The Rise of History’s Greatest Emperor: An Untold Story - Alex Petkas - #1085

Key Takeaways

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  History provides a blueprint for greatness

  “I think of history as a kind of source for finding your true self for, like you're kind of looking for yourself. You're looking for somebody who's trying to do something that is the version of the greatest thing that you could do with your own life. And so it's about, like, finding resonance for achievement, and I think this is what the greats tend to get out of history.”

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  Regret can catalyze extreme personal ambition

  “He looks to them and he says, 'Do you not think it is a matter for tears that when Alexander was my age, he was the ruler of so many great peoples, and yet I have done nothing worthy of great renown?' It's painful to realize that you haven't been living the life to the full extent of what you should be doing and are capable of doing, and I think that's a really powerful moment.”

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  Proximity to struggle builds populist appeal

  “He grows up in this kinda dirty part of town. Caesar would have been like a kid hanging out in the street playing dice with his buddies outside of a bar. The Suburra was a kind of place that you didn't really wanna live if you had a better option, and so he's in contact with the underbelly of Rome and his family has is aligned on the Roman left of politics.”

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  Meritocracy often clashes with established oligarchies

  “On the one hand, there are the optimates, the aristocratic faction who stand for the ancient prerogatives of the senate and the tradition. On the other hand, you have the populists who are about things like land reform and promoting talented outsiders. Caesar has really strong connections there because his aunt is married to one of the greatest populist figureheads in Roman history, Gaius Marius.”

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  Active history must enliven your life

  “Nietzsche quotes Goethe at the beginning of that book that something like, 'I hate all knowledge that does not quicken and enliven me.' And history can be very quickening and enlivening. He calls it the monumental approach to history where you're looking not so much for precise facts, although the facts matter for the story, you're looking for examples of greatness.”

Episode Description

Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster. What can one of history’s greatest empires, and its most notorious leaders, teach us about the modern world? We all know the story of Julius Caesar and his famous assassination… but what really happened? And what lessons from Ancient Rome still shape our lives today? Expect to learn why learning about roman history useful or instructive at helping us in the modern world, what Caesar’s life teach us about being a good person, What actually happened the night Caesar crossed the Rubicon, how Cleopatra managed to secretly meet Caesar inside the palace at Alexandria, what Caesar’s his last night like, the convincing argument that convinced Brutus that killing Caesar was necessary and much more… Timestamps: (0:00) Why Roman History Still Matters Today(5:18) Julius Caesar: Genius or Tyrant?(9:58) The Origins of Caesar’s Ruthless Ambition(25:48) The Pirate Story That Defined Caesar(29:25) How Caesar Won the the People of Rome(34:02) The Strategy Behind Caesar’s Loyal Following(40:58) Caesar & Pompey: Allies or Enemies?(47:32) When Did Caesar and Pompey Become Enemies?(55:41) Was Crossing the Rubicon a Declaration of War Against the Senate?(01:03:07) How Pompey’s Murder Led Caesar to Egypt(01:16:13) Cleopatra’s Winning Tactics Over Caesar(01:21:14) Were Caesar and Cleopatra Lovers?(01:25:18) Inside the Final Day of Caesar’s Life(01:38:25) The Bad Omens That Caesar Ignored(01:49:50) The Decisions That Sealed Caesar’s Fate(01:58:23) Where to Find Alex Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠⁠ Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠⁠ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠⁠ Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠ #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠ #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠ - Get In Touch: Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠⁠ - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices