Cost of Glory

Life of Pompey Part 3 of 3: Pompey's final rise to the heights of Roman power, his war with his friend Julius Caesar, and his final downfall. People: (M. Tullius) Cicero (Titus Pomponius) Atticus C. Julius Caesar Cn. Pompeius Magnus (Pompey) Julia, Caesar's Daughter (M. Licinius) Crassus (L. Domitius) Ahenobarbus - Optimate Stalwart (Cos. 54) (M. Porcius) Cato "The Younger" - the Stoic (M. Calpurnius) Bibulus - Cos. 59 P. Clodius Pulcher - Populist Thug lord (T. Annius) Milo - Pompey's Thug lord M. Caelius (Rufus) - Cicero's young political analyst friend Publius Licinius Crassus - The Richest Man's Son Cornelia - Pompey's final wife (Q. Caecilius) Metellus (Pius) Scipio - Pompey's new Father in Law Aulus Gabinius - Pompey's friend, exiled after Egyptian expedition Ptolemy XII Auletes ("The Piper") - exiled king of Egypt (C. Scribonius) Curio - Optimate turncoat, Caesar's tribune M. Antonius (Mark Antony) M. Claudius Marcellus - Optimate stalwart (Cos 51) C. Claudius Marcellus - Optimate stalwart (Cos. 50, cousin of Cos. 51) M. Favonius - "Stamp, Pompey!" Senator Themistocles - Athenian statesman Camillus - 4th c. BC Roman statesman T. Labienus - Caesar's general, deserted to Pompey (M. Junius) Brutus - Future Conspirator Theophanes of Mytilene - the Historian Crassianus - Caesar's centurion at Pharsalus Cratippus of Pergamon - Philosopher at Mytilene Ptolemy XIII - Boy king of Egypt Potheinus - Ptolemy XIII's Eunuch Achillas - Ptolemy XIII's General Theodotus - Ptolemy XIII's Rhetoric Teacher Philippus - Pompey's freedman Places: The Roman Forum The Tiber River Parthia Carrhae (Battle of) - in Mesopotamia (Parthian Empire) Gaul (Mod. France) Pompey's Theater ("Temple of Venus") Alesia (Battle of) - in Gaul Naples (Neapolis) Ravenna (N. Italy, "Cisalpine Gaul" then) Rubicon River Ariminum (Rimini) Corfinium - Italian town in the Apennines Brundisium - Eastern Port in Italy Dyrrhachium (Mod. Durrës) - in Epirus (Rom. province of Macedonia) Thessaly - large plain in central Greece Pharsalus - town in Thessaly Tempē - Valley in Thessaly Mytilene - City on island of Lesbos Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org. Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years.

Pompey becomes Rome’s greatest conqueror, and empire builder, but faces even greater trials back home in Rome. People Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, "Pompey the Great" Sulla Felix, the Dictator Pompey The Pirates Posidonius the Stoic Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus Lucius Licinius Lucullus Cicero, the Orator Manilius, the Tribune Julius Caesar Theophanes of Mytilene Queen Monime Tigranes the Great of Armenia Tigranes the Younger, Prince Albani(ans) of Caucasus Iberians of Caucasus King Phraates of Parthia The Parthians Antiochus XIII, Seleucid King Aretas, King of the Nabatean Arabs Aristobulus of Judea Hyrcanus of Judea Aulus Gabinius Josephus (Jewish Historian) Marcus Licinius Crassus, Richest Man in Rome Marcus Porcius Cato (the Younger) Metellus Celer Metellus Nepos M. Calpurnius Bibulus Publius Clodius Pulcher, Slum Lord Milo Julia Domitius Ahenobarbus Places Sicily Sardinia Corsica North Africa Rhodes Cilicia Cappadocia Galatia Armenia Artaxata Mt Ararat Sophene Syria Bithynia Pontus Caucasus Colchis Albania (Caucasus) Iberia (Caucasus) Bosphoran Kingdom (Crimea / Azov) Damascus Petra (Arabia) Judea Jordan River Valley Jericho Jerusalem Campus Martius Alban Hills / Lake / Villa Luca Image: The Triumph of Pompey, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, 1765. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org. Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years.

Pompey, the Great. Part 1 of 3. Pompey's rise to become one of Rome's greatest generals - before he's even old enough to hold office. How he got the nickname of "Kid Butcher" or "The Butcher Boy". Thanks to our Sponsor, Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org Key Names: Agesilaus of Sparta Julius Caesar Alexander the Great Pompeius STRABO (father) Social War Gaius MARIUS (populist consul) Lucius Cornelius CINNA (populist consul) Lucius Cornelius SULLA (optimate consul & dictator) MITHRIDATES - King of Pontus Gnaeus Papirius CARBO (populist consul) Antistia (first wife) Marcus Licinius CRASSUS Marcus Aemilus LEPIDUS (rebel consul) Marcus Junius BRUTUS (Father of the conspirator) Quintus Lutatius CATULUS (optimate stalwart) Quintus Sertorius Quintus Caecilus METELLUS PIUS (P's fellow general in Spain) Marcus PERPERNA (populist ally of Sertorius) Spartacus Marcus Terentius VARRO (the scholar) Lucius Licinius LUCULLUS (rival general) Quintus HORTENSIUS Hortalus (optimate stalwart) Aulus GABINIUS (P's tribune buddy) The Pirates "Quirites" (the Roman citizenry) Key Places: Rome Picenum Asculum North Africa Mutina Spain Lauron Sucro River Ostia (Rome's port) [Jeremy Giffon on Invest like the Best Podcast, ep. 336: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Vdv5i250hF6EfzOTML9RE?si=98bacff34a7244e9] Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org. Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years.

Check out Ralston College's FUNDED MA program: https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma ! ...Plutarch offers some advice on how to choose your friends, and how to be a good one. Examples include Alexander the Great, Cato, Carneades, Plato, Dionysius the Tyrant, and more. (Here depicted: the monument of Philopappus in Athens, to whom Plutarch's essay is dedicated)

An interview with Barry Strauss, Spartacus expert, and author of The Spartacus War In this episode: -How Spartacus' Slave revolt almost failed in its early stages -Overcoming short term thinking as a leader -Spartacus' influence on modern leaders

A method for reading that can transform your life. W/ help from Dana Gioia, California Poet Laureate, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts 2003-2009. Get his new book Sentences from Seneca, here! Some Sources: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_108 https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Sallust/Bellum_Jugurthinum/3*.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Sayings_of_Spartans*/main.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Sayings_of_Spartans*/Agesilaus.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Agesilaus*.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Lysander*.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Sertorius*.html

Why does Achilles, slaughterer of men, play the lyre? A conversation with Spencer Klavan of the Young Heretics podcast. Check out the Cost of Glory Men's Leadership Retreat: costofglory.com/retreat ! Spencer on Twitter: @spencerklavan In this conversation, we discuss: -Spencer & Alex's common ground training as classicists -How one gets into these ancient books in the first place -The theory of "Art for Art's Sake": Why it's interesting, plausible, and wrong. -Epic heroes singing Epic Poetry -Great books for busy dads And much, much more...

The fall and political struggles of the great Lucullus, rival of Pompey and Caesar. Cost of Glory Men's Retreat 2024 application open! - costofglory.com/retreat Thanks to our sponsor Ancient Language Institute - Tutoring now available: Latin: https://ancientlanguage.com/latin-tutorials/ Ancient Greek: https://ancientlanguage.com/ancient-greek-tutorials/ Cicero's Pro Archia https://www.attalus.org/cicero/archias.html People in this episode: Mithridates, King of Pontus Tigranes, King of Armenia Clodius, the Brother in Law Pompey Clodia, the Bad Wife Servilia, also a Bad Wife Cato the Younger Cicero Caesar Places in this episode: Tigranokert Artaxata Nisibis Pontus Armenia Rome

Lucullus drives Mithridates out of Pontus, and war escalates In this episode: -The power of concentration -Nothing is more important than sleep -Bold Barbarian Queens -The value of bad news -Battle of Tigranocerta Book Rec - Gareth Sampson, Rome's Great Eastern War

Lucullus, Conqueror of Armenia. Highlights from Plutarch's biography of the great foe of Pompey Cost of Glory Men's Retreat 2024 application open! - costofglory.com/retreat Thanks to our sponsor Ancient Language Institute - Tutoring now available: Latin: https://ancientlanguage.com/latin-tutorials/ Ancient Greek: https://ancientlanguage.com/ancient-greek-tutorials/ In this episode: -How to get noticed early on in your career -Seducing your way to warlord status -Taking the time to do the math

The vice of "dysopia" brings down even the strongest. Plutarch gives some advice on how to fortify ourselves against it. Reach out to alex@ancientlifecoach.com for more info on the 2024 Cost of Glory Men's retreat in Rome! Link to a translation of Plutarch's text : https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/De_vitioso_pudore*.html

What happened to Crassus' captured soldiers? To his family? What can we learn from his successes and his world-historic failure? ANNOUNCEMENT! Cost of Glory Men's Leadership Retreat in Rome - July 2024. Reach out to alex@ancientlifecoach.com if you're interested. Buy the books: -Penguin edition of Plutarch including Life of Crassus -Sallust's war with Catiline -Tom Holland's Rubicon -Barry Strauss' book on Spartacus -Edward Watts's Mortal Republic -Gareth Sampson, "The Defeat of Rome" on Parthian Expedition -Peter Stothard, The First Tycoon See also Gruen, Last Generation of the Roman Republic; Ward, Crassus and the Late Roman Republic; Rawson, Crassorum Funera (in journal Latomus). Pictured: Roman Soldier next to a Han noble, statue group in Liqian, China. Photo: Natalie Behring

Crassus' famous campaign against the Parthians - what motivated it? What happened at Carrhae? What can we learn from it? Thanks to our Sponsor! Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com Key Figures Marcus Licinius Crassus - The Protagonist Gaius Pompeius Magnus - Pompey, the Rival Lucius Licinius Crassus - the Orator Publius Licinius Crassus - Crassus' father Publius Licinius Crassus - Crassus' Son Publius Clodius Pulcher - The Playboy Mobster Titus Annius Milo - Anti-Mobster Marcus Tullius Cicero - The Mentor Gaius Julius Caesar - The Triumvir Marcus Porcius Cato - The Nemesis Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus - The Challenger Ptolemy XII "Auletes" - The Piper King Aulus Gabinius - Pompey's Crony in Syria Trebonius - Willing Tribune Ateius (Capito) - Unwilling Tribune Gaius Cassius Longinus - The Assassin Octavius - The Junior Officer Orodes II - King of Parthia Mithradates IV - Parthian Usurper Surena - the Parthian Commander at Carrhae Key Places Rome Ravenna - City in Northern Italy (cisalpine Gaul) Luca - City in Northern Italy (Etruria/Cisalpine Gaul) Curia - The Senate house Syria - Roman Province Mesopotamia Iraq Seleucia Babylon Ctesiphon Carrhae Euphrates River Italian quote at the beginning: Dante, Purgatorio XX

Marcus Licinius Crassus, Richest Man in Rome. The plot thickens in the contest with Pompey, and Crassus takes on new allies: Catiline and Julius Caesar. In this episode: -How to defuse the resentment of opponents you've beaten -The power of debt at Rome -Fighting for the hardest prizes, but playing it like a game -Cicero's mortgage and homeowner headaches Thanks to Sponsors: Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com -- Copythat, learn copywriting from the classics: https://copythat.com/ For a discount (and to let them know I sent you), use this code: glory

The story of Marcus Licinius Crassus, Richest man in Rome. In this episode: -The Real Spartacus -How to make a fortune, ancient style -Why Crassus was a better spender than modern billionaires Thanks to our Sponsor! Copythat, learn copywriting from the classics: https://copythat.com/ For a discount (and to let them know I sent you), use this code: glory Some Sources: Barry Strauss, The Spartacus War Plutarch, Life of Crassus

Plutarch gives more examples of how to get it right, from Great Leaders of Greece & Rome -Phocion, -Agathocles, -Pericles, -Sulla, -Themistocles,

You know you want to do it. But how? Plutarch offers a few key examples.

Highlights from Rome's Deadliest Conspiracy, the Catilinarian conspiracy. Featuring speeches by Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger.

Get into one of the great moments of history - highlights from Cicero's speech Against Catiline. Featuring a quote or two from the original Latin.

The Conspiracy to overthrow the Roman Republic at the height of its power. Catiline and his associates challenge Cicero and Cato. Rumors were that Crassus and Caesar were involved... Part I: Highlights from Sallust's War with Catiline. ANNOUNCING - New Megaseries: Visions of Caesar. I am beginning an arc on the biographies of all the most prominent of the era of Caesar, including The Man himself. Crassus, Pompey, Cato, Caesar, Cicero, Brutus, Antony.