roman people. By taking on this case, Cicero aimed to prove that he could challenge the most entrenched members of the Senate. This trial solidified his image as a hero of the law who was willing to confront the wealthy and powerful when he had the necessary political backing. 2CARTHAGE

The Defeat of Verres Through Storytelling. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. In 70 BCE, Cicero prosecuted Verres in a trial that showcased his masterful use of storytelling and emotional appeal. Rather than overwhelming the jury with complex financial data about embezzlement, Cicero created a vivid image of Verres as a negligent leader. He recounted how Verres ignored his duties during a pirate raid on Syracuse, choosing instead to party with local women in seaside tents. This narrative portrayed Verres as living large at the expense of the Roman citizens he was meant to defend. Overwhelmed by the evidence and the public outcry, Verres defaulted mid-trial and fled Rome. Although he was found guilty, his punishment was merely exile to Marseilles, where he was allowed to keep much of his stolen art. For the Romans, losing citizenship and political rights was considered a severe fate, though it seems mild by modern standards. This victory propelled Cicero's political career as he sought the office of consul. The election process of the time mirrors modern participation, with citizens urged to vote on the Field of Mars. 3CARTHAGE

The Bona Dea Scandal and the Creation of a Lifelong Foe. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Despite his careful rise to power, Cicero made a significant error during the aftermath of the Catiline conspiracy. He arrested five high-ranking collaborators who had remained in Rome to facilitate a coup. Cicero, feeling invincible after his recent successes, pushed for these men to be executed as traitors to the republic. He argued that by conspiring against Rome, they had forfeited their rights as citizens and should be treated as public enemies. However, executing Roman citizens without a trial was a major legal taboo. Julius Caesar, then a rising politician, offered a more prudent alternative: life imprisonment. Cicero ignored this advice and moved forward with the executions, a decision that the Senate endorsed but for which Cicero bore ultimate responsibility. While he initially gloated about his actions, the move eventually aroused populist opposition and made him a political target. This mistake was followed by the Bona Dea scandal of 62 BCE, where Cicero testified against Publius Clodius Pulcher, breaking his alibi and turning the young aristocrat into a dangerous, lifelong enemy. 51910 CARTHAGE

Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He's the author "the Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America."

Brian McNeil, classics scholar, and Cicero enthusiast, joins the RockneCast once again. In this episode, we explore the Cicero's concept of "happiness", and the good life. Cicero was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher of happiness. He also heavily influenced the thinking of our nation's Founders, especially Thomas Jefferson and his famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What did Jefferson mean by that? What did Cicero mean by "happiness"? In this episode, Brian and I explore those questions through the lens of Cicero.

What does it mean to be both a Stoic and a skeptic?In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, philosopher and author Massimo Pigliucci returns to discuss his new book How to Be a (Happy) Skeptic: a guide to building a philosophy of life rooted in Stoic virtue and the ancient art of proportioning belief to evidence.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. Massimo Pigliucci is Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, a former evolutionary biologist, and one of the most important voices in modern Stoic philosophy. This is his second conversation on the show.The discussion moves from the foundations of a philosophy of life to the ancient debate between the Stoics and the Academic Skeptics, and then to one of the most compelling figures in Western history: Marcus Tullius Cicero. Not a Stoic himself, but deeply shaped by Stoic ethics, Cicero lived through the fall of the Roman Republic, exile, personal grief, and death at the hands of Mark Antony's soldiers. His life, Pigliucci argues, is a model for holding strong convictions while remaining honestly uncertain about what you know and why.The episode also explores how skepticism is not the enemy of commitment but its most honest companion: that our beliefs should be proportioned to evidence, and that a life examined with intellectual humility is not weaker but more durable.Read the full article here: https://viastoica.com/a-stoic-conversation-with-massimo-pigliucci/Support the showviastoica.comYouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.comEpisode Outline:00:00 Introduction to Massimo Pigliucci02:30 The Importance of Personal Philosophy11:46 Key Ingredients of a Philosophy of Life15:12 The Evolution of Skepticism in Philosophy19:31 Understanding Skepticism: Pyrrhonism vs. Academic Skepticism29:52 The Evolution of Persuasion and Belief33:15 Stoicism vs. Skepticism: A Philosophical Rivalry42:49 Cicero: The Relatable Philosopher52:05 The Structure of Cicero's Philosophy58:53 Future Endeavors: Exploring New Philosophies

Welcome to Episode 339 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes. This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 8 of Book Two. Our text will come fromCicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archivehttps://www.epicureanfriends.com/thread/5138-episode-339-eataq21-stoic-views-of-knowledge-and-the-emperor-s-new-clothes/

Today, we explore the life of Caesar Augustus—from his beginnings as Gaius Octavius to his transition to Caesar Augustus, his bitter rivalry with Cleopatra, and his legendary battles. Welcome to History Camp!

Centuries before Hollywood dressed it in a nun's habit, the demon Valak prowled the pages of forbidden grimoires as a winged boy astride a two-headed dragon, commanding legions of serpents to do his bidding.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources):https://weirddarkness.com/valekREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/24s8nzb9FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Although Valak is depicted in the films "The Nun" and in “The Conjuring 2” as a habit-wearing spirit, the real demon appears as a child riding a two-headed dragon — at least according to a 17th-century demon-hunting manual. (The Reality Behind The Demon, Valak) *** The Vatican is one of the most well-guarded areas in the world. But if rumors are to be believed, all that security isn't only to protect the pontiff… but some dark, disturbing secrets… and a machine that could change everything we know to be true. (The Vatican's Secret Machine) *** We'll look at that time a force field was accidentally created at a 3M plant. (3M's Accidental Force Field) *** In 1872 George Wheeler met and married May Tillson in Boston. He made a home for May and her younger sister Della, first in New York, then in California. Along the way, George fell in love with young Della and when she planned to marry someone else he was faced with a dilemma: he could not marry her himself and he could not bear to see her wed to another. The solution he chose pleased no one. (Thus She Passed Away) *** In the 1800s scientists and doctors needed cadavers to study human anatomy and practice their skills. To help accommodate the need, it was made legal to sell dead bodies. What could possibly go wrong? (The Unsettling Anatomy Act)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:16.547 = Show Open00:03:31.777 = The Reality Behind The Demon Valak00:11:37.807 = The Unsettling Anatomy Act ***00:24:33.689 = 3M's Accidental Force Field00:34:11.149 = Thus She Passed Away ***00:44:01.086 = The Vatican's Secret Machine00:53:13.339 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“The Reality Behind The Demon, Valak” by Gina Dimuro for All That's Interesting:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/43vu356n“3M's Accidental Force Field” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3vvnwbpv“Thus She Passed Away” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yyztmnat“The Unsettling Anatomy Act” by SM for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8vdns9“The Vatican's Secret Machine” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8kxxz8(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: December, 2021This episode of Weird Darkness moves from a centuries-old demon mistaken for a nun, through the Victorian trade in stolen corpses and a force field that appeared inside a 1980 factory, to a San Francisco trunk murder and a Catholic priest who claimed to have built a machine that could film the past.It opens with the demon Valak, who reaches modern audiences through The Nun and The Conjuring 2 as a pale, nun-robed figure but appears in the 17th-century grimoire Clavicula Salomonis Regis, or The Key of Solomon, as the 62nd spirit: a boy with angel's wings riding a two-headed dragon, commanding a legion of serpents and an army of thirty demons while hunting snakes and hidden treasure. The nun costume was the invention of director James Wan, who reshaped a vision the medium Lorraine Warren described to him — a swirling hooded figure carrying female energy — into a holy icon turned against her Catholic faith. Warren and her husband Ed, the demonologists who rose to fame after the 1976 Amityville investigation, reportedly met a spectral hooded figure at the Borley church in southern England, where lore held that a nun had been bricked alive in the convent walls after an affair with a monk. The Key of Solomon, which lists the seventy-two demons King Solomon was said to have vanquished, sat on the Vatican's Index librorum prohibitorum until the Church abandoned that list of prohibited books in 1966, though copies kept turning up in the hands of Catholic priests.From there the episode turns to the Anatomy Act of 1832, the British law that legalized dissecting unclaimed bodies from workhouses and hospitals to end the grave-robbing of the resurrectionists, yet instead built an organized corpse trade across Victorian England. The twelfth-century St. Bartholomew's left wicker baskets beneath its King Henry VIII gate for body dealers to fill, while a Liverpool Street express known as the "dead train" carried sealed funeral wagons of stacked corpses toward Cambridge. Deepening the trade, the New Poor Law of 1834 confined the destitute to workhouses whose officials profited from selling the dead, and in 1858 the master of St. Mary Newington workhouse, Alfred Feist, was caught funneling pauper bodies to Guy's Hospital through the undertaker Robert Hogg, who staged fake funerals and collected double payment. Anatomists prized the bodies of fetuses and children, keeping their skulls intact — only one of fifty-four specimens in a Cambridge collection had received a craniotomy — and the public's dread boiled over in Manchester in 1832, when a grandfather opened the coffin of a three-year-old who had died at the Swan Street Cholera Hospital and found a brick where the boy's head should have been.Next comes a stranger kind of dread, set in the summer of 1980 at a 3M plant in South Carolina, where workers slitting twenty-foot-wide polypropylene film at a thousand feet per minute walked into an invisible wall they could not push through. The static-charged field, which one worker measured past the limit of a 200-kilovolt handheld electrometer, pulled people toward it so strongly they had to back away on foot, swallowed a passing fly, and by one account could have held a bird in its grip before vanishing as abruptly as it formed. Managers reproduced the effect the next morning under lower humidity, and the plant production manager reportedly said he didn't know whether to fix it or sell tickets; later accounts claim a researcher who published on the phenomenon was contacted by NASA and federal agencies before the grounding fault was corrected and the field never returned.The episode then moves to a true-crime case in San Francisco, where around midnight on October 20, 1880, George A. Wheeler walked into a police station and confessed to strangling his sister-in-law Della Tillson and packing her body into a trunk in their room at 23 Kearney Street. Wheeler had fathered two children with Della, both of whom died, while her sister — his deaf wife, May — lived across the hall posing as his sister-in-law, and the arrival of the miner George Peckham, who hoped to marry Della and take her to Sacramento, drove Wheeler to kill rather than let the two leave together. He told reporters that Della sat in his lap and asked him to end her life, that she died with her head on his shoulder, and his defense of hereditary insanity failed across two trials, the second forced by a California Supreme Court ruling over improperly admitted testimony from a book on medical jurisprudence. On January 23, 1884, five thousand people gathered outside the jail, entrance tickets sold for ten dollars apiece, and Wheeler — newly drawn toward Catholic conversion under Father Cottle — kissed a crucifix, commended his spirit, and dropped to a broken neck.The episode closes inside the Vatican with Father Pellegrino Ernetti, an Italian priest, exorcist, and musical scholar who claimed in the 1950s to have helped build a device called the Chronovisor that could see and hear the past. Ernetti said a team of twelve anonymous scientists, among them the physicist Enrico Fermi and the rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, tuned the machine to a speech by Mussolini, then Napoleon, a Roman market under Emperor Trajan, a Cicero oration, and a 169 B.C. performance of Quintus Ennius's lost tragedy Thyestes, which he said let him publish its full text. When the magazine La Domenica del Corriere printed a Chronovisor image of Christ's face on the cross on May 2, 1972, it was soon matched to a mirrored photograph of a wood carving by the sculptor Cullot Valera, and Ernetti — who said the machine was too dangerous to exist and had been dismantled and hidden — left behind no device, no named living witnesses, and a 1993 presentation to four cardinals whose contents were never disclosed.

What does it mean to live well when certainty is unavailable? Michael Shermer speaks with Massimo Pigliucci about moral character, ancient philosophy, and the difficult art of making decisions without easy answers. The conversation moves from Cicero and Stoicism to the legacy of the New Atheism, asking why rejecting religion is not the same as having a philosophy of life. They discuss virtue ethics, moral dilemmas, effective altruism, faith, free will, democracy, human flourishing, and the uneasy relationship between facts and values. From the trolley problem and Peter Singer's drowning child thought experiment to the ethics of charity, the limits of utilitarian thinking, and the dangers of tribalism, this episode asks how we should act when rules fail, consequences are uncertain, and good intentions are not enough. Massimo Pigliucci is a bestselling author, philosopher, evolutionary biologist, and the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His work spans evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. His latest book is How to Be a Happy Skeptic: The Power of Doubt in a Meaningful Life.

I talk with Prof. Massimo Pigliucci about Stoicism, Cicero, and his forthcoming book How to be a (Happy) Skeptic.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.Thank you Vanessa Morgenstern| Stoic

Grammy-winning musician Lizzo's new album "Bitch" is out. She talks with Robin Young about her music and reclaiming and owning the word. Then, we kick off summer with music picks from Miguel Perez, producer for NPR's World Cafe. And, "Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet" is a string of text that's become ubiquitous. Designed as a placeholder for work-in-progress documents, those quasi-Latin words now appear on mugs, tote bags and T-shirts. But why did this particular passage of bastardized Cicero become the industry's default? Emily Zhang investigated. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! Due to changing marital laws (among other things), the late Roman Republic saw a rise in a certain kind of wealthy elite woman with more independence and power than her foremothers. These women were financially independent, highly educated, sexually liberated, and unafraid to seize the reins of power. One of those was a woman named Clodia. Daughter of the aristocratic Claudii, Clodia (and her brother Clodius) changed her name to reflect a more plebeian status. A fierce populist, she was vilified by Cicero even as she was the victim of a murder plot. And she was an unlikely champion of true democratic values. Join us as we discuss her fascinating life with author and biographer Douglas Boin—and explore what her life tells us about the state of the patriarchy then and now.    Sponsors and Advertising: This episode is sponsored by Taskrabbit. Get $15 off your first task at Taskrabbit.com or the Taskrabbit app using promo code FANGIRL. This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Lonsdale is a technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist known for his work at the intersection of innovation and public policy. He is a co-founder of Palantir Technologies, a data analytics platform used by governments, defense agencies, and large enterprises. His work there focused on applying data systems to complex institutional challenges. After Palantir, Lonsdale founded Addepar, a financial technology platform designed to improve transparency and analysis in wealth management. He has also been active in defense and national security startups. Of the nine U.S. defense unicorns that have emerged in recent years, he founded three and was an early investor in three others. Lonsdale is a co-founder of Cicero, an organization focused on education policy and expanding opportunity. He also leads 8VC, a venture capital firm that invests in technology companies and engages in policy discussions related to innovation and economic growth. Through this work, he has advised political leaders and worked to connect the technology sector with policymakers. His career spans company building, investment, and policy involvement, with a focus on how technology can be applied to large-scale institutional problems. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Get 10% off Ridge's Power Bank at https://www.Ridge.com/SRS with code SRS. Sheath. The underwear of legends. Go to https://www.sheath.com/SRS and use code SRS for 20% off. Go to https://shopbeam.com/SRS and use code SRS to get up to 50% off Beam Dream, the sleep formula designed to help you recover and wake up refreshed. Get 30% off your first subscription order at https://armra.com/srs or enter code SRS at checkout. Joe Lonsdale Links: X - https://x.com/JTLonsdale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices