Classical Wisdom Speaks

An age of apocalyptic thinking, a clash of empires, and a legacy that still shapes the world today... Today Anya is joined by Professor Barry Strauss to discuss the Jewish Revolts against the Roman Empire. Discover what fueled these uprisings, and how their dramatic outcome has shaped centuries. Barry Strauss is the Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University...

Barbarian, witch, murderer… and mother.Today Anya is joined by author and broadcaster Natalie Haynes to discuss one of Greek mythology’s most famous and dramatic characters, Medea. Discover the complex legends and legacy of Medea, from her daring love story with Jason to its dark aftermath… and how the Greek tragedian Euripides transformed her how her story is told, forever.Natalie Haynes is the...

What were the secrets of Roman warfare?What is the best way to defeat an enemy… and what does all this have to do with aqueducts?Today Anya is joined by George Thomas to discuss the life of Frontinus, an ancient Roman general and governor of Roman Britain. In particular, they’re looking at Stratagems, his manual for war, which looked to ancient history to distil key lessons in military strategy...

Long before crowds stormed Bastille or Winter Palace, Greek thinkers treated revolution as the ultimate civic nightmare. So how did an existential danger morph into a promise of liberation—and what happens when that promise curdles into violence? In this dynamic online forum, Dan Edelstein, Professor of French at Stanford University, is joined by classical-political heavyweights Josiah Ober,...

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...