Polybius' theory of anacyclosis is the most sophisticated theory of political (r)evolution to have emerged from ancient Greek and Roman political thought. ------------------ To watch the highlight real from the last AGD tour in Greece, click here. ------------------ To read the passage in Polybius where he discusses anacyclosis click here. ------------------ If you'd like to read more about the theory of anacyclosis, I've written a few blogs on the subject: Anacyclosis, Act 1: From Monarchy to Tyranny Anacyclosis, Act 2: The Rise of Republics Anacyclosis, Act 3: The Rise and Fall of Democracy

AGD is going back to Greece this winter (Jan. 3-11) for an epic tour of Greece's northern regions, focusing on mountains and oracles. For more information or to reserve your spot, email us at greecepodcast@gmail.com

Plato argued that the inevitable next step in political evolution after democracy is tyranny. Many political thinkers throughout history agreed with him. Were they right? ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast --------------- A full transcript of this episode with references can be found on our website at greecepodcast.com

Discussing Marcus Aurelius as a ruler and Stoic philosopher, exploring anger as a motivator, comparing Stoicism with modern cognitive therapy, and delving into decision making and the fusion of philosophy in a graphic novel.

An update on the AGD Tour happening in Greece from August 16-24 For an outline of the itinerary click here. 

Thirty three scholars, philosophers, and archaeologists answer the question: If you could time travel to the ancient world, who would you want to meet? Scholars featured + the timestamps when they appear: 2:10  Edith Hall 3:36  Eric Cline 4:30  Andromache Karanika 5:45  Josiah Ober 6:48  Rush Rehm 7:30  Ian Morris 8:02  Rebecca Newberger Goldstein 9:20  Patrick Hunt 9:46  Raffaella Cribiore 11:04  Mark Adams 12:20  Peter Adamson 13:47  Richard Martin 15:08  M. M. McCabe 16:37  Zina Giannopoulou 18:45  Greg Nagy 19:43  Caroline Winterer 20:04  Melissa Lane 22:28  Alicia Stallings 22:57  Rhiannon Evans 24:04  Barbara Graziosi 24:54  Walter Scheidel 25:12  Matt Simonton 26:30  Emily Greenwood 27:57  Olga Levaniouk 30:00  Steele Brand 32:55  Rachel Barney 33:36  Angie Hobbs 35:31  Adrian Goldsworthy 36:30  Mary Bachvarova 37:42  Jonathan Lear 39:40  Mary Townsend 40:31  Gabriel Richardson Lear 42:14  Ben Morison

Philosophers today often dismiss Plato's Theory of Forms as an outdated and failed attempt by a pre-modern thinker to explain knowledge. However, cognitive scientist John Vervaeke offers a radically different take on Plato's theory and how it ties in with recent debates about the nature of intelligence. John Vervaeke is a professor at the University of Toronto and the creator of the popular YouTube series Awakening from the Meaning Crisis. 

An announcement about the upcoming Ancient Greece Declassified tour in Greece this summer. 

The cave analogy, which takes up the majority of book 7 of the Republic, is one of the most famous passages in all of western philosophy. In this episode, we are joined by Ben Morison, professor of philosophy at Princeton, to dive deep into the allegory and unpack its various levels of meaning. 

Plato is at once the most loved and possibly the most hated philosopher of all time. This episode explores five reasons why he drives some people mad. Contents of the episode, with timestamps: Reason 1: Who should rule? [7:30] Reason 2: What political system is best? [12:20] The Ship of State [15:10] Reason 3: What is truth? [20:20] Reason 4: What is knowledge? [30:35] The Divided Line [40:25] Reason 5: What is good?