111
Caesar's Civil War III: Came Saw Conquered
Episode Length:
93:53
Cost of Glory Greece Retreat: https://costofglory.com/retreat
Part 3 of 3 of Caesar's Civil War series. From triumph to near-disaster. Caesar's Egyptian entanglement transforms him from a glorious victor to a desperate challenger. In this episode:
- Pompey's assassination in Egypt and Caesar's unexpected grief over his former ally's death
- Cleopatra's legendary entrance in a bed-sack and her political seduction of Caesar
- The brutal urban warfare trapping Caesar in the palace quarter for six months
- The burning of the Great Library during the harbor battles—400,000 volumes lost
- Caesar's desperate swim to safety while clutching precious documents above water
- Young King Ptolemy XIII's tragic fate and the consolidation of Cleopatra's power
- The lightning campaign against Pharnaces in Asia—"Veni, Vidi, Vici"
- The veterans' mutiny outside Rome and Caesar's masterful psychological manipulation
- Cato's final stand in Africa and his defiant suicide
- The decisive Battle of Thapsus and the strategic genius of fighting on narrow ground
- The massacre of surrendering enemies as Caesar's clemency finally fails
As Caesar recounts, the Republic's future dictator came very close to destruction in the palaces and canals of Alexandria. While Rome descended into chaos under Mark Antony's drunken rule, Caesar fought for his life against war elephants and Numidian cavalry, transformed by his liaison with the living goddess Cleopatra. The man who emerged from Egypt was no longer merely a Roman general, he had consorted with divinity and fathered the son of a pharaoh.
As Cicero wrote in frantic letters to Atticus: "Where am I to look for solace?" The final campaign that would cement Caesar's supremacy began with the most dangerous gamble of his career.
Works Cited: (Affiliate links - support the show!)
As Cicero wrote in frantic letters to Atticus: "Where am I to look for solace?" The final campaign that would cement Caesar's supremacy began with the most dangerous gamble of his career.
Works Cited: (Affiliate links - support the show!)
- Gareth Sampson, The Battle of Pharsalus
- Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman
- James Froude, Caesar: A Sketch,
- Raaflaub (ed.) Landmark Caesar
Thanks to our sponsor, Ai Labs. Visit austinlab.ai to chat with a team member about custom Agentic AI power solutions for your SMB to Enterprise level business. Powered by Shokworks.
Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
Also Thanks Dr. Richard Johnson, the Crassus to this Caesar series!
The Cost Of Glory Episodes
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104
Interview
Episode Length:
81:28
February 13, 2025
Heroic Struggles in Vietnam — with Doyle Glass
A conversation with Doyle Glass, author of Swift Sword, The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967. Intro Story featuring BlackJack Mulligan. In this episode: Mastering Fear in Combat, A lawyer's journey to becoming an artist and an author, The ambush begins: "The tree line stood up", Clear headed leadership of Lieutenant Murray, The heroic Father Capodanno, Larry Peters' Sacrifice to Save His Squad, The powerful psychology of accepting death in combat
"With the Old Breed" war classic by Eugene Sledge
Man of Mystery Robert Benoist
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103
Episode Length:
25:27
February 6, 2025
The Immortal Cato
Cato's Afterlife, Takeaways, Sources.Some Modern Sources:Rome's Last Citizen, by Goodman and SoniUncommon Wrath, by OsgoodCato the Younger by Drogula
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102
Series
Episode Length:
106:20
January 22, 2025
Cato III: The Senate's Ashes
The Finale, of the life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:The burning of the Senate house after Clodius' murder in 52 BCECato's failed bid for consulship and his hardline stance against CaesarThe outbreak of civil war and Caesar's crossing of the RubiconCato's final days and dramatic suicideA tale of principle and paradox, Cato's resolute stand for Republican values helped precipitate its own downfall. His death at Utica - dramatic, philosophical, and on his own terms - marked not just the end of his life but symbolically, the end of the Roman Republic itself.
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History Contains Power
My name is Alex Petkas, and in The Cost of Glory, I present you with the best stories, analyses and takeaways, from the greatest and most influential figures from Greco-Roman antiquity.
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We’re all thinking about the Roman Empire...