In this episode of The Athenaeum Book Club, host Jeremy Ryan Slate welcomes Dr. Alex Petkas, classical scholar and host of The Cost of Glory podcast, for an engaging discussion on Plutarch’s Life of Pericles.

Together they explore how Pericles became the embodiment of Athenian greatness—his vision for democracy, his leadership during the city’s Golden Age, and the moral lessons Plutarch offers for modern readers.

This conversation bridges ancient biography and timeless wisdom, revealing how Pericles’ life still challenges our understanding of power, virtue, and civic duty.