A conversation with American classicist, military historian, and conservative political commentator Victor Davis Hanson.

We discuss:

• Why Epaminondas remains one of the most underrated commanders in Greek history, and how the loss of Plutarch's Life of Epaminondas has obscured his legacy
• The pivotal liberation of Thebes in 378 BC: how a small band of conspirators overthrew the Spartan-backed oligarchy and sparked a democratic revolution
• Epaminondas's strategic masterstroke at Leuctra — the deep oblique phalanx on the left — and how it shattered 200 years of Spartan military supremacy
• How freeing the Messenian Helots and building Megalopolis, Mantinea, and Messene permanently encircled and emasculated Sparta as a great power
• The fatal miscalculation of 335 BC: why Thebes revolted against Alexander on the basis of a false rumor, and how every potential ally abandoned them
• The recurring pattern of doomed civilizations — from Thebes to Carthage to Constantinople — that share delusions about allies, enemies, and their own decline
• What ancient history reveals about America's current strengths and vulnerabilities, from demographic pressures to the China threat

Subscribe to the Cost of Glory newsletter for detailed maps, images, and analysis of this pivotal moment in ancient history: https://costofglory.substack.com/

Get in touch at:
Website: https://costofglory.com
X: https://x.com/costofglory

Part 3 of 3 of the Life of Julius Caesar.

Did Caesar want to be a King? A god? What was his vision for Rome? Was there a way he could have prevented his assassination?

In this episode:

• Caesar returns to Rome
• His Triumphs
• His Reforms
• His Clemency
• His Final War in Spain; the Batle of Munda
• The Octavius Question
• The Plots, Dreams, Portents,
• The men he trusted; the men who betrayed him

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.

And check out Warlords of History podcast here!

In this episode:

• Michael Gibson's origin story
• Meeting Peter Thiel and launching the Thiel Fellowship
• The importance of Aristotle
• Aristotle on "The Gigachad"
• Is intelligence enough?
• Failure of philosophy is present in Plato's work...not Aristotle's
• Alexander the Great's major influence
• Inspiration from the immortals
• Why victory is better than happiness
• Friends as a second self