Oct 14

Who were the English?

For decades after the Roman legions left Britain in the early fifth century, people expected them sooner or later to return. ‘During this bizarre interregnum,’ Pablo Scheffer wrote recently in the LRB, ‘a veneer of romanitas was everywhere.’ But unlike in other parts of the forme ... Show More

33m 10s

Oct 8

On Politics: What is political writing?

In What is literature? (1948) Jean-Paul Sartre argued that writers and artists have a responsibility to engage with political and social realities. But is it still possible for writers to have political agency in a culture that instantly commodifies ideas? Lea Ypi, a professor of ... Show More

57 m

Oct 6

Fascism in a time of AI

Since Trump first took office in 2016 there has been a debate on the left as to whether he and other authoritarian right-wing leaders, such as Viktor Orbán and Narendra Modi, should be described as fascist. Some have dismissed the label as rhetorical excess, while others have cho ... Show More

54m 26s

Dec 2024

Among the Ancients II: Marcus Aurelius

For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to the contradictions of the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Said by Machiavelli to be the last of the ‘five good emperors’ who ruled Rome for most of the second century CE, M ... Show More

1 h

Feb 2021

Marcus Aurelius

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the man who, according to Machiavelli, was the last of the Five Good Emperors. Marcus Aurelius, 121 to 180 AD, has long been known as a model of the philosopher king, a Stoic who, while on military campaigns, compiled ideas on how best to live his ... Show More

52m 36s

Apr 2025

#227 Marcus Aurelius

📖 Episode Transcripts in Link Below ⬇️ Today, we’ll dive into the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor known as the last of the Five Good Emperors and the author of one of history’s most influential philosophical works, the Meditations. https://patreon.com/H ... Show More

4m 8s

Oct 2025

Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher Emperor

He's known as Rome’s philosopher-emperor and faced plague, rebellion and war in the East. Yet Marcus Aurelius ruled with a pen as much as a sword, finding peace in philosophy which still inspires the world today.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Profess ... Show More

1h 9m

Jun 2024

#480 | Marcus Aurelius | The Philosopher Emperor

Meet Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor who combined power with philosophy. In this episode, we'll learn about his famous work, "Meditations", and explore five key ideas that still resonate today. Introduction to Marcus Aurelius Importance of his book "Meditations" Control what y ... Show More

17m 22s

Mar 2020

Episode 74: Marcus Aurelius (The Meditations)

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations shows an intelligent emperor coping with the realities of an empire buckling under its own weight. Episode 74 Quiz <a href= "https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-074/">https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-074/</a><br / ... Show More

1h 51m

Sep 2025

Episode #236 ... Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

Today we talk about the collection of journals known as Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. We mark the differences between Stoicism, modern Stoic ethics, and the journals of Marcus Aurelius. We talk about the divine logos, indifferents, and how metaphysical assumptions ladder up int ... Show More

34m 39s

Apr 2019

#259 - Marcus Aurelius' Meditations

<div>Plato once pined for a day when philosopher kings would rule civilization. A handful of centuries later he sort of got his wish when devout Stoic Marcus Aurelius took the reins as Emperor of Rome. To see what that this thoughtful bearded hunk was all about, Connor and Dan re ... Show More

47m 31s

Close Readings: Marcus Aurelius