Classical Wisdom Speaks

How to Grieve: From Cicero and Stoicism to Modern practices, How Can Philosophy HELP US Handle Loss? Panel DiscussionIn 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech―not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked.Cicero’s Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech. Drawing on the full range of Greek philosophy and Roman history, Cicero convinced himself that death and loss are part of life, and that if others have survived them, we can, too; resilience, endurance, and fortitude are the way forward.This panel discusses the revelations of Cicero’s consolation and how they relate to both the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and modern behavioral cognitive therapy... all with the aim of finding a better understanding on how to grieve.Watch eminent professors and authors, Michael Fontaine, Massimo Pigliucci, and Donald Robertson for this thought-provoking, important conversation. About the Speakers:Michael Fontaine is Professor in the Department of Classics at Cornell University, New York and author of many books and articles, including: How to tell a Joke, The Pig War, How to Drink: A classical Guide to Imbibing, and most recently, How to Grieve: An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation.Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and author of many books, including How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life... and most recently, How to Be Good: What Socrates Can Teach Us About the Art of Living Well. Donald Robertson is a writer, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist and trainer, specializing in teaching evidence-based psychological skills and is the president of Plato’s Academy Center.  Donald is the author of several books and many articles on philosophy, psychotherapy, and psychological skills training, including How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, and his most recent project, Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, a graphic novel has just been released.Anya Leonard is the Founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Co-founded in 2013 with Bill Bonner, in conjunction with Les Belles Lettres, the French publishing house.  She has recently published a children’s book, Sappho: The Lost Poetess, dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho.You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and our mission to bring ancient wisdom to modern minds here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/

From the highway killers confronted by the Greek hero Theseus, such as Procrustes, who tortured and mutilated their victims to the Sphinx, or “strangler,” from the story of Oedipus.. Or child-killing demons and witches and historical figures such as Locusta of Gaul, the most notorious poisoner in the early Roman Empire....Who are the serial killers of the ancient world? From the highway killers confronted by the Greek hero Theseus, such as Procrustes, who tortured and mutilated their victims to the Sphinx, or “strangler,” from the story of Oedipus.. Or child-killing demons and witches and historical figures such as Locusta of Gaul, the most notorious poisoner in the early Roman Empire....Who are the serial killers of the ancient world? Usually thought to be a more modern phenomenon, Dr. Debbie Felton makes the case that you can find these notorious murderers throughout ancient history and mythology alike. To learn more about Classical Wisdom Speaks, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com Debbie Felton is the Professor of Classics and Undergraduate Program Director at UMass-Amherst. She is the author and editor of many books which focus on antiquity, folktales, the supernatural and the monstrous, but today we discuss her latest book, Monsters and Monarchs: Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History.Classical Wisdom Members can listen to the entire podcast with Professor Felton on Classical Wisdom.com. You can purchase Debbie’s book, Monsters and Monarchs: Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History on amazon.com or https://utpress.utexas.edu/ 

Not just for dinner parties and sleepy children, learning how to tell a story is an essential component of understanding literature... but do we only become great at it when we break the rules? We discuss Aristotle's necessary components for storytelling... and why...or why not they matter.This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks podcast is with Phillip Freeman, Professor of Humanities and Fletcher Jones Chair of Western Culture in the Humanities/ Teacher Education Division at Seaver College of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Phillip is author of many interesting and diverse books, including his most recent: How to Tell a Story, An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Reader, which is a highly readable new translation of Aristotle’s Poetics.Thank you for listening to Classical Wisdom Speaks. Please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/ to learn more about our work and to sign up for our Free newsletter. To learn more about Philip Freeman and his excellent books, please go to https://philipfreemanbooks.com/

Mark Antony and Cleopatra on one side... Octavian and his brilliant general on the other. It's one of the most riveting, decisive and climatic moments in ancient history... and yet still such a mystery.How was it that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were defeated... when they had much larger forces? What were the pivotal - never discussed - moments beforehand that gave Octavian the upper hand?And what really happened that fateful day when Mark Antony's ships simply didn't set sail?Discover the gripping story of one of history’s most important wars, the campaign culminating in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC... the war that made the Roman Empire.Featuring Cornell Classics Professor Barry Strauss, naval warfare expert William M. Murray and famed Egyptologist Kara Cooney, moderated by Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom.Help support the classics! Find out more about Classical Wisdom and the work we are doing at our new location: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/About the Speakers:Barry Strauss is the Professor of History and Classics, Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, specializing as a military and naval historian. Barry is also the visiting Corliss Dean Page Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Series Editor of Princeton’s Turning Points in Ancient History, an author of many bestselling books, including: The Death of Caesar, Ten Caesars and most recently, ˆˆThe War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra and Octavian at Actium.Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. Specializing in craft production, coffin studies, and economies in the ancient world, Cooney received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a comparative archaeology television series, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is available online via Netflix and Amazon.William M. Murray is the Mary and Gus Stathis Professor of Greek History at the University of South Florida. His interests include all aspects of ancient seafaring from ships and their designs to trade, ancient harbors, naval warfare and weaponry. Over the past 40 years, he has worked at archaeological sites, both underwater and on land, in Greece, Israel, Turkey, France and Italy. He is currently a member of the Egadi Island Survey Project recovering ancient warship rams and other battle debris from the last naval battle of the First Punic War (241 BC) and is also preparing, with others, the final publication of excavations conducted at Augustus’ Victory Monument near Nicopolis in Greece.Moderated by Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds.

Many people don’t see the connection between the key ancient philosophers, Plato, Socrates and Aristotle and the growing trend of Stoicism - but how was Stoicism influenced by these earlier thinkers? Nancy Sherman, who holds the rank of a distinguished University Professor at Georgetown university, and has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, discusses the practical tools of Stoicism, how its been influenced by previous philosophers as well as the NEED for Plato. Nancy Sherman is also a New York Times Notable Author and her most recent book is Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience... she will be speaking LIVE on the topic of "Aristotle and the Stoics on Flourishing" this May 21st, 2022 at the inaugural conference for the Plato's Academy Centre. Co-hosted by Classical Wisdom, all donations will go to the reconstruction of Plato's Academy in Athens. Make sure to secure your tickets to this HISTORIC event HERE: https://platosacademycentre1.eventbrite.caYou can get Nancy's book, Stoic Wisdom, Here: https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Wisdom-Ancient-Lessons-Resilience/dp/0197501834 

Has our modern system of education become obsessed with the practical and technical to the detriment of a contemplative view of education? Can we help students find awe, curiosity, contemplation - and most important of all - meaning? It’s time to recover the role of Beauty in education, to show how a liberal arts education can form us as integral persons—mind, body, and soul.Featuring Margarita Mooney Suarez of the Scala Foundation, Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renaissance and Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.We discuss the nature of poetic knowledge, finding beauty in a multi-cultural world, and the French philosopher, La Jacques Maritain.This event is brought to you by Classical Wisdom and Civic Renassiancehttps://classicalwisdom.com/https://www.civic-renaissance.com/About the Speakers:Margarita Mooney Suarez is currently an Associate Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, having served as faculty at institutions of higher education since 2005. She is also founder and executive director of Scala Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring meaning and purpose to universities and schools by promoting liberal arts education. As a woman whose work lies at the intersection of the social sciences with philosophy and theology, she excels at encouraging students, readers, listeners and audiences to think about important questions in beauty, education, femininity, vocation, hope and faith in new and different ways.You can find out more about Scala Foundation here: https://scalafoundation.org/Alexandra Hudson is an award winning journalist, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of Civic Renaissance, a newsletter and intellectual community dedicated to moral and cultural renewal.Anya Leonard is the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Anya studied philosophy and comparative literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis, a great books program and received her MA in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. She has recently published a children’s book, Sappho: The Lost Poetess, dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho. She currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

If Seneca said Luck is when preparation meets opportunity... is Resilience when preparation meets struggle?Even if you aren't suffering pain, loss, or anxiety now... the reality is one day you will, and how you handle it can be greatly influenced by how you prepare for it...Aka, it's always worthwhile to do the 'work', philosophically speaking that is... 😉Stoicism can help with health issues like Chronic pain, PTSD and anxiety...  it can improve your relationships as well as your home life...and it has useful tactics that stick... whether you learn them when you need them, or when you prepare for the inevitable. Listen to this fascinating panel bring together the philosophical and the practical on Stoicism: health, home and community. Featuring: Karen "Duff" Duffy, model, television personality, actress, and author of “Wise Up”; Donald Robertson, a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, trainer, writer as well as one of the founding members of the non-profit group, Modern Stoicism; and Nancy Sherman, Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and New York Times Notable Author. Moderated by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. You can buy Duff's fantastic book, "Wise Up: Irreverent Enlightenment from a Mother Who's Been Through It" Here: https://www.sealpress.com/titles/karen-duffy/wise-up/9781541620483/You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/Get your FREE Guide: How to Be Happy: An Ethical Guide to ancient Philosophy here: https://classicalwisdom.com/how-to-be-happy/You can enjoy Donald's book, How to Think like a Roman Emperor here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Like-Roman-Emperor/dp/1250196620#Get your own copy of Nancy's Book: Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Resilience here:https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Wisdom-Ancient-Lessons-Resilience/dp/0197501834About the speakers: Karen Duffy is the New York Times bestselling author of Model Patient... and most recently, "Wise Up: Irreverent Enlightenment from a Mother Who's Been Through It ". She is a producer, actress, and former MTV VJ. She has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and O, The Oprah Magazine. She lives in New York. Nancy Sherman is a New York Times Notable Author. Her most recent book is Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience. She is also the author of Afterwar: Healing the Moral Wounds of our Soldiers; The Untold War: Inside the Hearts, Minds, and Souls of our Soldiers a New York Times Editors' pick; Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind; Making a Necessity of Virtue: Aristotle and Kant on Virtue; The Fabric of Character: Aristotle's Theory of Virtue,  and the editor of Critical Essays on the Classics: Aristotle's Ethics. She has written over 60 articles in the area of ethics, military ethics, the history of moral philosophy, ancient ethics, the emotions, moral psychology, and psychoanalysis. She has delivered over 60 named or keynote lectures and plenary addresses here and abroad.  Nancy Sherman holds the distinguished rank of University Professor at Georgetown University.Donald Robertson, president of Plato’s Academy centre, is a writer, trainer, and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist. He is a dual UK and Canadian citizen, with permanent residence in Greece. He is the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, includin

In 2021 Princeton University scrapped the Ancient Greek and Latin requirements for Classics students... and this sparked a huge debate, both within the classics community and the general classics loving public as well. We ask: Should ancient Greek and Latin be required for Classics students? What is the future of ancient languages?It used to be that you couldn't even enter university without knowledge of Latin and Ancient Greek...but as time goes on, these language requirements have been lowered... and today they have been almost completely dropped, even in the Classics department.Is this good? Is this bad? Should ancient Greek and Latin be required for Classics students? Or are our modern translations sufficient?Moreover, how can those who don't know ancient languages benefit from the wisdom of these texts? Beyond academe, can the lay person enjoy the wisdom of history to live a richer life?Featuring former Eton ancient Greek teacher, Lalya Lloyd, Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renassiance and Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom.Learn more about Classical Wisdom here: http://classicalwisdom.com/And about Civic Renassiance here: https://www.civic-renaissance.com/About the Speakers:Lalya Lloyd is an Athens-based teacher and writer who has spent a lifetime living and teaching classics. She was raised by a classicist and studied at Cambridge under Mary Beard. In between she won a prize for the Times Literary Supplement (TLS). More recently, she taught classics at Eton. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and is working on a book about ancient and modern Greece. Other current projects include editing a forthcoming biography of Marcus Aurelius for Yale UP.Alexandra Hudson is an award winning journalist, author, and speaker, as well as the founder of Civic Renaissance, a newsletter and intellectual community dedicated to moral and cultural renewal.Anya Leonard is the founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a site dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. Anya studied philosophy and comparative literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis, a great books program and received her MA in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. She has recently published a children’s book, Sappho: The Lost Poetess, dedicated to the life, works and remarkable recent discovery of a poem written by the 7th century Poetess, Sappho. She currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Time has come... to tell the other side of the myth... the one where Medea isn't so bad... but Penelope is. What if Pandora didn’t have a box? And it wasn’t even filled with evils? What if Helen of Troy (nay Sparta) wasn’t really the face that launched a thousand ships?Perhaps it’s time to look at the Greek myths a bit more carefully... and see what versions we are choosing to reiterate... and why? Featuring  NATALIE HAYNES, author of six books, including A Thousand Ships, which was a national bestseller and shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Comedian and ardent proponent of making the classics accessible, Natalie has written and recorded seven series of Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics for the BBC. She has written for The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Observer. Natalie join us from London.You can purchase Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Pandoras-Jar-Women-Greek-Myths/dp/1509873112/Want your own guide to the Greek Gods? Get a free e-book here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-guide-to-the-greek-gods/ You can learn more about Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Speaks here: https://classicalwisdom.com/

Donald Robertson's upcoming Graphic Novel tells the tale of Marcus Aurelius like never before... How did Marcus Aurelius get his nickname? And why was it such a slap in the face... to his brother? And how does this new medium teach about both the Roman emperor and Stoic philosophy at the same time? We delve into the man, the legend, and who exactly should play Marcus Aurelius in the next Hollywood blockbuster.You can pre-order your own copy of Verissimus HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Verissimus-Stoic-Philosophy-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/1250270952Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, trainer, writer as well as one of the founding members of the non-profit group, Modern Stoicism. He's the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, including Stoicism and the Art of Happiness (2013), How to Think Like a Roman Emperor (2019) and his latest graphic novel on Marcus Aurelius, of which we speak about today...Was Alexander the Great REALLY that Great? Get a free magazine dedicated to the ancient Hellenic King and find out here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-guide-alexander-the-great/ Thank you to our Classical Wisdom Society Members who make this podcast possible. If you would like to become a Society Member and help support the classics, please go to https://classicalwisdom.com/ and click Start here.