The Daily Stoic

What destroyed the Roman Republic was not one man or one moment, but a slow collapse of trust, duty, and shared values. In this episode, Ryan and ancient historian Barry Strauss discuss the broken civic bargain, economic strain, political violence, and personal ambition that pushed Rome toward civil war. They also talk about Cato’s refusal to compromise, Caesar’s decision to cross the Rubicon, and the warning the fall of the Roman Republic still holds for us today.

Barry Strauss is a bestselling author, classicist, military and naval historian, and one of the leading authorities on leadership lessons from the ancient world. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell University, and a leading expert on ancient military history.

Barry is the author of ten books on ancient history, translated into twenty languages, including The War That Made the Roman Empire, Ten Caesars, The Death of Caesar, and his latest book, Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire.

Follow Barry on Instagram | @barrystrauss

📚 Barry Strauss' Books:
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire
The War That Made the Roman Empire
Ten Caesars
The Death of Caesar

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Discipline, as a virtue, is related to the other virtues. By controlling our urges or wants or lifestyle, we’re actually in a better position to be courageous or just.

📚 Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday

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Discipline, in this way, isn’t just about action; it’s about control. Control over our impulses, our desires, and even our most deeply ingrained habits.

👉 The Daily Stoic Habits for Success, Habits for Happiness course is a six-week challenge designed to change your entire relationship with habits for the better. Sign up to take the first step toward a more effective, happier life | https://challenge.dailystoic.com/habits

📚 Grab signed copies of David Epstein's books at The Painted Porch:
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better

🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/

🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/

🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos

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With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hitting theaters this week, now is the perfect time to hear the Stoic lessons hidden within this ancient story. In this episode, Ryan travels through Greece and Ithaca to share 12 lessons about ego, perseverance, discipline, temptation, and what it really means to make it home.

📚 The Odyssey by Homer

🎥 VIDEO EPISODE | Watch this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFi870MqlKM

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Marcus Aurelius was checked by philosophy, but if he hadn’t been, he could have easily been a Nero or a Caligula. The American Founders knew this well.

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🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/

🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos

✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.