Classical Wisdom Speaks

Existing at the very edge of the Classical world, in both time and geography, Saint Augustine has proven to be immensely influential on the modern world… but not always in a good way.Today Anya is joined by Tony Alimi to discuss the life and philosophy of Saint Augustine, how he was influenced by Roman philosophers, and the ‘entanglements’ that complicate his legacy. In particular, how his...

What can Plato tell us about life TODAY?Quite a lot, it turns out…Today Anya is joined by Professor Angie Hobbs to discuss the essential and enduringly relevant nature of Plato’s ideas. Discover how they are infused in our modern world, in everything from politics to our personal lives.Angie Hobbs is Professor Emerita of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield and...

Was King Arthur real?What can his story tells us about British history and identity? And what exactly happened to Britain after the Romans left? Today Anya is joined by Murray Dahm, an independent academic researcher and freelance historian based in Sydney, Australia. Discover how the era of post-Roman Britain is both a beginning and an ending, the thin line between history and myth, and how the...

How is Odysseus like the heroes of Indian literature?And how did two cultures, separated by vast time and distances, come to have such remarkably similar stories?Today Anya is joined by Roberto Morales to discuss the parallels between ancient Greek, Roman, and Indian literature. They discuss what caused these parallels, and what we can learn from them today...Roberto Morales is Associate...

What can Seneca, the Roman statesman and Stoic, teach us about life today? And how can we teach ourselves to do the right thing? Today Anya is joined by Robert Kaster, Emeritus Professor of Classics at Princeton to discuss the complex and rewarding legacy of Seneca’s Stoicism.He is the author of many books including his most recent, How to Do the Right Thing: An Ancient Guide to Treating People...

How did ancient Greek culture accomplish so much? Especially across so many different fields, and in such a comparatively short period of time?It turns out, having a good debate every now and then is VERY important.Today Anya is joined by Reviel Netz, the Patrick Suppes Professor of Greek Mathematics and Astronomy in the Department of Classics at Stanford University.He is the author of many...

The West’s greatest peril is forgetfulness, its loss of cultural memory. Without knowing where we came from, how can we know what to defend, or even what to value?In an age when history itself is contested...when the past is either dismissed or distorted...The Golden Thread reminds us why the study of civilization matters. Drawing on nearly three millennia of art, philosophy, politics, and faith,...

Who were the women of the Odyssey? How have they been understood (and misunderstood) by history?And what is the secret of Calypso’s sail?Today Anya is joined by Emily Hauser, to discuss both the famous and the overlooked women of Homer's epics.Emily Hauser, an award-winning ancient historian and author, and world-leading voice in rediscovering the women of Greek myth. She studied at Harvard, Yale...

Bridging the ancient and the urgent, historian James Romm and acclaimed author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn dive into the dramatic story behind Plato and the Tyrant. This is not the Plato of abstract thought, but a man deeply entangled in the brutal politics of his time...a philosopher who sought to reshape power itself. Romm and Mendelsohn explore how Plato’s real-world entanglements with...

Sometimes stories have a life of their own... literally.Today Anya is joined by Joel Christensen to discuss how mythology acts as a living being in itself. Discover how stories shape the world around us... and why the movie versions never feel the same as the books.Joel Christensen is Professor in the Department of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies at Brandeis University. He is the author...