Cost of Glory - Alex Petkas

Latest Episodes:

93 - Gallic Wars 3: Caesar At Sea Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

Caesar faces enemies at home and on sea, in part 3 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).
This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.

Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.

In this episode:

Caesar faces the sea-faring people of Veneti
Caesar plays political games
Ship technology, and military strategy

Subscribe to the CoG Substack to get high quality transcripts w/ MAPS AND IMAGES. Transcript for this episode here.

92 - Gallic Wars 2: Conspiracy Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Caesar almost loses it all, in part 2 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).
This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.

Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.

In this episode:
-A conspiracy of the powerful, warlike Belgae (Belgian tribes).
-The battle of the Sabis, against the Nervii
-Caesar's terrifying siege tactics

Subscribe to the CoG Substack to get high quality transcripts w/ MAPS AND IMAGES. Here's the one for this episode.

This episode is sponsored by our very generous sponsor, Dr. Richard Johnson, an avid Cost of Glory listener. Thanks Richard!

91 - Gallic Wars 1: Caesar's Chance Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

The beginning of a new series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic Wars (De Bello Gallico). It’s a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller.

Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.

I’m having a blast revisiting this classic, and I think you will too.

Subscribe to the CoG Substack to get high quality transcripts w/ MAPS AND IMAGES - here's the one for this episode.

This episode is sponsored by Ancient Language Institute. If you want to be like Caesar, you should learn an ancient language (Caesar knew Greek in addition to his native Latin). The Ancient Language Institute will help you do just that. Registration is now open (till August 10th) for their Fall term where you can take advanced classes in Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, and Old English.

90 - Heroes are Dangerous: Rousseau & Nietzsche with Johnathan Bi Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

Johnathan Bi left success in the startup world to focus on researching the deep ideas that power the world, and has recently launched his series on the Great Books of the West, starting with his lecture on Nietzsche.

In this episode:

What is Rousseau’s impact on the world?
Johnathan’s Journey towards the Great Thinkers and their Books
The Duality of Heroism & Rousseau as Hero Worshipper
Rousseau’s balanced treatments of Nietzsche’s Ideas
Why do we need Heroes?
The Difference between Desire for Power and Execution of that Power
Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs and their Selfish Desire for Glory
The Hero vs. The Citizen
The Degeneration of Modern Languages
The Core of Nietzsche’s Interest in the Great Heroes of the Past
Tech Startups are Non-Egalitarian!
Rome Against Judea

Resources mentioned:

Johnathan’s Interview and Lecture Series: Great Books of the West
Rousseau’s Discourse on This Question: Which Is the Virtue Most Necessary for a Hero and Which Are the Heroes Who Lacked This Virtue?
Johnathan’s Newsletter

Subscribe to our Substack for transcripts and updates!
Show transcript here

89 - A Manual for Greatness — with Johnny Burtka Jun 07, 2024

Show notes

An interview with Johnny Burtka, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College, and his most recent book is titled “Gateway to Statesmanship—Selections from Xenophon to Churchill”.

In this episode:

The Mirrors for Princes tradition
Obstacles as a Ladder to Greatness
The Potency of Xenophon’s ‘Education of Cyrus’
The Leadership Qualities of Cyrus
The Complex Enduring Power of Cicero’s ‘On Duties’
Cultivating Greatness of Soul and the Magnitudo Animi of Churchill
Machiavelli as Practitioner, not Political Philosopher
Where should an 18-year old dedicate himself to?
Washington’s Farewell Address as a Beautiful Political Text

Books Mentioned:

Gateway to Statesmanship—Selections from Xenophon to Churchill by Johnny Burtka
Education of Cyrus by Xenophon
On Duties by Cicero
The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni
Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts

For the episode transcript, be sure to subscribe to my Substack!

Thanks to our sponsor Intercollegiate Studies Institute! Check out their programs on supporting quality thought and intellectual life in and after your college years.

88 - Mysteries of the Scrolls — with Nat Friedman May 30, 2024

Show notes

An interview with Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub and creator of the Vesuvius Challenge, which aims to crack the riddles of the Herculaneum Papyri.

In this episode:

The Genesis of the Vesuvius Challenge
Early Attempts to Open the Scrolls
Using a Particle Accelerator to Scan the Scrolls!
Partnering with Daniel Gross and Brent Seales
Nat’s Childhood experience with Open-source Communities
How to Design Prize Incentives for a Complex Contest
Doing Crazy, Strange and Risky Projects
A Possible Resurgence of Epicureanism?

For the episode transcript, be sure to subscribe to my Substack!

87 - Pursuing Greatness — with Pano Kanelos May 21, 2024

Show notes

An interview with Pano Kanelos, the founding president of the University of Austin and the former President of St. John’s College, Annapolis.

In this episode:

How founding a university is like running a diner
The flourishing of American universities in the 19th century
How old philosophers were men of action
The Intellectual Foundations Program at UATX
How The Brothers Karamazov explains our current moment
Pursuing Greatness by finding your North Star
Plutarch on self-reflection
Why Heroes and Truth-tellers are needed when forming communities
Analyzing the opening scene from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

86 - Pompey: Aftermath, Comparison w/ Spartan King Agesilaus May 08, 2024

Show notes

In which we follow the lead of Plutarch and study Pompey's character and analyze what we can learn from the life of Pompey the Great, by comparing him to King Agesilaus of Sparta, whom Plutarch paired him with.

Sources and Further Reading for the Life of Pompey:

John Leach, Pompey the Great: https://amzn.to/3UxOsW8

Robin Seager, Pompey: a Political Biography: https://amzn.to/3UPpeUg

Gareth Sampson: Rome's Great Eastern War, Lucullus, Pompey and the Conquest of the East: https://amzn.to/3wrVGD1

-The Battle of Dyrrhachium: https://amzn.to/3wp4Wro

-The Battle of Pharsalus: https://amzn.to/3ULWJHk

-"Rome in Crisis" Penguin edition of Plutarch:

https://amzn.to/4b2WgGv (feat. Lives of Sertorius, Lucullus, and Cato the Younger)

-"Fall of the Roman Republic" Penguin Plutarch Volume: https://amzn.to/4a7vpYw (feat. Lives of Sulla, Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, and Cicero)

85 - Pompey III: Fields of Pharsalus Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

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

84 - Pompey II: Empire of Venus Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

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

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