Podcast
Cost of Glory
Hosted by Alex Petkas · EN
The most influential biographies ever written, admired by leaders, creators, soldiers, and thinkers for nearly 2,000 years: Plutarch’s Parallel lives. Essential listening for anyone striving after greatness. Alex Petkas, former professor of ancient philosophy and history, revives and dramatically retells these unforgettable stories for modern audiences. The subjects are statesmen, generals, orators, and founders; pious and profane, stoics and hedonists. The stakes bear on the future of Western civilization. The cost of glory is always great. Visit costofglory.com to find out more.
15episodes
Episodes
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112 - The Psychology of Envy and the Fall of Caesar: w/ Rob Henderson
Sep 2301:11:33Tap to summarizeA conversation with Rob Henderson — Air Force veteran, psychologist, and author of the bestselling "Troubled". In this episode:Rob's journey from foster care to Cambridge and lessons about status, envy, and human natureThe psychology of envy and jealousy - from Julius Caesar's assassination to modern politicsDifference between dominance and prestige in human behaviorWhy envy is one of the most powerful yet unacknowledged human emotionsHow these dynamics shape personal relationships and societyWhy men are drawn to history and the Great Man theoryWhat academia misses in its focus on present-day issuesLuxury beliefs, status games, and why successful people downplay hard workAttention spans in the digital age and effects of TikTok and short-form mediaWhy biographies and long-form stories matter for character developmentHow reading about great and troubled historical figures helped Rob navigate teenage hardshipInsights on history, psychology, and the hidden forces shaping societySubscribe 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.comX: https://x.com/costofglory
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111 - Caesar's Civil War III: Came Saw Conquered
Sep 1101:32:35Tap to summarizePart 3 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. From triumph to near-disaster. Caesar's Egyptian entanglement transforms him from a glorious victor to a desperate challenger. In this episode:Pompey's assassination in Egypt and Caesar's unexpected grief over his former ally's deathCleopatra's legendary entrance in a bed-sack and her political seduction of CaesarThe brutal urban warfare trapping Caesar in the palace quarter for six monthsThe burning of the Great Library during the harbor battles—400,000 volumes lostCaesar's desperate swim to safety while clutching precious documents above waterYoung King Ptolemy XIII's tragic fate and the consolidation of Cleopatra's powerThe lightning campaign against Pharnaces in Asia—"Veni, Vidi, Vici"The veterans' mutiny outside Rome and Caesar's masterful psychological manipulationCato's final stand in Africa and his defiant suicideThe decisive Battle of Thapsus and the strategic genius of fighting on narrow groundThe massacre of surrendering enemies as Caesar's clemency finally failsAs Caesar recounts, the Republic's future dictator came very close to destruction in the palaces and canals of Alexandria. While Rome descended into chaos under Mark Antony's drunken rule, Caesar fought for his life against war elephants and Numidian cavalry, transformed by his liaison with the living goddess Cleopatra. The man who emerged from Egypt was no longer merely a Roman general, he had consorted with divinity and fathered the son of a pharaoh. As Cicero wrote in frantic letters to Atticus: "Where am I to look for solace?" The final campaign that would cement Caesar's supremacy began with the most dangerous gamble of his career.Works Cited: (Affiliate links - support the show!)Gareth Sampson, The Battle of Pharsalus Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman James Froude, Caesar: A Sketch, Raaflaub (ed.) Landmark Caesar Thanks to our sponsor, Ai Labs. Visit austinlab.ai to chat with a team member about custom Agentic AI power solutions for your SMB to Enterprise level business. Powered by Shokworks.Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
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110 - Caesar's Civil War II: Bloody Pharsalia
Jul 12, 202501:31:51Tap to summarizePart 2 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. After his lightning conquest of Italy, Caesar faces his greatest challenge yet as Pompey masses a vast army in Greece. In this episode:Caesar's second dictatorship and revolutionary reforms in Rome—citizenship grants, debt relief, and restoration of the proscribedThe dangerous winter crossing of the Adriatic, splitting his forces against Pompey's naval supremacyThe siege of Dyrrhachium and Caesar's ambitious 17-mile circumvallation to trap PompeyThe catastrophic defeat that nearly ended Caesar's career—his worst loss yetThe brilliant strategic retreat showcasing the iron discipline of Caesar's veteransYoung Curio's tragic death in Africa, highlighting Caesar's reliance on inexperienced lieutenantsThe fateful convergence at Pharsalus as both armies march into ThessalyThe decisive moment when Caesar's hidden fourth line shattered Pompey's cavalry chargeThe fall of the Roman Republic as 15,000 Romans died by Roman swordsCaesar's own account reveals a commander pushed to his absolute limits, saved only by the loyalty of soldiers who would "rather eat tree bark than let Pompey slip through our fingers." The battle that destroyed the old Republic hinged on a single morning's decisions, proving that world history sometimes turns on the choices of one man in command. As Caesar stood over the carnage at Pharsalus, he reportedly said: "This is what they chose. After so many deeds in the service of my country, they would have me, Julius Caesar, condemned as a criminal, unless I sought the protection of an army."Works Cited: Gareth Sampson, The Battle of Pharsalus Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman James Froude, Caesar: A Sketch, Raaflaub (ed.) Landmark Caesar. (Affiliate links - support the show!) Thanks to our sponsor, Ai Labs. Visit austinlab.ai to chat with a team member about custom Agentic AI power solutions for your SMB to Enterprise level business. Powered by Shokworks.Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
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109 - Caesar's Civil War I: Breakdown
Jun 4, 202501:49:17Tap to summarizePart 1 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. The die is cast—Caesar crosses the Rubicon and plunges Rome into civil war. In this episode:The political crisis of 51-50 BCE as Caesar's enemies demand his recall from GaulCurio's shocking defection and proposal that both Caesar and Pompey lay down armsThe breakdown of negotiations and Pompey's fateful acceptance of command against CaesarHis lightning campaign through Italy as cities surrender without a fightThe siege of Corfinium and Caesar's revolutionary policy of clemency toward enemiesPompey's strategic retreat to Greece, abandoning Rome and splitting the RepublicThe brilliant Spanish campaign at Ilerda, showcasing Caesar's military geniusThe brutal siege of Marseille and Caesar's appointment as DictatorCaesar's own account reveals a man driven not by revolutionary ambition, but by wounded dignity and the desperate need to defend his honor against enemies who would destroy him through partisan prosecution. As Lucan wrote of this cosmic struggle: "Of civil wars and worse waged on Thessalian fields / Of crime made law we sing, how a powerful people / Turned on its own heart its conquering hand." The war that would transform Rome forever begins not with grand ideology, but with Caesar's refusal to submit to humiliation—and his enemies' fatal miscalculation of the man they sought to crush.Works CitedKurt Raaflaub (ed.), The Landmark Julius CaesarMatthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and StatesmanErich Gruen, Last Generation of the Roman Republic Thanks to our sponsor, Ai Labs. Visit austinlab.ai to chat with a team member about custom Agentic AI power solutions for your SMB to Enterprise level business. Powered by Shokworks.Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
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108 - Caesar 2: Law and Nature
May 10, 202502:10:00Tap to summarizePart 2 of 3 of the Life of Julius Caesar. In this episode:Caesar forms the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus, uniting Rome's most powerful menHis revolutionary consulship of 59 BCE bypasses Senate opposition through popular assembliesThe brilliant staging of the Gallic conquest, using allies and tribal conflicts as pretexts for expansionHis management of Rome through letters while commanding armies across GaulThe death of Julia and Crassus fractures the political alliance holding Rome togetherVercingetorix's rebellion culminates in the decisive siege of Alesia, securing Gaul for RomeCaesar transforms both Rome and Gaul forever through calculated strategy, personal magnetism, and relentless ambition—all while his enemies in Rome, led by Cato, plot his downfall and convince Pompey to turn against him, setting the stage for civil war. Thanks to our sponsor, Ai Labs. Visit austinlab.ai to chat with a team member about custom Agentic AI power solutions for your SMB to Enterprise level business. Powered by Shokworks.Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
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