Cost of Glory

A goddess offers Odysseus immortality. He says no.Eight years on Calypso's island. Paradise, more or less. And he spends his days sitting on the beach, weeping for a rocky little kingdom he may never see again.Welcome to Part 2 (of 6!) of our series on Homer's great epic.Part 2 covers Books 5 to 8. We finally meet the man himself, and he arrives naked, half drowned, and buried under a pile of leaves. Why would anyone choose death over eternal life? And why does the greatest hero of the age get home on charm rather than force?Follow Odysseus as he builds his own raft, survives Poseidon's wrath, and talks his way into the most powerful household on the island of the Phaeacians. Meet the women who hold the real power: Calypso, the princess Nausicaa, and Queen Arete, honored like no woman of Homer's own day. Plus King Alcinous, and the blind bard Demodocus, whose song brings Odysseus to tears.Christopher Nolan cut three of these four books from his film. They may be the ones that tell you most about who Odysseus really is.Timestamps:00:57 Women, Power and Odysseus03:19 Hermes Visits Calypso05:25 Odysseus Trapped and Weeping06:14 Zeus Orders Release11:03 Calypso's Final Offer14:07 Why Mortality Matters17:45 Raft Building and Agency20:32 Poseidon's Storm and Shipwreck23:29 Phaeacia's Backstory24:10 Nausicaa's Dream28:10 Nausicaa Meets Odysseus30:54 Winning Nausicaa's Trust39:47 Athena Guides Odysseus40:53 Bronze Age Heroic Lens43:48 Arete and Royal Honor46:32 Palace Splendor and Supplication49:19 Clothes Test and Charm52:53 Cleos and the Bard56:12 Feast and Demodocus Song01:02:04 Games and Odysseus Flexes01:06:46 Aphrodite and Ares Trap01:13:03 Gifts and Nausicaa's Farewell01:14:56 Trojan Horse Song and Tears01:22:43 Closing ThoughtsCallouts:Special thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson for his longtime support of the show. You are Caesar and Odysseus's Top Guy!Special thanks also to the team at ZCash, who are building a digital network to transfer money with complete privacy. I've used their wallet Zodl, and it's worth checking out.In tribute to the life and aspirations of Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a University of Texas at Austin honors student who died tragically in the March 1 mass shooting, her parents have established the Savitha Shan Endowed Scholarship at UT Austin. The fund is intended to extend Savitha’s legacy by supporting the educational journeys of future UT Austin students. Please consider donating if you can.

The much awaited series on Julius Caesar begins, with the inaugural episode: "Man of Destiny".In this episode:Caesar's formative years in the shadow of Sulla's dictatorshipHis early political boldness and refusal to divorce CorneliaThe capture by pirates and his merciless revengeCaesar's rise through the ranks of Roman politics as Quaestor and AedileThe Catilinarian conspiracy and Caesar's narrow escape from executionHis famous ambition: "I would rather be first man here than second at Rome"A tale of charm, audacity, and calculated risk as a young aristocrat from a modest branch of an ancient family navigates the treacherous waters of late Republican politics. Caesar—stylish, charismatic, deeply in debt, and dangerously ambitious—sets himself against the legacy of Sulla while methodically building a coalition that would eventually transform Rome forever. 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!

A conversation w/ Kevin Dolan on Kings of Sparta, Anti-Natalist Roman Aristocrats, and whether Christianity destroyed or saved Rome.Join me at the Natal Conference, March 28-29, 2025, in Austin, TX! https://natalism.orgFind Kevin on X at https://x.com/extradeadjcb

Cato's Afterlife, Takeaways, Sources.Some Modern Sources:Rome's Last Citizen, by Goodman and SoniUncommon Wrath, by OsgoodCato the Younger by Drogula

Part 2 of 3 of the Life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:Cato confronts the rising power of Caesar and Pompey in the SenateThe scandalous note from Servilia that backfired on CatoHis principled handling of the Cyprus annexation missionThe formation of the First Triumvirate and Cato's resistanceHis memorable year as Praetor and battles against corruptionThe death of Julia and Crassus sets the stage for civil warA story of political intrigue, street violence, and the struggle to preserve Republican institutions against the rising tide of populist strongmen. At the heart of it all stands Cato, refusing to compromise his principles even as Rome's political system crumbles around him.

How to make progress, and know it. Featuring a few of Plutarch's critiques of some Stoics of his day - whether fairly or unfairly, you can decide.Also featuring: Diogenes the Cynic, Aeschylus the Poet, Brasidas the Spartan Commander. Also featuring: ZEAL