In this episode, Dan Monks and Sean O'Connor act out a Socratic dialogue, wherein they explore how to behave appropriately when you are in the employ of a tyrant. The dialogue takes place circa 200 CE, but unfortunately, for many this scenario is not a hypothetical in our own time. Dan and Sean touch upon Living According to Nature, human nature, the universal human role, acquired roles, using role models to provide inspiration for appropriate action, and the Premeditatio Malorum spiritual exercise.

References:

Aurelius, Marcus (1916), Meditations:

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius_(Haines_1916)

Cicero(1914), De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ufOZBzV878IC/mode/2up

Cicero (1913), De Officiis: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47001

Diogenes Laertius (1915), Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57342

Epictetus (1904), Discourses: https://archive.org/details/discrsepictetus00epiciala/page/n5/mode/2up

Epictetus (1948), Enchiridion: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45109/pg45109.txt

Homer, Iliad: https://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html

Sellars, John (2003), The Art of Living, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, New York City and London.

Seneca (1918), Moral Letters to Lucilius: https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius

Stobaeus (1824), Florilegium: https://archive.org/details/joannisstobaeif00gaisgoog