When it Clicks that You can Do This
The moment when someone obscure and untested realizes, in a crisis, that they can handle this. An autobiographical story from someone who was both a great writer and great leader, Xenophon.
The Cost Of Glory Episodes

Lysander 1: Death of Democracy
A Spartan; first Greek honored as a god during his lifetime; destroyer of Athenian naval supremacy. In this episode: his rise to power, how he pulled off the greate...

Socrates on Public Shaming
A story about how Socrates reacted when he got publicly shamed.

Harry Truman on Plutarch
Harry Truman was a great admirer of Plutarch's lives, and recommended them often. He discusses why. Quotes taken from Miller's oral biography of Truman, "Plain S...
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.