Podcasts about Hellenism

In this episode of Who's Who in the Bible, Fr. Shane Varghese, C.Ss.R., presents an insightful deep dive into the Book of Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus). Fr. Shane guides viewers through the technical history of the text—from its original Hebrew roots to its rediscovery in Cairo—while exploring its profound wisdom literature themes. Key points include the author's emphasis on the fear of God, the necessity of humility, and the importance of internal moral vigilance over external pressures like Hellenism. The session highlights Sirach's beautiful personification of Wisdom, which prefigures the coming of Christ. We invite you to watch this enlightening episode to deepen your spiritual growth and understanding of this essential scriptural work as a family.

The Emperor Julian with Jeremy SwistWe are thrilled to welcome Assistant Professor Jeremy Swist back to the show to discuss all things emperor Julian! Julian's rule as Roman emperor was short, but it also created quite a stir because Julian was keen to turn Rome away from Christianity and to bring back the paganism. How did he do it? Why did he do it? And what's the legacy that he left behind? We consider the details.Jeremy Swist has a PhD in Classics from the University of Iowa, and his research interests include imperial Greek and Roman historiography and rhetoric, late antiquity, classical reception in heavy metal music. He is currently Assistant Professor of Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Jeremy has published and presented extensively, and he has a particular interest in the intersection of heavy metal music and the classical world - we suggest you check out his blog, Heavy Metal Classicist, or our previous episode with him to find out more. In 2024, he translated and produced a dramatic reading of the Emperor Julian's Symposium of the Caesars, which starred some of the finest podcasters and actors in the WORLD! (Maybe us)The Emperor Julian, who ruled Rome between 361 and 363 CE, is one of Jeremy's great passions, and we are thrilled to talk to him about his new volume on this unusual ruler. The book is published by Oxford University Press and is entitled Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome.Abstract from Oxford University Press“The Roman emperor Julian employed both words and deeds to return the empire to paganism and reverse Christianization, inspired by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus, and promoted by his own production of Greek literature. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of (re)foundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Augustus. Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to interpreting Roman legends, Platonic allegories, and myths of his own creation to articulate his own role in the refounding of the empire. Approaching the wider examination of Julian's imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor's self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and solider more than philosopher, Roman more than Greek, and mere human rather than semi-divine being. Julian's unique positionality as emperor let him invert the conventions of panegyric whereby rulers equal and surpass the demigods and heroes of myth and history. While distancing himself from the ideal models of virtue and founding that inspire him, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. Statesmen such as Pericles and Scipio, and especially Augustus, serve as precedents for Julian's more realistic conception of his role in refounding the empire, as student and champion of philosophers, guardian of law and tradition, and servant of the gods.”The return to the old godsJulian's rule was short but it left quite an impact. We chat with Jeremy about some of the ideas Julian put forward about Rome, the foundation stories that underpinned its self-definition, and what might have been if weren't for an unfortunate spear that wounded Julian and ended his life just two years into his reign.Sound CreditsOur music is by the superb Bettina Joy de Guzman.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 takeaways from this study Guard your heart more than your habits.External practices (like handwashing traditions) matter less than the thoughts, desires, and attitudes that flow from the heart (Mark 7:20–23). Focus on inner transformation, not just outward conformity. Use God's distinctions as training, not as weapons.The categories of kadosh/chol (holy/common) and tahor/tame (clean/unclean) are meant to train discernment, not to create pride or contempt. Let them teach you to ask, “Is this moving me toward God's presence or away from it?” Pay attention to what you allow into your life.Just as Israel learned daily through food choices (Leviticus 11), examine your inputs—media, relationships, habits. Ask whether they help or hinder your ability to draw near to God. Do not call unclean what God is cleansing.Peter's lesson in Acts 10–11 warns against writing people off. Someone who looks far from God may be a “foreigner” He is already drawing. Be slow to label; be quick to watch for the Spirit's work. Let Scripture sit above tradition.Traditions can be helpful, but when they contradict or overshadow God's commands, they must yield (Mark 7:8–13). Regularly test your religious habits and assumptions against the Word. See the mission: you are meant to be a magnet.Like the Temple in 1 Kings 8, your life and community should draw others toward God's presence, not push them away. Ask whether your tone, conduct, and priorities make Him attractive or seem common. Expect God to redeem even deep failure.Solomon's decline and possible later repentance, Saul's transformation, and former enemies turned witnesses all point to hope. Pray for those who oppose you and for your own blind spots, trusting God to bring good out of evil. How Scripture defines “holy” and “common,” “clean” and “unclean,” connects to the calling of Israel and the inclusion of people from all nations into the Kingdom. Torah's purity laws teach spiritual discernment. Yeshua's teaching in Mark 7 and the vision of Acts 10 do not abolish God's standard of that discernment. Instead, they clarify the true source of defilement and the scope of God's invitation. Solomon's dedication prayer and a ‘Declaration of Dependence’ Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in 1Kings 8 marks a transition from a movable Tabernacle to a permanent House of the LORD. Israel’s dwelling place for the Most High moves from a tent in Shiloh to a private home to a fixed sanctuary in Jerusalem. Solomon's prayer is sort of a “declaration of dependence” on God, parallel to the U.S. Declaration of Independence that set out the reason for the nation’s being. “That He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else. Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.” 1Kings 8:59–61 NASB95 Israel exists so that “all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God.” The people rejoice at the dedication, offering many sacrifices and extending the Feast of Booths (Sukkot) in celebration. Their joy reflects relief after earlier sins, such as the golden calf (Exodus 32) and idolatry at Shiloh that led to its destruction (1Samuel 3:10–18). God has shown mercy. He has chosen again to dwell among them. Solomon's rise and decline Solomon's early and late life are contrasts. Early on, he seeks wisdom (1Kings 3:9–12). God grants him wisdom and honor. His fame spreads. Nations visit him. Later, Solomon multiplies wives and concubines. He builds high places and participates in idolatrous worship (1Kings 11:1–8). The Torah had warned kings not to multiply wives, horses, or gold (Deuteronomy 17:16–17). Solomon breaks all the cautions. His heart grows divided. Some connect this decline with the tone of the book of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes). The book speaks of “vanity” or “futility” (הֶבֶל hevel, vapor). It describes many pursuits as empty. It closes with a simple conclusion: The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. Ecclesiastes 12:13 NASB95 This arc illustrates a warning. One can begin with zeal and end in compromise. Solomon's story as a mirror. It urges self-examination regarding distraction, divided affections, and misplaced trust. The Temple as a magnet for the nations Solomon's prayer also reveals God's global purpose. The Temple is not only for Israel. It functions as a magnet for the nations. Solomon prays specifically about foreigners: “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name's sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.” 1Kings 8:41–43 NASB 1995 Here the Temple becomes a global focal point. Nations hear of God's “great name” and “mighty hand.” They come seeking Him. The prayer asks God to answer them. The result should be that all peoples know His name and fear Him. This aligns with the calling of Abraham. God promises that in Abraham “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3 NASB 1995). Israel and its Temple exist as instruments of this wider mission. Types of foreigners One common Hebrew word for foreigner is גֵּר ger (resident alien/sojourner). Another word in some contexts is נָכְרִי nokhrí (foreigner/stranger). The root נכר, n-k-r, can mean “to recognize” or “to inspect.” This nuance suggests that some “foreigners” are not random passersby. They are people whom God “takes notice of.” They draw near because they have heard of God's reputation. They seek Him. God inspects them, in a positive sense. Therefore, commands not to oppress “the widow, the orphan, and the ger” carry weight (e.g., Deuteronomy 10:18–19). Israel must not push away those whom God is drawing near (Acts 15:10). If God is calling, His people must not block the path. The spectrum of holy and common Here is a key lesson from the judgment on priests Nadab and Abihu, and a prelude to the food laws in the following chapter: “…and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean” Leviticus 10:10 NASB95 Here we see a pair of axes: קָדוֹשׁ kadosh (holy, set apart) חֹל chol/khol (common, profane) and inside that: טָהוֹר tahor (“clean,” fit to approach) טָמֵא tamé (“unclean,” unfit to approach) Kadosh marks what God sets apart for Himself. Khol is ordinary, not specially dedicated. Tahor refers to a state that permits approach to God's presence. Tamé describes a state that temporarily prevents such approach. Tamé does not always mean “sinful.” Many causes of “uncleanness” arise from normal life events, such as childbirth or certain of men’s and women’s bodily discharges (Leviticus 12; 15). People move between tahor and tame states over time. Sin appears more at the extreme of khol. To move away from God's purposes toward what is merely common or even idolatrous reflects moral failure. The purity system trains people to discern movements along this spectrum which may happen too gradually to be perceived. Offerings and the journey toward God Leviticus 1–7 describes various offerings in the Tabernacle. The generic term is קָרְבָּן, qorbán (offering). It derives from the root קרב, karav (to come near/approach). Each offering type pictures some dimension of drawing near to God. The burnt offering (עֹלָה olah, that which goes up) expresses total surrender (Leviticus 1). The grain offering (מִנְחָה minkha) communicates thankfulness for all Heaven provides. The חַטָּאת chatat (sin offering) and אָשָׁם, asham (guilt offering) address the move away from God’s standards and liability for doing so, intentional or not (Leviticus 4–5). The שְׁלָמִים shelamim (peace/fellowship offerings) celebrates restored relationship after confession and restitution (Leviticus 3; 7:11–21). Priests must follow instructions precisely. The death of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, in Leviticus 10:1–2, shows the seriousness. Their “unauthorized fire” brings judgment. Moses then explains that priests must learn to distinguish and to teach these distinctions (Leviticus 10:8–11). This system as a long-term lesson. It trains Israel to understand approach to God, the cost of sin, and the joy of reconciliation. Leviticus 11: Food for life Leviticus 11 applies this logic to food. It lists animals that Israel may eat and those it must not eat. The categories mark some animals as טָהוֹר tahor (clean/fit), and others as טָמֵא tame (unclean/unfit). People can have limited control over many causes of uncleanness. Yet they do control what they eat. Thus, food becomes a daily training tool. By abstaining from certain creatures, Israel “fasts” from a category associated with death, predation or impurity. The chapter concludes with the purpose for these laws: “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:45 NASB95 Here God links food laws to His own holiness and to the exodus. He rescued Israel from bondage. He now calls them to be distinct. Mark 7: What did Yeshua declare clean? Mark 7 records a dispute over handwashing. Some Pharisees and scribes criticize Yeshua's disciples for eating without following the “tradition of the elders” (Mark 7:1–5). The tradition views the marketplace as a source of ritual contamination, defiling food that would be considered “clean” per Leviticus 11. Therefore, one must wash upon returning. Yeshua responds by quoting Isaiah 29:13: “’This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’” Mark 7:6–7 NASB95 He accuses them of “neglecting the commandment of God” and holding to human tradition (Mark 7:8–13). He then states: “There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” Mark 7:15 NASB95 Later He explains to His disciples: “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:20–23 NASB95 First, Yeshua addresses ritual handwashing traditions, not the Torah's food distinctions in Leviticus 11. Second, He identifies the heart as the primary source of defilement. Third, He challenges a system that can label what God calls clean as unclean, simply due to contact with others. The statement about food passing into the stomach and out “into the latrine” (Mark 7:19) highlights the temporary nature of external intake. In contrast, corrupt thoughts and desires lodge in the heart and shape behavior. The issue is spiritual hygiene, not mere external contact. Acts 10 and Peter's vision Peter’s vision of a sheet descending from heaven (Acts 10) helps bring together the lesson of the food laws and the prophecies of a bigger tent for Israel. This passage also is pointed to along with Mark 7 by commentators who say the food laws are obsolete post-resurrection. The sheet in the vision contains “all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air” (Acts 10:12 NASB95). A voice says, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” (Acts 10:13 NASB95). Peter objects, saying he has never eaten anything “unholy” (κοινός koinós, literally, “common”) or “unclean” (ἀκάθαρτος akáthartos) (Acts 10:14; cp. Ezekiel 4:14, context Ezekiel 4:9–17). These Greek terms are how the Septuagint (LXX) translates חֹל khol (common, profane) and טָמֵא tamé (“unclean,” unfit to approach). The voice replies: “What God has cleansed (καθαρίζω katharı́zō), no longer consider unholy (koinós).” Acts 10:15 NASB95 In other words, what God has made tahor (fit to approach His presence), no longer consider far off from God. Soon after the vision, men from Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, arrive. The Spirit directs Peter to go with them “without misgivings” (Acts 10:20 NASB95). When Peter enters Cornelius's house, he explains the true meaning of the vision: “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.” Acts 10:28 NASB95 God has cleansed Gentiles who fear Him and seek Him. Put into the lesson of Leviticus 11, Heaven no longer sees a Gentile called-out believer as a tamé pig or bat but as a tahor bovine or chicken, because the Gentile has responded to Heaven’s call to come into the Kingdom. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household confirms this (Acts 10:44–48). Peter’s comment about associating with or visiting foreigners came to a head years later, as recorded by apostle Paul in Galatians 2. What’s behind Peter’s willingness to eat with Gentile believers in one case in Galatia but not when certain Jewish believers visited from Jerusalem is reflected in rabbinical disagreements over both practices in the centuries that followed. But at the Jewish table of the 1st Century, all of the laws (both those well confirmed as well as those emerging within the rabbinic debates) governing purities came into play as well. These involved the separation of clean and unclean animals, the laws of ritual slaughter to assure that the blood had been properly disposed of, and a separation from all things tainted by the common idolatry of the pagan society in which Israel lived. Taken together, these concerns gave plenty of motivation for “building fences,” the most obvious being avoiding the Gentiles all together. In this sense, remaining separate from the Gentiles was more a conscious effort to maintain the purity laws than it was to uphold any prejudiced view against non-Jews. What is more, at a time when national identity was being threatened by Hellenism in general, it is understandable how purity laws and the food laws that went along with them became identity markers for the Jewish community. Tim Hegg, Galatians Commentary, TorahResource, 2002, 2010. p. 62. The vision addresses social and ceremonial barriers between Jews and Gentiles, not the abolition of all food distinctions. The main point is that God now reveals clearly that people from the nations may be brought near on the same basis of faith and obedience. Tradition, discernment, and the Spirit's work The events of Acts 10 lead to debate in Acts 11 and the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Some argue that Gentile believers must fully convert to the Judaisms of the day, and circumcision was a key marker of that shift. Others observe that God has already given these Gentiles the Holy Spirit. The council concludes that Gentiles should not be “troubled” with an additional yoke of circumcision before acceptance into God’s covenant (Acts 15:19–20). They must, however, abstain from idolatry, sexual immorality, and blood as the new believer learns God’s ways each Shabbat (Sabbath, Acts 15:21). These basic requirements align with core Torah principles (Leviticus 18–19). For established believers, the key issue is discernment. When God moves, His people must recognize it. They must avoid calling His work “unclean” (because it’s outside our traditions or extrabiblical expectations) or attributing those works to the Adversary (Matthew 9:34; 12:24; Acts 5:27-39). They must not let protective traditions — as praiseworthy as they might be — override God's revealed purpose. Internal purity and love for the nations Yeshua's list of defiling things in one’s heart in Mark 7:21–23 mirrors lists of “works of the flesh” in passages like Galatians 5:19–21. These outcomes reveal the state of the heart. In contrast, the “fruit of the Spirit” reflects a heart transformed by God (Galatians 5:22–23). The purity system of Torah, the Temple worship, and Yeshua's teaching together point toward a central goal. God wants a people who are set apart in heart and conduct — inside and outside. He wants them to reflect His character among the nations. He wants them to welcome those He calls, whether from Israel or from the Gentiles. Therefore, Yeshua warns against judging others by outward appearance or current condition only (John 7:24; Leviticus 19:15; Isaiah 11:3; Zechariah 7:9). A persecutor like Saul of Tarsus can become a devoted emissary (Acts 9:1–22). A former enemy can become a powerful witness. Believers should pray for their enemies, as Yeshua commands (Matthew 5:44). They should remain open to God's surprising grace. Heart of the matter Leviticus 9–11 teaches distinctions between holy and common, clean and unclean. 1Kings 8 shows that the Temple stands as a beacon to all nations. Mark 7 reveals that true defilement arises from the heart, not merely from external contact or neglected traditions. Acts 10–15 confirms that God cleanses people from the nations and brings them near through faith and the work of the Spirit. The categories of kadosh (holy) and khol (common), and of tahor (clean) and tamé (unclean), remain essential lesson-practices. They call God's people to continually examine what they bring into their lives. They also call us to recognize whom God is drawing near. The ultimate aim is that “all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else” (1Kings 8:60 NASB95). The post From Torah to table: How ancient food laws speak to modern faith (Leviticus 11; 1Kings 8; Mark 7; Acts 10) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

Keegan Kjeldsen hosts The Nietzsche Podcast and the Untimely Reflections (essentialsalts) YouTube channel — a deep four-year project working through Nietzsche, his forerunners back to the ancient world, and his afterlives in 20th- and 21st-century thought. He's also a doom metal guitarist with Destroyer of Light and Slumbering Sun, and the author of The Ritual Madness of Rock & Roll, a memoir-meets-aesthetics inquiry written on the road through Europe.________________I sat down with Keegan to work through his concept of übermodernism — what's “over and above” modernism, in the same Nietzschean spirit as the Übermensch is over and above man. We trace the history of “the modern” all the way back to Petrarch in the 14th century, work through Nietzsche's perspectivism and his critique of the genealogical fallacy, and ask where the next modernism is meant to come from. A conversation for anyone tired of fighting over whether Nietzsche belongs to the right, the left, or the postmodernists.

Last week Cyprus was at the heart of EU developments. For two days it hosted leaders from the EU, from the Middle East, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Topics ranged from critical security issues and the war in Iran, to Europe's engagement with the broader Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. On the security front, Cyprus is keen to make the EU's Article 42.7, a mutual defense clause similar to NATO's Article 5, work in practice. There is a new sense of urgency around this issue after Cyprus was targeted by drones amid the fallout of the Iran war, and as a result of questions about Washington's commitments to NATO and European security. Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Ian Lesser, and Alexis Papachelas join Thanos Davelis this week as we break down the key takeaways from the EU leaders summit in Cyprus, including the debate around Article 42.7. In addition, we discuss French President Emanuel Macron's visit to Cyprus and Greece, a visit that raised important questions about Europe's future and its geopolitical role.  Taking us to our I am HALC segment, we're highlighting Judge Tom Sianis, a longtime member of HALC with a lifetime commitment to public service and justice. Elected to serve as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge in 2018, Judge Sianis is currently Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District. Throughout his career Tom has been a shining example of Hellenism in public service, from when his career took off at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office to his election to the bench. A little more info on our guests: Konstantinos Letymbiotis is the government spokesperson of the Republic of Cyprus. Ian Lesser is the vice president and Brussels chief of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Alexis Papachelas is the Executive Editor of Kathimerini. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

We had the pleasure of being interviewed by Meletios Pouliopoulos on his Grecian Echoes show "Mondays with Meleti". We discussed the past and the future of Hellenism in America and how we are fighting to preserve our culture for future generations. Join us!Hear more on ⁠GreekAF Media⁠!

Welcome to Greek News Global for 2 April 2026, with legendary Greek-Australian journalist, John Mangos. In this Bulletin: Greece pays tribute to Marinella, an icon of Greek culture. Greek Easter to be strictly limited to religious sites, and Artemis launches to the moon.Send us Fan MailSupport the showEmail us at ouzotalk@outlook.comSubscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OuzoTalkFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OuzoTalkFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ouzo_talk/

Greek Gods | Paranormal Podcast In this Greek gods episode timed with the Winter Olympics, we explore the fascinating world of Greek mythology starting with the origin story of the three most powerful gods—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—who were born to the Titan Cronus and his wife Rhea during the Golden Age, though Cronus attempted to eat all his children after a prophecy warned he'd be overthrown by his sons, leading Zeus to eventually free his brothers and defeat their father. We discuss the 12 great Olympians including Zeus (the serial cheater who ruled the sky), Hera (his perpetually angry sister-wife and goddess of marriage), Athena (the brilliant goddess of wisdom who burst fully formed from Zeus's head), Dionysus (the fun-loving god of wine and theater who was gestated in Zeus's thigh after his mother exploded), and several compelling minor gods like Hecate (goddess of magic and crossroads) and Pan (the half-goat satyr god of wilderness). We share captivating myths including Hades kidnapping Persephone with pomegranate seeds that created the seasons, Prometheus stealing fire for humanity and suffering eternal punishment, and the tragic tale of Arachne, who challenged Athena to a weaving contest with devastating consequences.

In this episode, Megan and Frank explore the prophecies of Nostradamus. Nostradamus was a prophet--but what is a prophet? What should we make of his seemingly accurate predictions of major world events? Do prophetic powers imply that the future is determined? Or are we simply bound to an immovable fate? And what, if anything, does Nostradamus have to tell us about our futures? Thinkers discussed include: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Friedrich Nietzsche, Brian Leiter, and David Foster Wallace.Hosts' Websites:Megan J Fritts (google.com)Frank J. Cabrera (google.com)Email: philosophyonthefringes@gmail.com-----------------------Bibliography:Nostradamus : how an obscure Renaissance astrologer became the modern prophet of doom : Gerson, Stéphane (source for biographical details, anxiety vs. fear, and WWII propaganda)The prophecies : a dual-language edition with parallel text : Nostradamus, 1503-1566Nostradamus' grim predictions for 2026 revealedDavid Foster Wallace and the Challenge of Fatalism | Blog of the APAFuture Contingents | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy The Birth of Tragedy, or Hellenism and Pessimism, by Friedrich Nietzsche.The Twilight of the Idols, by Friedrich Nietzsche.Brian Leiter- Moral Psychology with NietzscheMoral Psychology with Nietzsche | Reviews | Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewsNietzsche's Moral and Political Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Intersubjective Accountability: Politics and Philosophy in the Left Vienna Circle-----------------------Cover Artwork by Logan Fritts-------------------------Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/neon-signsLicense code: AJWTULC6PYYNJ7BJ

In this (open-access) book, Susanna Elm radically changes our understanding of imperial rule in the later Roman Empire. As she shows, the so-called eastern decadence of the Emperor Theodosius and his successors was in fact a calculated revolution in masculinity and the representation of imperial power. Here, the emperor's hard yet soft, mature yet youthfully gorgeous beauty was central. Because the Theodosian emperors were divine—gods one could see—so was their beauty: their manliness was the face and body of God. The emperors' gorgeousness, their sparkling regalia, how they wished their bodies to be seen by their elite subjects—who authored the texts on which Elm's analysis is based—were as important as laws, taxes, and armies. Their vir-ness strategically deployed male same-sex erotic desire to enhance the unity of the realm in times of tension, incorporate the signifying potency of child emperors, and create a flexible yet stable model of Christian sovereignty. New books in late antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Susanna Elm is Sidney H. Ehrman Chair and Distinguished Professor of History and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Sons of Hellenism, Fathers of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome. Michael Motia teaches 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/history

In this episode of the McIntyre Inc Podcast, Michael and Brianna unpack a concept that feels way too current: Hellenism—and the 4 pillars that shaped culture then (and still shape it now): media, education, athletics, and healthcare. We talk about how entertainment influences what we normalize, why major institutions care when “culture moments” break the internet, and how to stay grounded spiritually while still enjoying movies, music, and sports. We also riff on recent films, why the theater experience still matters, and how certain stories and songs can bypass the head and go straight to the heart. Question for you: What movie or song has genuinely changed you—and why?

In this (open-access) book, Susanna Elm radically changes our understanding of imperial rule in the later Roman Empire. As she shows, the so-called eastern decadence of the Emperor Theodosius and his successors was in fact a calculated revolution in masculinity and the representation of imperial power. Here, the emperor's hard yet soft, mature yet youthfully gorgeous beauty was central. Because the Theodosian emperors were divine—gods one could see—so was their beauty: their manliness was the face and body of God. The emperors' gorgeousness, their sparkling regalia, how they wished their bodies to be seen by their elite subjects—who authored the texts on which Elm's analysis is based—were as important as laws, taxes, and armies. Their vir-ness strategically deployed male same-sex erotic desire to enhance the unity of the realm in times of tension, incorporate the signifying potency of child emperors, and create a flexible yet stable model of Christian sovereignty. New books in late antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Susanna Elm is Sidney H. Ehrman Chair and Distinguished Professor of History and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Sons of Hellenism, Fathers of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome. Michael Motia teaches 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

In this (open-access) book, Susanna Elm radically changes our understanding of imperial rule in the later Roman Empire. As she shows, the so-called eastern decadence of the Emperor Theodosius and his successors was in fact a calculated revolution in masculinity and the representation of imperial power. Here, the emperor's hard yet soft, mature yet youthfully gorgeous beauty was central. Because the Theodosian emperors were divine—gods one could see—so was their beauty: their manliness was the face and body of God. The emperors' gorgeousness, their sparkling regalia, how they wished their bodies to be seen by their elite subjects—who authored the texts on which Elm's analysis is based—were as important as laws, taxes, and armies. Their vir-ness strategically deployed male same-sex erotic desire to enhance the unity of the realm in times of tension, incorporate the signifying potency of child emperors, and create a flexible yet stable model of Christian sovereignty. New books in late antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Susanna Elm is Sidney H. Ehrman Chair and Distinguished Professor of History and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Sons of Hellenism, Fathers of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome. Michael Motia teaches 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/gender-studies

In this (open-access) book, Susanna Elm radically changes our understanding of imperial rule in the later Roman Empire. As she shows, the so-called eastern decadence of the Emperor Theodosius and his successors was in fact a calculated revolution in masculinity and the representation of imperial power. Here, the emperor's hard yet soft, mature yet youthfully gorgeous beauty was central. Because the Theodosian emperors were divine—gods one could see—so was their beauty: their manliness was the face and body of God. The emperors' gorgeousness, their sparkling regalia, how they wished their bodies to be seen by their elite subjects—who authored the texts on which Elm's analysis is based—were as important as laws, taxes, and armies. Their vir-ness strategically deployed male same-sex erotic desire to enhance the unity of the realm in times of tension, incorporate the signifying potency of child emperors, and create a flexible yet stable model of Christian sovereignty. New books in late antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Susanna Elm is Sidney H. Ehrman Chair and Distinguished Professor of History and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Sons of Hellenism, Fathers of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome. Michael Motia teaches 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/christian-studies

Subscribe for unfiltered analysis and on-the-ground truth from the Land of Israel. Turkey is signaling it is ready to send troops into Gaza as part of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), a move Israel strongly opposes, even as the United States pressures Ankara to take a leading role. Turkish and Egyptian officials argue the force should “separate” Israel and Hamas, not disarm the terror organization. a position Israeli leaders warn will guarantee failure. In this wide-ranging and urgent episode, the discussion explores: Why foreign troops on Israeli soil threaten Israel's security How Turkey's ambitions intersect with Trump's emerging “Board of Peace” Why the world is being whipped into a frenzy against Israel The return of Hellenism in modern form The spiritual meaning of Hanukkah, sovereignty, and inheritance of the Land And why Israel's survival depends on clarity, strength, and truth Powerful scenes unfolding in Israel today, from Haredi soldiers completing IDF training at the Western Wall to Levitical singing returning to the Temple Mount for the first time in nearly 2,000 years This is not just geopolitics, it's history, faith, and destiny unfolding in real time.

Chanukah is central to our Jewish Calendar and way of life, but there are many unanswered questions: Why celebrate defeat? What was the real role of Kohanim during the Second Temple? Why was this Yomtov chosen to reflect the ultimate ideal ? Tracing the story from Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzaddik through the corruption of the Second Temple and the rise of Hellenism, the podcast redefines the central idea of Chanukah - the only festival established by the Sages post-prophecy Connecting the ancient clash of civilizations to the battles which echo down through Russia, America and Eretz Yisrael; It defines Who is a Jew.   Timestamps [0:00:00] Introduction to Greek Exile and Historical Context [0:01:07] Podcast Dedication and Welcome [0:02:05] Setting Up the Hanukkah Discussion [0:04:13] Questioning the Purpose of Hanukkah Celebration [0:14:44] Historical Prequel: Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzadik [0:22:49] Corruption of the Priesthood [0:26:38] Empire Dynamics After Alexander [0:31:05] Jewish Attraction to Greek Culture [0:40:41] The Spiritual Victory of Hanukkah [0:49:26] Comparing Purim and Hanukkah [0:50:44] Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-up

The Roman emperor Julian (r. 361-363 CE) was a man of action and of letters, which he employed in an effort to return the Empire to the light of the pagan gods, and reverse the Christianization of the empire advanced by his uncle Constantine and the sons of Constantine. This enterprise was inspired and guided by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus and his disciples, and promoted by his production of Greek orations, letters, and satires. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of foundations and refoundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Caesar Augustus. As this book demonstrates, Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to the exegesis of the legends of Rome's founding, the allegories of Plato's dialogues, and myths of his own creation in order to articulate his own role in the refounding of the Empire. Furthermore, argues Jeremy Swist, approaching the wider examination of Julian's imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor's self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and soldier more than of a philosopher, of a Roman more than a Greek, and of a mere human rather than a semi-divine being. While distancing himself from the ideal models of philosophical virtue and imperial founding that inspire his own actions, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. New Books in Late Antiquity is sponsored by Ancient Jew Review Jeremey Swist is Assistant Professor of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Click here for The Symposium of the Caesars, and here for his talk on Julian and Constantinople. His dissertation spotlight from AJR is here. 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

The Roman emperor Julian (r. 361-363 CE) was a man of action and of letters, which he employed in an effort to return the Empire to the light of the pagan gods, and reverse the Christianization of the empire advanced by his uncle Constantine and the sons of Constantine. This enterprise was inspired and guided by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus and his disciples, and promoted by his production of Greek orations, letters, and satires. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of foundations and refoundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Caesar Augustus. As this book demonstrates, Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to the exegesis of the legends of Rome's founding, the allegories of Plato's dialogues, and myths of his own creation in order to articulate his own role in the refounding of the Empire. Furthermore, argues Jeremy Swist, approaching the wider examination of Julian's imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor's self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and soldier more than of a philosopher, of a Roman more than a Greek, and of a mere human rather than a semi-divine being. While distancing himself from the ideal models of philosophical virtue and imperial founding that inspire his own actions, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. New Books in Late Antiquity is sponsored by Ancient Jew Review Jeremey Swist is Assistant Professor of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Click here for The Symposium of the Caesars, and here for his talk on Julian and Constantinople. His dissertation spotlight from AJR is here. 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

The Roman emperor Julian (r. 361-363 CE) was a man of action and of letters, which he employed in an effort to return the Empire to the light of the pagan gods, and reverse the Christianization of the empire advanced by his uncle Constantine and the sons of Constantine. This enterprise was inspired and guided by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus and his disciples, and promoted by his production of Greek orations, letters, and satires. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of foundations and refoundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Caesar Augustus. As this book demonstrates, Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to the exegesis of the legends of Rome's founding, the allegories of Plato's dialogues, and myths of his own creation in order to articulate his own role in the refounding of the Empire. Furthermore, argues Jeremy Swist, approaching the wider examination of Julian's imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor's self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and soldier more than of a philosopher, of a Roman more than a Greek, and of a mere human rather than a semi-divine being. While distancing himself from the ideal models of philosophical virtue and imperial founding that inspire his own actions, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. New Books in Late Antiquity is sponsored by Ancient Jew Review Jeremey Swist is Assistant Professor of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Click here for The Symposium of the Caesars, and here for his talk on Julian and Constantinople. His dissertation spotlight from AJR is here. Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Roman emperor Julian (r. 361-363 CE) was a man of action and of letters, which he employed in an effort to return the Empire to the light of the pagan gods, and reverse the Christianization of the empire advanced by his uncle Constantine and the sons of Constantine. This enterprise was inspired and guided by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus and his disciples, and promoted by his production of Greek orations, letters, and satires. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of foundations and refoundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Caesar Augustus. As this book demonstrates, Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to the exegesis of the legends of Rome's founding, the allegories of Plato's dialogues, and myths of his own creation in order to articulate his own role in the refounding of the Empire. Furthermore, argues Jeremy Swist, approaching the wider examination of Julian's imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor's self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and soldier more than of a philosopher, of a Roman more than a Greek, and of a mere human rather than a semi-divine being. While distancing himself from the ideal models of philosophical virtue and imperial founding that inspire his own actions, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. New Books in Late Antiquity is sponsored by Ancient Jew Review Jeremey Swist is Assistant Professor of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Click here for The Symposium of the Caesars, and here for his talk on Julian and Constantinople. His dissertation spotlight from AJR is here. 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/italian-studies

Episode Title: LearningScripture Reading: Romans 12:2, John 8:31 ESVSeries: The “L” Fruits of JesusDisciples of Jesus are learners—the learning never stops! This week, we dive into the second "L" fruit of Jesus, the fruit of Learning, and explore the two ways disciples are called to learn and grow in Christ. Romans 12:2 gives us two ways of learning, both starting with the letter "I":1. Information: This method, associated with Hellenism, focuses on the renewal of your mind. Disciples are called to be faithful learners by meditating on God's Word, looking for a daily God nugget, and internalizing media that is pure and commendable.2. Imitation: This method, associated with Hebraism, focuses on not being conformed to this world, but imitating Christ. Just as an apprentice learns by observing and patterning their life after their rabbi, disciples learn by apprenticing themselves to Jesus, who says, "learn from me".Ultimately, disciples don't conform to the world; we conform to Christ by renewing our minds and apprenticing ourselves to the gentle Master, Jesus

Episode Description:What happened between the Old and New Testaments? Discover the dramatic 400-year period that transformed the biblical world from Persian rule to Roman occupation, from a modest temple to Herod's architectural wonder, and from religious unity to competing Jewish sects.Join Professor Rachel Chen and Harvard-trained church historian Bishop Andy Lewter as they trace the epic story from Alexander the Great's Hellenistic revolution through the Maccabean Revolt, the rise and corruption of the Hasmonean Dynasty, and Herod the Great's ruthless climb to power. Learn how Antiochus IV's persecution sparked a guerrilla war led by the priest Mattathias and his sons, establishing Jewish independence celebrated today as Hanukkah.Explore why synagogues, rabbis, the Sanhedrin, and major Jewish sects like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots—all absent from the Old Testament—dominate the New Testament landscape. Understand how Roman roads, Greek language, and diaspora communities became divine instruments for spreading the gospel.This episode reveals why those "silent" centuries weren't silent at all, but rather God's orchestration of world history to prepare for the perfect moment when "the fullness of time had come."Perfect for: Bible students, history enthusiasts, church leaders, seminary students, and anyone seeking deeper understanding of the New Testament's historical context.Key Topics: Inter-Testamental Period, Alexander the Great, Hellenism, Maccabean Revolt, Hanukkah, Hasmonean Dynasty, Herod the Great, Jewish sects, Roman occupation

Welcome back to what are the girls doing?!In this episode we're taking on our seats of position as judges here at Styx and Bones Temple (copying the judges of the underworld which we're diving into next week!!).The girls are taking a hard look at can you find the greek gods in your birth chart via astrology? Should you split 50/50 on the first date? Weaponizing mental health and more! What do we judge on and we want to hear from you our listeners of do you agree with our hot takes and judgements?

After a five-year hiatus, the Tucson Greek Festival is back, and it's bringing the spirit of Greece straight to the heart of Downtown! In this episode, we sit down with Peter Anadranistakis, one of the driving forces behind the festival's return, to explore how this beloved tradition is being reimagined for a new generation and a new location. Hosted by Tom Heath, this lively conversation covers: - Why the festival left Fort Lowell and how it found a new home on Congress Street - The cultural energy and community spirit behind the event - What to expect from this year's lineup of food, music, and interactive installations (don't miss the YiaYia House!) - The vision for Tucson as a future center of Hellenism in North America This episode is full of “kefi”, that unmistakable zest for life, and showcases the kind of local storytelling you only get on Life Along the Streetcar.

Why has Apollo forsaken me? What have I done to deserve all the punishment in my life? For weekly bonus episodes, go to patreon.com/mostcontroversial

Sabrina Carpenter has gone too far by disrespecting Zeus. For weekly bonus episodes, go to patreon.com/mostcontroversial

Pioneering veteran journalist, news presenter and anchorman, John Mangos, joins Tom and Nick for a long-awaited discussion over a glass (or two) of ouzo about his genuinely 'storied' career. With more than four decades in the media as a political journalist, foreign correspondent and anchor, John gives an inside scoop glimpse into the highlights of his career. From sharing the screen with Australian TV and comedy legend Graham Kennedy, to flying with Prime Ministers including Bob Hawke around the country, to reporting on death of Diana in 1997, John's is a story not to be missed!This episode is proudly brought to you by the Greek Film Festival of Sydney! Get your tickets now by visiting https://greekfilmfestival.com.au/sydney – as well as our amazing sponsors at The Greek Providore! https://thegreekprovidore.com.au/Send us a text Support the showEmail us at ouzotalk@outlook.comSubscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OuzoTalkFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OuzoTalkFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ouzo_talk/

FREE CLASS AT RUMBLE BOXING: Go to rumbleboxinggym.com and select SINGLE CLASS, then use promo code BOSTONGREEEKS for your FREE CLASS!Irina Kapetanakis is a dynamic entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and award-winning business leader dedicated to transforming lives through community-driven fitness. As the powerhouse behind the expansion of Rumble Boxing studios across the Northeast, Irina has redefined what it means to blend purpose, passion, and performance in the health and wellness space.From a Hellenism standpoint, Irina serves on the Board of Directors for Hellenic Professional Women; is an investor and serves on the Board of Directors for KLEOS Mastiha Spirit; and has recently been awarded the ATHENA Award at the 34th Hermes Expo in 2025 in recognition of her entrepreneurial spirit, operational excellence, and commitment to women's empowerment. Join us!Learn more about Rumble: https://www.rumbleboxinggym.com/See more on GreekAF: https://www.greekradio.app/

We've looked at how Hellenism impacted all facets of Jewish society, in this episode we will look specifically at how it impacted the Priesthood in Israel. https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes

Have you ever “zoned out” or binged a show or series on a streaming platform? We're probably all guilty of this, but for the 1st century, the binge was to spend time in the amphitheater. In this episode we'll look at why this was such a big deal. https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes

We're bombarded with media, news and information every day. So what are you feeding into your mind, your heart each day? https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes

If you think SEC Football in the south in the fall is big, it's nothing in comparison to the Greek Games when they first came to Israel. Today we'll examine the impact of sport on the people of God. https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes

Where did western thought come from? Join us today as we look at Alexander the Great, his impact on Judea in the 300's BC, in the 1st century during Jesus' day, and how Hellenism is still impacting the world we live in today. https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes

Learn about Hades, the enigmatic Ruler of the Underworld. I am a 10 year Hades devotee and this video is a full length class I taught about Hades's Myths and Symbols around the winter solstice.  Enrich your Hades worship practice, follow his call, and allow this class to remind you of his most popular myths and symbols as well as introduce you to some more esoteric stories as well. Go deeper with me in my Katabasis: Self-Study Hades Learning Program There is over 20+ hours of Hades classes, videos, and materials in this one of a kind program. Made for the pagan seeker or Hades devotee in mind! Get Katabasis CLICK HERE  Join my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/angelicacresci For more Hades worship and pagan deity work tips, follow me on Instagram! Instagram: @angelicascresci Book a Mentorship Session or Astrology Reading: angelicacresci.com ______________________ Our Group Prayer We Wrote in this Class: "Ode to Hades" O King Hades, your love for persephone even River Lethe could not fathom the loss of, its sweetness and endurance a reflection of you, Melancholic master. Pluto, god of wealth and Lord of the underworld. Hades, stern, magnanimous, whose wise counsel strikes true Bringer of stillness and quiet, unseen subtle might. Eubulous, I offer you my darkness and an ear, I teach as the eternal learner The Plutonian mirror calling me to transform Even in the cold of the Underworld, your kind heart warms the souls of all who you meet. O unseen one who guides those through the journey of life and death, holder of the keys, guide of darkness s you are the Unseen but your always presence known, help me be such a lasting presence and comfort to those around me even when I am not seen God of liminal grey, weighing judgment and grace, open the gates of creativity as you see fit -  cut through the cacophany and grant clarity. Protector of hidden knowledge keeper of inherited wealth ruler of legacy above and below Receiver of many,  lord of darkness, whose embrace waits at the end of the river Styx, whose sentence awaits us all Hades, the ground we walk on and reap riches from, we find our purpose in you. Hail Hades, Chthonic King, You offer counsel and support, creative sparks and growth. Hades, master of wealth, keeper of words and fate, cypress trees begin to sing as you allow us to sink down to you Rejoice in us as we rejoice in you.

197: Building a Better America Through Education and Hellenism Robert Buhler, Chairman of the Board, for The Pan-Hellenic Scholarship Foundation, explains the value of mentoring and scholarships. Robert & Kiki Today's Lexi:  Μέντορας – Méntoras – Mentor In Today's Episode: Kiki visits with Robert Buhler, Chairman of the Board for the prestigious PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation, about the value of leadership and mentoring.     Learn about the mission of the foundation, which is to promote education by providing scholarships and programs to Greek American students, who, guided by the values of their Hellenic upbringing, have the potential to become life-long significant achievers. Today it's all about the selection process, the paradigm winner, and the annual gala taking place June 14, 2025, in Chicago. Resources: PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation Paradigm Winners Credits: Music: Spiro Dussias Vocals: Zabrina Hay Graphic Designer: Manos Koumparakis  

In Dark Sayings, I explain how Emperor Justinian stands as a striking example of imperial harlotry. Like all rulers, he filtered Scripture through his own agenda—much like what we see in 2025, with elites twisting the biblical text to justify the very actions it condemns. Today's world leaders are effectively reenacting the sins of the Bible's villains.If it weren't a tragedy, it would be a comedy. I'd sit with Jonah beneath the vine—bag of popcorn in hand.What came of Justinian copying the sins condemned in Scripture?A massive stone temple—still longed for today. This longing betrays a rejection of the preaching of the story of the Gerasene demoniac, where God himself, through his anointed Slave, rejects Roman law and silences the Greek intellectual tradition.In defiance of this witness, Justinian—praised even now—translated Roman law into Greek, a move that flatly contradicts the biblical text.O foolish Galatians. You asked for a king, and you got one.Justinian's reign was marked by a bloody attempt to resurrect Rome's former glory: the North African campaign against the Vandals, the prolonged and ruinous Gothic Wars in Italy, and a brief incursion into southern Spain. These campaigns were catastrophically expensive, devastating to local populations, and—like all imperial games—ended in failure. Far worse was the Justinianic Plague, a lethal epidemic that ravaged both the population and the economy.Together, these calamities fractured the region's future. Though the Western Roman Empire had already collapsed in the 5th century, Justinian's ambitions destabilized its successors and hindered the organic development of local societies.Things might have turned out differently. We might have avoided the first Dark Age—or at least the first one we know of—had Justinian not tried to impose a new civilization atop the ruins of the old.Dear friends:There is no God but One.He is the Heavenly Shepherd.He claims no embassy, joins no assembly, and takes no seat at your councils.He casts no vote, answers to no electorate, and has no constituents.He occupies no office, nor does he dwell in any capital.He is beholden to nothing and answers to no one.His throne is in the heavens, far beyond your reach, where maps are not drawn.Be afraid oh nations.Tremble with fear, oh bordermongers, for he is not mocked—Not by you, nor your puny gods, nor your counterfeit leaders.I place all my hope in his Slave who trusted in his command to subdue the Latin-lex and silence the Greco-lego at the Decapolis in Luke.Everything I do, I do for this Slave's Rebellion.This week, I discuss Luke 8:30.Show Notesἐρημόω (erēmoō) / ח־ר־ב (ḥet–resh–bet) / خ–ر–ب (khāʾ–rāʾ–bāʾ)To dry up, to be desolate, or to be destroyed. To be devastated, often referring to lands, cities, or nations. Greek examples in the LXX include: ξηραίνω (xērainō - to dry up), ἐρημόω (erēmoō - to make desolate), ἀφανίζω (aphanizō - to destroy).In Hebrew חָרַב and Arabic خَرِبَ both describe the undoing of cities, structures, or human systems—especially in the wake of divine judgment.In both the Bible and the Qur'an, ruin is not random—it is the consequence of injustice, arrogance, or rejection of divine instruction.Isaiah 51:10 – “Was it not you who dried up (הַמַּחֲרֶבֶת [ha-maḥărébet]) the sea…”Surah Al-Hashr 59:2 - “They destroy (يُخْرِبُونَ [yukh'ribūna]) their houses with their own hands…” يُخْرِبُونَ (yukh'ribūna) comes from خَرَّبَ (khar·ra·ba) — they lay waste / destroy, describing the self-inflicted ruin of the Banu Nadir tribe, continuing on the itinerary of civilizational ruin brought on by pride and resistance to God's covenant.The function ח-ר-ב (ḥ-r-b) appears in Scripture to prescribe the destruction of cities and the downfall of kings—figures aligned with human systems of law and control. This same root functions in the name Mount Horeb, the site where divine law is given. It also functions as “sword,” an agent of God's judgment. In Exodus 32:27, Moses commands the Levites at Horeb to take up their swords ח-ר-ב (ḥ-r-b) and execute judgment within the camp after the sin of the golden calf, connecting the themes of lawgiving and purifying violence. ח-ר-ב (ḥ-r-b) highlights the biblical tension between the collapse of human law and the assertion of divine will through biblical instruction and judgment.In the Septuagint, ἐρημόω (erēmoō) corresponds lexically to ח-ר-ב (ḥ-r-b) in the following passages: Judges 16:24; 2 Kings 19:17; Job 14:11; Isaiah 34:10; Isaiah 37:18, 25; Isaiah 44:27; Isaiah 49:17; Isaiah 51:10; Isaiah 60:12; Jeremiah 28:36; Jeremiah 33:9; Ezekiel 26:2, 19; Ezekiel 29:12; Ezekiel 30:7; Amos 7:9.Λεγιών (legiṓn)(For a detailed discussion, please see Blaise Webster's article, The Crux of Paul and John's Gospel.)From the Latin legio, meaning legion, a Roman military unit (~6,000 soldiers), itself from the Indo-European root legō.From Latin legō, we also get Lex—law (that which is gathered or set in order)Lex, derived from legō, becomes a symbol of civilizational control—a codified system that enforces order, often violently.Roman Legions (from the same root) are the custodians of lex, instruments of imperial coercion and domination.Lex and legion are bound together both linguistically and ideologically—law enforced by gathered violence.In Greek, λόγος (logos) stems from λέγω and is associated in Hellenistic philosophy with reason, logic, and natural law. The Pauline School's co-opting of this term is an attack on Hellenism.For Paul, λόγος is not Greek reason, but shorthand for “the word of the cross” (ὁ λόγος τοῦ σταυροῦ)—foolishness to the world and power to those being saved, who trust in God's victory (1 Corinthians 1:18); Knowing that his work will find its own completion in the Day of the Lord. (Philippians 1:6)Unlike the constructive Greek logos, which seeks order and coherence, the Pauline logos is destructive—an insurgent word embedded within Greco-Roman structures, intended to bring about their co-termination in the execution of Jesus, thereby dismantling the entire system.Lex (law) and lego (rhetoric/philosophy) represent false structures of control and meaning, in opposition to the Pauline gospel.T...

Situated opposite Galilee, the “earth” of the Gerasenes marks the site of God's first tactical strike against Greco-Roman assimilation in Luke.The Greco-Roman rulers who possess and enslave the land impose violence and havoc, sowing death where God's many flocks were meant to roam freely, without interference.Like the abusers in Jerusalem, the occupying forces in Decapolis do not want to live and let live. They seek to assimilate, to convert, to impose, to kill—to force others to become like them, “twice as much the sons of Hell as themselves.”Sure, they may be interested in learning something from those they conquer, but ultimately, everything must be “melted down” and absorbed into something of their own making. It's called a “god complex:”“…the logic of American liberalism is a barely warmed-over Hellenism. The world-embracing, universe-striding Hellenic ideology under Alexander was an assimilationist one. In the Alexandrian ideology, it doesn't matter what tribe your parents are from, what your lineage is, or in what area of the world you were born. If you speak Greek, eat like a Greek, dress like a Greek, walk like a Greek, shit like a Greek, think like a Greek—then you're a Greek. It's exceptionally difficult for an American to consider this ideology and not think of the ‘melting pot'”(Matthew Franklin Cooper, And the Lamb Will Conquer)They do not submit to God, who made the heavens and the earth. They do not accept what was made, as it has been made, by his making. His name alone be praised!Unlike every other revolution in human history, the socio-political rebellion of the biblical tradition—be ye not deceived, O man, it is indeed a political rebellion, though it is not about starting something new, it is a reversion—to accept the Bible is to revert to God as your King, your religion, your tribe, your city, and your homeland.To return to his land is to return not to what we build, create, perceive, synthesize, or formulate through our ideolocial or theological assimilations, but to what God himself provided in the beginning: an open field where all living creatures coexist in his care.This week, I discuss Luke 8:27.Show Notesδαιμόνιον (daimonion) / ש–י–ד (shin–yod–dalet) / ث–د–ي (thā–dāl–yāʼ)Demon, other deity, or god. From the root שדד (shadad), which means “to deal violently, despoil, or devastate.” Klein notes that the Arabic ثَدْي (thady), “breast,” reinforces his observation that שֹׁד (shōd) and שַׁד (shad) are two forms of the same biblical root meaning “breast.” In consideration of this link, and the fact that the original text is unpointed, it is difficult to ignore the consonantal link between chaos, havoc, militarism, and the function “demon,” vis-à-vis the field, and violence against the land, since the land is inherently matriarchal:שָׂדָאוּת (sadā'ut) is a feminine noun meaning “military fieldcraft,” derived from שָׂדֶה (sadeh), meaning “field.”Note that שֵׁדָה (shedah), female demon, and שָׂדֶה (sadeh), field or open land, are indistinguishable in the unpointed text.This intersection is intentional. Consider a related sub-function associated with δαιμόνιον in Luke:שׁדד (shin-dalet-dalet) and שׂדד (sin-dalet-dalet)שׁדד (shadad) to devastate, despoil, or destroy, referring to violence or judgment.שׂדד (sadad) to plow or harrow, referring to agricultural activity.In Semitic languages, the function “demon” likely originates from the Akkadian term šēdu, a protective spirit often depicted in Mesopotamian art as a bull-like colossus or a human-bull hybrid, for example, the bull effigy of Wall Street. The question is not what the demon šēdu protects, but whose interests it serves. Does it protect life in God's field or wreak havoc on behalf of its human sponsors? Does it plow and harrow, or does it despoil?Demonic Evil“For [a] root of all evils is the love of money—which some, desiring, wandered away from the faith,and pierced themselves through with many griefs.”(1 Timothy 6:10)As it is written:“ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία”“the love of money is [a] root of all evils”“πάντων τῶν κακῶν” unambiguously indicates “of all evils,” not “all kinds,” underscoring Paul's deliberate rhetorical force in presenting the love of money not as a moral weakness but as a seed giving rise to every form of evil in God's field.ἱμάτιον (himation) / ב-ג-ד (bet–gimel–dalet) / ب-ج-د (bāʼ–jīm–dāl)Outer garment; cloak.A scarce word in Classical Arabic, بَجَدَ (bajada), means “to strive or exert,” technically different than بِجَاد (bijād) — the pre-Islamic Bedouin term for a striped cloak or blanket, which Klein links to ב-ג-ד.Instead of بَجَدَ (bajada), Arabic typically employs roots like ج-ه-د (jīm–hāʾ–dāl) — جَاهَدَ (jāhada) — the basis of جِهَاد (jihād), to express striving or struggle, especially in a religious context. Related roots such as ج-د-د (jīm–dāl–dāl) — جَدَّ (jadda) “to be serious” — and ج-دّ (jīm–dāl–dāl) — جِدّ (jidd) “seriousness” — reinforce the idea of earnest effort and commitment that underlies the concept of jihād.The بِجَاد (bijād)—a coarse, often red or striped woolen cloak worn by Bedouins—symbolizes striving through its association with the harsh realities of shepherd life in God's open field, demanding simplicity, endurance, and honor, in contrast with the soft garments of city dwellers. The reference to soft garments is not incidental. In Luke 7:25, Jesus mocks those dressed in “soft clothing” who “live in luxury” in the royal houses. As such, John the Baptist is “more than a prophet.” Clothed in the rough and unpleasant garment of a shepherd, he survives under God's rule in the open field with an honor imperceptible in the eyes of city dwellers.It is “the smell of a field” that Luke 8:27 makes terminologically functional here, recalling the transfer of Isaac's blessing to his younger son. Now Luke turns the tables. As Esau was denied his birthright in favor of Jacob, so now Jacob is denied the same in favor of the demon-possessed Gerasene:Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.”So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments (בְּגָדָ֖י begāday), he blessed him and said,“See, the smell of my sonIs like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,And of the fatness of the earth,And an abundance of grain and new wine;May peoples serve you,And nations bow down to you;Be master of your brothers,And may your mother's sons bow down to you.Cursed be those who curse you,And blessed be those who bless you.”(Genesis 27:26–29)οἰκία (oikia

What if the seeds of revival were planted long before the birth of Christ? And what if the struggle to preserve faith in the face of overwhelming cultural pressure laid the foundation for the Gospel's explosive spread across the ancient world?   In this episode of Revival Radio TV, we uncover a forgotten battleground where faith clashed with the seductive allure of Greek philosophy. During the Second Temple period, Judaism itself was torn between two worlds: 1 Maccabees—a political manifesto aimed at legitimizing the Hasmonean dynasty, stripped of miracles and divine intervention—and 2 Maccabees—a passionate defense of traditional faith filled with miracles, martyrdom, and divine deliverance.   The influence of Hellenism reached deep into Jewish culture, dividing the nation between those who compromised with Greek thought and those who clung to the faith of their fathers. It was a culture war that shaped the very world Jesus was born into. But more than that, it laid the groundwork for the great revival to come.   How did this clash of cultures prepare the way for the Messiah? And how does this ancient battle continue to echo through history, even affecting the Church today? Join us as we unravel the mystery of faith, culture, and revival.   RRTV_250413

Gnostic Informant on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/We discussed the following topics: why the Torah is probably younger than commonly believed; the influence of Hellenism on Judaism as well as the New Testament; the Carpocratians (syncretists of Greek philosophy & Christian religion); the link between Platonism & Christianity; Nietzsche's argument that the Epicureans struggled against "latent Christianity"; Christianity as a hyper-rationalist religion set against the more sophisticated theologies of the pagan world; the possibility that extinguishing the Vestal fires actually brought down the Roman Empire. We also talked about Neal's personal journey through the Christian faith into his own idiosyncratic spirituality, and an attitude that he describes as a balance of Gnosticism & agnosticism; he views a life of Gnosis (knowing) as essentially a life of skepticism in which one demands to know for oneself and reject all inherited dogma. At the end we discuss his upcoming journey to Greece & film project, during which he will interview the group setting up a new temple to Pan in Greece, and the Orthodox figures opposing them.

In every age, empires create words to describe the people in the societies they seek to dominate and exploit. Eventually, these terms are turned inward and used against themselves. The Greco-Romans—and their eastern heirs, whom modern scholars call the Byzantines—labeled those outside their empire as barbarians. The colonials who settled the Americas, after dismantling the peaceful coexistence of Semitic peoples in Southern Spain, referred to the inhabitants of this supposed “new” land as savages.Whether communists, leftists, or terrorists, from age to age and generation to generation, we rely on the notion of the alien or foreigner to demonize the other.Humanities scholars, clinging to the illusion of progress, speak as though they have just discovered this problem, but wisdom literature has tackled this since before Hellenism emerged as a blot on humanity's historical record. When Jesus sets out to make a pilgrimage to Decapolis, he does so under the control of his Father's will, who breathes into his sail and sends him on a mission—not to trample underfoot the barbarians at the edge of Constantine's empire, but to confront Constantine himself. It is Constantine, Habibi, who is the problem. The Emperor is the barbarian from whom the Lord's inheritance must be saved. This week, I discuss Luke 8:22, which exposes the true enemy of God, not the outsiders, but the emperor himself.Show Notesπλέω / מ-ל-א (mem-lamed-alef) / م-ل-أ (mīm-lām-hamza)That which fills, makes full; fullness, full amount, measure, extent:“Sing to the Lord a new song,Sing his praise from the end of the earth!You who go down to the sea, and all that fills it (וּמְלֹאוֹ umelo'o),You islands, and those who live on them.” (Isaiah 42:10)The root مَلَأَ (malaʾa) in Arabic can be found in words such as:مَلَأَ (malaʾa) - to fillمَلِيء (malīʾ) - full, filledمَمْلُوء (mamlūʾ) - filled (passive participle)امْتَلَأَ (imtalaʾa) - to become full, to be filledمِلْء (milʾ) - fullness, fillingتَمْلِيء (tamlīʾ) - filling (verbal noun)مَلَأ (malaʾ) - assembly, ruling council, crowd, publicἄνεμος / ר-ו-ח (resh-waw-ḥet) / ر-و-ح (rāʾ–wāw–ḥāʾ)ἄνεμος (anemos, “wind,” 8:23) When the wind fully enters (מְלֹא / مِلْء) the sail, it takes shape, and the boat is propelled forward. Classical Arabic poetry often compares the full sail to a “breathing chest”—expanding, alive, and responsive to the unseen force of wind (رِيح rīḥ, which in Scripture functions as God's breath or “Spirit.”) The biblical Hebrew term רוּחַ (ruaḥ) and the Arabic رُوح (rūḥ) both function as wind or divine Spirit.The Greek verb πληρόω (plēroō), meaning “to fill,” “make full,” or “complete,” also corresponds to מ-ל-א and appears numerous times throughout Paul's letters, notably: καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν Πνεύματι,“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”(Ephesians 5:18)Paul deliberately chooses a second term in 1 Corinthians—not πληρόω, but κορέννυμι—to convey sharp sarcasm, mocking the leaders in Roman Corinth for being full of themselves and smug in their self-satisfaction. The only other appearance of this Pauline term, which does not occur in the Septuagint, is in Acts 27, which corresponds to Luke by way of authorship: “καὶ ἐμπλησθέντες τροφῆς ἐκούφισαν τὸ πλοῖον ἐκβαλλόμενοι τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.”“And when they had eaten enough (ἐμπλησθέντες), they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.” (Acts 27:38)See also: ب-و-ء (bā-wāw-hamza) / ב-ו-א (bet-waw-alef) πλέω also corresponds to בוא (Jonah 1:3), which aligns with Acts 27:38. الْمَلَأ (al-malaʾ) “ruling council, community leaders, chiefs, the elites” is a recurring function in the Qur'an, where prophets confront the elite power structures in their communities. The malaʾ are gatekeepers of institutional norms and the status quo, resisting the prophets' calls for repentance and submission to God.قَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌqāla al-malaʾu min qawmi firʿawna inna hādhā lasāḥirun ʿalīm“The elite of Pharaoh's people said, ‘Indeed, this is a learned magician.'”Surah al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:34 (ref. to Moses)فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ مَا هَـٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ…faqāla al-malaʾu alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi mā hādhā illā basharun mithlukum…“So the chiefs of his people who disbelieved said, ‘This is only a man like yourselves…'”Surah al-Muʾminūn 23:24 (ref. to Noah)The malaʾ belittle the prophets:• “He's just a man like us.” (26:155)• “He's a liar.” (26:186)• “He's possessed/crazy.” (26:154)• “He's a magician.” (26:34) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode I examine the biblical background and meaning of being "Baptized in the Spirit" and what it means for us today. If you appreciate my work please consider making a donation at "paypal.me/newdayglobal" Thank you!

In this video I give a perspective on the New Testament that you probably have never heard before and offer some thoughts on a contemporary expression of spiritual life after deconstruction. If you appreciate my work please consider making a donation at "paypal.me/newdayglobal" Thank you!

In this video I give a perspective on the New Testament that you probably have never heard before and offer some thoughts on a contemporary expression of spiritual life after deconstruction. If you appreciate my work please consider making a donation at "paypal.me/newdayglobal" Thank you!

In this episode I examine the biblical background and meaning of being "Baptized in the Spirit" and what it means for us today. If you appreciate my work please consider making a donation at "paypal.me/newdayglobal" Thank you!

We really are living in a time period when as the writer of Hebrews stated, "everything that can be shaken" is being shaken. In this episode Aaron will explore why there is so much confusion today especially within religion and how we can navigate our way through these turbulent times. If you appreciate his work please consider making a donation at "paypal.me/newdayglobal" Thank you!

We really are living in a time period when as the writer of Hebrews stated, "everything that can be shaken" is being shaken. In this episode Aaron will explore why there is so much confusion today especially within religion and how we can navigate our way through these turbulent times. If you appreciate his work please consider making a donation at "paypal.me/newdayglobal" Thank you!

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias just became the first member of Greece's government to visit the US since President Trump's inauguration with a trip that took him beyond the Beltway to cities like Chicago. Beyond engaging with the diaspora, Dendias' trip put Greece in the spotlight for a wider American audience. Endy Zemenides, HALC's Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis to break down why focusing on the US beyond Washington, DC matters, and discuss his latest piece in Kathimerini that asks whether Hellenes need to stop searching for political messiahs in the United States, particularly the oval office.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Hellenism's futile search for an American messiah: From Carter to TrumpDendias hails Greek-Jewish ties, highlights strategic alliances with Israel and USA Conversation with Greek Defense Minister Nikos DendiasArchbishop Anastasios of Albania diesThousands protest over deadly train crash in Greece

Send us a textThis lecture by Rabbi Yisroel Bernath intertwines the historical story of Rabbi Leibel Alevsky's battle for public menorahs in Cleveland with the Maccabean revolt against Hellenist assimilation and the Torah portion Mikeitz. Rabbi Bernath explores the recurring theme of Jewish pride, from Joseph's unwavering identification as a Hebrew to the courage required to light public menorahs in defiance of opposition. The menorah, a symbol of both religious freedom and Jewish pride, challenges us to stand tall in our identity even when faced with societal pressures, reminding us that Jewish pride is the key to Jewish survival.Key TakeawaysJewish Pride in Action: Rabbi Leibel Alevsky's public menorah in Cleveland represents a modern-day Maccabean stand for Jewish dignity, despite opposition from both Jewish and non-Jewish communities.Freedom vs. Assimilation: Chanukah is not just about freedom from oppression but also about resisting the allure of assimilation and holding onto one's identity amidst societal pressures.Lessons from Joseph and Moses: The Torah portion Mikeitz contrasts Joseph's unwavering pride in his Hebrew heritage with Moses's initial identification as an Egyptian, illustrating the enduring importance of self-identification with one's faith and people.Symbol of Freedom: The public menorah is not merely a religious symbol; it is a universal symbol of freedom, shining a light against the darkness of cultural erasure and assimilation.Generational Responsibility: Just as we nurture self-esteem in our children, we must nurture Jewish self-esteem, inspiring pride in their heritage and identity.Sign up for Kabbalah of Mental Wellness HERE https://ndg.chabadsuite.net/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=61Support the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this half video for free, I discuss the historical circumstances and philosophical schools in the Roman Period. Still intoxicated from Hellenism, the Roman Stoics imbibed a syncretic blend of various philosophies that even included a vague notion of a universal "logos" principle, as we see in Marcus Aurelius' famous 'Meditations.' The full talk can be obtained by subscribing to JaysAnalysis at the PayPal links at my site. Orders for the Red Book are here: https://jaysanalysis.com/product/the-red-book-essays-on-theology-philosophy-new-jay-dyer-book/ Orders for new book here: https://jaysanalysis.com/product/meta-narratives-essays-on-philosophy-symbolism-new-jay-dyer-book-pre-orders/ Send Superchats at any time here: https://streamlabs.com/jaydyer/tip Use JAY50 promo code here https://choq.com for huge discounts - 50% off! Set up recurring Choq subscription with the discount code 'Jay60LIFE' 60 off now! R0kfin signup: https://rokfin.com/creator/jaydyer Join my site here: https://jaysanalysis.com/membership-account/membership-levels/ Music by Amid the Ruins 1453 https://www.youtube.com/@user-xd7ph6fe9cBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jay-sanalysis--1423846/support.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the last pagan ruler of the Roman Empire. Fifty years after Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and introduced a policy of tolerating the faith across the empire, Julian (c.331 - 363 AD) aimed to promote paganism instead, branding Constantine the worst of all his predecessors. Julian was a philosopher-emperor in the mould of Marcus Aurelius and was noted in his lifetime for his letters and his satires, and it was his surprising success as a general in his youth in Gaul that had propelled him to power barely twenty years after a rival had slaughtered his family. Julian's pagan mission and his life were brought to a sudden end while on campaign against the Sasanian Empire in the east, but he left so much written evidence of his ideas that he remains one of the most intriguing of all the Roman emperors and a hero to the humanists of the Enlightenment. With James Corke-Webster Reader in Classics, History and Liberal Arts at King's College, LondonLea Niccolai Assistant Professor in Classics at the University of Cambridge and Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics, Trinity College And Shaun Tougher Professor of Late Roman and Byzantine History at Cardiff UniversityProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:Polymnia Athanassiadi, Julian: An Intellectual Biography (first published 1981; Routledge, 2014)Nicholas Baker-Brian and Shaun Tougher (eds.), Emperor and Author: The Writings of Julian the Apostate (Classical Press of Wales, 2012)Nicholas Baker-Brian and Shaun Tougher (eds.), The Sons of Constantine, AD 337-361: In the Shadows of Constantine and Julian, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020)G.W. Bowersock, Julian the Apostate (first published 1978; Harvard University Press, 1997)Susanna Elm, Sons of Hellenism, Fathers of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome (University of California Press, 2012)Ari Finkelstein, The Specter of the Jews: Emperor Julian and the Rhetoric of Ethnicity in Syrian Antioch (University of California Press, 2018)David Neal Greenwood, Julian and Christianity: Revisiting the Constantinian Revolution (Cornell University Press, 2021)Lea Niccolai, Christianity, Philosophy, and Roman Power: Constantine, Julian, and the Bishops on Exegesis and Empire (Cambridge University Press, 2023)Stefan Rebenich and Hans-Ulrich Wiemer (eds), A Companion to Julian the Apostate (Brill, 2020)Rowland Smith, Julian's Gods: Religion and Philosophy in the Thought and Action of Julian the Apostate (Routledge, 1995)H.C. Teitler, The Last Pagan Emperor: Julian the Apostate and the War against Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2017)Shaun Tougher, Julian the Apostate (Edinburgh University Press, 2007)W. C. Wright, The Works of Emperor Julian of Rome (Loeb, 1913-23)