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53 Why Platonism and Stoicism Are Going Viral w/ John Vervaeke

Ancient Greece Declassified

Release Date: 08/21/2023

62 Marcus Aurelius and the Kingdom of Gold w/ Judith Stove show art 62 Marcus Aurelius and the Kingdom of Gold w/ Judith Stove

Ancient Greece Declassified

Marcus Aurelius became emperor of Rome in 161 AD and went on to win several wars against the northern barbarians. But it wasn't his military exploits that earned him everlasting fame. Rather, it was his philosophical mind and the writings he left behind. In this episode, we are joined by author and scholar Judith Stove to explore the character, writings, and legacy of Rome's "philosopher king." Stove's latest book is called . ------------------ Support the show on Patreon:  

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Announcements: Next Tour, Seeking Video Editor, Connect on Social Media, Patreon update show art Announcements: Next Tour, Seeking Video Editor, Connect on Social Media, Patreon update

Ancient Greece Declassified

Some announcements for those of you who care about what's happening at AGD behind the scenes...

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61 Who is Lantern Jack? (Doug Interviews Me) show art 61 Who is Lantern Jack? (Doug Interviews Me)

Ancient Greece Declassified

I chat with friend and fellow podcaster Doug Metzger about how I first became fascinated with the ancient world and share some of the adventures I had on the way to getting a PhD in Classical Philosophy. ------------------ Support AGD on Patreon: ------------------ Timestamps [01:25] Why I started AGD [05:15] Why Stoicism is misunderstood today [11:20] Debunking two big myths about the ancient world [14:45] How I got interested in ancient Greece [19:58] Reggie Foster, renegade priest [25:08] What makes Ancient Greek a precise and musical language [33:57] Hitchhiking adventures [44:27] AGD...

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60 The Rise of Athens (Themistocles and the Persian Wars, Part 3) show art 60 The Rise of Athens (Themistocles and the Persian Wars, Part 3)

Ancient Greece Declassified

During the Persian Wars, the city of Athens was completely razed to the ground by the Persian army. And yet, from its ashes, a new Athens was born, more powerful and magnificent than any other city in the Mediterranean. How did the Athenians pull that off?  In this finale to our Persian Wars saga, we explore the final battles of the conflict and the clever machinations of Themistocles—one of the chief masterminds and architects of Athenian power.   Contents of the episode, with timestamps: [05:35] Aftermath of Salamis  [15:50] Xerxes Goes Home [23:20] The Final Battles...

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59 The Ancient Novels w/ Doug Metzger (Apuleius, Lucian, Chariton, Heliodorus, Petronius, Achilles Tatius) show art 59 The Ancient Novels w/ Doug Metzger (Apuleius, Lucian, Chariton, Heliodorus, Petronius, Achilles Tatius)

Ancient Greece Declassified

Unveiling the wild world of ancient Greek and Roman novels with Doug Metzger, host of the "." ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: ------------------ Contents of the episode, with timestamps: 04:22 When did novels first arise? 09:12 The four genres of ancient novels 11:39 The typical plot (Callirhoe) 17:55 Daphnis and Chloe 21:10 Euripides' romances 28:17 Narrative in the Bible 32:43 Evolution of the ancient novel 34:27 Leucippe and Clitophon 35:47 Heliodorus' Aethiopica  37:35 Lucian and the influence on modernity 43:08 The Second Sophistic 47:14 Greek...

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58 What Did the World's First Pop Star Sound like? | Euripides and Ancient Music w/ Claire Catenaccio show art 58 What Did the World's First Pop Star Sound like? | Euripides and Ancient Music w/ Claire Catenaccio

Ancient Greece Declassified

What did ancient music sound like? In this episode, you will hear three songs that are over 2000 years old! Few people in the world today know more about ancient music than our guest in this episode. Claire Catenaccio is an assistant professor of classics at Georgetown University who specializes in the study of ancient drama and its modern reception. Her recent book "Monody in Euripides" explores monody – namely solo actor's song – in the tragedies of Euripides. Her scholarship is informed by her experience as a director and historical consultant in many modern productions of ancient Greek...

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57 The Life of Plato w/ Robin Waterfield show art 57 The Life of Plato w/ Robin Waterfield

Ancient Greece Declassified

Even after thousands of years of supposed progress in philosophy, there are still some who maintain that the entire history of western philosophy consists of footnotes to Plato. But who was Plato the man? If there is anyone who can answer that question, it's our guest in this episode. Robin Waterfield is a renowned scholar of antiquity who has written the first ever full biography of the ancient philosopher in English. Check out the book . Contents of the episode, with timestamps: [04:10] Plato's early life [06:46] Relationship to Socrates [12:27] Philosophical method [14:53] Theory of Forms...

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56 The Man Who Defeated the Persian Empire (Themistocles and the Persian Wars, Part 2) show art 56 The Man Who Defeated the Persian Empire (Themistocles and the Persian Wars, Part 2)

Ancient Greece Declassified

In 480BC the Persian Empire invaded Greece with the largest military force the world had ever seen. Meanwhile in Athens, a man named Themistocles had spent the last ten years preparing for this moment. He had come up with a plan to defeat Persia, but it would require a mix of strategy, intrigue, deception, and plain old good luck... Contents of the episode, with timestamps: [05:45] How to Win Friends and Influence People [13:10] The Mines of Laurion [19:30] Athens VS Aegina [25:10] Battle of Thermopylae [32:00] Battle of Artemisium [40:10] The Wooden Wall  [49:55] The Battle of...

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55 Fire in the Cradle of Democracy (The Persian Wars, Part 1) show art 55 Fire in the Cradle of Democracy (The Persian Wars, Part 1)

Ancient Greece Declassified

The three decades from 508-478BC were possibly the most consequential in all of ancient history. In this episode and the next, we tell the story of the Greco-Persian Wars through the eyes of Themistocles, the Athenian mastermind who guided the Greeks to victory.  Contents of the episode, with timestamps: [04:50]  Themistocles' Childhood and the Athenian Revolution [10:40]  Democracy's Early Challenges [16:10]  The Demagogue [26:35] The Ionian Revolt [31:25]  Marathon [43:05]  "Rejoice! We Are Victorious!" ------------------ Find out more about the upcoming AGD...

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AGD AGD "Persian Wars" Tour in Greece! Jan. 3-11, 2025

Ancient Greece Declassified

AGD is going back to Greece this January 3-11 for another epic adventure! This time we'll be exploring the Persian Wars and the profound effect they had on Greek civilization. We will visit all the major focal points of the Greco-Persian showdown (Marathon, the Acropolis, Eretria, Salamis, Thermopylae, Plataea, and Delphi) as well as a wide variety of other fascinating historical sites.  Check out our highlight reel from the first tour: To reserve your spot, email us at  For the itinerary visit  

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More Episodes

As our world becomes increasingly hi-tech, more and more people have been turning to ancient wisdom traditions in search of meaning. There are two schools of ancient philosophy in particular that have seen a meteoric revival in recent years: Platonism and Stoicism. Cognitive scientist John Vervaeke joins us to explore why this is happening. 

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Join the upcoming AGD Tour in Greece: greecepodcast.com/tour

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Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast

Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast