Plato argued that the inevitable next step in political evolution after democracy is tyranny. Many political thinkers throughout history agreed with him. Were they right? ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast --------------- A full transcript of this episode with references can be found on our website at greecepodcast.com

R8 Does Democracy Lead to Tyranny? | Plato's Republic, book 8

The podcast that transports you to the ancient world and back, with some good conversation along the way. It's not just about ancient Greece. It's about a huge chunk of human history that the Greek texts give us access to:  from Egypt and Babylon, to Persia, to Carthage and Rome, we'll sail the wine-dark sea of history with some expert guides at the helm. Topics will include archaeology, literature, and philosophy. New episode every month.

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Bret Devereux is a military historian at North Carolina State University and author of the recent viral article "Spartans Were Losers: The US Military's Admiration of a Proto-Fascist City-State is Based on Bad History." He joins us to explain why he thinks that the traditional image of Sparta as an egalitarian society of warrior badasses is a lie. You can find his blog, where he writes extensively on Sparta, here:  https://acoup.blog/2019/08/16/collections-this-isnt-sparta-part-i-spartan-school/ ------------------ This episode is available in video format on the Lantern Jack YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VngbinpNGIE ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast

54 Were the Spartans Proto-Fascist Losers? w/ Bret Devereaux

As our world becomes increasingly hi-tech, more and more people have been turning to ancient wisdom traditions in search of meaning. There are two schools of ancient philosophy in particular that have seen a meteoric revival in recent years: Platonism and Stoicism. Cognitive scientist John Vervaeke joins us to explore why this is happening.  ------------------ Join the upcoming AGD Tour in Greece: greecepodcast.com/tour ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast  

53 Why Platonism and Stoicism Are Going Viral w/ John Vervaeke

AGD is going back to Greece this fall (Oct. 11-19) for another epic adventure! This time we'll be exploring areas that in ancient times lay in the shadow of – or in direct conflict with – the Athenian hegemony.  Check out our video from the first tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-w7u6aQz0 To reserve your spot, email us at greecepodcast@gmail.com For the itinerary visit https://greecepodcast.com/tour  

"Enemies of Athens" Tour Announcement Oct. 11-19, 2023

This time we're taking a little break from Greece to explore the broader history of democracy. Was democracy really a Greek invention? Historian David Stasavage, author of The Decline and Rise of Democracy, thinks it was not. And in today's episode he explains why. --------------- Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast

52 A New Theory of Democracy's Origins (It Wasn't Greece) w/ David Stasavage

Polybius' theory of anacyclosis is the most sophisticated theory of political (r)evolution to have emerged from ancient Greek and Roman political thought. ------------------ To watch the highlight real from the last AGD tour in Greece, click here. ------------------ To read the passage in Polybius where he discusses anacyclosis  click here. ------------------ If you'd like to read more about the theory of anacyclosis, I've written a few blogs on the subject:  Anacyclosis, Act 1: From Monarchy to Tyranny  Anacyclosis, Act 2: The Rise of Republics  Anacyclosis, Act 3: The Rise and Fall of Democracy

R8 Does Democracy Lead to Tyranny? | Plato's Republic, book 8

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