Sometimes stories have a life of their own... literally. Today Anya is joined by Joel Christensen to discuss how mythology acts as a living being in itself. Discover how stories shape the world around us... and why the movie versions never feel the same as the books. Joel Christensen is Professor in the Department of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies at Brandeis University. He is the author of many books, including Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things. You can bu...

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...

Tell me about a complicated culture… From the Peloponnesian War to the women of ancient mythology, today Anya is joined by Jennifer T. Roberts to talk about the rich, complex, and contradictory nature of ancient Greek culture… Jennifer T. Roberts is Professor of Classics and History at the City College of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. She is author of many books, including most recently, Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture. You can buy i...

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...

They were two of Rome's most famous and powerful men. Both were respected statesmen and feared generals. Both were crucial figures in the final years of the Roman Republic. But you might not have heard of one of them... Today Anya is joined by Stephen Dando-Collins to discuss the complex rivalry between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Allies turned enemies, their battles would ultimately usher in the age of the Roman Empire. But why have their legacies so sharply diverged? Stephen Dando-...

What can Aristotle tell us about how we should live today? What are the ancient secrets to a flourishing life? And what is 'the art of the interesting?' Today Anya is joined by Lorraine Besser to discuss the ways Aristotle has influenced modern psychology, and how the path towards a richer life is always within us... Lorraine Besser is professor of philosophy at Middlebury College. She was a founding investigator on the research team studying psychological richness, and is t...

She was one of the most powerful women of the ancient world… Once mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy. Yet today she is largely forgotten. Why did this happen? Today Anya is joined by award-winning novelist Costanza Casati to discuss the ancient Assyrian queen, Semiramis, and the blurry boundary between history and myth. Constanza Casati is the author of the award-winning novel Clytemnestra, as well as her second novel Babylonia, which in ...

What is the key to happiness? It turns out, the Stoics might just have the answer… Today Anya is joined by Christopher Gill to discuss ancient Stoic understandings of happiness, how some modern interpretations of Stoicism get it wrong, and what exactly fate has to do with it all. Christopher Gill is a British philosopher and Emeritus Professor of Ancient Thought at the University of Exeter. He is author of many books, including Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and its M...

It’s no secret that the American Founding Fathers were deeply inspired by the Classics. The words of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers suffuse the original documents and ideas that built America. Today Anya is joined by Jeffery Rosen to talk about how ancient ideas of virtue inspired these pivotal figures in American history. Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.subs...

There is a place, a narrow strip of land, where bravery and sacrifice became legendary... where the famed ‘300’ laid down their lives to save Hellas in 480 BC... But that is not the only battle in which blood was shed at Thermopylae... Dr. Michael Livingston and Myke Cole discuss their recently released book "The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae" and discover the chilling stories found on this particular field... We not only look at the history of the ‘killing grounds’ but also into...

From Penelope to Fulvia and beyond, discover the lives of ancient women. Today Anya is joined by Dr. Daisy Dunn, to discuss the ‘missing thread’ of ancient history: the often-overlooked women who helped shape civilizations. Dr Daisy Dunn is an award-winning classicist and the author of several books, including The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World through the Women Who Shaped It. You can buy it here: https://geni.us/TheMissingThread Hosted by Anya Leonard of...

Discover the woman who brought Greek mythology to America… Today Anya is joined by Victoria Houseman to discuss the life and legacy of Edith Hamilton, the American Classicist who brought Greek mythology and ancient cultures to a vast new audience. Her books remain beloved classics in their own right, and illuminate not only the Greeks and Romans, but also how the ancients can help us understand the tumultuous twentieth century. Victoria Houseman is a historian and associate professor...

While Stoicism is currently all the rage -and for good reason- it isn’t the only philosophy to address some of life’s toughest questions. From dealing with uncertainty, stress, grief and more, we have a wonderful toolbox of wisdom at our disposal, if only we know where to look. Renowned Stoics and philosophers, Massimo Pigliucci, Donald Robertson and John Sellars, take the lessons of Stoicism... and beyond... to see how we can approach life’s difficulties and incorporate time-tested phi...

How did two different philosophies - that have seen a resurgence of interest in the Western world - both arrive at such similar conclusions for how to live a happy life? Despite being separated by hundreds of years and thousands of miles, Stoicism and Buddhism have striking similarities...so much so some have wondered if there was some exchange of ideas between the forefathers of each ideology. But how exactly are these philosophies alike? What are the critical differences? And perhaps most i...

What happens AFTER an apocalypse? How did ancient societies rebuild after catastrophic events… and what can that teach us about our world now? Today, Anya is joined by DR ERIC H. CLINE, author of the bestselling history book 1177 B.C and its recent sequel, After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations. They’ll be discussing what to do if your society collapses… and why the ancient 'dark ages' weren't so dark. Dr. Cline is Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Anthrop...

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental disorders. Considered pathology, it is the most diagnosed and medicated of all psychological disorders... but what if it isn't always or only a medical condition? From Greek tragedies and Buddhism to actual practices from famous doctors like Galen, there are a myriad of important lessons about anxiety that can be gleaned from the past. Indeed the ancients had a lot to say about anxiety and mental conditions in general... and their perspect...

Discover how the best physician is also a philosopher… From the gladiators’ arena to the imperial court, the life and career of the ancient doctor Galen is among the most extraordinary in the ancient world. A Greek, a Roman, a doctor, and a thinker, Galen was also one of the most prolific of all ancient writers, having written ten per cent of all ancient texts from before 350CE. Today, Anya is joined by KATHERINE D. VAN SCHAIK, herself both a Classicist and an MD, to discuss Galen’s imm...

It’s philosophy’s ultimate dinner party… and you’re invited. On today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks, Anya is joined by Professor Alex Priou to discuss Plato’s most joyful and playful work, The Symposium. Discover how taking an unconventional approach to Plato can illuminate both this ancient text and how we live today. ALEX PRIOU is Associate Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Austin. He is the author of many books, including 'Musings on Plato’s Symposium', as well as a number...

Discover the ancient nomadic tribe that helped inspire the myth of the Amazons… and their legacy in the world today. On today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks, Anya is joined by Professor Christopher Beckwith, an expert on the mysterious and compelling Scythians. Join them as they discuss the secrets of this influential yet overlooked people, their vanished empire, how Herodotus is a very reliable source after all. You can purchase ‘The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Cla...

They say all philosophy is but a series of footnotes to Plato. Yet the remarkable story of the great philosopher’s life has remained untold—until now.On today’s Classical Wisdom Speaks, Anya is joined by independent scholar and translator Robin Waterfield to discuss his latest book ‘Plato of Athens’, the first ever full-length biography of Plato.Separate fact from fiction and discover if Plato really died from not knowing a riddle, whether the so-called letters of Plato are authentic or not… ...