Podcasts about roman emperors

Ruled by an autocratic Emperor, Jesus lived in an area occupied by the mighty Roman Empire. How was this system of one-man rule established, and how did it flourished and operate at the time of Jesus’ birth, during his adult life, and the subsequent early Christian movement? Ee40. Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard book available at https://amzn.to/3RU7oyp Other books by Professor Mary Beard available at https://amzn.to/3LUQThQ Dan Snow's History Hit podcast available at https://amzn.to/48HlmtH ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Dan Snow's History Hit podcast (Episode 1290 - Roman Emperors with Mary Beard). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These days, having a child out of wedlock is pretty much a valid lifestyle choice in many cultures. I'm not saying that it's right, just that that's how it's perceived. But back in Jesus' day … man it was a huge scandal. Seriously.   A MISCONCEPTION Well, here we are hurtling towards Christmas. You know, it's interesting when you look at the candy cane – you know that simple little cane with the white and then the three small stripes and then the big stripe – and we think of it as a candy cane, but the confectioner who first created it, didn't create it as a candy cane. He created it as a "J" for Jesus and the white was there to symbolise the holiness of God and the three small stripes were there to symbolise the stripes on His back when He was beaten and the one thick stripe, the red stripe was there to symbolise the blood of Jesus. Isn't it funny how we take symbols to do with Christmas and a whole bunch of other things and we change their meaning – we re-interpret them – and I think it's really true of this thing that we call Christmas. You know, as I look at my four years studying at Bible College, the most profound thing that I learned was this – that theologians, and I can class myself as one of those – we love to take the stories of God in the Bible and snip them up and put them in little piles which we call doctrines. You know, the doctrine of the Trinity; the doctrine of original sin; the doctrine of the incarnation and so we think, "WOW, you know, I've sorted out God; I've got Him is little piles; I have a systematic theology and now I understand God." Well, in a sense that's good, because it's good to know what we believe and why we believe it and look at the whole council of God in His Word. But you know something, if that's all we do, I think maybe, we missed the point because God's chosen way of revealing Himself to us is mostly through stories. Stories throughout history of His engagement with His chosen people, Israel, and then in the New Testament, stories of His new promise; stories of His grace as the church grew out of a revelation of God through Jesus Christ. God speaks to us through His story in history and to me that's the most profound insight that I got after four years of Bible College. And no where is that more true than in Jesus. John in his Gospel calls Jesus the Word, "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus is God talking to us saying, "This is what I'm like." Jesus is a message in a bottle. And Jesus is unique – He is the only person in history, as the Son of God, who could have chosen the place, the time and the circumstances of His birth. Let's just think about that for a minute. It's true isn't it? If Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God – He is the only person in history that could have chosen the circumstances of His birth. Well, if that's true; if it was a deliberate choice, what is God saying to us about Himself through the manner in which Jesus came into the world, through this story that we now call Christmas. See, it's not some neat doctrine; it's not some neat theology of the incarnation. We learn about Christmas through the stories in Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and I guess, in a sense, many of us know them backwards. But Matthew begins, after the great, long genealogy that we looked at the other week – Matthew now begins with this story – if you've got a Bible, grab it, open it – we are going to Matthew, chapter 1, beginning at verse 18. It says this: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way." So in other words, here's the story. "When His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he decided to do that, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from God the Holy Spirit. She will bear you a son and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "look the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us". When Joseph awoke from the sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a Son and he named Him Jesus." So here's Mary, pregnant from the Holy Spirit. How? Well, Luke tells us the angel appeared to her and said, "Fear not!" Have you ever seen a Christmas card with "Fear not!" plastered across the front? Not really! So how to you think Mary felt? She gets spoken to by an angel; she gets told not to be afraid, "you're going to be pregnant because God the Holy Spirit is going to make you pregnant." Now how do you think it went when Mary told Joseph? Here's this single teenage girl from this place called Nazareth; Nowheresville and she wanders in with her belly swollen and she says to her fiancee, "Well, Joe, it's like this – I didn't sleep with anyone – God did this!" WOW! Would you believe her? Joseph didn't – he planned to dismiss her quietly because this was a society where getting pregnant out of wedlock was a disgraceful thing. I mean, the Hebrew law commanded the women who were caught in adultery be stoned to death so the social context was that it wasn't a life style choice; it was something that you stoned someone to death for. But Joseph has a dream. Remember he doesn't have a New Testament; he doesn't know how it's going to turn out. He has this subjective thing called a dream and even if it were true, what incredible pain. How many times would Mary have gone over the angel's words? How many times do you think Joseph would be second guessing his dream? How breathtakingly reckless was God to allow the whole future of humanity to hang on the responses of these two poorly educated, hapless, rural teenagers? I mean, we know Him as Lord, the Christ, the Son of God but His parents and family friends; Mary's little illegitimate baby; the bastard; the stigma. Yet that's what Jesus chose for Himself. That's why I've called this message, "The Illegitimate God". You and I, we read this story of Christmas with a sense of wander and awe and we know how it ended. Then, back then and there? Well, for them it was a scandal; it was a fantasy; it was, "Is God really doing this?"   SOME VISITORS So here we are looking at this story of Christmas – firstly, the way that this baby was conceived – the sense of scandal that would have followed Him around when He was a little child – but then He was born into this brutal, political climate. Let's read on the story; this space and time and situation that God chose for His Son to be born into. We are going to pick it up in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 1: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking, "Where is this child that has been born the King of the Jews, because we observed His star at it's rising and we have come to pay homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him. And calling together all the chief priests and the scribes and the people, he enquired of them, 'where the Messiah was to be born?' And they told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, "And you Bethlehem in the land of Judea, are by no means the least amongst the rulers of Judea, for from you shall come a ruler who is to be the Shepherd of His people, Israel." And the story goes on that Herod secretly called for the wise men and he told them, "Go and find this Jesus and come and tell me", because he wanted to kill Jesus. We look at the politics of Palestine and Israel today – the mess – there seems to be no solution – they just keep shooting each other and blowing each other up. Back then it wasn't much different! You had a brutal Roman empire and the Roman Emperor ruled over a whole bunch of countries including this little country called Israel. And under him you had a despot; an Herodian King. And then this Herodian dynasty – we know about Herod – they were sort of half breeds and they were illegitimate and they were in cahoots with the Romans – together they oppressed the people. The religious leaders were part of all that and there was this sense of hopelessness amongst the people. It was every bit as messy then as it is today. And into this malaise is born Jesus, the Son of God and then these wise men – these Magi (a Magi was an astrologer; a sooth sayer). All of this was forbidden in the Old Testament – people who worshipped the stars were to be stoned to death. And they came from where? From the East; from Babylon – eighty kilometres south of what today is Baghdad. And remember, Babylon was a place of horror and evil for first century Israelites because that's where in 587 and 586 BC they were exiled into slavery. So God invites the Magi; these astrologers from hell to come to the birth of His Son and to worship Him. If you and I were God would we have invited them? I don't think so. And yet God doesn't just invite them but how does He go and get them from Babylon to Bethlehem? Does He send them a prophet? Does He send them John the Baptist? Does He send them a letter? Does He send them the Scriptures? He doesn't do any of those, He sends them a star. You see, God chooses a symbol that they can understand and follow and brings them to worship this child. Babylon who once destroyed the temple and exiled the chosen people is now worshipping the true God. God may well have hated their sin but He loved them much more that He hated their sin. And then one night in a dream – if you flick over the page to Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 13 – Joseph has another dream, it says this: Now after the Magi had left, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: "Get up and take this child and His mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy Him. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother by night and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord, through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I have called My Son." See, here we go again – Joseph is having another dream – this subjective thing. It's not like he sits down and he reads the New Testament; he reads the Old Testament and God speaks to him through His Word. No, God spoke to Joseph through a dream and so Joseph and Mary and Jesus all became refugees. They had no rights; they had no land; they had no possessions; they were fleeing for their lives. There are thirty two point nine million refugees in the world today. That's grown by almost fifty percent in just twelve months. Jesus, the Son of God becomes a refugee. How long? What would they live on? Where would they live? Where would they go? Would they be safe? They had to endure hardship for the first few years of His little life. Would you or I, if we were God, have put our son through this? And you read on in Matthew, chapter 2, verses 16 to 18. "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. This massacre of the infants – have you ever seen a Christmas card about the massacre of the infants? See, we turn Christmas into this little pantomime, but the birth of Jesus into this world; the time when God stepped into this world and became man was a brutal time; it was a tough time and it was the time God chose for His Son. I mean, today we see suicide bombers in the Middle East and the shelling of targets and the shooting by snipers – imagine if you added to that the slaughter of all the children under two in and around Bethlehem – you don't see that on a Christmas card do you? What was God thinking by sending His Son into such a mess?   SO WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD? And then of course, after they returned from Egypt, Jesus and His family moved to Nazareth – you can read it in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 19. When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up and take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel for those who are seeking the child's life are now dead. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother and he went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea, in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and after being warned in a dream, he went to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: "He will be called a Nazarene." God allowed, indeed, constructed the circumstances so that the Son of God would grow up in the backblocks of nowhere – in Nazareth. Does anything good come out of Nazareth? And He became a carpenter; not the King; not the head of theology at Jerusalem seminary; not the chief grand whatever in the synagogue or the temple – a lowly carpenter. So what do we learn about God? If God chose the circumstances into which Jesus would be born; if He chose these two young teenagers; if He chose the stable in Bethlehem; if He chose Herod and the persecution and the flight, what does that tells us about God? If Jesus came to reveal God to us, what do we learn about God from the first Christmas? When you read through the Old Testament about God you see His sovereignty; His power; His hugeness; His transcendence. Isaiah says: To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal," says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see who created all these stars. See, God is great. Here at Christmas we see this greatness reduced to the size of the single fertilised egg – not even visible to the human eye. Born in the stable with the stench of cow dung and urine on the floor, hunted down, a refugee, the massacre of these infants around Him and then slinking back to Nazareth to eek out an ignominious existence as a carpenter, relying on two uneducated teenage bumpkins for safety and nurture – with always the hint of scandal – Mary's little illegitimate child. Well may God be great but hang on a minute, when you look at Christmas, my God is also small. My God is also humble. If you look at this theological doctrine of incarnation, Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man – He's different to us yet He's the same as us. But if we really ask ourselves the question, we would mostly conclude that Jesus was fundamentally different from you and me. But like Luther, I believe that if we are even to begin to understand what God is saying in Jesus, we have to draw the conclusion that Jesus is God, deep graven into the flesh. Like the candy cane – on the one hand, white and pure and blameless and different, but with a red stripe; with the blood, suffering like us, He lived, He suffered, He cried, He struggled, like us. That's the point of Christmas; that's the point of Jesus being born into these brutal circumstances, in such humble surrounds. This is God saying, "Jesus is like us". We can have the best doctrine of the incarnation and completely miss the point. God is humble. He shows us that in a profound way at Christmas. He chose the time. He chose the circumstances. He chose the stable and the animals in it. He connects with us. That's why Jesus says later in Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28: Come to Me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest in your souls." And later in John, chapter 16, verse 33: "I've said these things to you that in Me you might have peace for in this world you will have tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." What a contradiction! God, the sovereign God who created all the universe through Jesus, all things that were created were, in fact, created. And yet He calls Himself humble; He makes Himself low at Christmas time. But then everything about Jesus is a contradiction. On the one hand He's the Lion of Judah; on the other hand He's the Lamb of God. When I look at the Christmas story – just the way it is, just plain and simple – look at the circumstances that Jesus was born into, you know what I see? I see something that rings true; I see an authenticity; I see a Jesus who comes humbly into this world and then says, "Come to Me because I'm gentle, I'm humble of heart." I see a Jesus who was prepared to be a refugee; who is prepared to be under threat of death. It's an amazing thing, Christmas and you know, if we just look at it as a pantomime; if we just sing the wonderful little songs and still look at it as children, I think we miss the point. God chose an amazing time for Jesus to be born and we look at Christmas by knowing how it all ended up. We've read the whole New Testament; we have the benefit of knowing that He died and rose again and the church grew up out of that and two thousand years on, you know, we are living the life. So we look back at Christmas through a whole bunch of history and stuff that those people, at that time, simply didn't have. Philip Yancey sums it up this way – I love what he says. This is what he writes: "He is the image of the invisible God; the first born over all creation," an apostle would later write, "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together," But the few eye witnesses on Christmas night saw none of those things. They saw an infant struggling to work never before used lungs. It's the story of a God who steps out of heaven, powerful, transcendent, able to choose anything He wants – He chooses Mary and Joseph; He chooses a stable; He chooses for His Son to become a refugee; He chooses for His Son to grow up in Nazareth as a carpenter. God speaks to us through this Christmas story. God went to extraordinary lengths to say this: "I am humble of heart. I have come to be one of you. I have come to walk in your shoes, in your skin, to experience all the things that you experience." It's the message of Christmas. A God who reaches out in the most amazing way; in the most startling way; in a way that we would never have done if we were God – and speaks to us His love and His desire to have a relationship with us. That is what Christmas is about.

Feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of modern life? Discover how a Roman Emperor's private journal, written almost 2,000 years ago, can help you build unshakable inner peace. In this episode, we distill the timeless wisdom of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, a 2000-year-old operating manual for the human mind that was never meant to be published. Show notes / PDF, Infographic and Animated Summary This is your practical guide to Stoic philosophy in action. Learn how to conquer laziness, transform obstacles into opportunities, and find your true purpose by focusing only on what you can control. In this summary of Meditations, you will learn: How to react to other people's malice without losing your peace of mind. Why remembering your own mortality is the ultimate tool for motivation and focus. How to build your “Inner Citadel”—a mental fortress that protects you from external chaos. Why your true purpose is to serve the common good, not to chase empty pleasures. How to turn every obstacle you face into a new path forward. Ready to explore these Stoic and meaning-packed titles in more depth? Get full access to the StoryShots library—ad-free text, audio, animated summaries, and infographics for Meditations and 1 million more books. Join 1 million+ learners who are outgrowing their past selves, one summary at a time. Download the StoryShots app for free to access the full summary, infographic, and audiobook of Meditations. What's one Stoic practice from this summary that you'll actually try tonight or tomorrow? Let us know by sending us a tweet @storyshots. For more, subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and YouTube. Don't forget to sign up for our free newsletter for more great content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back with vengeance!Want to see Sam Tripoli live? Grab tickets at http://SamTripoli.com:Minneapolis: Dec 11th-13thMorris Plain, NJ: New Year's EveAtlantic City, Nj: Word War Debate Live At Caesars Palace Jan 10thCheck out Sam Tripoli's new comic book "Chaos Twins!" 2nd issue is about to drop!Visit www.chaostwins.com to support Sam's family-friendly project!Check out Sam Tripoli's 3rd Crowd Work Special "Barbecued: Live From Kansas City" Sept 20th on Youtube.com/SamTripoliComedyWatch Sam's comedy special here: www.youtube.com/samtripoliPlease check out Sam Tripoli's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/samtripoliPlease check out Midnight Mike's Internet:The OBDM Podcast Website: https://ourbigdumbmouth.com/Twitter: https://x.com/obdmpodCheck out the Naked Gardener's Band:The 3rd Pyramid Band - Topichttps://bit.ly/4fpNMMr1. Nagoro Scarecrow Village - @ jumperspodcast2. Squirrel child - @ the_last_messiah_3. CIA rascal - @ robdwillis4. Garth Brooks is a serial killer- @ futurenowshow5. Missing 411 & underground tunnels - @ holikela6. “The mamas and the papas”- @ chaney_in_wonderland7. Ghost Church - @ jumperspodcast8. Black mirror tech confirmed - @ seanmikekelly9. Edward Berney being the father of propaganda & manipulation - @ shawnryanshow10. Root canal scam - @ newstart_202411. Trapped shards of divine light - @ blayden.k12. CIA is working globally - @ laralogan13. 92 video tapes - @ necessaryinformation14. Alien hybrids working in our society - @ acidforsquares15. Roman Emperor's deaths - @ magnifyvideos16. golden doodle doom- @ the_life_professor17. Amish kids clean their schools - @classicallearner18. Humpty Dumpty- @ curiousitygeek19. Talking to the dead through ai- @ ninjasarebutterflies20. Paranormal intrudes on code word- @ jumperspodcast21. Mind reading in eastern culture - @ shaynevibes_truth22. Wizard of oz 1985 sequel paralleling russian revolution - @ kpburkesucks23. morgue monster or master - @ investogatorslater24. Walking through wall patent - @ scottythekid25. Mastered men - @ jcw177626. Heroin from afghanistan - @ the.chris.hedges.reports27. Racoon want to be domesticated - @ ninjasarebutterflies28. Wigger alert- @ wiggerheaven29. Japanese game show doom- @ mappy698430. ‘I dont like poor people” - white privileged woman - @ clownworld31. Captain Hook.. respectful? - @ akwakenedoutlaw32. Woman had twins but involved two different dads- @conspriacysocialclubakadeepwaters33. “It would take a quarter horse to satisfy me”- @bananahousetv34. Horsepower - @ n/ a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:45:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/244 http://relay.fm/focused/244 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. clean 4353 David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Video for this episode Focused YouTube channel Give the Gift of Relay The Focused Calendar Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Time Timer The Personal Retreat Planner The Blanc Media 8-Week Work Cycle with Sabbaticals Focused #239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson Focused #225: Tiny Experiments, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff Focused #232: Useful Not True, with Derek Sivers Focused #242: The Case for Analog 1911 KOP Ebonite Naginata-Togi Fountain Pen Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with PO Nib | The Gentleman Stationer Diamine Writer's Blood Ink Review | The Pen Addict Why My Platinum Century 3776 Fountain Pens Have Architect Grinds | Chicana Writes Ink Review #189: Robert Oster Bondi Blue | Mountain of Ink Rolls MS111 Mic Switch Latching or Momentary Microphone Mute Switch | Amazon Toxic Grit by Amanda Goetz

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:45:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/244 http://relay.fm/focused/244 You're Holding It Wrong 244 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. clean 4353 David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Video for this episode Focused YouTube channel Give the Gift of Relay The Focused Calendar Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Time Timer The Personal Retreat Planner The Blanc Media 8-Week Work Cycle with Sabbaticals Focused #239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson Focused #225: Tiny Experiments, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff Focused #232: Useful Not True, with Derek Sivers Focused #242: The Case for Analog 1911 KOP Ebonite Naginata-Togi Fountain Pen Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with PO Nib | The Gentleman Stationer Diamine Writer's Blood Ink Review | The Pen Addict Why My Platinum Century 3776 Fountain Pens Have Architect Grinds | Chicana Writes Ink Review #189: Robert Oster Bondi Blue | Mountain of Ink Rolls MS111 Mic Switch Latching or Momentary Microphone Mute Switch | Amazon Toxic Grit by Amanda Goetz

In the third episode of our Norman Conquest series, we look at the life and times of the second of our claimants to the English throne in 1066: Harald Sigurdson, King of Norway. When a teenaged Harald's life is upended by Cnut's invasion of Norway in 1028, he builds a new life for himself as a mercenary in Kyiv, and eventually as an honour guard for the Roman Emperors themselves. Along the way, he'll have to contend with Arab armies, a sexually voracious Empress, and even a giant serpent. It's a pulpy, action-packed adventure story for the whole family! Assuming any of that is true, anyway. Which... eh. We'll get into it. Join the Weird Medieval Guys discord today: https://discord.gg/S36vz4jD98Music used: "Olav Trygvason", recorded by GULDBERGS AKADEMISKE KOR (https://archive.org/details/78_olav-trygvason_guldbergs-akademiske-kor-f-a-reissiger-arild-sandvold_gbia7026768b)

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:30:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/243 http://relay.fm/focused/243 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. clean 4885 Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Guest Starring: Thom Gibson Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Work-From-Home Dads Kolbe A™ Index Takes Two Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Plus Minus Next Journaling | Ness Labs Moleskine Notebooks Pilot G2 0.7mm Black Fine Retractable Gel Ink Pen Rollerball | Amazon Day Pass by Sling TV Explore Stream Deck | Elgato Sparky's BIonics | YouTube The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday Focused #239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway

History remembers the fall of Rome as inevitable... but buried in the chaos is one man who almost flipped the script. In today's episode, Ben is joined by Matthew and Matteo of the Lost Roman Heroes Podcast to talk about Majorian. He wasn't a pampered emperor; he was a frontline warrior who carved his way through enemies and politics alike, determined to rebuild an empire everyone else had already written off. He reformed corrupt systems, rallied shattered armies, and launched one of the boldest comeback attempts in Roman history. And just when it looked like he might actually pull it off… well, that's where things get wild. This is the story of the last emperor who truly tried to save Rome - and the brutal twist that changed everything.

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:30:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/243 http://relay.fm/focused/243 The Single Source of Truth is On the Fridge, with Thom Gibson 243 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. clean 4885 Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Guest Starring: Thom Gibson Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Work-From-Home Dads Kolbe A™ Index Takes Two Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Plus Minus Next Journaling | Ness Labs Moleskine Notebooks Pilot G2 0.7mm Black Fine Retractable Gel Ink Pen Rollerball | Amazon Day Pass by Sling TV Explore Stream Deck | Elgato Sparky's BIonics | YouTube The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday Focused #239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway

Roman Emperors were famous for many things, including their often referenced apparent insanity. Part of this was a result of their upbringing and megalomania, and another part was probably metal poisoning. Either way, Caligula's appointing of a horse as consul, Domitian's ascent to godhood and his staged naval battles, Commondus' rigged games, Elagabalus' and Carinus' appointment of prostitutes and dregs to office, and Diocletian's persecution of those the mob detested, are all examples of this insanity. However, how is any of this different than what we see happening today? Biden's appointment of a mentally ill crossdresser to the DOE, the half-nude rainbow parties on the White House lawn, and his crackhead son nearby, are a Democrat example of the insane emperor motif, not to mention the dementia, drugs, cue cards, and military erraticism. Republicans may like to think this doesn't apply to them, but they would be mistaken. Trump's admin is not only plagued with mental decline, drugs, cue cards, and erratic military aggression, but parties with half-naked women, arrogant allegiance to a foreign power, and persecution of citizens in favor of foreign nations and random Christians in Nigeria. Carinus even appointed a forger to sign his papers, not unlike Biden's autopen or Trump's signing of whatever Stephen Miller hands him. This is all on par with countries appointing morbidly obese health ministers. It's all about intimidation, psych-warfare, and hubris, the latter of which the Romans said was the machine of tyranny. If hubris was the machine, then willing citizens to this tyranny are the fuel. But most are willing to wear their underwear on the outisde and change them every thirty minutes for the glorious new leader. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITEBuyMe-CoffeePaypal: rdgable1991@gmail.comCashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

With so much money and power, royals were able to invent some pretty unique and creative ways to slay their enemies, or accidentally seal their own doom. From a Chinese Emperor's deadly elixir of life to a steamy Roman romance that got a little too scalding hot. From a court jester so hilarious he made a Spanish king litrally die laughing, to a Swedish King's massive last meal of caviar, champagne and cream puffs. Let's dig up 10 truly bizarre royal deaths. 1. Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt 1507–1458 BC, Toxic Lotion 2. Qin Shi Huangdi, Emperor of China 259 - 210 BC, Deadly Elixir of Life 3. Valerian, Roman Emperor 199 – 264, Forced to Drink Molten Gold 4. Fausta, Roman Empress 326, Boiled in the Bath 5. Henry I, King of England, 1068 – 1135, Over indulged in lampreys 6. Phillippe, Prince of France, 1116-1131, Horse tripped by a pig 7. Martin, King of Aragon & Sicily 1356 – 1410, Laughed to death 8. Charles II, King of Navarre 1332 – 1387, Soaked in brandy, caught fire 9. Adolf Frederick King of Sweden 1710 – 1771, Ate himself to death 10. Alexander King of Greece 1893 – 1920, bite by monkey Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091781568503 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyteatimelindsayholiday/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyteatime Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes! Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell Music: Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns, Public Domain, Performed by Kevin MacLeod #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He should have been the Roman Emperor, but Sultan Mehmet put a stop to that when he sacked Constantinople.  So how do you pass the time when you no longer have a role in life? Party!!! Join our Patreon family for yet more episodes - Tudoriferous | creating a Podcast discussing the great, good and mad Tudor Era | Patreon

In much of the world, fall has arrived: a time for pumpkin spiced fajitas, cozy, warm L'eggs (TM), and candy corn suppositories. But in the magical world of Beatlefestlandia, it's always 85 degrees, Simon Kirke is hanging out with Eddie Deezen, and everyone gets a picture sleeve of Ringo's “You're 16”! Let's Huey Lewis and the Fake News (#Fox) our way back in time, to August, as we proudly present - in colour! - the global podcast premiere of “The Beatlefest for Beatles Fans”! BYO colostomy bag o'wine, as Tony, T.J., Producer Casey, P3Z-Nutz, and a Sgt. Pepper movie finale-worthy cast of thousands (tens?) head to Rosemont to kick summer's lazy ass one last time. Incredibly (bit much?), this year marks the UB3 (#Cantaloop) sharing the Fest for Beatles Fans together, as a trio, for what feels like the first time! Feels like the very first time! Speaking of Foreigner, If the Roman Emperor from 54 to 68 AD, a.k.a. “The Antichrist”, was a fan, would he have been a Juke Box Nero? (Angry Chicago guy: AND HOW COME THEY ASK JAGBAG QUESTIONS NOW BEFORE THEY EVEN GET TO THE PART OF THE BLURB WHERE THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA ASK DUMBASS QUESTIONS? AND HOW COME CHICAGO MEDIA DON'T COVER THE WHITE SOX NO MORE JUST CAUSE THEY AIN'T IN THE PLAYOFFS? AND HOW COME THE WOKE BLACKHAWKS GOT A THEME NIGHT DEDICATED TO…”) Sssssh. He's asleep. His snoring is disturbing, a tell-tale sign that he'll die soon. His son is a dancer, doing “Carousel” in Peoria, and has a roommate named Raoul. Life is tragic for this broken soul, but the sun will rise tomorrow, and when it does, he'll…… Ssssssh, this author is now asleep. Emotionally. Fin.   EPISODE LINKS Like and subscribe! Please support our scrappy show. Score some BRAND NEW MERCH or find us on Patreon. Come hang with us on Facebook/Instagram/and now TikTok! Drop us a review on Apple Podcasts! 13 Green Potatoes by MENDOZA on Bandcamp/Apple Music/Spotify! (and other streamers)

LONDINIUM CHRONICLES: GAIUS & GERMANICUS PHILOSOPHIZE Summary of Audio Part 1 Gaius and Germanicus, reflecting on 21st-century events from Londinium, compare the American "princeps" (emperor) issuing ultimatums against "gangsters" in places like Gaza and Caracas to the Roman precedent of figures like Pompey suppressing the Cilician pirates, noting that emperors do not negotiate. Germanicus suggests the current US administration's approach of reducing direct administrative control over allies while maintaining titular supremacy is reminiscent of how the Roman Emperor in Constantinople dealt with emerging barbarian kingdoms by bestowing Roman titles like Consul and Patrician. They debate whether Europe's recent emergency meeting in Copenhagen regarding a "drone wall" signifies European independence or a success of the US princeps' policy of creative retrenchment, criticizing the arbitrary basis of 20th-century alliances like NATO and the discredited domino theory.

Today we – and the Habsburgs – stride back on to the grand stage of European politics. Not with a titan of history or monarch whose long and fruitful reign resonates across the centuries, but with Friedrich III, better known as the Reichserzschlafmütze - the imperial arch sleepy head, Or perhaps more fittingly the imperial arch dawdler.He ruled from 1440 to 1493, a total of 53 years - the longest reign of any Holy (or unholy) Roman Emperors (bar Constantine VIII). And yet, is also the most derided of reigns. In 1878 the Historian Georg Voigt sneered: “He was not remotely capable of handling such far-reaching politics, leaving Bohemia to its own devices, the Hungarian throne dispute to the helpless queen dowager, Austria to the arrogant dynasts, and the mercenary and robber bands.” “His light, simple hair, his long face with little movement, and his sedate gait betrayed a sluggish, deliberate nature, to which any enthusiasm, indeed any excitement, was alien. His love of peace has been endlessly mocked, but it was based on a completely dull sense of manhood and honour. No prince was so easily consoled by such insolent and repeated insults.” End quote.Modern historians are kinder, praising his thorough education and dogged determination to preserve what was left of the majesty of the Holy Roman Emperors. But even they can't avoid calling him flabby, underhand and happy to sell out his friends and allies. Not exactly the kind of guy one wants to spend three or four episodes with. But this is history, not Hollywood. The nice guys do not usually win by yanking hard on the levers of destiny. More often than not tenacious men of low cunning, who weasel their way through, are the ones who are bringing the results.And results he did get. At the end of his reign, the empire had changed profoundly. The open constitution of the Middle Ages had given way to a denser and more structured organization.Why and how Friedrich III – despite all his many shortcomings - got to move the needle of German history is what we will look at over the next few weeks.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

Read OnlineHerod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” Luke 9:7–8Herod the tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas, ruled the Jews of Galilee for some forty-two years. He began his reign in 2 BC and continued to reign until he was exiled by the Roman Emperor in 37 AD. During his reign, he spent much time in Tiberias, one of the main cities on the western edge of the Sea of Galilee. Most of Jesus' ministry took place within the region of Herod's domain, all of Galilee, so Herod was very aware of the many stories about Jesus.Today's Gospel concludes by saying that Herod kept trying to see Jesus. Of course, Herod, just like anyone living in that region, could have traveled to where Jesus was preaching so as to listen to Him at any time. But he didn't do that. Instead, he continued to receive reports about Jesus and remained curious about Him, trying to find a way to figure out Who Jesus was.Try to imagine what would have happened if Herod would have traveled to where Jesus was preaching so as to listen to Him with an open heart. If he would have done that, and truly listened, Herod would have received one of the greatest gifts imaginable. He would have received the gift of faith and conversion and would have begun down the road toward eternal salvation. But Herod was living an immoral life. He was known to be a cruel leader and also an unrepentant adulterer. He loved his power and was quite jealous of it. Herod most likely knew, at least in the back of his mind, that if he were to listen to Jesus, he would have to change. And he most likely didn't want to change.This presents us all with a powerful lesson. Each one of us can easily dismiss various communications and invitations from our Lord, because, deep down, we do not want to change. God is speaking to us all day long, every day of our lives. He is constantly offering us His message of the full Gospel. And though you may be open to much of what God says, there are most likely parts of His divine message that you either knowingly or unknowingly do not listen to. The key to being able to hear everything that God wants to speak to you is to be disposed to completely change in any and every way that God wants you to change.Reflect, today, upon Herod. First, reflect upon his curiosity about Jesus. This is a good quality, in that it's much better than being indifferent. From there, think also about the fact that Herod never went to Jesus to listen to Him. His first meeting with Jesus was on the night of His arrest, when he interrogated our Lord and made fun of Him. As you consider Herod's obstinacy, use it as an examination of your own life. Where you see any small reflection of obstinacy, fear of change or a closed heart, seek to remedy that by turning to our Lord telling Him you are open to all He wishes to say and that you are ready and willing to change in any way He calls you to do so. Do not fear the change our Lord wants of you. Embracing that change will land you on the quick and narrow road toward true holiness of life.My ever-present Lord, You call to me day and night, inviting me to change as I listen to Your holy Word. I thank You for these constant promptings of grace and commit myself to remain open to all that You ask of me. I choose You, my Lord. And as I turn to You, I pray that I will have the courage I need to respond wholeheartedly to Your call. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: John Rogers Herbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:15:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/239 http://relay.fm/focused/239 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. clean 5634 Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free. Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. 1Password: Discover SaaS applications, automate lifecycle management, and optimize SaaS spend. Guest Starring: Donald Robertson Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Donald's Substack (Newsletter + Podcast) How to Think Like Socrates by Donald J. Robertson How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald J. Robertson All of Donald's books Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:15:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/239 http://relay.fm/focused/239 How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson 239 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. clean 5634 Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free. Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. 1Password: Discover SaaS applications, automate lifecycle management, and optimize SaaS spend. Guest Starring: Donald Robertson Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Donald's Substack (Newsletter + Podcast) How to Think Like Socrates by Donald J. Robertson How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald J. Robertson All of Donald's books Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

In the second episode of our special Habsburg dynasty series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by renowned historian Professor Geoffrey Parker to uncover the extraordinary life of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor—once hailed as the “Monarch of the World.”By the time he abdicated in 1556, Charles presided over the first truly global empire, stretching from the Netherlands and Spain to Austria, Naples, and the Americas, including Peru and the New World. As King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, and Lord of the Netherlands, Charles' titles only hinted at the scale of his power.Yet behind the grandeur lay contradictions: a ruler torn between faith and politics, unity and fragmentation, ambition and exhaustion. Drawing on decades of research and thousands of surviving documents, Professor Parker paints a vivid portrait of Charles V's reign—one that defined 16th-century Europe and shaped the course of world history.MORE:When Women Ruled the Low CountriesIsabel & Ferdinand: Renaissance Power CouplePresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first chapter of Mark's gospel, Mark declares, that Jesus is the gospel, or in every day English, the good news. The word “gospel” is that the Romans, the ones who ruled Judea in the time of Jesus, had already been using that same word for years.  In the Roman world, when they pronounced a gospel, messengers were sent throughout the empire to share the “good news” that a new Roman Emperor had come to power. Mark puts his own slant on the term “gospel”. To Mark, the good news is a person. Jesus is the gospel. This is how Mark starts the story of Jesus. With good news about a man from Nazareth, the Son of God. A man who identifies himself with the poor and common folk, who meets us in our suffering, and who goes into the wilderness on our behalf to win our freedom. And that is good news.

Professor Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins join Tristan in this episode all about Greece and Rome - the two greatest civilisations of classical antiquity.How did the Romans borrow, adapt, and sometimes rival Greek culture? What did they admire and what did they reject? From temples and theatre to politics and philosophy, join us as two of the UK's most celebrated classicists explore the cultural dialogue at the heart of the ancient Mediterranean.MORERoman Emperors with Mary BeardHow to Survive in Ancient RomePresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan and the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.LIVE SHOW: Buy tickets for The Ancients at the London Podcast Festival here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/the-ancients-2/Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which would be better for a fling, which would you not touch with a barge pole, and which is marriage material? There's only one way to find out.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don't forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH 05: Overview of the Book of Acts and of the 1st Century Roman Emperors (2015 classes) Send us a textSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast!If you have any questions, subjects you would like to hear discussed, or feedback of any kind, you can contact us at:greengac@yahoo.com or through the links below, where you can find additional information about our work as well as other materials: Green Gospel Assembly Church – The Church that is Different (church website)

In this episode of The Via Stoica Podcast, Benny and Brendan speak with Dr. Ranjini George, a writer, teacher, and scholar who bridges the worlds of East and West. Formerly an Associate Professor of English at Zayed University in Dubai, and now teaching Creative Writing and Arts & Humanities at the University of Toronto, Dr. George brings decades of experience exploring the overlap between philosophy, literature, and lived practice.We trace her journey from growing up in India and Kenya, to teaching in Oman and Dubai, to immigrating to Canada, where she began weaving meditation, Buddhism, and Stoicism into her teaching and writing. Dr. George shares how Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and Thich Nhat Hanh's writings became constant companions, how Donald Robertson's How to Think Like a Roman Emperor deepened her Stoic path, and why she believes both traditions offer a daily, practical way to train the mind.The conversation explores where Buddhism and Stoicism align, in mindfulness, compassion, and resilience, and where they diverge. We talk about journaling as a form of self-inquiry, the importance of suffering “intelligently,” and what it means to pursue meaningful work without being consumed by comparison or self-cherishing. Dr. George also reflects on her books Through My Mother's Window and her works-in-progress, Blue Flowers and Miracle of Flowers, and how storytelling itself can be a philosophical act.Whether you are drawn to Buddhism, Stoicism, or simply the search for a good life, this episode offers insight into building your own philosophy of life with compassion, wisdom, and presence.You can explore Dr. Ranjini George's novel excerpt on Modern Stoicism: https://modernstoicism.com/blue-flowers-novel-excerpt-by-ranjini-george/You can also find her teaching at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: https://learn.utoronto.caSupport the showhttps://viastoica.comhttps://viastoica.com/stoic-life-coachinghttps://viastoica.com/benny-vonckenhttps://viastoica.com/brendan-hoglehttps://x.com/ViaStoicainfo@viastoica.comProduced by: http://badmic.com

The Alexander the Great Dilemma: To Conquer the World or to Conquer the Self What is true power? Is it found in conquering the world like Alexander the Great, or is it discovered in the quiet, resolute mastery of one's own mind? This podcast explores the two greatest conquests available to humanity: the world around us, and the universe within. New Happiness Podcast episode with Dr. Robert Puff, Newport Beach Psychologist

On this week's episode, we make our three-quarter season of the award picks for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year, and make our picks for the World Series with 40 or so games left in the season. From there, we discuss Roman Anthony's eight-year, $130 million extension with the Red Sox that buys out all of his pre-arbitration, and first-three free agent years, and Jen Pawol making history over the weekend as the first female umpire at the big league level. To wrap up, we discuss Alex Wood's retirement, and how Old Timer's Day made us long for the Yankees of the past.

In the same year that he suffered martyrdom for the faith, St. Cyprian wrote a letter warning a friend that the Roman Emperor had begun persecuting Christians. What did St. Cyprian write? Find out on today's reflection from Fr. Kubicki.

In this episode we have calls from Evil Jeff (Minions & Musings) and Mike the Meek with comments about Sigmund Freud and alignment. I also give an update on my "D&D with Drama Kids" campaign and pose a question: What is on your charater's playlist?Check out my review of Superman with Jason on the latest Nerd's RPG Variety Cast.And here's the book Mirke mentions about How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. Send me a message!​Email me at arcane.alienist@gmail.com​Leave a voicemail at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Speakpipe⁠

In part 2 of our series on the 21 Ecumenical Church Councils, Justin Hibbard discusses some of the challenges in the early church particularly in the third to early fourth centuries that led to the Council of Nicaea. Why was an ecumenical church council really only possible in the early fourth century? What were some of the key places, people, and events that led to the church desperately needing to meet in order to keep the Church (and the Roman Empire) from splitting apart?HOW TO SUPPORT THIS PODCAST* Become a free subscriber or a patron of Why Catholic? and get the next episode and a discount code to the Why Catholic Etsy shop in your email inbox.* Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support this podcast).* Invite Justin to speak at your next event. Inquire at whycatholic@substack.com.SOCIAL LINKS* Follow Why Catholic on Instagram.* Subscribe to Why Catholic on YouTube.KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:* Lapsi - Those Christians who lapsed during the Roman persecution by renouncing their faith. * Antioch (Syria) & Alexandria (Egypt) - Major metropolitan sees of Christianity.* Paul of Samosata - Bishop of Antioch from 260-268, influential in unitarian theology. * Unitarianism - Overarching heterodox belief that there is one God in one single person. Other persons like Jesus or the Holy Spirit are not divine.* Trinitarianism - Orthodox theological position that there is one God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.* Arianism - Heterodox unitarian theology promoted by Arius that claimed that Jesus was created by God. * Arius - Founder of the major heresy of Arianism. Originally from Libya, studied in Antioch, and was ordained (and then excommunicated) in Alexandria.* Melitius of Lycopolis - Bishop of Lycopolis (Egypt) that performed unauthorized ordinations in the See of Alexandria, including ordaining Arius to the Diaconate.* Constantine the Great - Conquered the Roman Empire in 312 and became the first Roman Emperor who was an ally of Christianity. * Edict of Milan - Document issued by Constantine in 313 that legalized the practice of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. * Eusebius of Nicomedia - Bishop of Nicomedia who was a major advisor in Constantine's court and aggressively promoted Arianism. * Hosius of Córdoba - Influential Latin-speaking bishop from modern day Spain who who as an advisor to Constantine. SOURCES:* The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History by Joseph Kelly* History of the Popes Podcast (Beginning with Episode 27)* First Council of Nicaea | Church Councils Explained (Part 1)* Episode 146: Introduction to the 21 Ecumenical Councils* Church History by Eusebius* Timeline of the Roman Emperors* Chi Rho Symbol* Constantine the Great* Roman Empire Under Constantine* Thalia by Arius Get full access to Why Catholic? at whycatholic.substack.com/subscribe

2 Corinthians 11:16-33 - Boasting as a Fool Please remain standing. Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 11:16-33. Please turn there. It is on page 1152. In this passage, the apostle Paul comes back to the theme of boasting. He introduced it in chapter 10. Remember, our boasting should be in the Lord and his work, not ourselves and our work. That was in contrast to the super apostles, who boasted in themselves. That is why, at the beginning of chapter 11, Paul had the most pointed critique of them yet. They taught a different Gospel and were actually messengers of Satan. That brings us to our text this morning. As you will hear, Paul hates their boasting. But to counter the super apostles, he first sarcastically boasts in his credentials and then surprisingly he boasts in something very different. Listen for those things as I read. Reading of 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Prayer On the world stage, there is no shortage of bragging and arrogance. I'm talking mainly about world leaders. I think there's been an increase over the last couple of decades. We certainly saw it back in the late1990s with Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Vladimir Putin in Russia has certainly displayed a confident arrogance in his 25 years of power. And no matter your political opinions, I think everyone here would agree: our current president is quite the self-promoter, and I'm being kind. Now, don't be distracted by that comment. Stay with me. Let me say that none of this is new. If we go back to the first century in the Roman Empire, boasting was at a similar high. In fact, I read in a commentary this week that Ceasar Augustus, one of the great Roman Emperors, raised the bar of self-promotion. Near the end of his life, Augustus wrote a short treatise about himself. Listen to the title - “The Deeds of the Divine Augustus.” It was released in the year of his death, AD 14. In it, Augustus highlighted all of his successes – his military accomplishments, his public works, his diplomacy, and his reforms in the empire. You can find it online. In it, you will read over and over. “I did this, I did that.” I triumphed over such and such nations. I built the senate house and the capital building. Four times, I helped the senatorial treasury with my own money. I restored peace to the sea from pirates. I gave shows of gladiators under my name. I extended the borders of the empire… etc. etc. This kind of self-absorbed boasting permeated the culture of the Roman Empire. And to give a little historical context, it was published about 60 years after Corinth was re-settled as a Roman city; 20 years before Jesus' crucifixion, and about 40 years before Paul wrote 2 Corinthians. So, it is no surprise that the false apostles in Corinth praised themselves. That is what you did if you were to be known and honored. We've seen it over and over, these “super apostles” did not live by the Spirit with a humble and contrite heart. No, rather they lived by the world's standards and beliefs and lifestyle. And part of that was to elevate themselves and their own self-defined credentials. As we just read, the apostle Paul hated it. In verses 16 to 21 he calls it all foolishness. In fact, look at verse 19. He writes to the church, “for you gladly bear with fools.” So, not only was their boasting foolish, but the false apostles themselves were fools. That word fool or foolish, if you remember from our Proverbs study, can be understood either as passively ignorant, you know, not really knowing any better… or being foolish can be understood in a more active way, someone being unwise with a senseless arrogance. That second understanding best fits the context. Paul even sarcastically calls the Corinthians “wise.” You see that in the second half of 19. “For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!” It wasn't wisdom at all, but rather foolishness. So, that was part of the problem in Corinth. The arrogant boasting of the culture had come to the church through the super-apostles. So, what does Paul do? Well, for a brief moment, he enters into their boasting. It is like he is saying, since you are foolishly boasting, let me show you what this foolish boasting is like. He doesn't want to toot his own horn, but he feels like he has to in order answer the super apostles. That why he says in verse 16, “…let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.” He goes on in 17, “What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.” Can you sense it? Paul can't stand boasting. Nonetheless, he is compelled to do it. The false apostles were enslaving the Corinthians with their lies and deceit. To use some of the other words in verse 20. They were “devouring” them and “taking advantage” of them. The false apostles had “air” of superiority. In all of it, they were in essence “striking [the church] in the face.” But really, they had nothing on Paul. Paul's fleshly credentials were greater than theirs. He says in verse 22, “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.” He could have gone on with his worldly credentials. In other places in Scripture he mentions that he is from the tribe of Benjamin. He was among the few. Furthermore, he had been an esteemed Pharisee. But he says in his letter to the Philippians chapter 3 that he “counts it all loss for the sake of Christ.” There is something far greater, and that is his identity in Christ. “Corinthian church, you have bought into this ungodly boasting. It is all foolishness. And even if you go by the super apostles foolish criteria, they still do not measure up.” Any and all boasting in human strength and ability is self-centered and not Christ-centered. It is foolishness because (1) it does not recognize God and his Glory and his gifts, (2) it does not recognize our sin and our unworthiness apart from Christ, and (3) boasting in human strength does not acknowledge that all good gifts come from him alone. Now, we covered some of that a couple of weeks ago. But we learn something very interesting here in the middle of chapter 11. We learn, there is something that we can boast about in our lives. We can boast in our weakness. Jump down to verse 30. “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” Verses 23 to really the middle of chapter 12 are specifically about that. Boasting in weakness. Now, boasting in our weakness does not mean glorifying failure or seeking pity. It is not drawing attention to ourselves as a victim. Nor is it seeking our identity in suffering. The apostle Paul is not doing any of that, here.   So then, what is boasting in weakness? It is giving glory to God who sustains us in our weakness. And it is recognizing that the Lord has gone before us in our suffering. Just as he endured the weakness of the flesh and affliction from the world, so too, in him, God will sustain and use us in our weakness. I just want to make that clear. As we look at this, there are two things that the apostle focuses on. First, here in chapter 11 he focuses on the affliction that he received as a result of his ministry. You know, all the things that he suffered as an apostle. Second, when we get to the beginning of chapter 12, he focuses on the weakness of the flesh. Paul will write about his thorn in the flesh. We'll get to that next week. But today, let's consider this unbelievable list of Paul's suffering and God's protection. Go back up to verse 23. Paul begins, “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one” Now, put yourself in the shoes of the Corinthians. What do you think they expected Paul to say, next? Perhaps they expected him to give a Caesar Augustus type list: I, Paul, planted 13 churches; I saw the risen Lord, himself, on the road to Damascus; I raised Eutychus from the dead; I cast out demons in Jesus name; I healed the sick; I confounded the Greek philosophers in Athens. Etc. etc. But he doesn't do that. No, instead, he rattles off a most surprising list. All the things that he suffered (so far!) as an apostle. And it is overwhelming. God sustained him over and over and over to bring the Gospel all throughout the northern Mediterranean. Only a portion of this list is included in the book of Acts. Acts is the history of the early church. ·      Paul was imprisoned multiple times. In Phillipi, which we read about earlier, he was beaten and then imprisoned with his feet in stocks. ·      He mentions, here, multiple beating with rods. In Lystra he was stoned outside the city and left for dead. ·      The most severe thing on this list is the forty lashes minus 1. It was a Jewish punishment for breaking the law. The guilty party would be severely whipped. Each lash would score the skin of the recipient. It would create what was called a stripe. A bloodied line across the back that would eventually scar. 39 lashes was one short of 40. More than 40 would have broken the Jewish law, so 39 was just in case someone didn't miscount. Paul bore on his body the marks of his sacrifice for the Gospel. ·      He mentions being shipwrecked three times. However, the most famous shipwreck had not even happened yet. That one is recorded in Acts 27. That would be a couple of years later. ·      He furthermore endured multiple dangers. He endured danger from the elements… from cold and heat. Sometimes he went without food. But also, he experienced danger from others. Danger not just from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles and from robbers. Notice at the end of verse 26 he includes danger from false brothers. He uses the word “brothers” because there were men in the church who threatened him. They were wolves in sheep's clothing, just like the false apostles in Corinth. This kind of persecution happens all over the world today. We have so many freedoms in our country, that it's hard to imagine the suffering that our brothers and sister in Christ experience throughout the world. Some of you know or have met Pastor Zaki. He pastors the Orthodox Presbyterian Church over on Chamblee Tucker. It's just down the road from here. He is a dear brother and a friend. Zaki is from Eretria. He's been in the US for about 15 years. A couple of years ago, at a conference here in the area, he spoke about persecution. As part of that, Pastor Zaki shared a little about the persecution that he endured. In 2002, the government of Eritrea shut down many of the churches. Some believers were imprisoned, especially pastors, and the church had to go underground. Well, Zaki was arrested. He was not even allowed to tell his family, when it happened. He was brought to the prison. They put him in a metal shipping container. There was just one small vent in it so he could breathe. Literally, nothing else was in it. Zaki described how he, at first, struggled to rejoice. He remembered the words of Jesus, blessed are those who are persecuted for my name sake. And he remembered the words of the apostle Peter that we're to rejoice in suffering. He thought, “had I led my people astray telling them that they should rejoice even if they suffered persecution for their faith.” Those first few hours weighed heavily on him, and he prayed. Then it happened. The Holy Spirit opened his heart, and he began rejoicing in the Lord. Something even more amazing happened that first night. About midnight, he said, he began hearing other believers all throughout the prison singing. They were suffering, but they were rejoicing. And he joined in their joyful praise. Brother Zaki was release but arrested 4 more time over the next 9 years. As I understand it, he was beaten. At one point he almost died, but the Lord preserved him. In 2011, he was able to flee to the United States. He moved to Greenville to study. And then the Lord then brought him here to the Tucker area to pastor. The kind of suffering and affliction that Paul endured is experienced by many today who love and serve Christ. And I want you to notice, it's not just external suffering that Paul endured. Look at verse 28. “Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” Paul loved the Corinthians. Really, he loved every single church that he participated in planting. He prayed for them. He communicated with them. He longed to see them be faithful and true. And it all weighed on his soul. And look what he says in verse 29. He asks, “who is weak, and I am not weak?” In other words, when someone in one of his churches suffered, Paul suffered alongside of them. His heart suffered. The next question in verse 29 is even stronger, “Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” In other words, when a fellow believer in Christ was led into sin by one of these false brothers, Paul was indignant. He had a righteous anger at these false apostles for all the ways in which the church was being led astray. That internal turmoil was part of the suffering that he endured. Ok, now, jump down to verses 32 and 33. Paul mentions one final experience. Many, many years earlier, when he was in Damascus, in order to escape persecution, he had to be lowered in a basket out of a window. By the way, if someone tried to lower me in a basket, I think it wold probably go very poorly. I wouldn't even fit in a basket. But Paul escaped. Now, when you hear this last trial, doesn't it feel like an addendum to his list? But let me ask, do you remember the significance of Damascus? Paul was on the road to Damascus when the Lord blinded him and called him to faith. Damascus was the very city that he first stayed in as a believer in Jesus. Do you see what Paul is saying? His suffering as an apostle began at the very beginning of his ministry. All the suffering that he has endured is not new. It goes back to the very beginning of labors for Christ. Despite what the false apostles were saying, his suffering did not disqualify him as an apostle. No, rather, it testified to his true apostleship. Do you see now why Paul could boast in this affliction and weakness? It showed and demonstrated that God had called him to suffer and God sustained him through it all. This was not the theology of the super apostles. Part of their false prosperity Gospel, which we've considered multiple times in weeks past, was to reject sickness and suffering as part of the Christian life. Like many counterfeit pastors today, they taught that suffering was not part of God's purpose and will for your life. They rejected Paul because he suffered. But God is saying through Paul that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life. He's been saying that all throughout 2 Corinthians. Remember, in our affliction, we share in the affliction of Christ, so that we may share in his comfort. And also, these light momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. And so, we can boast in our weakness. It's a humble boasting. Yes, that's a little paradoxical, but I think you know what I mean. It's a humble boasting that gives glory to God. Isn't that the upside-down world of the Gospel? Strength comes through weakness. Exaltation comes through humility. Life comes through death. Go back up to verse 23. We've already considered it. Paul asks, “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one.” Did you notice that it is the only question where Paul raises the bar. He doesn't say, “so am I” like how he answers the other questions. Rather he says, “I am better.” Literally translated, it would say I am a degree beyond. His service to Christ is far better because of his suffering, not despite it. That question and Paul's answer prefaces the entire list of his suffering. To put it another way, Paul suffered in this life, we suffer in this life, just as our Savior suffered in this life. Jesus endured many trials in this life. False accusations; rejection from his people; temptations from Satan; Jesus disciples abandoned him at his hour of need; he was spit on and mocked and whipped…  not with regular whips, like 40 lashes minus one, but wips with metal or bone fragments in it, which tore into his skin. Isaiah wrote in his prophecy that our Savior was oppressed and afflicted, yet did not open his mouth. “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Other translations say, “with his stripes we are healed.” Paul boasted in his suffering because his Savior suffered and died for him. Jesus suffered and died so that in eternity his people would be freed from suffering and affliction. In other words, Jesus did not suffer and die so that we would not suffer in this life. No. Rather, Jesus suffered and died to forgive and redeem us, and in heaven we will be freed from our suffering forever. And that gives us great hope in our suffering in this life. And we can therefore boast in it. If we must, as Paul says. So, to recap – Paul's boasting in his earthly credentials, was simply to put the super apostles in their place. All boasting in human strength and wisdom is foolishness and it dishonors God. If we must boast about ourselves, we should boast in our weakness. For Paul, his suffering was a testimony of his true ministry as an apostle. And when we boast in our suffering we ought testify to Christ's suffering for our salvation. Truly, in all of history, there was only one man who could rightfully boast in his accomplishments. It was not Caesar Augustus. It was not any world leader today or in the past. No. The only one who could rightfully boast was and is our Lord. As God the son, Jesus is the king of kings; the agent through which God created the heavens and the earth; He is the very word of God; and redeemer of God's people. Yet, on earth, he boasted not of those things. Instead, he humbled himself. He did not respond when mocked, he suffered and died, but was raised. As we sang earlier, “I will not boast in anything; No gifts, no power, no wisdom; But I will boast in Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection” So, let us boast in him… and when we suffer, let us boast because we suffer in him. Amen

A Note from James:Man, what a fascinating career Robert Rosenkranz has had—multi-billionaire, involved in virtually every part of finance and American industry. He wrote a book called The Stoic Capitalist, and what really stands out is how he's actively applied stoic principles to achieve immense success throughout his career. Even from a young age, stoicism played a crucial role, guiding him through critical business decisions. It's a real pleasure speaking with Robert—an American icon.Episode Description:James welcomes Robert Rosenkranz, author of The Stoic Capitalist: Advice for the Exceptionally Ambitious, to discuss how applying stoicism's timeless principles helped him navigate pivotal career decisions and financial challenges. Robert candidly shares his experiences—from early high-stress deals to launching a private equity firm where he risked his entire net worth—and explains why stoic philosophy remains essential for rational decision-making in business and life. The conversation highlights how embracing uncertainty and questioning assumptions can lead to clarity and resilience in a constantly changing world.What You'll Learn:How to differentiate between rational risks and emotional fears in critical decisions.Strategies for recognizing and overcoming cognitive distortions like catastrophizing.Practical applications of stoicism in modern investing and entrepreneurship.Insights into adapting to rapid technological changes, particularly AI.The importance of spousal support and personal relationships in career success.Timestamped Chapters:[00:00] Introduction to Robert Rosenkranz[02:00] The First Major Deal and Stoic Principles[05:00] Risk and Rational Decision Making[09:00] The Role of Biographies and Early Influences[12:00] The Importance of Spousal Support[28:00] Stoicism and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy[34:00] Exploring Financial Trends and Technology[35:00] The Impact of Artificial Intelligence[36:00] Addressing Fears and Job Displacement[37:00] Adapting to Technological Change[44:00] The State of the US Economy[48:00] Investment Strategies and Market Behavior[54:00] Stoicism and Its Influence on Investing[57:00] The Role of Social Media in Society[63:00] Reflections on Public Service and Education[67:00] Conclusion and Final ThoughtsAdditional Resources:The Stoic Capitalist by Robert RosenkranzHow to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald RobertsonThe Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday"The Smoot-Hawley Tariff and the Great Depression" - The EconomistOpen to DebateOur Sponsors:Pack up and go even further with the Defender 110. Learn more at LandRoverUSA.com/DefenderHead to rugiet.com/JAMES and use code JAMES to get 15% off today!Secure your online data TODAY by visiting ExpressVPN.com/ALTUCHERSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CULTIVATING SAINTS, SAGES, AND STATESMEN THROUGH THE GREAT TRADITION OF CHRISTENDOMIn this episode, we cover an incredible event that took place in AD 363: an apostate Roman Emperor who was trying to revive paganism attempted to rebuild the "Third Temple" in Jerusalem. Why? So he could disprove Christ's divinity, and seduce the Jews into eventually becoming pagans. His plot was eerily similar to how most Church Fathers say Antichrist will behave toward Christians and Jews in the end times.But divine intervention stopped him. Fire, explosions from the ground, storms, the sign of the cross in the sky and on the garments of the workers: these and other signs reported by multiple ancient accounts (both pagan and Christian) caused such great fear among the pagans and Jews involved in the project that it was abandoned.Many converted to the Catholic Faith as a result.Check out Becoming Catholic # 57 for all the quotes in the episode, and their sources: https://eternalchristendom.com/becoming-catholic/articles/number-57/ VISIT OUR WEBSITEhttps://eternalchristendom.com/BECOME A PATRON OF THE GREAT TRADITIONHelp us continue to dig into the Great Tradition; produce beautiful, substantive content; and gift these treasures to cultural orphans around the world for free: https://eternalchristendom.com/become-a-patron/EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS AT ETERNAL CHRISTENDOM BOOKSTOREhttps://eternalchristendom.com/bookstore/CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIAX: https://twitter.com/JoshuaTCharlesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuatcharles/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuatcharles/DIVE DEEPER Check out Eternal Christendom's "Becoming Catholic," where you'll find hundreds of thousands of words of free content (as big as the Bible!) in the form of Articles, Quote Archives, and Study Banks to help you become, remain, and deepen your life as a Catholic:https://eternalchristendom.com/becoming-catholic/EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 - Introduction08:26 - Roadmap09:14 - Divine Intervention? Or Natural Explanation?13:09 - Emperor Julian the Apostate (Pagan)18:06 - Ammianus Marcellinus (Pagan)19:57 - St. Ephrem the Syrian (Christian)24:08 - St. Gregory Nazianzus (Christian)33:33 - St. Ambrose of Milan (Christian)34:45 - St. Jerome (Christian)37:09 - Rufinus of Aquileia (Christian)41:21 - St. Cyril of Jerusalem on Antichrist and the Temple (Christian)44:33 - St. John Chrysostom (Christian)55:06 - Philostorgius (Christian)59:18 - Socrates of Constantinople (Christian)1:03:46 - Theodoret of Cyrus (Christian)1:07:27 - Sozomen (Christian)1:13:55 - St. Isidore of Seville (Christian)1:17:15 - ConclusionCHECK US OUT ON APPLE AND SPOTIFY

Last year, we dropped this bonus episode talking with Kit Heyam about the horny teen trans Roman Emperor Elagabalus. It fits so well in this month's Pride specials, the time felt right for a rerelease! After all, the French Revolution crowd were obsessed with ancient Rome and this story is a good reminder that the Romans were just as chaotic as anyone else in any other era. Plus, we're now in a post-Gladiator II world and the way Elagabalus fits into that narrative may just surprise you. Kit's book: ⁠Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender ⁠— ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Preorder info for Ann's upcoming book, Rebel of the Regency!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — ⁠⁠RSVP for the Vulgar History in-person meet-up in Toronto!⁠⁠ — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠common.era.com/vulgar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠commonera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.com/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (best for US shipping) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.redbubble.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (better for international shipping) — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Vulgar History on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone, it's that time again! In March of 2026, we're offering a new itinerary in the Nile Valley. This one is called the New Kingdom Cruise. It lasts for ten days, with a special focus on the south, the monuments of Elephantine (Aswan) and Lake Nasser. We ride a cruise boat, organised by Ancient World Tours, and visit monuments of Thutmose III, Sety I, Ramesses II, and even the Roman Emperors. For bookings follow this link and use the password KALABSHA https://www.ancient.co.uk/holiday/history-of-egypt-podcast-2026-the-nubian-cruise/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE), a Roman emperor and prominent Stoic philosopher, ruled from 161 to 180 CE. As the last of the Five Good Emperors, his reign marked the end of the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace in the Roman Empire. Known for his military campaigns against Parthians and Germanic tribes, he also endured the devastating Antonine Plague. His philosophical reflections, compiled in Meditations, offer insight into Stoic ethics and personal leadership. Marcus was succeeded by his son Commodus, whose rule marked a decline in Rome's stability. His legacy endures in both historical and philosophical contexts.

Donald Trump isn't an emperor, yet – but who knows how he might change the US in the next few years. As he gets more dictatorial by the day, what lessons could we learn from Rome – and which Roman emperor is he most like? Peter Edwell is associate professor in ancient history at Macquarie University and joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.         Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast           Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new week means new questions! Hope you have fun with these!The formula πr² calculates the area of what geometric shape?What is the tiger's name in "Life of Pi"?Name either Roman Emperor that agreed to issue the Edict of Milan, making Christianity legal.Foods that are poached are cooked in what?The Recording Industry Association of America lists Gold album certification as how many album sales in the U.S.?What does ESP stand for?In 1993, Marisa Tomei was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in what film?What object, publicly-available in some restrooms, did artist Marcel Duchamp sign "R. Mutt" before submitting it as a readymade sculpture in 1917?MusicHot Swing, Fast Talkin, Bass Walker, Dances and Dames, Ambush by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Don't forget to follow us on social media:Patreon – patreon.com/quizbang – Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Check out our fun extras for patrons and help us keep this podcast going. We appreciate any level of support!Website – quizbangpod.com Check out our website, it will have all the links for social media that you need and while you're there, why not go to the contact us page and submit a question!Facebook – @quizbangpodcast – we post episode links and silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Instagram – Quiz Quiz Bang Bang (quizquizbangbang), we post silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Twitter – @quizbangpod We want to start a fun community for our fellow trivia lovers. If you hear/think of a fun or challenging trivia question, post it to our twitter feed and we will repost it so everyone can take a stab it. Come for the trivia – stay for the trivia.Ko-Fi – ko-fi.com/quizbangpod – Keep that sweet caffeine running through our body with a Ko-Fi, power us through a late night of fact checking and editing!

Join us as we discuss Paul's appearance before Festus and his appeal to the Roman Emperor to hear his case. Do we exhibit tremendous peace and trust in God like Paul in our difficult circumstances?

Tue, 20 May 2025 19:15:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/230 http://relay.fm/focused/230 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Journaling Guide Joe Moyer joins us to talk getting started with journaling, navigating major life transitions, and the power of a regular reflection practice. Journaling Guide Joe Moyer joins us to talk getting started with journaling, navigating major life transitions, and the power of a regular reflection practice. clean 4788 Journaling Guide Joe Moyer joins us to talk getting started with journaling, navigating major life transitions, and the power of a regular reflection practice. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Guest Starring: Joe Moyer Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. 24 Letters The Journaling GuideJoe's newsletter When by Daniel Pink Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Your Story Matters: Overcoming the Perfect Journal Fallacy | 24 Letters Day One Readwise Focused #196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson Letters from a Stoic by Seneca You Need a Manifesto by Charlotte Burgess-Auburn The Enchiridion by Epictetus @thejournalingguide on Threads

There's something strangely reassuring about knowing people were wrestling with the similar issues we struggle with over 2,000 years ago — even if they wore togas and wrote with a chisel.   Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, acclaimed author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, and one of the world's leading voices on Stoicism. He's also the founder of the Plato's Academy Centre in Athens, and a founding member of the Modern Stoicism nonprofit.   On this pod, we talk about the wisdom literature and how it can help with emotional distress; specifically, the idea of Stoics as ancient psychotherapists. Donald explains how Stoicism wasn't just a philosophy of life, but also a clear system of psychotherapy in ancient Greek and Roman thought.   Some episode highlights: How shifting definitions shape our understanding of mental illness On the paradox of growth through adversity Struggle and transformation Experiential wisdom Fortune and the bitch goddess of success Stoicism as an ancient psychotherapy The philosophical roots of cognitive therapy On anger, and the art of self-mastery (Seneca, Galen) On Worry and rumination Marcus Aurelius  Stoicism's broader vision On the “view from above” and the liberation of perspective How time expansion mitigates worry The complex relationship of thoughts and emotions The core proposition of both Stoicism and CBT How complaining signals resistance to reality Acceptance and the dichotomy of control How to reconnect with what's essential in a noisy world   This isn't motivational fluff; it's a toolkit for anyone who's ever gotten tangled in their own head.    

Tue, 20 May 2025 19:15:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/230 http://relay.fm/focused/230 Journaling & Intention, with Joe Moyer 230 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Journaling Guide Joe Moyer joins us to talk getting started with journaling, navigating major life transitions, and the power of a regular reflection practice. Journaling Guide Joe Moyer joins us to talk getting started with journaling, navigating major life transitions, and the power of a regular reflection practice. clean 4788 Journaling Guide Joe Moyer joins us to talk getting started with journaling, navigating major life transitions, and the power of a regular reflection practice. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Guest Starring: Joe Moyer Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. 24 Letters The Journaling GuideJoe's newsletter When by Daniel Pink Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Your Story Matters: Overcoming the Perfect Journal Fallacy | 24 Letters Day One Readwise Focused #196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson Letters from a Stoic by Seneca You Need a Manifesto by Charlotte Burgess-Auburn The Enchiridion by Epictetus @thejournalingguide on Threads

The president is declaring emergencies on everything from an “invasion” of immigrants to a mythical shortage of fossil fuel production. But it's all just a ploy for him to act like a Roman emperor. And callers debate police behavior regarding suspected migrants stopped in traffic. Is Donald Trump's ICE actually able to arrest US citizens? What powers does ICE have and when are YOU in danger of being arrested?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

No grand battle. No final blaze of glory. In 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire collapsed not with a roar, but with a quiet abdication. A boy emperor - Romulus Augustulus - handed over the regalia of power in Ravenna, signalling the end of an empire that had once ruled the known world. But how did it come to this?In this episode, the finale of our Fall of Rome miniseries, Tristan Hughes is joined by historian and bestselling author Adrian Goldsworthy to chart the chaotic final decades of the Western Roman Empire. From puppet emperors and ruthless kingmakers like Ricimer to the meteoric rise of Odoacer, discover how political infighting, military mutiny, and foreign ambition brought the Roman West to its knees - and ushered in the age of kings.MORE: Roman Emperors with Mary Beard: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7C7wRHjSPeif9pLD2UZJyY?si=5226c8e7f9584336Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus whose names are entwined with the end of Rome's Republic and the rise of the Roman Emperors. As tribunes, they brought popular reforms to the Roman Republic at the end of the 2nd century BC. Tiberius (c163-133BC) brought in land reform so every soldier could have his farm, while Gaius (c154-121BC) offered cheap grain for Romans and targeted corruption among the elites. Those elites saw the reforms as such a threat that they had the brothers killed: Tiberius in a shocking murder led by the Pontifex Maximus, the high priest, in 133BC and Gaius 12 years later with the senate's approval. This increase in political violence was to destabilise the Republic, forever tying the Gracchi to the question of why Rome's Republic gave way to the Rome of Emperors.WithCatherine Steel Professor of Classics at the University of GlasgowFederico Santangelo Professor of Ancient History at Newcastle UniversityAndKathryn Tempest Lecturer in Roman History at the University of LeicesterProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:Appian (trans. John Carter), The Civil Wars (Penguin Classics, 2005)Valentina Arena, Jonathan R. W. Prag and Andrew Stiles, A Companion to the Political Culture of the Roman Republic (Wiley-Blackwell, 2022), especially the chapter by Lea Beness and Tom HillardR. Cristofoli, A. Galimberti and F. Rohr Vio (eds.), Costruire la Memoria: Uso e abuso della storia fra tarda repubblica e primo principato (L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2017), especially ‘The 'Tyranny' of the Gracchi and the Concordia of the Optimates: An Ideological Construct.' by Francisco Pina PoloSuzanne Dixon, Cornelia: Mother of the Gracchi, (Routledge, 2007)Peter Garnsey and Dominic Rathbone, ‘The Background to the Grain Law of Gaius Gracchus' (Journal of Roman Studies 75, 1985)O. Hekster, G. de Kleijn and D. Slootjes (eds.), Crises and the Roman Empire (Brill, 2007), especially ‘Tiberius Gracchus, Land and Manpower' by John W. RichJosiah Osgood, Rome and the Making of a World State, 150 BCE-20 CE (Cambridge University Press, 2018)Plutarch (trans. Ian Scott-Kilvert and Christopher Pelling), Rome in Crisis (Penguin Classics, 2010) Plutarch (trans. Robin Waterfield, ed. Philip A. Stadter), Roman Lives (Oxford University Press, 2008)Nathan Rosenstein, ‘Aristocrats and Agriculture in the Middle and Late Republic' (Journal of Roman Studies 98, 2008)A. N. Sherwin-White, ‘The Lex Repetundarum and the Political Ideas of Gaius Gracchus' (Journal of Roman Studies 72, 1982) Catherine Steel, The End of the Roman Republic, 146 to 44 BC: Conquest and Crisis (Edinburgh University Press, 2013)David Stockton, The Gracchi (Oxford University Press, 1979)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus whose names are entwined with the end of Rome's Republic and the rise of the Roman Emperors. As tribunes, they brought popular reforms to the Roman Republic at the end of the 2nd century BC. Tiberius (c163-133BC) brought in land reform so every soldier could have his farm, while Gaius (c154-121BC) offered cheap grain for Romans and targeted corruption among the elites. Those elites saw the reforms as such a threat that they had the brothers killed: Tiberius in a shocking murder led by the Pontifex Maximus, the high priest, in 133BC and Gaius 12 years later with the senate's approval. This increase in political violence was to destabilise the Republic, forever tying the Gracchi to the question of why Rome's Republic gave way to the Rome of Emperors.WithCatherine Steel Professor of Classics at the University of GlasgowFederico Santangelo Professor of Ancient History at Newcastle UniversityAndKathryn Tempest Lecturer in Roman History at the University of LeicesterProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:Appian (trans. John Carter), The Civil Wars (Penguin Classics, 2005)Valentina Arena, Jonathan R. W. Prag and Andrew Stiles, A Companion to the Political Culture of the Roman Republic (Wiley-Blackwell, 2022), especially the chapter by Lea Beness and Tom HillardR. Cristofoli, A. Galimberti and F. Rohr Vio (eds.), Costruire la Memoria: Uso e abuso della storia fra tarda repubblica e primo principato (L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2017), especially ‘The 'Tyranny' of the Gracchi and the Concordia of the Optimates: An Ideological Construct.' by Francisco Pina PoloSuzanne Dixon, Cornelia: Mother of the Gracchi, (Routledge, 2007)Peter Garnsey and Dominic Rathbone, ‘The Background to the Grain Law of Gaius Gracchus' (Journal of Roman Studies 75, 1985)O. Hekster, G. de Kleijn and D. Slootjes (eds.), Crises and the Roman Empire (Brill, 2007), especially ‘Tiberius Gracchus, Land and Manpower' by John W. RichJosiah Osgood, Rome and the Making of a World State, 150 BCE-20 CE (Cambridge University Press, 2018)Plutarch (trans. Ian Scott-Kilvert and Christopher Pelling), Rome in Crisis (Penguin Classics, 2010) Plutarch (trans. Robin Waterfield, ed. Philip A. Stadter), Roman Lives (Oxford University Press, 2008)Nathan Rosenstein, ‘Aristocrats and Agriculture in the Middle and Late Republic' (Journal of Roman Studies 98, 2008)A. N. Sherwin-White, ‘The Lex Repetundarum and the Political Ideas of Gaius Gracchus' (Journal of Roman Studies 72, 1982) Catherine Steel, The End of the Roman Republic, 146 to 44 BC: Conquest and Crisis (Edinburgh University Press, 2013)David Stockton, The Gracchi (Oxford University Press, 1979)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

From Gladiator to Rome Total War to I, Claudius, today the Cohortēs praetōriae are one of the most distinctive military units of Imperial Rome. It was their job to protect the Roman Emperor and his household, a task for which they hold a somewhat ‘chequered' record (especially when we focus in on the Praetorian Prefects). But what do we know about this unit's origins? How did this powerful force become protectors of the Emperor and his household? What other functions did they serve? And how did they differ from the standard Roman legions in their structure?To talk through the rise of the Praetorian Guard, with a specific focus on the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, Tristan caught up with historian Lindsay Powell at Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex. Lindsay is the author of several books about the Early Roman Imperial Period. His latest book, Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome, is out now.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.All music from Epidemic SoundsSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.This episode first aired in October 2021.

Let's Make Sense of Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius. Written nearly 2,000 years ago, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius remains one of the most profound and practical guides for self-mastery, emotional resilience, and personal growth. Originally penned as private journal entries, this timeless work invites us into the inner thoughts of a Roman Emperor who faced war, betrayal, illness, and loss—yet continuously returned to clarity, humility, and duty. At the heart of Meditations lies the Stoic philosophy, a school of thought born in ancient Greece and adopted by the Romans. Stoicism teaches that while we can't control external events, we can control our reactions. In today's chaotic world of uncertainty, distraction, and overstimulation, Marcus's calm and centered voice feels more relevant than ever. Whether you're integrating deep spiritual insights, navigating post-breakthrough emotional storms, or simply looking to become more grounded, Stoicism offers a toolkit for aligning with your highest self, even in the face of suffering. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast: This podcast covers topics that expand human consciousness and performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works and that perception is a subjective and acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. ►Follow the Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy: Instagram: / drjcdoornick   Facebook:  / makessensepodcast   YouTube:  / drjcdoornick   Join us as we unpack and make sense of the challenges associated with living in a comparative reality in this fast-moving egocentric world.  MAKES SENSE PODCAST SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW the NEW Podcast - You will find a "Follow" button top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week.  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Podcast Affiliates: Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where i get all these topics for almost 15 years? I have learned to read at almost 4 times faster with 10X retention from Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here:  https://jimkwik.com/dragon  OUR SPONSORS:  Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast: This podcast covers topics that expand human consciousness and performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works and that perception is a subjective and acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. - Makes Sense Academy: A private mastermind and psychological safe full of the Mindset, and Action steps that will help you begin to thrive. The Makes Sense Academy. https://www.skool.com/makes-sense-academy/about  - The Sati Experience: A retreat designed for the married couple that truly loves one another yet wants to take their love to that higher magical level where. Come relax, reestablish and renew your love at the Sati Experience. https://www.satiexperience.com   

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 - 16:27)Trump Says Tariffs are a ‘Big, Beautiful Word' – But What's Behind His Push for Tariffs? Do They Help the U.S.?Part II (16:27 - 20:31)Who Will Win the Tariff War? President Trump is Banking on the U.S. to Be Able to Wait Out Other Governments in a Tariff WarPart III (20:31 - 24:56)Diocletian and Price Control in Croatia: The Retirement of a Roman Emperor and the Price Control Policy That Didn't LastSign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.

Breht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher Michael Sugrue titled Marcus Aurelius' Meditations: The Stoic Ideal. He discusses the philosophy of Stoicism, its insights as well as its limitations, its commodification and bastardization under late capitalism, the dialectical inversion of the philosophy of a Roman Emperor for proletarian revolutionaries, Virtue Ethics, Mahayana Buddhism and The Four Brahmaviharas, the importance of courage and discipline and responsibility, Momento Mori, the Cardinal Virtues, equipping ourselves mentally and emotionally for a lifetime of class struggle, seeking the balance of the Middle Path, Marxist Dialectics, and much more!  Professor Sugrue passed away last year, and Breht has always found his free, public lectures on philosophy to be helpful and really well done. In the spirit of free and open access to education, Breht offers his knowledge of philosophy alongside this offering by Professor Sugrue. The use of this lecture series falls under the protections of the Fair Use doctrine.  Outro Music: "Lilac Wine" by Nina Simone Check out all our other Philosophy Series episodes HERE Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio