COST OF GLORY
MEN'S RETREAT
2024

Location: Rome

June 30-July 7

  • Practical focus on improving speaking skills
  • Visit famous places in Rome, hear stories and speeches of great men who spoke there
  • Learn the ancient art of persuasion, “Rhetoric” – a 2500 year tradition
  • w/ 2 PhDs, 20+ years combined experience 
  • Retreat Leaders are entrepreneurs, EX-academics
  • Men only
  • Applicants should be curious, willing to improve themselves and encourage others
 

Lodging

The ancient Romans retreated from their business and political affairs (their negotium) to spend some of their leisure time (their otium) in pleasant villas outside the city discussing philosophy, rhetoric, and other studies worthy of free men.  In order to emulate that custom, we have booked an entire villa for our retreat.   
Located close to the city center on the north slope of the Janiculum Hill, not far from St. Peter’s, the Villa Magnolia is hidden behind high and forbidding walls.  It is within walking distance of major sites in Rome (The Vatican, Belvedere del Gianicolo, Trastevere, the Villa Doria Pamphili and its sprawling public gardens).  Inside, a pleasant garden leads to the sunny terraces and verandas surrounding the spacious main building, where we will have our classroom, dining hall, and single or double bedrooms.  Most of our meals will be here.  The peace and quiet are remarkable; only the dome of St. Peter’s reminds the visitor that he is in the center of Rome.
Depending on the participant’s budget, both single rooms and shared rooms are available.  Shared rooms are spacious, with separate beds.  The villa’s various meeting rooms, beautiful gardens, and porches offer many opportunities to find quiet places for reflection, reading and writing.

All inclusive price (except airfare): $4750

- Discount available for shared rooms -

Retreat Leaders

ALEX PETKAS

ERIC HEWETT

Alex Petkas is the host of the Cost of Glory podcast. He has been leading educational and professional development trips in the ancient Mediterranean world for 10 years. He has published extensively on classical rhetoric in peer-reviewed venues. Alex is the founder of Ancient Life Coach, a leadership education company.


He holds a Ph.D. in Classics from Princeton University.

Eric Hewett studied the history, architecture, and topography of Rome while living and leading tours there for fifteen years.  While in Rome, he completed a doctorate, and co-founded and ran an academic start-up in the field of Classics.   He is fluent in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Latin.  Eric runs Polymnia Education, a travel experience company. 

He holds a PhD in Medieval Philosophy from the University of Salerno.

See you this summer in Rome.

ALEX PETKAS

Alex Petkas has been leading educational and professional development trips in the ancient Mediterranean world for 10 years. He has published widely on the history and practice of classical rhetoric in peer-reviewed venues. He is the creator and host of the podcast The Cost of Glory, as well as the founder of Ancient Life Coach, a leadership education company.
He holds a Ph.D. in Classics.

ERIC HEWETT

Eric Hewett became adept in the history, architecture, and topography of Rome through fifteen years of residence there. First he lived as a carefree wandering scholar, studying the city out of his own interest, and then he worked in the tourism industry presenting Rome to visitors. He continued living in Rome while completing a doctorate and finally became a successful entrepreneur, co-founding and leading for ten years an academic start-up in the field of classics. He has designed, created and organized innovative courses and tours of Rome, Italy, France and Greece. His discovery of the rich heritage of ancient rhetoric during his doctoral studies transformed his own approach to speeches, writing, and communication. He holds a Ph.D. in Medieval Philosophy