Squid Game is back—and this time, the knives are out. In the thrilling Season 3 premiere, Player 456 is spiraling and a brutal round of hide-and-seek forces players to kill or be killed. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please break down Gi-hun’s descent into vengeance, Guard 011’s daring betrayal of the Game, and the shocking moment players are forced to choose between murdering their friends… or dying. Then, Carlos Juico and Gavin Ruta from the Jumpers Jump podcast join us to unpack their wild theories for the season. Plus, Phil and Kiera face off in a high-stakes round of “Hot Sweet Potato.” SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 before listening on. Play one last time. IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and the Jumpers Jump podcast Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
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Inhalt bereitgestellt von Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan, Harrison Garlick, and Adam Minihan. Alle Podcast-Inhalte, einschließlich Episoden, Grafiken und Podcast-Beschreibungen, werden direkt von Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan, Harrison Garlick, and Adam Minihan oder seinem Podcast-Plattformpartner hochgeladen und bereitgestellt. Wenn Sie glauben, dass jemand Ihr urheberrechtlich geschütztes Werk ohne Ihre Erlaubnis nutzt, können Sie dem hier beschriebenen Verfahren folgen https://de.player.fm/legal.
Welcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with the light of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Why should we read the Great Books? Everyone is a disciple of someone. A person may have never read Locke or Nietzsche, but he or she thinks like them. Reading the Great Books allows us to reclaim our intellect and understand the origin of the ideas that shape our world. We enter a "great conversation" amongst the most learned, intelligent humans in history and benefit from their insights. Is this for first-time readers? YES. Our goal is to host meaningful conversations on the Great Books by working through the texts in chronological order in a slow, attentive manner. Our host Adam Minihan is a first-time reader of Homer. We will start shallow and go deep. All are invited to join. Will any resources be available? YES. We are providing a free 115 Question & Answer Guide to the Iliad written by Deacon Harrison Garlick in addition to our weekly conversations. It will be available on the website (launching next week). Go pick up a copy of the Iliad! We look forward to reading Homer with you in 2024.
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Inhalt bereitgestellt von Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan, Harrison Garlick, and Adam Minihan. Alle Podcast-Inhalte, einschließlich Episoden, Grafiken und Podcast-Beschreibungen, werden direkt von Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan, Harrison Garlick, and Adam Minihan oder seinem Podcast-Plattformpartner hochgeladen und bereitgestellt. Wenn Sie glauben, dass jemand Ihr urheberrechtlich geschütztes Werk ohne Ihre Erlaubnis nutzt, können Sie dem hier beschriebenen Verfahren folgen https://de.player.fm/legal.
Welcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with the light of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Why should we read the Great Books? Everyone is a disciple of someone. A person may have never read Locke or Nietzsche, but he or she thinks like them. Reading the Great Books allows us to reclaim our intellect and understand the origin of the ideas that shape our world. We enter a "great conversation" amongst the most learned, intelligent humans in history and benefit from their insights. Is this for first-time readers? YES. Our goal is to host meaningful conversations on the Great Books by working through the texts in chronological order in a slow, attentive manner. Our host Adam Minihan is a first-time reader of Homer. We will start shallow and go deep. All are invited to join. Will any resources be available? YES. We are providing a free 115 Question & Answer Guide to the Iliad written by Deacon Harrison Garlick in addition to our weekly conversations. It will be available on the website (launching next week). Go pick up a copy of the Iliad! We look forward to reading Homer with you in 2024.
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1 The Frogs by Aristophanes with Tsh Oxenreider 1:09:42
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedToday on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are joined by Tsh Oxenreider to discuss The Frogs by Aristophanes. The play tells the comedic story of Dionysus deciding all the new tragic poets are terrible, so he travels to Hades to bring back Euripides to help save Athen’s from her moral decay. Once in Hades, Dionysus has several adventures, which includes hosting a poetry contest between Aeschylus and Euripides to see who is the best tragedian. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Visit our Patreon page for our library of written guides to the great books! For those who do not know Tsh Oxenreider , she is wonderful. She’s an author, blogger, and podcaster. I was on her podcast a while back to discuss acedia and love of eros . Great conversation. And today, we have a high-level, friendly chat about this The Frongs and our love of the great books in general. So join us today for a enjoyable conversation on Aristophanes’ the Frogs. ALSO: We start PLATO on 7.22.25! Check out our website for our reading schedule. Join us! 00:00 Introduction 01:09 Tish Oxenreider's Background and Love for the Great Books 07:07 Introduction to Aristophanes and 'The Frogs' 09:17 Appreciating Aristophanes' Comedy 18:14 The Role of Comedy in Teaching Lessons 21:59 The Humor and Juxtaposition in 'The Frogs' 27:18 Comparing Aristophanes and Euripides 30:26 The Title 'The Frogs' and its Significance 32:51 The Impact of Translation on the Reading Experience 34:29 The Power of Lightness 34:55 The Relief of Small Pleasures 35:54 Remembering the Power of Truth and Beauty 37:43 The Transformative Power of Great Works 39:00 Dionysus as the Go-Between 40:18 Poets as Teachers…
1 The Clouds by Aristophanes with Dr. Zina Hitz 1:08:52
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode, Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Chancellor and General Counsel of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, welcomes Dr. Zena Hitz, a tutor at St. John’s College and founder of the Catherine Project, to discuss Aristophanes’ comedic masterpiece, The Clouds . The episode dives into the play’s biting humor, its critique of Athenian society, and its timeless questions about education, piety, and moral decay. From the Thinkery’s absurd teachings to the mysterious Clouds, Dcn. Garlick and Zena unpack the play’s relevance to modern audiences, exploring themes of social ambition, familial breakdown, and the consequences of abandoning traditional values. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule and more! Check out our Patreon page for our library of written guides! Key Discussion Points Aristophanes and The Clouds : Born around 446 BC, Aristophanes, the father of comedy, wrote The Clouds in 423 BC, nearly a decade into the Peloponnesian War. The play, a revised version not performed but circulated for reading, critiques Athenian decadence and intellectual trends through the story of Strepsiades, a debt-ridden father, and his son Phidippides. “Aristophanes in general is interested in portraying through this kind of ridiculous, sometimes slapstick, sometimes obscene comedy, certain truths” – Dr. Zena Hitz (16:47). The Thinkery and Education : The Thinkery, led by Socrates, teaches deceptive rhetoric and speculative inquiries, parodying new intellectual movements. It raises questions about education’s societal role. “The question about what an education is for and whether it helps the community or hurts it is a very basic fundamental question” – Dr. Zena Hitz (19:53). Piety and Political Stability : The play links reverence for traditional gods to social cohesion, showing how the Thinkery’s impiety destabilizes family and polis. “Belief in the gods is standing in for… sticking to the moral code that’s keeping the whole society together” – Dr. Zena Hitz (31:08). Socrates’ Portrayal : Socrates is depicted as a buffoonish sophist, but his role is ambiguous—possibly a stand-in for broader trends rather than the historical figure. “Strepsiades is the target… Socrates in a way is just being used to show something up about Strepsiades” – Dr. Zena Hitz (44:01). The Clouds’ Role : The personified Clouds, worshipped in the Thinkery, symbolize deceptive speech and align with comic poets, adding complexity. “Clouds cover things up. So there’s some kind of image for deceptive speech” – Dr. Zena Hitz (49:20). Socio-Economic Context : Set in a wealthy but decadent Athens, the play critiques social ambition and debt, mirroring modern struggles. “It’s in a way a very American story” – Dr. Zena Hitz (24:00). Moral Precedent and Human Nature : Strepsiades’ attempt to bend moral standards for gain backfires, reflecting universal human flaws. “You never want the full consequences of that one piece of wrongdoing… It never works out that way” – Dr. Zena Hitz (33:47). Translation Challenges : The episode highlights the importance of choosing a translation that preserves Aristophanes’ puns and humor, with recommendations for Arrowsmith and Sommerstein. “The translation on the Aristophanes actually matters a lot” – Dcn. Harrison Garlick (54:58). About Our Guest Dr. Zena Hitz is a tutor at St. John’s College and the founder and president of the Catherine Project, a nonprofit offering free, open-access reading groups and tutorials on great books (CatherineProject.org). Her work spans classical philosophy, focusing on law, character, and the human good, while her popular writings explore freedom, education, happiness, and faith. She is the author of A Philosopher Looks at the Religious Life , which examines the paradox of total renunciation in pursuit of happiness. Find her at ZenaHitz.net or on Twitter/X. COMING UP Next week we discuss The Frogs by Aristophanes with Tsh Oxenreider and then we'll circle up for a round table on the Greek plays as whole. AND THEN we launch into PLATO with an introductory episode and then two episodes on our first dialogue: First Alcibiades. Join us!…
1 Madness and Piety: A Discussion on The Bacchae Part II 1:51:06
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedToday on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast , we plunge into the second part of Euripides’ The Bacchae —a harrowing yet gripping Greek tragedy that leads us deeper into the mystery of Dionysian eros. We’ll observe the tragic descent of King Pentheus, the Bacchae as a parasite upon society, and the haunting themes of eros, justice, and the question of piety under an evil god. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading SCHEDULE. Check out our Patreon page for our 25 Q&A GUIDE to the Bacchae. From the guide: Why should you read The Bacchae ? The Bacchae challenges readers to explore religion, erotics, piety, cosmic order, and human nature in a controversial and unsettling landscape. Euripides’ intent is not clear; thus, the reader is left to interpret a drama that seems to test longstanding Greek concepts, like piety and the gods. Dr. Grabowski acknowledges the play as an integral part of the “great conversation” in the Western canon, and Dcn. Garlick agrees by highlighting the play as an important antecedent to Plato’s Euthyphro and Symposium . Though the work includes disturbing imagery, it is within those images that Euripides is wrestling with erotics, piety, and the cosmos. Somewhat shockingly, the play presents several parallels to Jesus Christ and invites the reader into challenging comparisons. Overall, The Bacchae stands as an important—though controversial—work in exploring the nature of man and his relation to the divine. How is Agave’s death indicative of the destructive eros of Dionysus? The disordered eros of the Dionysian cult manifests as an anti-logos mania that is corrosive to the family and the natural political order. It brings societal instability. Dcn. Garlick explains that this Dionysian eros, unlike Plato’s ordered ascent through the ladder of love in the Symposium , is a “disordered erotics” that “spirals down to bestial releases.” It is notable that the first group affected by the Dionysian cult are women, and the first act of these crazed women is to abandon their husbands and children—and then run wild in the woods nursing animals and engaging in orgies. Euripides presents a scene of perversion, a perverted femininity and motherhood. The Bacchae also adopt masculine traits, like strength, a desire to hunt, and acts of violence—like tearing animals apart with their bare hands. Dr. Grabowski observes this all leads to the destruction of the polis, as “if you pervert women… there will be no children… no future generations, and… no polis.” The women’s rejection of domestic roles, driven by Dionysus’ “erotic mania,” fractures the social fabric, leading to a “complete and utter collapse… of a polis.” The climax of this societal destruction is Agave’s horrific act of killing her son, Pentheus, which Dcn. Garlick describes as the “zenith of this Dionysian madness,” epitomizing the cult’s perversion of natural relationships. Under Dionysus’ influence, Agave, “foaming at the mouth and her crazed eyes rolling with frenzy,” dismembers Pentheus, unaware he is her son until Cadmus restores her sanity. Dr. Grabowski calls this “sadistic” and “hideously perverse,” arguing it ensures “no polis… can survive if the Dionysian cult wins.” The murder of Thebes’ king by his mother symbolizes the ultimate collapse of political authority and familial bonds. This disordered eros, which Dcn. Garlick notes “robs you of your true identity,” transforms Thebes into a chaotic, sterile society. Check out more on the podcast and the guide!…
1 Madness and Piety: A Discussion on The Bacchae Part I 2:26:55
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedMadness, piety, gore, and reason! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, host Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the always insightful Dr. Frank Grabowski delve into the first part of Euripides’ The Bacchae—a chilling yet captivating Greek tragedy that explores piety, eros, the nature of the divine, and the fragility of societal order. The guys explore Dionysus, a god transformed from Homer’s jovial wine deity into a “cruel” and “diabolical” figure worshipped through “frenzied madness and the bestial release of sex and violence." With its graphic imagery, raw intensity, and ambiguous morality, this play offers a rich discussion, serving as a critical antecedent to Plato’s Symposium and revealing surprising parallels to Jesus Christ amidst its sordid chaos. Join us as we peel back the “bloody, terrible layers” of this darkly mesmerizing drama. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule and more! Visit our Patreon page to view all our guides to the great books! Guest: Dr. Frank Grabowski: At the time of recordin, a professor of philosophy at Rogers State University, third-order Franciscan, and a valued member of the Sunday Great Books group. His profound insights into Greek literature and philosophy illuminate the complexities of The Bacchae. Dr. Grabowski now serves as the Dean of Faculty at Holy Family Classical School. Why should you read The Bacchae? The Bacchae challenges readers to explore religion, erotics, piety, cosmic order, and human nature in a controversial and unsettling landscape. Euripides’ intent is not clear; thus, the reader is left to interpret a drama that seems to test longstanding Greek concepts, like piety and the gods. Dr. Grabowski acknowledges the play as an integral part of the “great conversation” in the Western canon, and Dcn. Garlick agrees by highlighting the play as an important antecedent to Plato’s Euthyphro and Symposium. Though the work includes disturbing imagery, it is within those images that Euripides is wrestling with erotics, piety, and the cosmos. Somewhat shockingly, the play presents several parallels to Jesus Christ and invites the reader into challenging comparisons. Overall, The Bacchae stands as an important—though controversial—work in exploring the nature of man and his relation to the divine. Next Episodes: Next week, we continue with Part 2 of The Bacchae, diving into Pentheus’ tragic fall, the Bacchae’s destructive frenzy, and the play’s enigmatic conclusion. Upcoming episodes feature Aristophanes’ The Clouds with guest Zena Hits and The Frogs with Tish Oxenreider, as we pave the way for Plato’s dialogues. Thank You: A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Frank Grabowski for his brilliant insights and to our listeners for joining us on this ascent through the great books. Keep exploring, and we’ll see you next week for more of The Bacchae’s darkly mesmerizing drama!…
1 Cursed by the Gods: Oedipus at Colonus Part Two 1:49:26
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedToday on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Mr. Eli Stone discuss the second and final part of Oedipus at Colonus —wherein Sophocles brings the horrific tale of Oedipus to a beautiful, redemptive end. Deacon and Eli discuss the dramatic zenith of Oedipus’ life, the theme of redemptive suffering, the binding power of love, and all the various ways this play comments on the relationships in Antigone and Oedipus Rex . Go visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out this awesome guide to Oedipus at Colonus ! Here is the opening of Deacon's guide to Oedipus at Colonus : Oedipus at Colonus is a beautiful tale. It brings a tremendous amount of meaning to the Oedipus Cycle. Sophocles offers us perennial truths on fate, the agency of man, and the cosmic whole. I greatly enjoyed, as a first time reader, the narrative of Oedipus at Colonus —especially the ending. It is a tremendous zenith to the Oedipus Cycle and one that parallels the Book of Job in its ability to address the question of suffering. Oedipus at Colonus remains an important text within the Western canon of great books, as it is a beautiful antecedent to how later thinkers, like St. Augustine, will come to understand the world as subject to Divine Providence. Sophocles offers several preliminary considerations on whether the fate that rules the world does so according to justice; and whether man must adopt a certain docility in consideration of such a fate. The balance, however, of man’s agency and fate’s dominion is a perennial question. I am in debt to Mr. Eli Stone who not only guided me through this work but highly recommended the podcast cover the Oedipus Cycle. I very much appreciate his insights and all the wisdom he has brought to our conversations. Amongst all the horrific suffering, Oedipus at Colonus is able to bring a theme of redemption to the story of Oedipus. Like Antigone, he serves as a sign of the gods—a sign of cosmic fate, docility to divine order, and the meaning of suffering. May we come to understand Sophocles’ lessons and how they invite us to a more ordered existence. Episode Highlights Redemptive Death : Dcn. Garlick shares, “I fell in love with this play when Oedipus sees the thunder head rolling in… his ecstatic joy that death comes." Theseus’ Nobility : Theseus’ interruption of sacrifice to save Oedipus’ daughters highlights Athenian justice: “Sojourners… are the special patronage of Zeus." Polyneices’ Tragedy : Oedipus’ curse on Polyneices sets up Antigone : “Please bury me… we’re setting the foundation… for the first play." Love’s Role : Antigone’s mediation and Oedipus’ farewell underscore love’s binding power: “She is love and love binds," as Deacon note. Guest Spotlight: Eli Stone Eli Stone returns, bringing his expertise from his time at the Chancery, his discernment with the Western Dominicans, and his current role at the University of Tulsa Honors College. His passion shines through: “These are my favorite Greek plays… I’ve really enjoyed them." Eli’s insights on providence, love, and historical allegory enrich the discussion. Next Episode Teaser Next week, we dive into Euripides’ Bacchae , a stark contrast to the Theban plays, raising questions of divine madness and human limits. Join us for this intriguing exploration on Ascend the Great Books Podcast! Let us hear from you! Follow our account on X and let us know what you thought of Oedipus at Colonus and the Theban plays overall! Those who support us on Patreon have access to our written guides. We appreciate all their support.…
1 Cursed by the Gods: Oedipus at Colonus Part One 2:05:45
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode of Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and returning guest Eli Stone dive into the first half of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus , the third play in the Theban cycle by publication order but the second in narrative chronology. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule. Check out Patreon page for written guides to the great books! Recorded in rural Oklahoma, this episode explores Oedipus’ transformation from a cursed exile to a figure of divine significance, set against the backdrop of Athens’ post-Peloponnesian War turmoil. The hosts unpack key themes like suffering’s pedagogical purpose, the role of prophecy, guest friendship (xenia), and Athenian identity, while reflecting on Sophocles’ intent for his audience. Expect a deep dive into the characters of Oedipus, Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Theseus, with a focus on how their interactions foreshadow the play’s redemptive conclusion. Why should you read Oedipus at Colonus part one? Oedipus at Colonus Part 1 offers a compelling entry into Sophocles’ profound exploration of suffering, redemption, and divine will, making it essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the human condition through the lens of Greek tragedy. This section introduces Oedipus as a blind exile, transformed by suffering into a figure of spiritual insight—“Oedipus… has this spiritual insight… He is the most lucid he’s ever been"—setting the stage for his role as a “sign of both suffering and blessing." Through themes like guest friendship ( xenia ), the evolving justice of the Eumenides, and the binding power of Antigone’s love—Sophocles crafts a narrative that resonates with an Athenian audience grappling with their own post-Peloponnesian War identity, while offering timeless reflections on providence and resilience: “Man is not his own agent… inside a cosmic order." Reading this part immerses you in the tension and anticipation of Oedipus’ redemptive arc, preparing you for the transcendent conclusion in Part 2. Check out our written guide for more! Next Episode Teaser Join us next week for Oedipus at Colonus Part 2, where we’ll witness Oedipus’ dramatic confrontations with Creon and Polyneices, and the transcendent moment of his death that ties the Theban cycle together. We’ll explore how his suffering becomes a blessing for Athens, the role of love as a binding agent, and the historical allegory for an Athenian audience. Deacon Garlick shares, “I fell in love with this play when Oedipus sees the thunder head rolling in… his ecstatic joy that death comes." Don’t miss it on Ascend the Great Books Podcast!…
1 Know Thyself: A Discussion on Oedipus the King by Sophocles 2:28:58
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedAristotle said Oedipus the King was the best tragedy. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Eli Stone and our friend Josiah to discuss Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) by Sophocles - the second play in the Oedipus cycle or Theban plays. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule and more! Check out our Patreon for our written guides! Here is a letter Dcn. Garlick wrote to our supporters about Oedipus the King: Oedipus the King is, according to Aristotle, the best of the Greek tragedies. Through Oedipus’ own investigation, he comes to understand the horrific truth of his identity—and this leads the reader into marvelous reflection on fate, freedom, self-knowledge, and the cosmic order. Oedipus the King is a play I had to come to appreciate. Unlike Antigone , it is not one I loved at first. In fact, my lackluster appreciation for the play is why I scheduled only one episode discussing it. Over time, however, I matured in my own understanding and see it as an antecedent to the philosophical principle of know thyself . I would suggest one could glean much from comparing Oedipus the King and First Alcibiades by Plato. The drama does have layers for the attentive reader. It presents clearly a question on the interplay of freedom and fate, which is reminiscent of our discussions on the Iliad . Moreover, there is much to consider on the theme of suffering, and how that theme is presented in the Odyssey , the Oresteia , and Oedipus the King . Note that these two concepts are tethered—as the journey to self-knowledge is often an arduous one of suffering and great difficulty. Lastly, the work shines further light onto the mystery that is Antigone. Oedipus the King is without question a tragedy—and one without much hope. The reader must hold for the marvelous redemptive arc of Oedipus at Colonus , which runs parallel to the story of Job yet with its own unique and fascinating character. May Oedipus serve as an icon for what it means to suffer into self-knowledge and the role of such suffering in the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Check our thegreatbookspodcast.com for more!…
1 The Dark Sign of the Gods: Antigone by Sophocles Part II 2:08:13
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDoes Antigone hold strong until the end? Is Antigone the hero? Today, Dcn. Garlick is joined again by David Niles and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the second part of Sophocles' Antigone . Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our Patreon page ! We appreciate all our supporters. From our guide: 15. How does Haemon’s interaction with Creon highlight his character and challenge Creon’s perspective? Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s betrothed, enters around line 700 and is described by David as “one of my favorite characters” for his wisdom and patience, contrasting with Creon’s “chaotic” and “irrational” behavior. Haemon employs “masterful rhetoric,” as Dcn. Garlick contends, that balances filial piety with a Socratic challenge to Creon’s stubbornness, urging him to reconsider his decree to execute Antigone. He suggests the polis mourns for Antigone, saying, “It’s for me to catch the murmurs in the dark, the way the city mourns for this young girl” (ln. 775), undermining Creon’s belief that the polis supports him. Dr. Grabowski notes Haemon’s “epistemological challenge,” raising “human fallibility” and the “voice of the people” to suggest Creon may have erred. However, Creon’s ironic responses, like “Are you coming now raving against your father or do you love me no matter what I do?” (ln. 707), reveal his fixation on his own political authority and the familial piety Haemon owes him. Sophocles makes Creon an incredibly ironic character, who will often advise to others exactly what he himself should be doing. 16. How does Creon’s character evolve in the latter half of the drama? Creon (arguably) begins the play prioritizing the polis’ common good, but in the second half, there is a “shift” toward tyranny as his view becomes myopically focused on his own authority. Initially, he justifies leaving Polyneices unburied as justice for being a traitor, but by line 748, he declares, “The man the city places in authority, his orders must be obeyed, large and small, right and wrong,” signaling a move from considerations of justice to his own authority. The standard by which he makes his decision seems to shift. His question, “Am I to rule this land for others or myself?” (ln. 823), elicits Haemon’s rebuke, “It’s no city at all owned by one man alone” (ln. 824). Creon’s claim, “Show me the man who rules his household well. I’ll show you someone fit to rule the state” (ln. 739), is deeply ironic, as he fails to rule his household, foreshadowing his spiral into tragedy. His fixation on anarchy as “a greater crime in all the earth” (ln. 752) over blasphemy further reveals his “blindness” to the divine, cementing his “de-evolution” into tyranny, as Dcn. Garlick notes. Under Creon, the cosmos whole that was first interpreted through the political now seems to simply be reducible to Creon’s will. He becomes the tyrant. Check out our guide for more!…
1 The Dark Sign of the Gods: Antigone by Sophocles Part I 2:10:19
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedAntigone is the "dark sign from the gods." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. David Niles of the Catholic Man Show and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the Greek tragedy "Antigone" by Sophocles. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our Patreon for our guide on Antigone! From the guide: This guide, like the podcast conversation, explores Antigone as a profound meditation on piety, justice, and the cosmic order. This guide addresses critical aspects of arguably Sophocles’ greatest work, such as: the moral conflict over burying the dead, the contrasting perspectives of Antigone, Ismene, and Creon, and the play’s potential as an early articulation of natural law—all while highlighting Sophocles’ role as a teacher shaping Greek thought. The guide also moves from Greek notion of piety and justice to comparative Christian ethics. The goal is to help the reader love Antigone and see the cosmic order it reveals through one of the greatest female characters in Western literature. What has occurred just prior to the start of Antigone ? Just before the events of Sophocles’ Antigone , the city of Thebes has been ravaged by a civil war between Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, who are sons of the late Oedipus, the former king. After Oedipus’ tragic downfall and death, the brothers were meant to share the throne, but a dispute led to conflict. Eteocles held power in Thebes, while Polyneices, exiled, rallied an army to attack the city and reclaim his right to rule. The brothers met on the battlefield and killed each other in combat, leaving Thebes without a clear ruler. Their uncle, Creon, assumes the throne and declares Eteocles a patriot, granting him a proper burial, while branding Polyneices a traitor, forbidding his burial under penalty of death. This decree sets the stage for the moral and familial conflict at the heart of Antigone , as Antigone and her sister Ismene grapple with the consequences of their brothers’ deaths and Creon’s edict. What is the central moral conflict introduced at the beginning of Antigone ? The central moral conflict revolves around the duty to bury the dead, specifically Antigone’s desire to bury her brother, Polyneices, who has been declared a traitor by their uncle, King Creon. Creon decrees that Polyneices’ body must remain unburied, to be “torn apart by the dogs, by the birds,” as punishment for his betrayal of Thebes. Antigone, however, sees the burial as a moral obligation, rooted in familial piety and divine law. The burial of the brother, however, is a catalyst to deeper moral concerns, as how to resolve this moral conflict invites the reader to contemplate how the family, polis, and divine all align with one another within the cosmos. It is a question of law, piety, and justice. Check out more on our Patreon !…
1 Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus with Dr. Jared Zimmerer 1:48:54
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedHow would you respond to the will of a tyrant? Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jared Zimmerer of Benedictine College to discuss Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound - the first play in an otherwise lost triad. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! WHY SHOULD YOU READ PROMETHEUS BOUND? From the guide: Prometheus Bound is the story of man and civilization. Within the contrast of Prometheus’ rebellion and Zeus’ tyranny, Aeschylus provides a narrative that explores the concepts of liberty and purpose. It is a story of human nature—of the identity of man and the role of technology in shaping that identity. As the conversation with Dr. Zimmerer and Dcn. Garlick highlights, the play “tells us about human nature” by exploring Prometheus as “an anti-hero” who defies Zeus’ tyranny and embodies our natural desire to rebel against oppressive authority. The lines of the good and evil, however, are not straightforward in Prometheus Bound—and many characters must make difficult decisions and compromises. Though not in the play itself, the chief act of rebellion is Prometheus stealing fire from Mount Olympus. It is, in many ways, an analogue of technological progress. Technology is the creation of man but often makes claims upon the nature of its creator. Prometheus Bound invites the reader to reflect upon how technology can bring civilizational ascension or collapse (think atomic power and Oppenheimer). As Dr. Zimmerer observes, in an age where culture is often flattened into “pop cultural” shallowness, the play challenges us to engage with the beauty and depth of human civilization—urging us to resist the trivialization of our divine gifts. By wrestling with these themes, Prometheus Bound not only illuminates the struggles of its characters but also compels us to examine our own drives, freedoms, and responsibilities in shaping the cultural legacy of mankind. Check out our Patreon page ! Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com !…
1 How to Read the Bible like St. Thomas Aquinas and Dante 1:29:35
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and Mr. Adam Minihan to discuss how to read the Bible like Jesus, St. Paul, the Early Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Dante! There are four senses: literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical. The guys explain Divine Authorship, Dante's thesis that you read his Comedy like you Scripture, and then explain each sense and give examples. Check our thegreatbookspodcast.com for resources on the Iliad, Odyssey, Dante's Inferno, and more! Summary : St. Jerome states, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (CCC 112). In other words, we come to know the reality of Jesus Christ by reading Holy Scripture. Yet, what if we read the Bible incorrectly? If the Scriptures are a source of knowledge about our Lord, would not a wrong reading of the text twist our understanding of Christ? We, especially as moderns, are always in danger of distorting the Gospel to meet our own ideological standards. As Bishop Konderla teaches, “We are called to measure ourselves against the teaching of Christ and His Church, not our own imaginations or standards.” He continues, “We must receive the Jesus Christ who came two-thousand years ago, not create a ‘Jesus’ who meets the fashions and fads of this age” (God Builds a House, 6). If we are to discipline ourselves to receive Jesus—and not manufacture a “Jesus”—then a vital part of that reception is a proper understanding of how to know Christ in Holy Scripture. How then does the Church teach us to read Holy Scripture? In the 1300s, the Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote a letter to his patron, Lord Cangrande della Scala, regarding how one should read the Divine Comedy. His answer was simple: you read the Comedy the same way you read the Bible. In summary of Sacred Tradition, Dante explains that there are four senses or ways to read Holy Scripture: literal and three spiritual ways, i.e., allegorical, moral, and anagogical. These four senses were also taught by St. Thomas Aquinas (STI.1.10) and are contained in the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church (“CCC” 115-19). They represent the time-tested wisdom of the Church on how to come to know and love Jesus Christ through the Holy Scriptures. Let us examine each “sense” of biblical interpretation, how it relates to the others, and how they all draw us into a deeper relationship with our Lord. The literal sense of Scripture is also known as the “historical sense.” St. Thomas notes the literal sense is the meaning the author intended. For example, Dante gives the simple illustration of the passage: “When Israel went out of Egypt.” He observes, “If we look at it from the letter alone it means to us the exit of the Children of Israel from Egypt at the time of Moses.” The literal is simply the intended, historical meaning of a text. It is important, however, to interpret the literal correctly, because “all other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal” (CCC 116). Similarly, Aquinas states that the spiritual sense of Scripture—allegorical, moral, and anagogical—is “based on the literal and presupposes it.” The importance of the literal sense of Scripture as foundational to all other senses emphasizes how vital it is that Catholics read commentaries that are faithful to the magisterium. Like a broken foundation of a home, a slanted literal sense can distort the greater spiritual senses built upon it. The allegorical sense is the first of the three types of the “spiritual sense.” In the allegorical sense, Dante teaches that the aforementioned verse about Israel exiting Egypt “means for us our redemption done by Christ.” But what does the exodus of Israel have to do with Christ? A lot. In the allegorical sense, the reader is always looking for types or signs of how one thing in Scripture signifies another. For example, Israel in bondage to Egypt is similar to us in bondage to sin. Here, Moses would be a type of Christ. He leads the People of God out of Egypt to the Promise Land, as Christ leads us out from sin and into grace and salvation. Moses serves as a sign pointing forward to the reality of Christ. Moreover, both Israel and the Christian faithful find the portal of their salvation through water: the Red Sea and Holy Baptism (CCC 117). In their journey to the Promised Land, the Israelites are given bread from heaven, mana; and in our earthly journey toward our Promised Land, heaven, we are given the Bread of Angels, the Holy Eucharist. Christ himself makes this allegorical comparison in the Eucharist Discourse (John 6). The relationship between the allegorical and the literal gives rise to a fundamental principle of reading the Bible: the Old Testament foreshadows the New, and the New Testament perfects the Old. This dynamic between the Old and New Testament, as expressed in signs, serves as an allegorical foundation to both the moral sense and the anagogical sense. The moral sense answers the question: how should I act? It is arguably the spiritual sense with which we are most familiar when trying to read Scripture. The Church teaches, “The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly” (CCC 117). What moral lesson does Dante draw from Israel leaving Egypt? As noted, the moral sense is informed by the allegorical. For example, Dante presents Israel leaving Egypt as “the conversion of the soul from the struggle and misery of sin to the status of grace.” We take the comparisons drawn from the allegorical sense and apply them to our own pursuit of holiness. If Israel leaving the bondage of Egypt is like humanity being delivered by Christ, then how can I apply this lesson to my own moral life? How can I leave behind sin and pursue holiness? St. Thomas says the moral sense focuses on “things done in Christ,” and “what we ought to do.” The allegorical can help the moral dimension of Scripture unfold into a beautiful guide to our earthly pilgrimage. The anagogical sense is arguably the most foreign to modern readers of Scripture. The Catechism expresses that the term anagogical comes from the Greek term anagoge which means “leading” (CCC 117). What is the Scripture ultimately leading us toward? The Church teaches that in the anagogical sense: “We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland” (CCC 117). If the moral is how should I act? then the anagogical is what does this teach me about my final end, i.e., eternal happiness with God in heaven? Like the moral, the anagogical draws from the allegorical to find types and signs. As St. Thomas observes, the anagogical looks for signs that “signify what relates to eternal glory.” For example, Dante notes that the anagogical lesson of Israel leaving Egypt is the final salvation of “the blessed soul from the slavery of this corruption to the freedom of eternal glory.” The anagogical sense always points us toward our heavenly home. “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” The four senses of Holy Scripture are a gift from our Sacred Tradition to delve deeper into the mystery of the Bible and thus, in turn, into the mystery of Jesus Christ. Interpreting Scripture aright allows us, as Bishop Konderla instructed, to receive the Jesus Christ that entered into history and not manufacture a “Jesus” out of the fads and fashions of our age. The literal, moral, allegorical, and anagogical senses are an invitation to configure ourselves to Jesus Christ and inoculate us against the errors of the present. May we, like Aquinas and Dante, come to love Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more!…
1 Lying as Contraceptive Speech: Lessons from Dante's Inferno 2:16:27
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedLying is a sterile act that impedes the purpose of the intellect. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Sean Berube and Shannon of Catholic Frequency to discuss "Lying as Contraceptive Speech." Dcn. Garlick gives several short talks pulling from Dante's Inferno, the Gospel of St. John, and liberalism with responses from Sean and Shannon from a live recording on X (Twitter). Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more help to read the great books! Master Adamo lies a bloated mass of “watery rot.” His amorphous frame bears his diseased paunch and distended limbs, as his lips curl and crack under his parching fever—despite being a waterlogged waste. He lies before Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil and explains how King Minos poured him into the last ditch of the eighth circle of hell. He was a counterfeiter of Florentine florins. He blurred the lines of reality in life and now he lays blurred—a poor counterfeit of his former self. In Dante’s Inferno, the eighth circle of hell is composed of ten ditches populated by flatterers, fortune tellers, deceivers, alchemists, and other fraudulent souls. It is not surprising such souls suffer eternal torment, but it is surprising that Dante the Poet has them suffer with greater severity than murderers or the lustful. Why, for example, would a flatterer suffer a worse fate in hell than Attila the Hun? Why would an alchemist merit greater suffering than Cleopatra or Achilles? The structure of hell, as presented by Dante the Poet, moves from the lesser sins of incontinence—lust, greed, prodigality, etc.—to the greater sins of malice: violence and fraud. For Dante, fraud is more perverse than violence, because it represents an abuse of that which is highest in man: the intellect. The suffering of Master Adamo invites us to three considerations: first, how acting contrary to reason creates a counterfeit anthropology; second, how the intellect suffers when it satiates on untruth; and third, how lying is an act of sterility that leads to a superficial embrace of reality. It will remain, however, to question who is to blame for these unrealities becoming culturally normative, and the steps we must take to purge our imaginations of these counterfeits of Creation... Check out the article that inspired this podcast on the Josias: Our Contraceptive Speech .…
1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 7: Cantos 32-34 with Evan Amato 1:43:53
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedThe frozen heart of hell. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Evan Amato to discuss the frozen wastes of the 9th Circle of Hell - the damned guilty of treachery (or complex fraud). Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for other great books to read! A few questions from our guide to Dante's Inferno: 78. What happens in the ninth circle of hell: Treachery (Complex Fraud) (Canto 34)? Pressing onward, Virgil leads the Pilgrim to “Judecca”—named after Judas Iscariot—in which those souls that have betrayed their benefactors or their lords are frozen completely in the ice. [1] The Pilgrim notes the distorted figures, saying: “To me they looked like straws worked into glass.” [2] Finally, the Pilgrim sees the gigantic figure of Satan. The figure of Lucifer, the arch-traitor against his Benefactor and Lord, God, is frozen in the ice to the waist as his six bat-like wings eternally beating—thus, causing the wind that freezes all in the pit of hell. [3] The Pilgrim observes, Satan, who has three faces on his head, “wept from his six eyes, and down three chins were dripping tears mixed with bloody slaver.” [4] Each one of Satan’s faces bears a distinct color—red, yellow, and black—and in each mouth Lucifer “crunched a sinner.” [5] In the mouth of the central red face, Judas, who “suffers most of all,” and is inserted headfirst. [6] The other two souls are inserted legs first and they are Brutus in the black face—“see how he squirms in silent desperation”—and Cassius in the yellow face." [7] Bringing their journey to an end, Virgil, with the Pilgrim on his back, first climbs down the hairy shanks of Satan, and second, after passing the center of the earth, climbs up the legs of Satan. [8] Heading out toward the Mount of Purgatory, the Pilgrim and Virgil exit the earth and behold the stars in the sky. [9] 79. Why does Dante the Poet use ice to describe the bottom of hell? In Aristotle’s Metaphysics , when he must answer how does the Unmoved Mover move all things if the Unmoved Mover does not move, he answers: love ( eros ). God is Pure Act, and all things are drawn to him by love—in other words, though unmoved himself, he is the source of all movement in the cosmos. As such, the pit of hell would be the furthest from God; thus, evil, as a type of anti-movement and anti-love finds a poetic home in the imagery of ice. Furthermore, evil is a privation of the good. Evil is not something real but rather something unreal, a lack. Evil is like a hole in the ground or like darkness is to light. Similarly, evil is like cold is the heat. Coldness is not necessarily real per se but is rather the absence of heat. Evil is the absence of good. As such, ice again makes a good image of evil and a fitting pit to a hell structured according to love. 80. Why is the betrayal of family a lesser sin than that of country or political party? In the ninth circle, we see betrayal of family come before betrayal of a political body or party. Again, one turns to Dante the Poet’s understanding of the common good to order these sins. Things can be ordered according to execution or being. In the order of execution, a chair, for example, would have its parts come first. The leg is made prior to the chair. Here, the family comes before the polis or political body (“state” in modern terms), and would thus seem more important. However, in the order of being, the leg only comes into existence for the sake of the chair—the part for the sake of the whole. Similarly, the family comes into existence for the sake of the polis, and the polis is the common good in which all the parts participate. Without a chair, there is no purpose for the leg. Similarly, no family is autonomous and must participate in the community. 81. How is hell an act of mercy? No matter how horrific the contrapasso is for a sinner, even Judas, it is a mercy. The finite creature can never truly bear the punishment for its sin against the infinite God. How can the finite make amends for an injustice against an infinite good? The just punishment for rejecting God is not bearable by man. All of hell is tempered by mercy and less than what man deserves for his sin. [...] Congrats! You have finished the Inferno . Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more great books to read! You can read the Iliad , the Odyssey , Hesiod’s Theogony , and Aeschylus’ Oresteia with Ascend. Podcasts are all posted and written guides are available on our Patreon page. If you formed a small group for Lent to read Dante’s Inferno , keep meeting together. Pick a new text, maybe the Iliad , and read it together. Ascend will continue with the Greek plays in first half of 2025 with studies into Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, and we will start to study Plato in the early fall of 2025. We plan to read Dante’s Purgatorio for Lent in 2026. You can read the great books with Ascend! [1] Musa, 384; the contrapasso of the Ninth Circle of Hell may be, as Musa states, “the gelid abode of those souls in whom all warmth of love for God and for their fellow man has been extinguished.” Musa, 384. It is worth noting that in each region of Cocytus, the sinners are frozen deeper into the ice: in Caina, they are frozen to their waists; in Antenora, they are frozen to the chin; in Tolomea, they are frozen with their faces upward; and in Judecca, they are completely frozen. Also note that Lucifer, the arch-traitor, is the cause of everything being frozen. [2] XXXIV, 12. [3] Musa, 384; [4] XXXIV, 53-4; Musa notes that the three faces are first and foremost another tripart and hellish distortion of the Holy Trinity, see Musa, 384. [5] XXXIV, 55; for colors, XXXIV, 37-45; Musa adds, “Highest Wisdom would be opposed to ignorance (black), Divine Omnipotence by impotence (yellow), Primal Love by hared or envy (red).” Musa, 385. [6] XXXIV, 61, cf. 62-3. [7] XXXIV, 66, cf. 64-9; while Judas betrayed Christ, Brutus and Cassius betrayed Julius Caesar, representing treason against the Church and the State (Empire). See, Musa, 385. [8] See XXXIV, 79-81; Musa, 385-87. [9] See Musa, 387.…
1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 6: Cantos 26-31 with Dr. Donald Prudlo 1:56:37
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedWe finish the 8th Circle of hell! Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo of the University of Tulsa discuss pits 8-10 of the 8th Circle of Dante's Inferno (Cantos 26-31). Dr. Prudlo is an incredibly talented Catholic scholar! You'll want to hear what he has to say - especially about Odysseus, Troy, and the Garden of Eden. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources! From our guide: 64. What happens in the eighth ditch (Cantos 26-27)? Overlooking the eighth ditch, the Pilgrim and Virgil view the punishment of those souls King Minos found guilty of deception or evil counsel. [1] The Pilgrim sees columns of flames, and Virgil explains, “there are souls concealed within these moving fires, each one swathed in his burning punishment.” [2] Dante the Pilgrim observes a “flame with its tip split in two,” to which Virgil explains the flame contains the souls of both Ulysses and Diomedes. [3] The contrapasso of the eighth bolgia is that these deceivers burn as tongues of flame just as their tongues in life brought forth pain and destruction. [4] Moving on, the Pilgrim and Virgil meet another soul, Guido da Montefeltro, “a soldier who became a friar in his old age; but he was untrue to his vows when, at the urging of Pope Boniface VIII, he counseled the use of fraud in the pope’s campaign against the Colonna family. He was damned to hell because he failed to repent of his sins, trusting instead in the pope’s fraudulent absolution.” [5] Virgil and the Pilgrim press on, where, coming to the ninth ditch, they see “those who, sowing discord, earned Hell’s wages.” [6] 65. Does fire have a special role in the Inferno ? Given its name, most expect fire to be the normative punishment of the Inferno —but it is not. The question is whether the role fire does play has a special pedagogical purpose. Dr. Prudlo sets forth that fire, especially as seen here as “tongues of fire,” represents an “anti-Pentecostal sin.” Fire plays a role in the punishment of the blasphemers, sodomites, usurers, simonists, and false counselors. Fire, as Dr. Prudlo notes, is the “most noble element in Dante’s world,” and it plays a certain “refined punishment” in the Inferno . It seems to signify a certain “unnatural abuse” within the sin, an “abuse of some special gift that God has given us.” The role of fire in the Inferno merits further consideration. 66. Is there a special relation between Ulysses (Odysseus) and Dante? Dante the Poet arguably has a certain fondness for Ulysses. As Dr. Prudlo observes: “genius untethered to virtue is one of the most dangerous things that can possibly exist.” Dante the Poet and Ulysses are both geniuses. Yet, Ulysses cannot find rest upon returning to Ithaca—the question for knowledge calls him away from his wife, son, and kingdom to journey out into unknown Ocean. He sails passed the Pillars of Heracles, which mark the boundaries of mortal men, and, upon seeing Mount Purgatory, God strikes his ship and all lives are lost. Dr. Prudlo remarks that where Ulysses attempted to make it to Mount Purgatory despite God, Dante the Pilgrim will make it to Mount Purgatory with God. Ulysses appears as a warning to Dante the Pilgrim—the dangers of genius without virtue. 67. How is the fall of a Troy a secular original sin? The fall of Troy is the original sin within the Roman mind. As Dr. Prudlo sets forth, for the Romans, the Trojan horse was the deception, the original sin, that led to the fall of Troy. Ulysses, the deceiver, is, as Dr. Prudlo notes, a type of anti-Aeneas. Whereas Aeneas tries to save his family in the fall of Troy, Ulysses abandons his. The escape of Aenaes from Troy to eventually found Rome, as described by Virgil in his Aeneid , is a type of felix culpa or “happy fault” that came about from the fall of Troy. From the fall of Troy, Rome is allowed to rise. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more! [1] The sin punished in the eighth bolgia has been traditional thought to be “evil counsel,” but, as the notes below explain, it is probably more likely for the sin to be deception or evil rhetoric. Most notably the souls in the eighth and ninth bolgia are referred to as “like filth,” denoting a special disgust against these sins by Dante the Poet. See Musa, 313-14. [2] XXVI, 47-8. [3] XXVI, 52, 55. [4] cf. Musa, 313-14. [5] Musa, 315; the fraudulent absolution here is that it was offered before the friar committed the sin. The friar, a victim of fraud, then engages in fraud via deception or evil rhetoric. [6] XXVII, 136.…
1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 5: Cantos 18-25 with Noah and Gabriel of CLT 2:17:55
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedSeducers, Flatterers, Sorcerers, and more! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Noah Tyler, CFO of the Classic Learning Test, and Gabriel Blanchard, a staff writer for CLT, to discuss the first part of the 8th Circle: Simple Fraud (Cantos 18-25). Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Check out our written GUIDE to Dante's Inferno: 80+ Questions and Answer . FROM THE GUIDE: 53. What happens in the Eighth Circle of Hell: Simple Fraud (Canto 18) The Eighth Circle of Hell holds the souls of those King Minos found guilty of simple fraud and is composed of “ten stone ravines called Malebolge (Evil Pockets), and across each bolgia is an arching bridge.” [1] Each of the ten bolgias (pits, ditches, pockets, etc.) is filled with souls guilty of a different species of simple fraud: (1) panders and seducers (2) flatters (3) simoniacs (4) sorcerers (5) barrators (6) hypocrites (7) thieves (8) deceivers (9) sowers of discord and (10) falsifiers. Each bolgia in Malebolgia exhibits a different contrapasso . 54. What happens in the first ditch (Canto 18)? After leaving Geryon, the Pilgrim observes the souls in the first ditch. Here, “two files of naked souls walked on the bottom” with each line walking a different direction. [2] The Pilgrim also notes, “I saw horned devils with enormous whips lashing the backs of shades with cruel delight.” [3] The souls here are pimps or panders in one line and seducers in the other. Notably, Dante the Pilgrim sees Jason the Argonaut suffering amongst the seducers. [4] Notice, however, that these seducers are not those who fell into passion, like Francisca, but rather those who act with malice to deceive others. It is the malice of malevolent nature of these sins that distinguish them from the incontinent sins. 55. What happens in the second ditch (Canto 18)? Leaving the first bolgia (ditch), the Pilgrim and Virgil come upon the souls of the flatters suffering in the second ditch. The Pilgrim observes, “Now we could hear the shades in the next pouch whimpering, making snorting grunting souls… from a steaming stench below, the banks were coated with a slimy mold that suck to them like glue, disgusting to behold and worse to smell.” [5] Here, grunting in a ditch of excrement, are the flatterers. The contrapasso of the second ditch invites a stark juxtaposition between the honeyed words of flattery and the sordid reality of their deception. The Pilgrim makes this quite evident in his observation of Thais: “that repulsive and disheveled tramp scratching herself with shitty fingernails, spreading her legs while squatting up and down.” [6] Repulsed by Thais, Virgil and the Pilgrim move on. It should be noted, however, that this flattery is a malicious flattery intended to deceive. 56. How is flattery a worst sin than lust, murder, or suicide? Recall that hell is structured according to three general areas: incontinence, violence, and fraud. Though violence and fraud are malevolent, fraud is worse because it is a greater corruption of the intellect. In general, the corruption of the best is the worst. The higher the angel, the greater the demon it becomes. As such, fraud, for Dante, is the greater than incontinence or violence, because fraud is the corruption of what makes us uniquely human: reason. Truth is the conformity of the mind to reality, and our intellect is an appetite that seeks truth. A person who uses his or her intellect to deceive others uses it for an unnatural purpose. It is a disorder of what is most divine in us. As such, the category of fraud is the worst sin, and within fraud, those who betray natural bonds of love are the worst; therefore, in the ninth circle, we will see fraud against those people held natural bonds of love, e.g., family, country, guests, and benefactors. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more!…
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1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 4: Cantos 12-17 with Fr. Thomas Esposito, O. Cist. 1:42:51
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedWe enter the circle of violence. This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Fr. Thomas Esposito, O. Cist., a Cistercian priest who teaches at the University of Dallas, to discuss the seventh circle of Dante's Inferno: (1) violence against neighbor (2) violence against self and (3) violence against God & nature. Check out our website for more info: thegreatbookspodcast.com . Check out our 80+ Question and Answer Guide to the Inferno. From the guide: 43. What happens in the Seventh Circle of Hell: Violence Toward Neighbor (Canto 12)? As Virgil and the Pilgrim press on toward the Seventh Circle of Hell, Virgil explains the topography of hell. The City of Dis marks the transition from upper hell to lower hell, while the Seventh Circle of Hell marks the beginning of the sins of violence (represented by the lion in the dark woods in Canto 1). Virgil explains, “violence can be done to God, to self, or to one’s neighbor.” [1] Next, Virgil explains there are two types of fraud. First, there is the “simple fraud” of the second circle of lower hell, the Eight Circle of Hell overall, in which “hypocrites, flatters, dabblers in sorcery, falsifiers, thieves, and simonists, pander, seducers, grafters, and like filth” are punished.” [2] Second, there is “complex fraud" of the final circle of hell, the Ninth Circle, in which are punished traitors who betrayed the “love Nature enjoys and that extra bond between men which creates a special trust.” [3] Virgil and the Pilgrim enter into the Seventh Circle of Hell, which is guarded by the Minotaur—a half-man and half-bull creature from classical mythology known for its undying rage. [4] With the Minotaur consumed by its own anger, Virgil and the Pilgrim continue on and come upon a great “river of blood that boils souls of those who through their violence injured others”—known as the Phlegethon. [5] The contrapasso is made more severe by herds of centaurs galloping along the bloody riverbanks and shooting with arrows at “any daring soul emerging above the bloody level of his guilt.” [6] As the Pilgrim observes, the souls are sunk in a river of blood to a depth commensurate with their violence: the tyrants, such as Alexander, Dionysius, and Attila, who “dealt in bloodshed and plundered wealth” are sunken to their eyelids; the murders who dealt in bloodshed are sunk up to their throats; and the rest of the violent are sunk to various lesser degrees. [7] Musa notes, “the sins of violence are also the Sins of Bestiality,” and the bestial and violent nature of these sins are seen in the theme of half-animal and half-human creatures: the furies on the walls of the City of Dis, the Minotaur whose very enraged existence spawned from an act of bestiality, and the centaurs who were known in classical mythology for violence and rape. [8] 44. What else should be noted about the first area of the seventh circle? Lower hell is characterized by sins of malice, and Fr. Thomas offered malevolent as another good descriptor of these sins: an evil willing. Fr. Thomas suggested that the Minotaur and the centaurs serve as bridges between incontinence and violence, as, for example, the centaurs are usually violent to satiate an incontinent desire, i.e., lust. Again, what is the distinction between the sin of violence and the sin of wrath? The latter is one of incontinence, while the former is one of malice—and the former is one that has an external action, i.e., harm. Fr. Thomas posits it may also be possible to be violent without being wrathful, i.e., some cold and calculated act of violence not committed out of passion. Check out our guide for more!…
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1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 3: Cantos 6-11 with Dr. Jason Baxter 1:54:22
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedToday, we finish lower hell. Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jason Baxter of Benedictine College to discuss cantos 6-11 of Dante's Inferno. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for other great books! Check out our Patreon for our 80+ Question & Answer guide to the Inferno. From our guide: 27. The Third Circle of Hell – Gluttony (Canto 6) Musa explains the third circle and the contrapasso , “the shades in this circle are the gluttons, and their punishment fits their sin. Gluttony, like all the sins of incontinence, subjects reason to desire; in this case desire is a voracious appetite. Thus, the shades howl like dogs—in desire, without reason; they are sunk in slime, the image of their excess. The warm comfort their gluttony brought them in life here has become cold, dirty rain and hail.” [1] The beast Cerberus—a “three-headed doglike beast”—dwells in the third circle. [2] The beast both represents the sin of gluttony through its own immense appetite and further punishes those shades in the third circle as he “flays and mangles” the shades of that circle. [3] Musa also notes “with his three heads, he appears to be a prefiguration of Lucifer and thus another infernal distortion of the Trinity.” [4] On their way toward the fourth circle, Dante the Pilgrim asks Virgil whether the punishment of the souls in hell will be increased or lessened on the Final Judgment. [5] Virgil explains that the pain of those in hell will be “more perfect” after the Final Judgment, as the souls in hell will be reunited with their bodies after the bodily resurrection. [6] 30. The Fourth Circle of Hell – the Prodigal & Miserly (VII) As Virgil and the Pilgrim enter into the fourth circle of hell, they are greeted by Plutus (Pluto), the Roman god of wealth, who speaks incoherently and whom Virgil dismisses by calling him “cursed Wolf of hell.” [1] The reference to “wolf” recalls the she-wolf at the beginning and reminds the reader the Pilgrim is still journeying through the circles of sins related to incontinence. Here the Pilgrim sees shades “to the sound of their own screams, straining their chests, they rolled enormous weights, and when they met and clashed against each other… screaming ‘Why hoard?,’ the other side, ‘why waste?’” [2] The Pilgrim sees the contrapasso of the miserly and the prodigal, who, forming two semi-circles, push their heavy weights (symbolizing their material wealth) and shove against each other (as their disordered uses of wealth were opposite). [3] Virgil teaches the Pilgrim about Lady Fortune, who serves as an angel of God determining the fortunes of men and nations. [4] Note that Lady Fortune is often depicted with a wheel, and that this circle of hell resembles a giant broken wheel of the shades that mismanaged their fortune. [5] 34. What happens in the Fifth Circle of Hell: the Wrathful & Slothful (Cantos 7-8)? Virgil and the Pilgrim leave the broken wheel of the fourth circle and come upon “a swamp that has the name of Styx.” [1] The river Styx, the sordid marsh-like second river of hell, serves as the fifth circle. Here, the Pilgrim sees “muddy people moving in that marsh, all naked, with their faces scarred by rage,” who “fought each other, not with hands alone, but struck with head and chest and feet as well, with teeth they tore each other limb from limb.” [2] These are the wrathful souls, “the souls of those that anger overcame,” who are punished alongside another group of souls who lay face up under the murky surface. [3] The identity of these souls is debated. [4] The souls beneath the surface, “who make the waters bubble at the surface,” say to the Pilgrim: “sluggish we were in the sweet air made happy by the sun, and the some of sloth was smoldering in our hearts; now we lie sluggish here in this black muck.” [5] The best take is that these souls represent slothfulness or acedia ; thus, the fifth circle, like the fourth, has two related sins in the same circle: wrath (excess) and acedia (deficient). [6] Virgil and the Pilgrim cross the river Styx with the help of the boatman, Phlegyas, a wrathful son of Mars from Roman mythology. [7] As they cross the river, a wrathful soul rises up and is rebuked by Dante the Pilgrim in stanch contrast to the pity he showed the sinners in the second and third circles. [8] Dante rebuking the sinner and remembering it fondly shows more of an alignment with the Divine Will than pitying them. Check out our guide for more questions and answers ! Good work!…
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1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 2: Cantos 2-5 with Dr. Jennifer Frey and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson 1:39:53
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDante approaches the gates of hell! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jennifer Frey, the Dean of the new Honors College at the University of Tulsa, and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University, to discuss cantos 2-5 of Dante's Inferno. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com . Check out OUR GUIDE to Dante's Inferno: 80+ Questions and Answers . 13. What happens in the Vestibule of Hell (Cantos 2-3)? The narrative of the Dark Woods in Canto 1 is arguably the introduction to the entire Divine Comedy, and as such, Canto 2 serves as the introduction to the first volume or canticle, the Inferno . [1] Note that Dante begins the Canto by invoking the Muses, which was common in the “classic epic tradition.” [2] The Canto explains that the Virgin Mary took pity on Dante, and she told Saint Lucia to help him. St. Lucia then asked Beatrice, a soul in heaven who knows Dante, to help Dante; Beatrice then went into hell and asked Virgil to be Dante's guide. [3] Whereas the three beasts of Canto I represent the threefold structure of hell, the three ladies of Canto 2 represent grace. [4] His heart emboldened, Dante and Virgil enter the “deep and rugged road” and arrive at the gate of hell. [5] The inscription of the gate reads: I AM THE WAY INTO THE DOLEFUL CITY / I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL GRIEF, / I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN RACE. JUSTICE IT WAS THAT MOVED MY GREAT CREATOR; / DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE CREATED ME, / AND HIGHEST WISDOM JOINED WITH PRIMAL LOVE. BEFORE ME NOTHING BUT ETERNAL THINGS / WERE MADE, AND I SHALL LAST ETERNALLY. / ABANDON EVERY HOPE, ALL WHO ENTER. [6] Upon passing through the gates, the Pilgrim hears the “sighs and cries and shrieks of lamentations echo[ing] throughout the starless air of Hell.” [7] Virgil and the Pilgrim enter into the Vestibule of Hell, which is populated by souls who lived a lukewarm life with “no blame and no praise,” and by the angels who at Lucifer's great rebellion remained undecided. [8] Here, Dante the Poet introduces the concept of contrapasso , i.e., “the just punishment of sin, effected by a process either resembling or contrasting with the sin itself.” [9] In the Vestibule, the contrapasso for the souls and angels who lived undecided is to eternally march after a banner. [10] Amongst “great a number,” the Pilgrim sees the shade of the “coward who had made the great refusal.” [11] While there are many interpretations, “perhaps it is most likely that this shade is Pontius Pilate, who refused to pass sentence on Christ.” [12] Virgil and the Pilgrim come to the river Acheron where they are ferried across by the demon Charon—“the boatman of classical mythology who transports the souls of the dead across the Acheron into Hades.” [13] As they cross the Acheron, a mighty wind blows against the Pilgrim and he swoons—a literary device that serves to close a narrative and introduce another. [14] 14. How is Dante the Pilgrim going on a hero’s journey? The tradition presents many heroes who have adventured down into the underworld and returned, including Heracles, Odysseus, and Aeneas. Dr. Wilson notes that while Dante the Pilgrim will also travel into the underworld, he does not do so as a hero in the classical sense. Dante the Pilgrim is weak and spiritually malformed. He undergoes his journey for the sake of his own formation and spiritual maturation. As Dr. Frey observes, the movement of Providence is evident in these cantos, as everyone is sent: the Blessed Virgin Mary sends St. Lucy, St. Lucy sends Beatrice, and Beatrice sends Virgil. Ultimately, Dante the Pilgrim is sent into hell. 16. Who is Beatrice? When he was a child, he first saw the young girl Beatrice when she was eight or nine years old. He is said to have fallen in love with her, though it is not clear that he even spoke to her until several years later. When he was a child, Dante was promised in marriage to another, but Beatrice—whom he never seems to have known well—remained his muse. He wrote courtly love poems about her and her beauty. She died in AD 1290. In his Comedy , whereas Virgil represents human reason unaided by grace, Beatrice will represent grace and beauty. Her beauty becomes an icon of God’s beauty calling Dante the Pilgrim’s soul down through hell and up through purgatory. Dante the Pilgrim will have to learn how to allow this love for the beauty of Beatrice to perfect into a love for the beauty of God. 18. What is a contrapasso ? With the lukewarm souls that both heaven and hell reject, the reader is introduced to the concept of the contrapasso . In sum, each punishment of the damned is tailored to their particular sin and this tailoring always has a pedagogical purpose. For example, here the lukewarm, who stood for nothing in life, are forced to march behind a banner for all eternity. The contrapasso reveals something about the nature of the sin punished, which is then catechetical for the reader. Note, as Dr. Frey observed, that the lukewarm are harassed along by insects or rather the source of their movement is external to them. The lukewarm lack the inner capacity to move, just as they did in life. 22. The First Circle of Hell – Limbo (Canto 4) The Pilgrim awakes, and Virgil leads him into the First Circle of Hell. The Pilgrim hears “the sounds of sighs of untormented grief” of “men and women and of infants.” [18] The circle is known as Limbo and is populated by naturally virtuous non-Christians and by unbaptized infants. As Virgil states: “But their great worth alone was not enough, for they did not know Baptism, which is the gateway to the faith you follow.” [19] The contrapasso of Limbo is that the virtuous souls live out eternity in a paradise devoid of the Beatific Vision. Like themselves, it is naturally good but lacks the grace of God. Dante the Poet equates Limbo with Sheol or Abraham's Bosom in the Old Testament; thus, Virgil tells him of “a mighty lord” who entered Limbo—Christ's Harrowing of Hell—and liberated Adam, Abel, Noah, Moses, Abram, David, Israel, Rachel, and “many more he chose for blessedness.” [20] Dante sees many famous Greek and Roman poets in Limbo, which in turn greet Dante as a fellow poet. [21] The Pilgrim approaches a castle in Limbo and “the inhabitants of the great castle are important pagan philosophers and poets, as well as famous warriors.” [22] Most notably, the Pilgrim sees Aristotle, the “master sage,” to whom “all pay their homage.” [23] He is sitting with his “philosophy family” with Socrates on one side and Plato on the other. [24] For Dante the Poet, “Aristotle represented the summit of human reason, that point that man could reach on his own without the benefit of Christian revelation.” [25] In fact, “with the exception of the Bible, Dante draws most often from Aristotle.” [26] Virgil and the Pilgrim leave the great castle and approach the “place where no light is.” [27] 25. The Second Circle of Hell – Lust (V) Virgil and the Pilgrim come upon King Minos, the judge of Hell. In classical literature, King Minos “was the son of Zeus and Europa” and “as the king of Crete he was revered for his wisdom and judicial gifts.” [28] In Virgil's Aeneid , King Minos serves as the “chief magistrate of the underworld,” and Dante the Poet retains this classic notion; however, in the Inferno , King Minos has certain bestial qualities, most notably a tail, which, after the “evil soul appears before him, it confesses all,” wraps around himself and throws them in the corresponding circle of hell. [29] For example, King Minos would wrap his tail twice around himself for a shade condemned to the second circle of hell. Virgil and the Pilgrim continue and come upon an “infernal storm, eternal in its rage” blowing thousands of souls around in the wind. [30] The contrapasso of the lustful souls who “make reason slave to appetite” is to be blown around and battered by a great wind—just as they allowed their reason to be blown around by their passions. [31] Here, the Pilgrim sees Cleopatra, Helen, Achilles, Paris, Tristan, and others. [32] The Pilgrim speaks to two souls buffeted by the winds: Francesca da Rimini and Paolo. It is in the Second Circle of Hell that Dante the Pilgrim’s pity is shown as disordered and contrary to the Divine Will, as he falls prey to the rhetoric of Francesca. [33] As she tells the story of her life that led her to the Second Circle of Hell, the Pilgrim is moved toward pity: “Francesca, the torment that you suffer brings painful tears of pity to my eyes.” [34] The Pilgrim's journey through hell will have several such encounters in which the Pilgrim will need to discern the true nature of sin and comprehend the divine justice that placed the soul there. [1] Id., 77-9. Canto 1 as an introduction to the whole Comedy is further evidenced by the fact the Inferno as 34 cantos, while Purgatorio and Paradiso have 33 each. The extra canto in the Inferno is an introduction to the whole. Dr. Wilson also noted that canto 1 is the introduction of Dante the Pilgrim, while canto 2 is the introduction of Dante the Poet. [2] Id., 84, noting that similar invocations will be made at the beginning of the Purgatory and the Paradise . [3] The Blessed Mother taking “pity” on Dante begins a “major motif of the Inferno ,” which plays an important part in the “education of the Pilgrim.” Musa, 83, ln. 5. [4] Id., 85-6. [5] Canto II, ln. 142. [6] Canto III, lns. 1-9. Note the inscription above the gate mentions omnipotence, wisdom, and love—a triad formula that has been interpreted as “the gate of Hell was created by the Trinity moved by Justice.” Musa, 93, ln. 5-6. Dr. Frey and Dr. Wilson note that “through me” not “I am” is a better translation. [7] Canto III, ln. 22-3. [8] Canto III, ln. 36, see also 40-42 on angels. [9] Musa, 94, ln. 52-69. [10] Id., Canto III, lns. 52-57. The belief that there were neutral angels that would not choose to follow God or Satan seems to be a narrative of Dante’s own invention. [11] Canto III, ln. 60. [12] Musa, 95, ln. 60. [13] Canto III, lns. 78, 94; Musa, 95. [14] Musa, 96, ln. 136. [15] See Esolen, 423-24. [16] Esolen, 19. [17] Esolen, canto 3, ln. 103. [18] Canto IV, lns. 28, 30. [19] Canto IV, lns. 34-6. [20] Canto IV, lns. 52-63. [21] Musa, 103, lns 91-93. [22] Musa, 204; lns. 112-44; along with virtuous Greek and Romans, Dante includes three virtuous medieval Muslims, i.e., the warrior Saladin, and two Islamic commentators on Aristotle: Avicenna and Averroes. See Musa, 106-108. [23] Canto IV, lns. 130-35. [24] Canto IV, lns. 132, 134. [25] Musa, 106; ln. 131. [26] Id. [27] Canto IV, ln. 150. [28] Musa, 114-15, ln. 4. [29] Canto V, lns. 4-12. [30] Canto V, lns. 31-33. [31] Canto V, lns. 31-39. [32] Canto V, lns. 55-69. [33] Musa, 114. Dr. Wilson makes a comparison between Paolo and Francesca reading a book and falling into lust, with St. Augustine taking up and reading Scripture to be delivered from lust in the Confessions . Similarly, Dr. Frey posits that Dante the Poet could be acknowledging that poetry can lead people into sin, especially the courtly love poetry popular at the time. Possible Dante the Pilgrim fainting is him realizing his courtly love poetry could lead to a soul being condemned for all eternity. [34] Canto V, lns. 116-17; in the fourth circle, see Dante's pity for Ciacco (Musa, 126, ln. 59); Francesca is in hell for lust, for seduction, and in telling her tale, she seduces Dante the Pilgrim. She is still practicing the sin for which she was condemned.…
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1 Dante's Inferno Ep. 1: Intro and Canto 1 with Dr. Jeremy Holmes 2:01:16
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedWe are reading the Inferno together! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jeremy Holmes of Wyoming Catholic College to give an introduction to Dante's Inferno and discuss the first canto. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Reading Schedule for Lent 2025: Introduction & the Dark Woods 1. Intro & Canto 1 (3.4.25) with Dr. Jeremy Holmes (Wyoming Catholic) Vestibule of Hell, Limbo & Lust 2. Cantos 2-5 (3.11.25) with Dr. Jennifer Frey (TU) and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson (Pepperdine). Gluttony, Spendthrift/Hoarders, Wrathful/Acedia & Heretics 3. Cantos 6-11 (3.18.25) with Dr. Jason Baxter of Benedictine College. Violence: Against Neighbor, Self & God 4. Cantos 12-17 (3.25.25) with Fr. Thomas Esposito, O. Cist., of the University of Dallas. Simple Fraud: Pits 1-7 5. Cantos 18-25 (4.1.25) with Noah Tyler, CFO of CLT, and Gabriel Blanchard, Staff Writer for CLT. Simple Fraud: Pits 8-10 6. Cantos 26-31 (4.8.25) with Dr. Donald Prudlo (TU) Complex Fraud: The Traitors 7. Cantos 32-34 (4.15.25) with Evan Amato. Questions from our Reader's Guide: What is the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri? The Divine Comedy (or the Comedy as Dante called it) tells the story of Dante the Pilgrim’s penitential journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven in three volumes or canticles: Inferno , Purgatorio , and Paradiso . It is called a comedy in the classical sense of ending well, as opposed to tragedy which ends poorly. Dante the Poet masterfully weaves together Holy Scripture, Greco-Roman mythology, Aristotle, Roman history, St. Thomas Aquinas, and more to present the reader an excellent map of the human soul and its loves. “It is the Summa Theologiae in poetry,” says Dr. Prudlo, “and I think it's one of the greatest, greatest achievements, single achievements by a human being that's ever been attained.” What is the Inferno ? The Inferno tells of Dante’s pilgrimage through hell alongside his pagan guide, the Roman poet Virgil. The Inferno is less an eschatological treatise attempting to explain the actual geography of hell and more a moral tale on the reality of human desire and the soul. It not a mystical vision akin to St. John’s Revelation or the ecstasies of St. Teresa of Avila. As such, Dante the Poet will place mythological characters in hell, like the three-headed dog Cerberus or the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto. The purpose is not literal but pedagogical. In a similar fashion, the placement of a soul in hell, like a Pope Nicholas III or Helen of Troy, is not a eschatological claim of who is actually in hell but a moral one. Everything in the Inferno is intended to instruct us in virtue and the proper rectitude of the soul. Why should we read Dante’s Inferno ? The Inferno is an invitation to examine your soul. Dante the Poet is a master of the soul and its loves. He tears away the acceptable veneer on human desire and exposes the ugly reality of sin and its transformative effect upon the human soul into something imploded and bestial. And Dante the Poet invites the reader to contemplate his or her soul and its loves within an ordered whole. As stated, the Divine Comedy is St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae is poetic form, and Dante the Poet weaves together Holy Scripture, Aristotle, mythology, astronomy, and more into one intelligible cosmos. Reality is intelligible and holds lessons for our sanctification and salvation. We are invited to become students of our own souls by understanding a hell structured around love, the horror of sin, and the ugliness of evil. Dante wants to save your soul, as Dr. Holmes notes. We join ourselves to Dante the Pilgrim, an analogue of humanity, and mature with him throughout his penitential journey. You can read Dante's Inferno with Ascend!…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 Aeschylus' Oresteia: The Eumenides Explained Part Two 1:45:31
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the end of the Oresteia, the second part of the Eumenides. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com . Check out our guide to the Oresteia . The first half of the Eumenides demonstrates Aeschylus’ ability to dramatize philosophical questions. The old system of justice, bound to the Furies’ blood-soaked vengeance, has proven incomplete. The Olympian purity rituals are not a sufficient answer either. Athena’s brilliance is found in pushing the concept of justice forward into a more dispassionate, procedural affair while also discovering how to incorporate the ancient powers. As Lackey notes, “Justice here becomes communal—rooted in reason but enriched by tradition.” The second half of the Eumenides promises a trial that will decide not only Orestes’ fate but that of justice itself. The second half of Eumenides begins with a dramatic shift in scene. Athena elects to conduct the trial at the Areopagus also known as the “Crag of Ares” or the “Hill of Ares.” It is a mythical place of justice, as it bears its name from when Ares was accused of murder and tried there by the gods. It is a place of divine judgment. It was also said to be an ancient place of council for the Athenians. As such, Aeschylus bridges mythology and Athenian politics to create a new myth on the maturation of justice. Overall, the trial allows Aeschylus to bring the contrasts he’s been making throughout the Oresteia into explicit dialogue. The trial begins, and Apollo serves as an advocate for Orestes (582). One wonders whether Agamemnon is helping his son as well (604). Notice the questions from the Furies are reductive and without nuance (591). The Furies again do not recognize the murder of a spouse as meriting their vengeance (611). Apollo appeals to the authority and power of Zeus (626), and one wonders whether justice here is reducible to the will of he who has the most power. The Furies makes the clever argument that even Zeus shackled his own father, Cronos (648), and Apollo retorts that Cronos could be unchained—he was not murdered (655). Next up we are reading Dante's Inferno for Lent! Then we'll return to the Greek plays to read Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 Aeschylus' Oresteia: The Eumenides Explained Part One 1:27:16
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDcn. Harrison Garlick is once again joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the first part of the Eumenides, the third play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Check out our written guide to the Oresteia. The final play of Aeschylus’ Oresteia , The Eumenides , sets forth the transformation of justice from the familial mechanics of the blood avenger to a more mature procedural justice set within the polis. It is a story of civilizational maturation. Whereas Agamemnon and the Libation Bearers dealt with the house of Atreus, the Eumenides deals with Athens—a movement from family to polis in consideration of justice. The first half of the Eumenides establishes the groundwork for the plays central conflict: the trial of Orestes with the Furies and Apollo vying against each under with Athena as the judge. The play seeks to find a resolution between two warring worldviews: the more primordial justice of the Furies and the more rational Olympian sensibilities represented by Apollo. What is brought forth by Athena is a new answer to the question: what is justice? To the degree her answer is new, however, is a topic to discuss. Lean more by checking out our guide !…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 Aeschylus' Oresteia: Libation Bearers Explained Part Two 1:02:15
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDcn. Harrison Garlick, Mr. Thomas Lackey, and the Adam Minihan come together to discuss the second part of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for guides and more information. Support us on Patreon and get access to guides! The second half of the Libation Bearers moves decisively toward the climax of Orestes’ role as blood avenger, culminating in the deaths of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. He will enact the justice that is demanded, and in turn be guilty of murdering his own blood—his mother. As Adam observed, “Orestes is both hero and victim.” This tangled question of justice—whether Orestes can fulfill his father’s demand without succumbing to his mother’s curse—creates the tension from which Aeschylus will bring forth a narrative not in Homer—the third part of the triad, the Eumenides . I. Orestes’ Plan: Vengeance Under the Guise of Guest Friendship (634) Orestes arrives at the house of his father disguised as a stranger (634). Notice, however, that the dynamics of xenia in this scene are subtly off-kilter from the start. First, no one is answering the door (636). Second, the porter asks the stranger for his name (639), an immediate breach of Homeric norms in the Iliad and Odyssey where hospitality was always extended before the host asks who the guest is. The cultural norm of guest-friendship being poorly shown by the house of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus is a subtle sign that the house is disordered and unhealthy. Like Odysseus, Aeschylus has Orestes come home in disguise and lie about his identity (556). Thomas noted the complexity and methodical planning of Clytemnestra’s murder of Agamemnon juxtaposed with the simplicity of Orestes’ plan of revenge. A key part of this deception is his claim that he, Orestes, has died, a declaration that seems unnecessary for his mission (665). Why does Orestes tell them he’s dead? One answer could be another parallel Aeschylus is making with the Odyssey : like Odysseus the beggar testing the loyalty of those in Ithaca prior to his reveal, so too is Orestes using news of his death to test those in the palace at Argos. In other words, he can observe who shows true despair at the news of his death—those are his friends in this mission of vengeance. Check out our written guide for more information!…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 Aeschylus' Oresteia: Libation Bearers Explained Part One 1:32:09
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedThis week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and the Adam Minihan to discuss part one of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbooksdpodcast.com for more resources. Check out our Patreon for a written GUIDE to the whole Oresteia. From our guide: The Libation Bearers presents Orestes as both the hero and the victim. The cycle of violence will both demand his action and condemn it. “The one who acts must suffer,” as Aeschylus observes. The play builds an incredible tension within the current mechanics of justice and primes the audience to desire some lasting resolution—a resolution that will only come in the Eumenides . Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers , the second play in the triad of the Oresteia , places Orestes within the moral tension of lex talionis and its cycle of violence. He is the son who, to avenge his father, must kill his mother, Clytemnestra. Aeschylus presents us with fundamental questions on justice—a primitive justice that demands blood for blood, an eye for an eye. The cycle of violence both demands action and condemns it. What makes the Libation Bearers such an essential and resonant part of the Oresteia is its relentless focus on the mechanics of justice and its interplay between violence and fate. Aeschylus "pushes us to think not only about the relationships in play but about larger moral questions.” Through Orestes’ struggle to fulfill his divine obligation as blood avenger, and through Electra’s own crisis of prayer, the play asks profound questions about the nature of justice. Aeschylus’ beautiful line, "The anvil of justice stands fast... fate beats out her sword" (628), is arguably the moral heart of the play. A tale of pain, justice, and fate. I. Orestes Returns Home (1) The story begins several years after the murder of Agamemnon, when Orestes, now a young man of eighteen or so, secretly returns home from exile. [1] Much of the tragedy lies in understanding Orestes’ difficult situation: to be a blood avenger for his father, he must kill his own blood, his mother. Orestes’ opening monologue invokes Hermes—who fittingly serves as the bridge between the living and the dead (1). The opening invocation to the divine was seen in Agamemnon as well and will be seen again in the Eumenides . The relationship between the living and the dead is a key theme in this play and a perennial question that makes this a great book. It will contain both prayers on behalf of the dead and the intercession of the dead for the living. It is notable that in the absence of having a father, Orestes is presented as a confident, determined figure ready to do the unthinkable. In the Odyssey , he served as the role model for Telemachus, and here we see him lack the timidity and self-doubt that plagued the fatherless Telemachus. It raises the question, however, of who or what shaped Orestes into a character ready to face this grave moral burden? To use a phrase, who was his Mentor? As we will see in the text, as Telemachus had Athena, Orestes had Apollo.... Keep up the good work! [1] Fagles, 305.…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 Aeschylus' Oresteia: Agamemnon Explained Part Two 1:20:40
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedWe are reading Aeschylus' Oresteia. This week Dcn. Garlick, Adam Minihan, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss part two of Aeschylus' Agamemnon, the second part of the first play of the Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more sources. Check out our written guide to the Oresteia. I. Clytemnestra and Agamemnon: Murder, Manipulation & Denial (795) Clytemnestra dominates Agamemnon as a complex figure of cleverness, rage, and manipulation. Upon Agamemnon’s return, she denies him a true homecoming by rolling out the red tapestries and inviting him to walk on them (901). Two main observations on the red tapestries. First, Clytemnestra is literally denying Agamemnon the satisfaction of setting his foot on Argos’s soil. It is a denial of him truly coming home. Compare this denial to the herald who praises the soil of Argos upon his return (493). Second, walking on the tapestries is an act of hubris and impiety. Even Agamemnon states it is an act reserved for the gods (915). It said that the dye needed to make these tapestries would have been incredibly laborious and expensive—and upon walking upon them, they would be ruined. Note also their comparison to streams of blood (903). Clytemnestra is inviting Agamemnon to a prideful, impious, and prodigal act. The invitation should be compared to Agamemnon’s opening lines that praise and give gratitude to the gods (795). Clytemnestra hatred is profound. Her actions reflect years of planning, deep-seated hatred, and extraordinary control over the narrative surrounding the king’s return. She is leading Agamemnon into impiety so that he will die at odds with the divine. It is akin, in Catholic parlance, to leading someone into mortal sin prior to murdering them. It is a supernatural cruelty similar to Achilles intentionally throwing bodies in the river to deny them their burial rites in the Iliad . Agamemnon's behavior in this moment reflects his characteristic weakness. He is effeminate, weak-willed, and impressionable. Clytemnestra is clever and dominative (935). He even states that Clytemnestra is treating him “like a woman” (912). His inability to assert himself as either husband or king leaves him vulnerable to Clytemnestra's intellectual superiority. She remarks: “The power is yours, if you surrender your free will to me,” underscoring how she undermines his authority on every level (939). One should recall the wife of Odysseus, Penelope, the “matchless queen of cunning,” who through her wit and fidelity preserved King Odysseus’ kingdom and herself until his return. One may see Clytemnestra as an evil Penelope—a queen whose wit is turned against her king to his destruction. II. The Chorus and the Tragedy of Cassandra (977) The old men of Argos, the chorus, “huddle in terror” as Agamemnon and Clytemnestra enter the palace. They are afraid and inept. Notice the imagery of a man’s blood wetting the earth and whether it can then sing (1017). It is difficult not to think of the story of Cain and Abel, and how Abel’s blood cried out to God (Genesis 4:10). Clytemnestra reemerges from the palace and attempts to coax Cassandra, the Trojan princess, into the palace. Cassandra is silent, which is expected, as it was tradition only two persons would speak on the stage at a time—and here Clytemnestra and the leader of the chorus are both speaking. As an aside, one of the most comical moments of the entire Oresteia was when Cassandra was revealed (947). Agamemnon steps down from his chariot in front of a wife who hates him only to reveal the young, beautiful Trojan princess. It is a darkly comedic moment in which one imagines the internal hatred churning in Clytemnestra at the sight of Cassandra. Aeschylus plays with his audience’s assumption that Cassandra is not a speaking character. When Clytemnestra goes into the palace, it would have been a surprise enough to have Cassandra speak—but Aeschylus has her scream (1072). As Lackey describes, Cassandra’s scream would have shocked the audience and created a sense of foreboding. Lackey compares the moment to a “jump scare in a horror movie,” emphasizing how unexpected and unsettling it would feel to a Greek audience accustomed to the constraints of the dramatic tradition. Aeschylus draws heavily from the myth of Cassandra. To wit, Apollo, the god of prophecy, desired Cassandra, but in the act of coupling with her, she drew away from him (1213). It is a rare occurrence of the divine act lacking fecundity. As such, Apollo cursed Cassandra with the gift of prophecy, but no one will believe her (1218). The one caveat is that when someone does finally believe her, it will be a sign of her death is imminent (1219). [1] Her prophetic warnings go unheeded, as per her curse, but her vivid descriptions of the family’s blood-soaked history and impending doom deepen the play’s tension. “The house that hates god, an echoing womb of guilt… soil streaming blood,” Cassandra cries, invoking the horrors of Tantalus and Atreus (1088). Aeschylus uses Cassandra to explain the action that will occur offstage, as she describes Agamemnon’s death (1126). Justice in Agamemnon is reduced to cycles of revenge, a primitive form of blood vengeance that sustains violence rather than resolving it. Cassandra herself is tangled in this cycle, a figure of tragic innocence like Iphigenia before her. As Lackey notes, “Cassandra is innocent in so many ways… the most innocent of victims,” and yet she is offered no way out of her fated demise. She is the “last ember” of Troy (1173). One should recall too that in addition to suffering the fall of Troy and the death of her family, Cassandra was raped by little Ajax in the temple of Athena in Troy. It was this evil she suffered that caused Athena to curse the Achaeans with Poseidon’s help during their journey home... Check out our guide, linked above, for more! [1] Fagles, 302.…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 Aeschylus' Oresteia: Agamemnon Explained Part One 1:49:37
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Thomas Lackey are reunited to discuss the first part of Agamemnon, the first play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our written guide available to our supporters: The first play of the Oresteia tells of the homecoming of Agamemnon and is predominately animated by revenge. Aeschylus presents us with questions concerning the legitimacy of the Trojan war, how Argos has suffered without its king, and why Clytemnestra has plotted to murder her husband. Though chronologically Odysseus has not return home yet, one should compare this text to the Odyssey and Odysseus’ own homecoming – written almost three hundred years prior by Homer. Aeschylus draws heavily from Homer but changes small but significant details, which creates a narrative that presents a profound lesson on the weaknesses of lex talionis as enacted by the blood avenger model. Throughout Agamemnon and into Libation Bearers , we are invited to consider whether a new model of justice is needed. I. The Opening: Unease and Gender Inversions (1) The play begins with an invocation to the gods, as will the following two plays. Through the watchman, Aeschylus communicates the time and setting to his audience in a manner typical of Greek drama. The watchman’s opening monologue conveys a disquieting mood of fear and quiet dread. As observed, Lackey describes the opening as “a little eerie and a little bit off.” Notably, the watchman yearns for the return of Agamemnon, his king, and we note the king’s absence has left the kingdom, Argos, in suffering (24, 37). One thinks here of the suffering of Ithaca without Odysseus in the Odyssey . The opening passages invites us to ask: “What has life been like in Argos over the past decade during the king’s absence?” and “What is the effect of the empty throne of Argos upon its people?” From the outset, Aeschylus will play with gender roles and descriptions. Notice Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife, “maneuvers like a man” (13), while Agamemnon himself will be presented as effeminate. This thematic inversion invites readers to examine Aeschylus’ pedagogical purpose for such language. As Dr. Grabowski observes, the toying with gender traits parallels Shakespeare’s Macbeth , wherein Lady Macbeth similarly exhibits masculine qualities of ambition and dominance. As the play progresses, readers gain insight into life in Argos during Agamemnon’s ten-year absence. The people long for an end to their suffering, for “an end to their pain” (23). Notably, Aeschylus allows us to see how Argos viewed the Trojan war (44), which is largely presented, at first, as a just war in which Agamemnon was the “great avenger” of Zeus punishing Troy for its violation of guest-friendship (45), i.e., Prince Paris absconding with Menelaus’ wife, Helen. The reader should note whether Agamemnon’s return starts to adjust this narrative.... Check out our whole guide on the Oresteia.…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are reunited to intro Aeschylus, the Father of Greek Tragedy. Aeschylus (b. 525 BC) was a warrior, statesman, and the father of Greek tragedy. Born into nobility, he grew up in Athens during its pivotal transition from tyranny to democracy. Furthermore, he famously fought in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), defending a nascent Western civilization against Persian invasion. Aeschylus died in 456 BC, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the foundation of Greek drama. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our guide on the Oresteia : 1. What is the Ionian Revolt? To understand Aeschylus, we must first understand the Greco-Persian War (c. 499 BC to 429). In sum, what is called the “First Persian Empire,” founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 BC, stretched from modern-day Iran, Asia Minor, modern day Israel, and Egypt. In Asia Minor, this Persian empire ruled over Hellenistic city-states. One may recall that Troy, a polis with both Hellenistic and eastern traits, was also located in Asia Minor. In 499 BC, the city-states rebelled against their Persian overlords with the support of Athens in what is known as the “Ionian Revolt.” The revolt failed and the Persians retained control of Asia Minor; however, King Darius of the Persian Empire believed Athens should be punished and elected to invade Greece. 2. What was the first invasion in the Greco-Persian Wars? The Ionian Revolt sparked the larger Greco-Persian Wars and led to King Darius’ invasion of ancient Greece in 492 BC. Athens led the federation of city-states against the Persians, and Aeschylus fought for the Athenian army. Notably, Aeschylus and his brother both fought at the famous Battle of Marathon in 490 BC at which the first Persian invasion was defeated. [1] Aeschylus’ brother, however, died in the conflict. [2] The Battle of Marathon is often held as a watershed moment in the birth of Western culture. The battle is also the namesake of running a marathon , as the legend has it that an Athenian runner ran the twenty-six miles from Marathon to Athens to tell them of the Athenian victory. 3. What was the second Persian invasion in the Greco-Persian Wars? Ten years later, a second Persian invasion was headed by King Darius’ son, King Xerxes. This is the setting for the famous Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC), in which the smaller Spartan force of approximately 7000 men under King Leonidas held off 120,000-300,000 Persian invaders. The word Thermopylae means “hot gates” and takes its name from the hot springs in that area—it is also fittingly one of the mythological entrances to Hades. After Thermopylae, the Athenians won a great naval battle against the Persians at Salamis in 480 BC. Notably, Aeschylus is said to have fought in this battle as well and wrote his play The Persians about the conflict. The Greeks, led by the Athenians and Spartans, would eventually expel the Persians and bring peace in 449 BC. 4. What do we know about Aeschylus’ writings? Aeschylus is the “earliest Greek tragic poet whose work survives,” and “he wrote some seventy to ninety plays.” [3] Aeschylus is considered the “real founder of Greek tragedy.” [4] He won his first victory as a tragic poet in 484 BC. It should be noted that the competitions for best tragic play were religious and civil festivals; thus, the plays have deep ramifications for the spiritual and political realities of the Athenians. [5] Only seven of his plays still exist: the Persians (472), the Seven Against Thebes (476), the Oresteia triad (458), the Supplicants (463), and Prometheus Bound —the last of which has disputed authorship and was produced after Aeschylus’ death. [6] 5. Why do we read the Oresteia ? Aeschylus is a teacher. He is a teacher of justice, suffering, and order. The Oresteia is a triad or three plays telling the story of the death of Agamemnon, the death of Clytemnestra, and the trial of Orestes. Aeschylus takes a story well known in Homer and masterfully moves it into a story revealing how Athens matured in its understanding of justice. The execution of justice moves from a familial blood avenger model to a more procedural model of the polis. It represents a considerable step forward in the Greek understanding of justice. In many ways, Aeschylus’ Oresteia gives us a more robust ending that what we received in the Odyssey . Looking forward, it brings us one step closer to considerations of justice in Plato’s Republic . The Oresteia , like all great books, comments on the human condition, and offers perennial truths for those with the patience to listen. Coming up! Join us in reading the Oresteia: Agamemnon Part I Agamemnon Part II Libation Bearers Part I Libation Bearers Part II Eumenides Part I Eumenides Part II Footnotes: [1] Companion, 15. [2] Companion, 15. [3] Companion, 15. [4] Companion, 15. [5] Companion, 16. [6] Companion, 15.…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 A Discussion on Hesiod's Theogony 2:47:32
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey come together to discuss Hesiod's Theogony - a poem about the origin of the gods and the cosmos. Key conversations: The role of the Muses The four primordial gods - especially Chaos Eros as the generative and binding force of the cosmos Zeus as a bringer of civilization The Prometheus myths Women as the beautiful evil Hesiod is a contemporary of Homer. Homer composed the Iliad around 750 BC and the Odyssey around 725 BC, and Hesiod was active in the mid 700s and into the 600s. [1] Hesiod, like Homer, has roots in Asia Minor. His father is believed to have been a merchant who moved from Asia Minor to Mount Helicon in ancient Greece. [2] Notably, Mount Helicon had several springs that were sacred to the Muses, and it serves as the setting of the opening of the Theogony . Hesiod lived an agricultural life working his family farm and writing poetry. Hesiod is similar to Homer insofar as both are the recipients of a large treasury of Greek mythology. Hesiod is dissimilar to Homer insofar as Hesiod most likely originally wrote his plays—as opposed to them existing first as oral rhapsodies that were then reduced to writing, like with Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey . Check out our Musings of the Theogony written guide! Check out our website for more resources. [1] See A Reader’s Guide: 115 Questions on the Iliad , Ascend: The Great Books Podcast. [2] See Ed. M. C. Howatson, Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2013), 294.…
You can read the Greek plays with Ascend! Dcn. Harrison Garlick flies solo this week as he explains why you should read the Greek plays. He discusses how the plays are an intellectual bridge between Plato and Homer and explains some of the major themes you can expect in their writings: justice, eros, fate, divinity, etc. He'll then introduce each Greek play to be read and why it is worth reading. Join us! Schedule below: HESIOD'S THEOGONY & GREEK PLAYS (2025) 1/1 Intro to the Greek Plays 1/7 Hesiod's Theogony THE ORESTEIA by Aeschylus 1/14 Into to Aeschylus 1/21 Agamemnon Part I 1/28 Agamemnon Part II 2/4 Libation Bearers Part I 2/11 Libation Bearers Part II 2/18 Eumenides Part I 2/25 Eumenides Part II READ DANTE'S INFERNO WITH ASCEND We are reading Dante's Inferno over LENT 2025. 3/4 Introduction & Canto I 3/11 Cantos II-V 3/18 Cantos VI-XI 3/25 Cantos XII-XVII 4/1 Cantos XVIII-XXV 4/8 Cantos XXVI-XXX 4/15 Cantos XXXII-XXXIV BACK TO THE GREEK PLAYS 4/22 Prometheus Bound with Dr. Jared Zimmerer THE THEBAN PLAYS by Sophocles 4/29 Antigone Part I 5/6 Antigone Part II 5/13 Oedipus Rex 5/20 Oedipus at Colonus Part I 5/27 Oedipus at Colonus Part II 6/3 The Bacchae Part I with Dr. Frank Grabowski 6/10 The Bacchae Part II with Dr. Frank Grabowski 6/17 Roundtable on the Tragic Plays Aristophanes 6/24 The Clouds by Aristophanes with Dr. Zena Hitz 6/1 The Frogs by Aristophanes with Tsh Oxenreider Find out more at thegreatbookspodcast.com .…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard with Alberto Fernandez 1:15:06
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedThis week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Alberto Fernandez, a former U.S. diplomat and Vice President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) in Washington, D.C., to discuss "The Tower of the Elephant," one of the best Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard. Deacon and Alberto discuss the life and philosophy of Robert E. Howard along with key elements of the "Tower of the Elephant" short story (which is available online for free). Topics: Civilization v. Barbarism HP Lovecraft Nietzsche Vitalism In 2025, we are reading Hesiod, the Greek plays, Dante, and Plato! Join us! Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information.…
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Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
1 The Odyssey as the Restoration of Culture with President Washut 1:16:57
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, to discuss the Odyssey as the restoration of Catholic Culture and the unique educational approach of Wyoming Catholic College. Eastern Catholicism John Senior Odyssey as the restoration of culture President Washut takes on the question: "Why go to a great books college" and gives an excellent answer. They have a brief detour into the importance of Eastern Catholicism before discussing the influence of John Senior on education and how the Odyssey serves as a metaphor for rebuilding culture. The conversation also highlights the integration of horsemanship as a means of personal development and the necessity of great teachers in the pursuit of a meaningful life. Quotes: "Horsemanship is soul craft." "You need to submit yourself to great teachers." "The Odyssey is a guide for rebuilding culture." "Religion is a natural virtue." Keywords : Great Books, Wyoming Catholic College, John Senior, Eastern Catholicism, Patristic Tradition, Odyssey, Education, Theology, Horsemanship, Benedictine, classical education, poetics, realism, Odysseus, Greek mythology, immortality, sacrifice, civilization, Homer, philosophy Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information!…
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