How the Classics Inspired America's Founders

How the Classics Inspired America's Founders

Author: Classical Wisdom July 3, 2025 Duration: 33:51
It’s no secret that the American Founding Fathers were deeply inspired by the Classics. The words of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers suffuse the original documents and ideas that built America. Today Anya is joined by Jeffery Rosen to talk about how ancient ideas of virtue inspired these pivotal figures in American history. Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.subs...

There's a quiet conversation happening across the centuries, and tuning into Classical Wisdom Speaks lets you overhear it. This isn't a dry lecture series, but a place where the vivid stories, enduring philosophies, and complex lives of the ancient world are examined for what they can tell us today. Each episode, brought to you by Classical Wisdom, feels like a thoughtful discussion with experts who are passionate about making these ideas accessible and relevant. You'll hear about the strategic dilemmas faced by Athenian generals, the poetic insights of Sappho, or the ethical questions posed by Stoic thinkers, all framed in a way that connects directly to contemporary life. The goal is to listen to these foundational voices not as historical artifacts, but as active participants in our own modern dilemmas. This history podcast thrives on the belief that the struggles for meaning, justice, and a good life are timeless, and that the ancients still have a lot to say if we know how to listen. The dialogue between past and present is surprisingly lively, and each episode invites you to join in, finding unexpected guidance and perspective from some of history's most profound minds.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Classical Wisdom Speaks
Podcast Episodes
The Roman Guide to War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:21
What were the secrets of Roman warfare? What is the best way to defeat an enemy… and what does all this have to do with aqueducts? Today Anya is joined by George Thomas to discuss the life of Frontinus, an ancient Roman…
What Can Ancient History Tell Us About Revolutions? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:38
Long before crowds stormed Bastille or Winter Palace, Greek thinkers treated revolution as the ultimate civic nightmare. So how did an existential danger morph into a promise of liberation—and what happens when that prom…
Slave of God: Should We Rethink St. Augustine? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:34
Existing at the very edge of the Classical world, in both time and geography, Saint Augustine has proven to be immensely influential on the modern world… but not always in a good way. Today Anya is joined by Tony Alimi t…
How Plato Explains the Modern World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:58
What can Plato tell us about life TODAY? Quite a lot, it turns out… Today Anya is joined by Professor Angie Hobbs to discuss the essential and enduringly relevant nature of Plato’s ideas. Discover how they are infused in…
Man or Myth? King Arthur and Rome's Legacy in Britain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:56
Was King Arthur real? What can his story tells us about British history and identity? And what exactly happened to Britain after the Romans left? Today Anya is joined by Murray Dahm, an independent academic researcher an…
Echoes in Ancient Texts: India and Ancient Greece [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:20
How is Odysseus like the heroes of Indian literature? And how did two cultures, separated by vast time and distances, come to have such remarkably similar stories? Today Anya is joined by Roberto Morales to discuss the p…
The Life-Changing Lessons of Stoicism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:50
What can Seneca, the Roman statesman and Stoic, teach us about life today? And how can we teach ourselves to do the right thing? Today Anya is joined by Robert Kaster, Emeritus Professor of Classics at Princeton to discu…
How Ancient Greece Revolutionized Thought [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:22
How did ancient Greek culture accomplish so much? Especially across so many different fields, and in such a comparatively short period of time? It turns out, having a good debate every now and then is VERY important. Tod…
Homer's Forgotten Women [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:28
Who were the women of the Odyssey? How have they been understood (and misunderstood) by history? And what is the secret of Calypso’s sail? Today Anya is joined by Emily Hauser, to discuss both the famous and the overlook…