Best robertpaxton Podcasts (2025)

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Episode III.21 - Greek Culture and Roman Society 38:41

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7d ago38:41

38:41

The victors of the Macedonian wars bring back more than treasure and tribute. Greek culture flows into Roman society. Men like Flamininus and Aemilius Paulus embrace it. Marcus Cato reviles this Greek immigration of values and ideas.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.015 - The Story of Jacob: Part One 34:01

10d ago34:01

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The scriptures transition from the grand story of Abraham to the very human, realistic story of a family torn, a dying father, a scheming mother and two brothers in conflict. The tale of Jacob and Esau begins.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.20 - The Second Punic War VI: The Invasion of Africa 51:52

24d ago51:52

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Scipio and Hannibal finally come face to face in Africa. Carthage is totally defeated. The Roman Senate takes another step to becoming the governing body of the known world.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.19 - The Second Punic War V: The War in Spain 37:30

1M ago37:30

37:30

Publius Cornelius Scipio the Younger, someday to be known as Scipio Africanus, engages and defeats the Carthaginians in Spain. He stands for election to the consulship, demanding the right to carry the war into Africa. The charismatic young hero is elevated to high command. Hannibal, worn down, lingers on in Italy. Fabius Maximus and Marcellus both…

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Episode IX.06 - The Tyranny of Mediocrity 55:40

2M ago55:40

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In which the speaker meanders from topic to topic, skirts dangerously close to misogyny, espouses various unorthodox viewpoints and talks a lot about sex. Mostly, though, he rages against the walls of the prison that he built around himself.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.18 - The Second Punic War IV: The Deadlock Years 45:56

2M ago45:56

45:56

The Second Punic War spreads into Greece, Sicily, Africa and Spain. The Illyrian Wars and the Macedonian Wars break out. Fabius and Marcellus are not alone among the men who come forward to serve Rome in this moment of need. Publius Cornelius Scipio dies fighting deep in Carthaginian territory in Spain. His son, who will someday become known simply…

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Episode III.17 - The Second Punic War III: To the Defeat at Cannae 49:22

2M ago49:22

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Rome commits to the war, raising more troops than ever before and pushing the limits of their constitution. Hannibal is victorious over Rome again and again. Fabius Maximus manages to slow the destruction, until Carthage's greatest general finally obliterates Rome's largest army at the battle of Cannae.…

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Episode III.16 - The Second Punic War II: The War Begins 36:40

3M ago36:40

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Hannibal sacks the Roman-allied city of Saguntum. Rome and Carthage officially declare war. The Gauls rebel in northern Italy. Hannibal marches eastward to glory or defeat.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.15 - The Second Punic War I: A Violent Interlude 30:49

3M ago30:49

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This episode covers the fragile peace after the First Punic War, focusing on Carthage’s internal rebellions, Hamilcar Barca’s campaigns in Spain, and Rome’s expansion in northern Italy. It introduces key figures like Hamilcar, young Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, and Marcus Claudius Marcellus, and explains how political, military, and social changes set…

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Episode XIB.014 - Genesis 20-26: Abraham and Isaac 33:04

4M ago33:04

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Abraham and Isaac as types of God the Father and His son, Jesus. The love story of Isaac and Rebecca. The death of Abraham and Sarah.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.013 - Genesis 21-22: The Birth of Isaac 50:51

4M ago50:51

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Isaac is finally born to Sarah. Almost immediately, Abraham‘s legacy is threatened when God commands him to sacrifice his newborn son.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.012 - Genesis 18-19 47:11

4M ago47:11

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Abraham meets the Holy Trinity by the sacred trees of Mamre. Lot is saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.011 - Genesis 15-17: The Covenant 56:29

5M ago56:29

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Abram deepens his relationship with God. Rituals of animal sacrifice and human circumcision seal the covenant. Abram becomes Abraham, the father of nations.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.14 - The First Punic War III - To the Peace of Catullus 31:41

5M ago31:41

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Rome fights on until Carthage must beg for peace. Catullus and Hamilcar Barca.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.13 - The First Punic War II: To the Invasion of Africa 38:38

6M ago38:38

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Rome and Carthage come face-to-face for the first time. Carthage sees the war in terms of profit and loss. Rome sees only the matter of honor. The Romans dare to build a fleet to cross the ocean that belongs to their enemy and to bring the war to Carthage.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.12 - The First Punic War I: Prelude to War 28:55

6M ago28:55

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Hiero of Syracuse is the unknowing third-wheel in an increasingly vicious relationship between two superpowers. By 264 BC, he is already lost in the background, as Rome and Carthage finally square off to decide, not just who controls the Mediterranean, but who owns the future. Every man thinks of Rome at least once per day but once-great Carthage i…

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Episode III.11 - Carthage 49:48

6M ago49:48

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A look at the great counterpart of the Roman Republic: Carthage. How the Phoenicians colonized the Western Mediterranean and what little else we can learn about this ancient culture that the Romans destroyed completely by the end of the Punic Wars. A meditation on child-sacrifice in ancient cultures.…

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Episode III.10 - The Conquest of Italy 42:55

6M ago42:55

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The Romans expand beyond their central Italian limits. In the 4th and 3rd century BC, they conquer their enemies and allies in central and southern Italy. They are led by consuls like Publius Decius Mus, who sacrificed his own life to give Rome victory. But every Roman soldier shows himself to be both valiant and indomitable.…

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Episode III.09 - The Early Roman Republic 42:30

6M ago42:30

42:30

The stories of three heroes of the early Roman Republic: Coriolanus, Cincinnatus and Camillus. The struggle between the social classes is known as the Conflict of Orders.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.010 - Genesis 14 40:54

6M ago40:54

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Abram rescues Lot. Melchizedek celebrates a type of the Eucharist. A look at Jewish, pagan and Christian ceremonies. The identity of Melchizedek. The long life of Shem, son of Noah.By Robert Paxton

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Episode I.03 - Introduction to Prehistory 11:35

7M ago11:35

11:35

The history before history. For most of human existence, there was no such thing as writing. Yet our ancestors did leave records and remains that we can study to learn more about the human past.By Robert Paxton

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Episode I.02 - Introduction to the Ancient World 10:00

7M ago10:00

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History and prehistory. Before the dawn of writing, the human past is shrouded in darkness. The episodes of the Ancient World explore events before and just after the rise of civilization.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.009 - Genesis 12-13 37:42

8M ago37:42

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God establishes a covenant with Abram. The journey to Egypt. Altars in Canaan.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.08 - Introduction to the Roman Republic 54:37

9M ago54:37

54:37

In the eighth episode of the Roman series of the Western Traditions Podcast, we embark on a journey back to 509 BC when the Roman Republic was born from the ashes of monarchy. Discover how the Senate, patricians, and consuls shaped the nascent Republic amid a tumultuous landscape of political intrigue and warfare. We delve into the military might o…

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Episode XII.05 - The First Lesson 12:05

9M ago12:05

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How to teach the first lesson of the Western Traditions curriculum.By Robert Paxton

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Episode I.01 - The General Prologue 18:20

9M ago18:20

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The introduction to the Western Traditions podcast. The Great Books of the Western World and the Bible. The great men and women of western civilization.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.07 - The Roman Kingdom 54:44

10M ago54:44

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The seven kings of Rome. Numa Pompilius succeeds Romulus. The line of kings ends with Tarquinius Superbus. Some background on Roman institutions, practices and vocabulary.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.06 - The Foundation of Rome 56:38

10M ago56:38

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The story of Romulus and Remus. With the capture of the Sabine women, Rome expands territorially and biologically. The birth of the glory of Rome.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.008 - Genesis 10 and 11 36:10

10M ago36:10

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The Table of Nations. The Tower of Babel. Introduction to Abram. Genealogy and numerology in the Bible. God brings diversity to humanity.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XII.004 - The Study Method III: Introduction to Outlines 9:01

11M ago9:01

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Using outlines to enhance study.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.05 - Roman Mythology II: Ovid’s Metamorphoses 51:18

11M ago51:18

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Our souls are deathless, but nothing retains its own form. Thus speaks Pythagoras in this long and winding tale that combines ancient myth and history. Through a Roman lens, we read of Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, Hercules, Ulysses and more, coming right down to the advent of the Roman Empire.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.04 - Roman Mythology I: Roman Religion 46:59

11M ago46:59

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The gods through the eyes of the earliest Romans. The Indo-European religious inheritance. Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Minerva. The precision and discipline of Roman religious practice. The ties to early Christianity.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.007 - Genesis 6:1-9:29 54:07

12M ago54:07

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God chastises the world with the Flood. Only Noah and his family are spared. A breakdown of symbols and morality in the flood narrative.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.42 - Greek Twilight 41:45

1y ago41:45

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Pyrrhus, Greek king and general, fights the Roman tide that threatens to wash over the entire Greek world. The Seleucid Empire and Ptolemaic Egypt flourish and endure. The Maccabees revolt in Judea and start the Hasmonean dynasty of kings in Jerusalem.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.41 - The Rise of the Diadochi 44:32

1y ago44:32

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Alexander the Great dies and leaves behind a fragmented world of multi-cultural states led by Greek soldiers. The Hellenistic period which follows brings western ideas in to East. More than anything, it paves the way for Eastern religions, like Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity, to infiltrate the West.…

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Episode II.40 - Alexander the Great: The Conquest of Asia 43:41

1y ago43:41

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Alexander the Great at the Battle of Granicus, the Battle of Issus and at Gaugamela. Jerusalem and Gaza. The Temple of Ammon in Egypt. His horse Bucephalus. His strategos Parmenio. Darius III flees to the East.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.39 - Alexander the Great: Hegemon of Greece 37:03

1y ago37:03

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The youth of Alexander the Great. His strange mother Olympias. His friends Ptolemy, Nearchus and others. Cleopatra , Darius III and the fall of Thebes.By Robert Paxton

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Episode III.03 - The Aeneid 35:54

1y ago35:54

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Virgil writes of Aeneas and the Trojan origins of Rome. The tale is both distinctively Roman and notably Greek. Heroes such as Odysseus and Achilles are recalled, as are monsters such as Scylla and Cerberus. The relationship between Roman mythology and Greek myths.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.38 - Introduction to the Hellenic Period 1:00:27

1y ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Phillip II of Macedonia. Alexander the Great. The Sacred Band of Thebes. A brief digression on Greek sexuality. Olympias. Leuctra, Mantinea, Chaeronea. Epaminondas. PelopidasBy Robert Paxton

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Episode XIB.006 - Genesis 4:17 - 5:32 43:59

1+ y ago43:59

43:59

Exitus and Reditus. The theology of the genealogies in the Bible.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.37 - Greek Philosophy VI: Aristotle 47:32

1+ y ago47:32

47:32

The philosophical works of Aristotle. Metaphysics, Ethics and Politics.By Robert Paxton

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Episode IX.05 - Sympathy for the Bully: Part One - Sit and Listen 45:58

1+ y ago45:58

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Who is rewarded by the school system? Who benefits from the regimentation? Who benefits from the system of alienation? The child who sits still. The child who is quiet. The child who keeps his hands to himself. The child who doesn’t ask to go outside. We are trained to be docile from day one.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XII.003 - The Study Method II 8:09

1+ y ago8:09

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The next step up in sophistication with regard to note-taking.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.36 - Greek Math 31:08

1+ y ago31:08

31:08

Pythagoras, Euclid, Archimedes and more. Over the centuries, the ancient Greeks separate Mathematics and other fields of study from philosophy.By Robert Paxton

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Episode II.35 - Greek Science II: Introduction to Aristotle 42:03

1+ y ago42:03

42:03

The Aristotelian contribution to Greek Science. Defining first principles. Substance, Accidents and the nature of being.By Robert Paxton

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Episode XII.002 - The Study Method I 11:16

1+ y ago11:16

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Asking questions about your reading projects to increase retention of information. The power of handwriting. Avoiding negative input during the early stages of learning.By Robert Paxton

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