A podcast, in twelve series, about the history of western culture and traditions.
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Xenophon disregards the advice of Socrates and joins the army of Cyrus the Younger. When Cyrus dies in combat against his brother, Artaxerxes, King of Persia, Xenophon and others lead ten thousand Greek soldiers on a long retreat home.By Robert Paxton
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Made from earth, and from each other, man and woman meet in Paradise. The meaning of marriage. The eschatology of Genesis.By Robert Paxton
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Episode X.002 - Paleo-American Origins I: The Beringia Theory
32:26
32:26
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The Beringia Theory. Clovis points and the extinction of the megafauna.By Robert Paxton
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The creation of the world in seven days. Allegory and Anagogy. The textual loop of Scripture.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.31 - Greek Philosophy III: The Trial of Socrates
41:18
41:18
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Socrates stands trial for impiety. The Apology and the Crito. The similarities between Socrates and Christ.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.30 - Greek Drama III: Aristophanes
30:19
30:19
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Aristophanes mocks and derides the latest developments in Athenian society, and lambasts the motives for the seemingly endless Peloponnesus War. His play, The Clouds, takes aim at Socrates and all philosophers.By Robert Paxton
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Episode X.001 - Introduction to the Americas
9:46
9:46
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Native Americans are the real westerners. As an outsider, in this series, I investigate the history and culture of more than ten thousand years in the Americas.By Robert Paxton
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Episode XII.001 - Introduction to the Western Traditions Curriculum
16:33
16:33
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16:33
Implementing the Western Traditions Podcast as a personal curriculum. For homeschool or for adults.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.29 - Greek Philosophy II: Introduction to Socrates
50:11
50:11
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Introduction to Socrates and Plato and the tetralogies of dialogues. First Principles. Post-war Athens. Analysis of Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro.By Robert Paxton
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Episode XIB.001 - Introduction to the Old Testament
23:45
23:45
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23:45
The Bible is our book. No matter which religious tradition to which you belong, even if you are non-religious, this is your book. This is your patrimony, just as the Iliad and the Odyssey and the works of Aristotle and Plato are your inheritance.By Robert Paxton
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On the periphery of this online cemetery, we grubby humans rifle through the garbage, looking for a movie on Netflix or flicking past several hundred TikTok’s, all the while, beyond the gates of the graveyard, the bots replicate and babble to one another - the animated, digital ruins of a society that once built pyramids and dared to cross the ocea…
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Episode II.28 - The Peloponnesian War V: The Fall of Athens
39:46
39:46
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Alcibiades finally comes to power. Lysander leads Sparta to victory. The long walls of Athens come tumbling down.By Robert Paxton
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The mystery religions of Ancient Greece: Eleusis, Orphism and Christianity. From the Kykeon of Demeter to the Eucharist of Jesus.By Robert Paxton
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Episode III.02 - Introduction to the Roman Origins Unit
25:33
25:33
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The Proto-Indo-European diaspora pours into Italy in the Second Millennium BC. Meet the Etruscans, the original nemeses of the Romans.By Robert Paxton
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Episode XIA.01 - Introduction to the Christian Mythos
9:14
9:14
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The West and Christianity have become almost synonymous. This podcast series explains that process and also provides exegesis of the entire Bible.By Robert Paxton
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Episode IX.03 - The Technological Singularity II: Ray Kurzweil
30:21
30:21
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Ray Kurzweil, immortality, resurrection and the technological singularity in the year 2045.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.26 - The Peloponnesian War IV: The Sicilian Expedition
51:44
51:44
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The proud Athenians invade Sicily only to suffer inglorious defeat and annihilation. Nicias and Demosthenes executed. Alcibiades in exile.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.25 - Greek Science I: Hippocrates
36:01
36:01
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One quarter of our food keeps us alive. The rest keeps doctors alive. Medical science in Classical Era Greece. The works of Hippocrates.By Robert Paxton
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Episode III.01 - Introduction to the Roman Empire Series
31:25
31:25
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They say that every man thinks about the Roman Empire at least once a day. But does the Roman Empire still exist? Are there still Roman emperors?By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.24 - The Peloponnesian War III: To the Peace of Nicias
33:25
33:25
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The Spartans surrender at Pylos The rise and fall of Brasidas and Cleon. The Peace of Nicias.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.23 - Greek Philosophy I: The Pre-Socratics
56:15
56:15
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All is the one. All is a perfect sphere of being and we are all a part of this One, as is all matter and all time and thought and sensation. All is the One, whom forever exists, born from out of eternity, changeless and infinite.By Robert Paxton
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Episode IX.02 - The Technological Singularity I
34:02
34:02
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From the card catalog at the University of Arizona library to the apocalypse of the human race. The introduction to the Technological Singularity.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.22 - The Peloponnesian War II - To the Surrender of Plataea
37:53
37:53
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Everywhere treachery, bloodshed, fury and destruction.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.21 - Greek Drama II: Sophocles and Euripides
35:23
35:23
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35:23
The playwrights Sophocles and Euripides. Focus of tragedy on the Trojan War and Heracles. The role of women in Greek tragedy. A review of Medea, a play by Euripides. The catharsis of Greek tragedy and its impact on Western Civilization.By Robert Paxton
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Greek drama. Aeschylus and some of his plays: Agamemnon, The Persians and Prometheus Bound.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.20 - The Peloponnesian War I - To the Death of Pericles.
47:45
47:45
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It begins at Epidamnus but only after conflicts at Potidaea and Plataea are all the cities of Greece brought into general warfare. The Plague of Athens. Pericles’ Funeral Oration. The death of Pericles.By Robert Paxton
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Episode IX.01 - Introduction to the Western Traditions Project
25:27
25:27
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25:27
The meta-series of the western traditions podcast. Here we take a look at issues both from the past, and those that await us in the human future. Topics include things like: the technological singularity, gender issues, UFOs and aliens, Universal Basic Income and many more.By Robert Paxton
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The Greek counterattack begins. Athens and her allies form the Delian league. The power struggles of Xanthippus, Pausanias, Themistocles, Cimon, and Pericles.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.17 - The Persian War IV: The Battle of Plataea
48:51
48:51
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The final episode of the Persian War. The Athenians and the Spartans defeat the Persian invaders. Victory in Europe!By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.16 - The Persian War III: The Battle of Salamis
45:43
45:43
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The Greek fleet makes a last stand at sea against the Persian armada. The rise of Themistocles and Aristides. Xerxes flees Greece and leaves a garrison under Mardonius in Europe.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.15 - The Persian War II : Thermopylae
1:01:35
1:01:35
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Xerxes comes to power in Persia. A huge army invades Greece. Themistocles rallies the Athenians. The Greek allies stand at Thermopylae. Leonidas and the 300 fall in battle.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.14 - The Persian War I - The Battle of Marathon
59:44
59:44
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The Persian War begins. The Histories of Herodotus. The Battle of Marathon. Darius and Miltiades.By Robert Paxton
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The many lands of the ancient Greeks. Mystery religions, Greek sexuality and the hoplite warrior.By Robert Paxton
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From Theseus to Solon and Pisistratus, the complex, chaotic history of Athens unfolds. Prelude to the Persian War.By Robert Paxton
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Plutarch’s essay on Lycurgus. Laconia and Lacedaemon. The Spartans, their government, their lives, their army. Leonidas, Gorgo and Thermopylae.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.10 - Introduction to the Second Unit: Classical Greece
38:08
38:08
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The Greek polis or city-state. The city of Thebes and the tragedy of Oedipus. The value of the state and the importance of politics in classical Greece.By Robert Paxton
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Life in Greece after the Bronze Age Collapse. Homer and Hesiod. The mystery religions.By Robert Paxton
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Homer’s second great epic poem about the long-delayed return of Odysseus from the Trojan War.By Robert Paxton
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Homer’s great epic poem about the rage of Achilles outside the walls of Troy.By Robert Paxton
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A wedding attended by gods leads to disastrous war among men. The Trojan War is a fundamental event for all ancient Greeks.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.05 - Greek Mythology: Part Two
53:33
53:33
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More Greek myths. The sexual conquests of Zeus, tales from Crete and the stories of heroes such as Heracles and Perseus.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.04 - Greek Mythology: Part One
1:06:35
1:06:35
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The first episode on Greek Mythology, beginning with the creation of the world out of chaos and ending with the advent of the twelve Olympian gods.By Robert Paxton
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The Mycenaeans establish the first real civilization of Western History.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.02 - Introduction to the First Unit: Ancient Greece
9:56
9:56
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From Mycenae to Homer, the foundations of Ancient Greek culture.By Robert Paxton
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Episode II.01 - Introduction to the Second Series: The Greek Sun
23:07
23:07
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Introduction to the second series: The Greek SunBy Robert Paxton
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The Persians rise to power. Israel returns from exile.By Robert Paxton
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Two empires: Assyrian and Babylonian. The fall of Israel and Judah.By Robert Paxton
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The story of the Bible and archaeological counter-perspectives.By Robert Paxton
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The New Kingdom. Egypt, under the leadership of men and women, such as Ramses II and Hatshepsut, reaches its final pinnacle of achievement before declining one last time into the background of history.By Robert Paxton
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The descendants of the early European farmers found a unique civilization on the island of Crete and prepare the way for Greek culture.By Robert Paxton
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