Continuing our exploration of slavery in Rome, in this episode, Doug Archway explores the surprising lives of Roman gladiators (half of whom were not slaves). He will look into the strange rules and classes of this absolutely insane sport. You'll be surprised at how much it shares with modern-day pro-wrestling and luchadors. It will also surprise you that hating and blaming referees is a tradition that goes back 2100 years.

In this episode, Doug takes us through a brief rundown of slavery in Mesopotamia, the Levant, and the Mediterranean. Then, we dive straight into how it worked in Roman times. In Rome, one out of six people were slaves. The origins of slaves were as diverse and varied as their jobs and treatment. Some slaves were Celtic or Germanic prisoners of war who suffered in the mines. Others were orphaned Romans who worked their way up to managing farms and properties. Still, others were highly educated physicians, accountants, secretaries, and foremen who had their own slaves and lived luxurious lifestyles. There may have been one slave who was a famous troll philosopher. Regardless of treatment, the practice was not always popular. Stoics and Christians publicly denounced it. And some slaves and ex-slaves were desperate enough to go to war to put an end to it. Live free or die.

The morality, legality, and ethics of abortion has been pondered ever since it began being practiced in Egypt in 1500 BC. The Assyrians banned it. The Greeks encouraged it. The Bible teaches killing children is wrong, but apparently instructs how to perform an abortion - or does it? How did Jews and early Christians feel about the practice? How did early legal systems and Common Law manage abortion? What traditions carried on to colonial America? What did first wave feminists have to say about it? Is it an enshrined constitutional right or basically murder? What will happen now that Dobbs v Jackson has overturned Roe v Wade? 

In this episode, Doug Archway discusses these topics and many more.

In this episode, Doug boils down the rich Greco-Roman philosophical tradition of stoicism into its key elements. Armed with quotes from stoic philosophers, ideas from modern stoic practitioners, and lots of movie lore; Doug will discuss five of the key tenets of stoicism (adapted from reddit.com/r/stoicism by u/ElAround): 

1. “Of all existing things some are in our power, and others are not in our power.”

2. "Try how the life of the good man suits thee..."

3. "The man who truly trains is he who disciplines himself to face impressions..."

4.  "Do not set your heart on (gifts), and they will not be (needed)..."

5. "Humans are unique among animals because divinity gifted them the ability to reason. Because they can reason, they can act in virtue and vice."

In this episode, Doug discusses the origins of stoicism in the philosophical milieu of axial age Athens. Originally developed by a shipwrecked merchant and former cynic, stoicism soon became the dominant philosophy of Athens. A few hundred years later, it was adapted to the honor-bound culture and practicality of the Romans, and quickly became a hit. The first emperor to be directly influenced by a stoic philosopher was Nero, but he later rejected Seneca, the philosopher, and had him killed. Seneca's words lived on though, and found purchase in the mind of a new emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Marcus would go on to become a stoic philosopher in his own right and live up to the dream of Plato for a philosopher-king. Hugely influential, the works of stoics like Seneca and Marcus would go on to inspire Christian writers, the American founders, Hollywood, and even Bill Clinton. This is the first of a two-part series on stoicism. Tune in next week when we discuss the tenets of stoicism.

In this episode, Doug explores the life of one of Rome's most important and controversial historians: Flavius Josephus. Josephus started his life in the first century as a brilliant Jewish scholar and Pharisee. He was familiar with the Jewish sects and Roman leaders who opposed Jesus and John the Baptist, and he saw the beginnings of Christianity. He later fought as a general in the war for Jewish independence against Rome up until he was captured. Like Joseph of Egypt, he befriended his captors and soon became a friend and ally to them. An ambitious Roman general, Vespasian, appreciated Josephus so much that he adopted Josephus into his own family and bequeathed upon Josephus lands, properties, and a steady income. Josephus then watched the war from the Roman perspective. Later, Josephus dedicated his life to writing down all that he saw. His books on Judaism, the Jewish Revolt, and his autobiography have since become invaluable tools for understanding the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Judaism, the Holy Land, the politics of first century Rome, and the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus. 

Because he was a man who appreciated both the philosophy of the Judeo-Christian religion and the law of Greco-Roman tradition, Josephus (like St. Paul) was one of the very first men of Western Civilization.

Marie discusses the Roman Civil War, the first triumvirate, and how Julius Caesar became dictator of Rome. 

Other topics:

Crassus, Rubicon,

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In this episode, Doug examines the moons, asteroids, and dwarf planets of our solar system along with some constellations we see in the night sky. And he determines how alike these bodies are with their Greek and Roman mythological namesakes. 

Learn about how Jupiter placed two constellations to torture Orion, the hunter. Discover how the pettiness of Eris caused the discord of the Trojan war, and how the discovery of the dwarf-planet, Eris led to the discord of revoking Pluto's planetary status. Learn about Icarus the daring teenage boy, Icarus the asteroid that comes dangerously close to earth, and how you can have your own Icarus experience on one of Saturn's moons (I'm talking about being able to strap wings onto your arms and actually flying). Discover why there is a constellation of an eagle, a cup, and two fish tied together all next to each other.

Continuing our study of the influence of Greco-Roman civilization on our language and science, Doug explores the origins of our planets' names. He will discuss the ancient Mesopotamian practices of naming stars and planets after deities, how the Greeks and Romans carried on those traditions, and even later, in the Renaissance and Enlightenment these practices continued. Doug will then explain where the gods of the Greek and Roman pantheons came from, and how much in common these planets have with their eponymous gods. And so, today you will learn the stories of legendary gods: Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Pluto, and Mercury along with Saturn, the Titan, and primordial lovers, Gaia and Uranus.

The sources quoted and referenced in this episode come from Robin Waterfield’s ‘The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold,’ ‘Intergalactic Travel Bureau Vacation Guide to the Solar System’ by Koski and Grcevich, and ‘The Moon and Planets in Ancient Mesopotamia’ by Mathieu Ossendrijver.

Music for this episode comes with a CC BY-NC license (see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) from the freemusicarchive.org/genre/Classical. The artists were Philip Ravenel, Dee Yan-Key, and Circus Marcus.

Julius Caesar is pretty famous for dying. But why was he famous to begin with? 

Marie discusses Caesar vs Pirates, Caesar the Pontifex Maximus, Caesar in Britain, and Caesar vs. Vercingetorix at the Battle of Alesia.

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