A conversation w/ Kevin Dolan on Kings of Sparta, Anti-Natalist Roman Aristocrats, and whether Christianity destroyed or saved Rome.

Join me at the Natal Conference, March 28-29, 2025, in Austin, TX!  https://natalism.org

Find Kevin on X at https://x.com/extradeadjcb

A conversation with Doyle Glass, author of Swift Sword, The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967. 

Intro Story featuring BlackJack Mulligan.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack_Mulligan)

In this episode:
Mastering Fear in Combat

A lawyer's journey to becoming an artist and an author
The ambush begins: "The tree line stood up"
Clear headed leadership of Lieutenant Murray
The heroic Father Capodanno
Larry Peters' Sacrifice to Save His Squad

The powerful psychology of accepting death in combat
"With the Old Breed" war classic by Eugene Sledge

Man of Mystery Robert Benoist

Cato's Afterlife, Takeaways, Sources.

Some Modern Sources:

Rome's Last Citizen, by Goodman and Soni
Uncommon Wrath, by Osgood
Cato the Younger by Drogula

The Finale, of the life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:

• The burning of the Senate house after Clodius' murder in 52 BCE
• Cato's failed bid for consulship and his hardline stance against Caesar
• The outbreak of civil war and Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon
• Cato's final days and dramatic suicide

A tale of principle and paradox, Cato's resolute stand for Republican values helped precipitate its own downfall. His death at Utica - dramatic, philosophical, and on his own terms - marked not just the end of his life but symbolically, the end of the Roman Republic itself.

Check out Becoming the Main Character.  Here's a link to the Moby Dick episode.

Part 2 of 3 of the Life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:

• Cato confronts the rising power of Caesar and Pompey in the Senate
• The scandalous note from Servilia that backfired on Cato
• His principled handling of the Cyprus annexation mission
• The formation of the First Triumvirate and Cato's resistance
• His memorable year as Praetor and battles against corruption
• The death of Julia and Crassus sets the stage for civil war

A story of political intrigue, street violence, and the struggle to preserve Republican institutions against the rising tide of populist strongmen. At the heart of it all stands Cato, refusing to compromise his principles even as Rome's political system crumbles around him.

Episode 1 of the Life of Cato the Younger, Rome's great Stoic statesman.

In this episode:

• Cato's earliest years and the murder of his uncle
• His first encounter with Sulla as a precocious youth
• Cato establishes his reputation: in military service and as Quaestor
• A Principled stand against Julius Caesar

On this centennial episode, I'd like to thank all of my listeners and patrons. On to the next hundred!

How to make progress, and know it. Featuring a few of Plutarch's critiques of some Stoics of his day - whether fairly or unfairly, you can decide.

Also featuring: Diogenes the Cynic, Aeschylus the Poet, Brasidas the Spartan Commander. 

Also featuring: ZEAL

Caesar ties all loose ends in his Gallic Campaign, in part 8, the final episode of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico). 
 
This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller. 

Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.

In this episode:

• Final skirmishes with the Bituriges and the Carnutes
• Siege of a hill-fort, and Caesar takes arms (literally)
• Conclusion of a bloody chapter, and some takeaways

Cost of Glory is an Infinite Media production — and big thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson of the great city of New York for sponsoring this episode and many others in this series!

Caesar faces the Gallic Grande Armée through fire and snow, in part 7, the climax of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).
 
This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller. 

Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.

In this episode:

• Slaughterings begin at Cenabum
• The Incendiary Tactics of Vercingetorix
• Rebellion amongst Roman Allies
• Caesar loses Gregovia…
• …but clinches victory at Alesia
• Vercingetorix falls, sealing the fate of Gaul

Thanks to our sponsor Shokworks ! - Shokworks provides consulting and development to offer ROI - positive, enterprise-grade custom software solutions for companies of any size.  To find out more, reach out to [email protected] or visit https://shokworks.io. 

Caesar fights through enemy tribes and orders a Purge in his manhunt for Ambiorix, in part 6 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico).
 
This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller. 

Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an enemy of the state. He tells how it all happened with his own pen.

In this episode:

• The hunt for the crafty Ambiorix and his renegade tribe
• The exploits of Titus Labienus and of Publius Sextius Baculus
• Hints of Civil War…
• (and Druids and ancient cows)

Thanks to Ancient Language Institute and long time CoG fan Dr. Richard Johnson for sponsoring this episode!

P.S.—If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode, feel free to get in touch, any support is highly appreciated as it helps me create more high quality work.