Lysander 3: Kings of Sparta
Lysander returns from his setbacks at Sparta with a revolutionary plan. He consults the gods about the Spartan Kingship; and some of his own prophecies about Greek geopolitics come true. In this episode: How should protegés treat mentors? How do you change a deeply conservative state? And, as always, what is the cost, for an individual, for a state, of striving for supreme glory?
The Cost Of Glory Episodes

A Manual for Greatness — with Johnny Burtka
An interview with Johnny Burtka, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College, and his mos...

Mysteries of the Scrolls — with Nat Friedman
An interview with Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub and creator of the Vesuvius Challenge, which aims to crack the riddles of the Herculaneum Papyri.In this episode:T...

Pursuing Greatness — with Pano Kanelos
An interview with Pano Kanelos, the founding president of the University of Austin and the former President of St. John’s College, Annapolis.In this episode:How foundi...
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.