In this episode:

• Michael Gibson's origin story
• Meeting Peter Thiel and launching the Thiel Fellowship
• The importance of Aristotle
• Aristotle on "The Gigachad"
• Is intelligence enough?
• Failure of philosophy is present in Plato's work...not Aristotle's
• Alexander the Great's major influence
• Inspiration from the immortals
• Why victory is better than happiness
• Friends as a second self

A conversation with the bestselling author, classicist and the military and naval historian Barry Strauss about his latest book Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire.

We explore:

• Why Julius Caesar became a key patron of the Jews and how his support shaped Jewish life in the Roman Empire
• The pivotal moment when Antipater (Herod's father) saved Caesar in Egypt, and how it changed Jewish-Roman relations
• Caesar's assassination: the personal ambitions and fears that drove the conspirators beyond Republican ideology
• Herod the Great's extraordinary political survival skills: switching allegiances from Antony to Octavian and always landing on his feet
• The ruthless pragmatism of Herod's reign, including the execution of his own talented sons
• The historical plausibility of the "slaughter of the innocents" story and what it reveals about Herod's character

For Barry's previous appearance, check out episode 81.

Subscribe to the Cost of Glory newsletter for detailed maps, images, and analysis of this pivotal moment in ancient history: https://costofglory.substack.com/

Get in touch at:
Website: https://costofglory.com
X: https://x.com/costofglory

A conversation with Johnathan Bi (Cosmos Institute, The Great Books podcast) for a deep dive into Stoicism through the life and philosophy of Cato the Younger.

We explore:

• Why Stoicism continues to attract modern audiences
• Jonathan’s personal journey with Stoicism—and why he ultimately turned to other philosophies
• Nietzsche’s critique of Stoicism as a coping mechanism
• How Cato embodied Stoic principles (and where he may have fallen short)
• The tension between Stoic theory and Stoic practice in figures like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius

Subscribe to the Cost of Glory newsletter for detailed maps, images, and analysis of this pivotal moment in ancient history: https://costofglory.substack.com/

Get in touch at:
Website: https://costofglory.com
X: https://x.com/costofglory