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Ancient Greece Declassified

History Podcasts

The podcast that transports you to the ancient world and back, with some good conversation along the way. It's not just about ancient Greece. It's about a huge chunk of human history that the Greek texts give us access to: from Egypt and Babylon, to Persia, to Carthage and Rome, we'll sail the wine-dark sea of history with some expert guides at the helm. Topics will include archaeology, literature, and philosophy. New episode every month.

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Location:

United States

Description:

The podcast that transports you to the ancient world and back, with some good conversation along the way. It's not just about ancient Greece. It's about a huge chunk of human history that the Greek texts give us access to: from Egypt and Babylon, to Persia, to Carthage and Rome, we'll sail the wine-dark sea of history with some expert guides at the helm. Topics will include archaeology, literature, and philosophy. New episode every month.

Language:

English

Episodes

52 A New Theory of Democracy's Origins (It Wasn't Greece) w/ David Stasavage

12/1/2022
This time we're taking a little break from Greece to explore the broader history of democracy. Was democracy really a Greek invention? Historian David Stasavage, author of The Decline and Rise of Democracy, thinks it was not. And in today's episode he explains why. --------------- Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast

Duration:00:51:17

51 Anacyclosis – Polybius' Grand Unified Theory of History

11/1/2022
Polybius' theory of anacyclosis is the most sophisticated theory of political (r)evolution to have emerged from ancient Greek and Roman political thought. ------------------ To watch the highlight real from the last AGD tour in Greece, click here. ------------------ To read the passage in Polybius where he discusses anacyclosis click here. ------------------ If you'd like to read more about the theory of anacyclosis, I've written a few blogs on the subject: Anacyclosis, Act 1: From...

Duration:00:54:00

Announcing the "Mountains and Oracles" Tour in Greece! Jan. 3-11

10/18/2022
AGD is going back to Greece this winter (Jan. 3-11) for an epic tour of Greece's northern regions, focusing on mountains and oracles. For more information or to reserve your spot, email us at greecepodcast@gmail.com

Duration:00:05:12

R8 Does Democracy Lead to Tyranny? | Plato's Republic, book 8

9/30/2022
Plato argued that the inevitable next step in political evolution after democracy is tyranny. Many political thinkers throughout history agreed with him. Were they right? ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast --------------- A full transcript of this episode with references can be found on our website at greecepodcast.com

Duration:01:00:15

49 When a Philosopher Ruled the World | Marcus Aurelius w/ Donald Robertson

7/31/2022
Was Marcus Aurelius really the enlightened ruler that history books and modern movies portray him as? And is his brand of Stoic philosophy applicable to the modern world? With us to discuss these and other questions is Donald Robertson, a psychotherapist and the author of How to Think Like and Emperor and Verissimus. ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast

Duration:01:13:09

AGD Tour Update – Only a Few Spots Left!

6/4/2022
An update on the AGD Tour happening in Greece from August 16-24 For an outline of the itinerary click here.

Duration:00:06:59

48 Time Traveling to the Ancient World

5/31/2022
Thirty three scholars, philosophers, and archaeologists answer the question: If you could time travel to the ancient world, who would you want to meet? Scholars featured + the timestamps when they appear: 2:10 Edith Hall 3:36 Eric Cline 4:30 Andromache Karanika 5:45 Josiah Ober 6:48 Rush Rehm 7:30 Ian Morris 8:02 Rebecca Newberger Goldstein 9:20 Patrick Hunt 9:46 Raffaella Cribiore 11:04 Mark Adams 12:20 Peter Adamson 13:47 Richard Martin 15:08 M. M. McCabe 16:37 Zina...

Duration:00:47:52

R7.5 The Forms, the Matrix, and AI w/ John Vervaeke

5/13/2022
Philosophers today often dismiss Plato's Theory of Forms as an outdated and failed attempt by a pre-modern thinker to explain knowledge. However, cognitive scientist John Vervaeke offers a radically different take on Plato's theory and how it ties in with recent debates about the nature of intelligence. John Vervaeke is a professor at the University of Toronto and the creator of the popular YouTube series Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.

Duration:01:02:43

AGD Trip to Greece! August 16–24

5/4/2022
An announcement about the upcoming Ancient Greece Declassified tour in Greece this summer.

Duration:00:05:46

R7 The Cave | Plato's Republic, book 7 w/ Ben Morison

4/30/2022
The cave analogy, which takes up the majority of book 7 of the Republic, is one of the most famous passages in all of western philosophy. In this episode, we are joined by Ben Morison, professor of philosophy at Princeton, to dive deep into the allegory and unpack its various levels of meaning.

Duration:01:01:42

R6.5 Why People Hate Plato

4/29/2022
Plato is at once the most loved and possibly the most hated philosopher of all time. This episode explores five reasons why he drives some people mad. Contents of the episode, with timestamps: Reason 1: Who should rule? [7:30] Reason 2: What political system is best? [12:20] The Ship of State [15:10] Reason 3: What is truth? [20:20] Reason 4: What is knowledge? [30:35] The Divided Line [40:25] Reason 5: What is good?

Duration:01:07:23

44 The Invention of Duty

1/27/2022
Where does the notion of 'moral duty' come from? In this conversation with Simon E. Drew we dive deep into the history of the concept and discuss my recent book The Invention of Duty. This episode was originally published on The Walled Garden podcast and is here republished as a crosscast.

Duration:01:15:20

R6 The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful | Plato's Republic, book 6 w/ Gabriel Richardson Lear

12/12/2021
Book 6 of the Republic is the work’s core section where Plato lays out his metaphysics. Appealing to his signature Theory of Forms, Plato offers a transcendent vision of the Good as the ultimate source of human knowledge. Joining us to help us unpack this theory is Gabriel Richardson Lear, professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago and author of the book Happy Lives and the Highest Good: An Essay on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. ------------------ Support Ancient Greece...

Duration:01:05:30

42 The Hittite-Homer Connection? w/ Mary Bachvarova

11/28/2021
Was Homer was influenced by the stories of civilizations to the east of Greece? Joining us to discuss the Hittites and their potential (direct and indirect) influences on the Greek epic tradition is Mary Bachvarova, professor of classics at Willamette University and author of From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation:...

Duration:00:59:34

R5 Philosopher Queens | Plato's Republic, book 5 w/ Mary Townsend

10/18/2021
The most controversial part of Plato's Republic is its fifth book, wherein Socrates argues for the political equality of men and women, the abolition of the nuclear family, a strange eugenics program, and the idea that philosophers kings and philosopher queens should be put in charge of political affairs. With us to discuss book 5 is Mary Townsend, assistant professor of philosophy at Saint John’s University in Queens and author of the book The Woman Question in Plato’s...

Duration:00:53:46

R4.5 Anatomy of the Soul | Plato's Republic, book 4 w/ Jonathan Lear

9/23/2021
In book 4 of the Republic, Plato sets forth perhaps the most famous psychological theory from Greco-Roman antiquity: the tripartite model of the human soul. But how good of a model is it? How does it hold up from the perspective of modern psychology? With us to discuss these questions and more is Jonathan Lear, professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago and a practicing psychoanalyst who serves on the faculty of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. His article "Inside and...

Duration:00:59:39

R4 Hogwarts and Kallipolis | Plato's Republic, book 4

9/7/2021
What do Plato's Republic, Sigmund Freud, and the Harry Potter saga have in common? Find out in this episode, which offers an exploration of book 4 of Plato's Republic and its many parallels in modern literature and psychology.

Duration:01:13:19

38 Alexander the Great: Inherited Glory w/ Adrian Goldsworthy

6/18/2021
Was Alexander the Great really that *great* on his own? Or did he owe much of his success to the work of his father Philip II of Macedonia? Joining us to discuss the matter is Adrian Goldsworthy, military historian and author of the new book Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors. A video version of this episode is available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/zZwyvimmX3k ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time...

Duration:01:01:44

R3.5 Food for the Soul | Plato's Republic, book 3 w/ Angie Hobbs (pt. 2)

5/15/2021
In the second half of book 3 of the Republic, Plato lays out the controversial theory of mimesis, which states that all art, man-made objects, and cultural products in our environment have profound effects on the health of our souls. With us to help us unpack, analyze, and evaluate Plato’s arguments is, once again, Angie Hobbs, professor of the public understanding of philosophy at the University of Sheffield, England. ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon:...

Duration:00:41:07

R3 Who Guards the Guardians? | Plato's Republic, book 3 w/ Angie Hobbs

4/30/2021
Following Socrates' claim that the ideal republic should be ruled by a class of "guardians," the question naturally arises: Who or what will keep these guardians in check? How do you prevent the government from becoming an unaccountable and oppressive regime? Our exploration of Plato's Republic continues, this time with Angie Hobbs, professor of the public understanding of philosophy at the University of Sheffield in England. She has written several books including Plato and the Hero,...

Duration:00:44:41

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