Classical Wisdom Speaks

Intellectual Slaves in Ancient Rome: The Hidden Minds Behind Roman Literature & Power What is an intellectual slave, and why did some of the most educated people in ancient Rome live in bondage? In this fascinating conversation, Princeton classics professor Harriet Flower reveals the overlooked world of learned slaves and educated freedmen in Republican Rome. Discover how enslaved scholars, poets, editors, teachers, and philosophers helped shape Roman culture, literature, politics, and ...

Should philosophy start in childhood? Discover how philosophy for children can improve critical thinking, empathy, communication, and emotional resilience in the modern world. This episode is for parents, teachers, students, and anyone interested in philosophy, education, psychology, and child development. Dr. Maria Kasmirli explores why philosophy should be introduced to children from an early age—not as abstract academic theory, but as a way of encouraging curiosity, dialogue, reasoning,...

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 Fairly, which is drawn from the writings of Seneca. You can buy it here: https:/...

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, Hankins weaves the story of how our ideas of law, liberty, and virtue emerged...and why they st...

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 tyrants and revolutionaries in Syracuse directly influenced his philosophical masterpiece, Rep...

From specific dietary instructions to detailed systems to categorize foods and their health effects, ancient Greeks and Romans tried to optimize their health and well being through their diet. But what can we learn from their efforts? What foods were considered instrumental for good living, and likewise what should we avoid? Featuring Claire Bubb, Assistant Professor of Classical Literature and Science at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University an...

Centaurs, Snake-kings, Griffins, and Gorgons... ancient Greek mythology is filled with haunting hybrids. But how did these horrific monsters evolve? What is their purpose? And most intriguing of all...what do they reveal about ancient Greek history? Featuring Jeremy McInerney, Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Centaurs and Snake-Kings: Hybrids and the Greek Imagination. Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisd...