Oct 14

Who’s afraid of realism? ‘Shyness and Dignity’ by Dag Solstad

What happens when the techniques of realist literature become absorbed into our understanding of real life? And what would it mean to try to depict that experience in fiction? In Dag Solstad’s Shyness and Dignity (1994), a middle-aged teacher, Elias Rukla, is teaching Ibsen’s The ... Show More

24m 18s

Oct 8

London Revisited: The Monster

In 1737, Samuel Johnson and his student David Garrick decided to walk to London from Lichfield in search of opportunity. It worked out well for both of them, but for many of the large number who made their hopeful journey to the capital from all over the country in the 18th centu ... Show More

26m 10s

Sep 30

Narrative Poems: ‘Amours de Voyages’ by Arthur Hugh Clough

In 1848, Arthur Hugh Clough resigned his fellowship at Oxford after realising that he could no longer in good conscience teach the doctrines of the Anglican Church, as the job required. He immediately embarked on some European travel and the following year found himself in Rome d ... Show More

13m 55s

Dec 2024

Close Readings: Marcus Aurelius

This week on the LRB Podcast, a free episode from one of our Close Readings series. For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Said by Machiavelli to be the last of the ‘five good ... Show More

1h 2m

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

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

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

Among the Ancients II: Marcus Aurelius