Quintus Curtius

This lecture discusses Cicero's visionary essay "The Dream of Scipio" which I included at the end of my book "Stoic Paradoxes." The topics of the essay are: 1. The qualities that make a great man. 2. The fleeting and futile nature of all earthly glory. 3. The immortality of our souls. 4. The right path to eternal glory. This essay is for me a personal favorite, and a rich storehouse for study and reflection.

This is the seventh and final lecture in our series. We discuss some of the most important ethical points of Stoicism, which are: 1. What is wealth? 2. Who can be considered wealthy? 3. Is only the wise man wealthy?

This lecture discusses propositions IV and V of "Stoic Paradoxes", which explore the following: 1. The wise man cannot be deprived of happiness. 2. Nothing can be taken from the wise man. 3. Character and conduct are all-important 4. Only the wise man can be said to be free. 5. What is freedom? 6. The wise man does nothing under compulsion. 7. Evil men are slaves. 8. Slaves are unable to control their impulses.

This lecture in our series on "Stoic Paradoxes" discusses the book's third proposition: that misdeeds are equal, and good deeds are equal. The central points are: 1. A transgression is bad, regardless if it is large or small. 2. If all sins are equal, then all virtues must also be equal.

This lecture discusses the first two questions in "Stoic Paradoxes", which deal with the following issues: 1. Wealth is an illusion. 2. What is a good? 3. Those who value pleasure too much are deluded. 4. Pleasure distracts the mind from the truth. 5. Virtue is a well of strength. 6. Death and exile are not threats to the wise man. 7. A truly wise man cannot be miserable.

Part 3 of our lecture series on "Stoic Paradoxes." In this episode, I discuss the essential doctrines of Stoicism, the major Stoic thinkers, and their influence in history.

The prologue of Quintus Curtius's book "Pantheon", describing the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen.

Lecture 2 in my series on Cicero's "Stoic Paradoxes". This podcast focuses on the influences behind Cicero's thought, and explains what he really believed.

The first lecture in a multi-part series on "Stoic Paradoxes" by Cicero. Lecture 1 focuses on the life of Cicero, his career, and his place in history.