PODCAST · education
Combat and Classics Podcast
by Brian Wilson
Combat and Classics is a series of podcasts and free online seminars for active duty, reserve, and veteran U.S. military members, sponsored by St. John’s College. The podcasts and seminars encourage deep thought and reflection by leaders in the company of their peers. In the discussion-based seminars devoted to what a leader must be and know, participants study historical and fictional leaders from the great books of the western canon. We examine techniques and examples of persuasion and fundamental questions on the nature of man. When participants take the time to reflect, with their peers, on the principles of leadership, they find that they return to their lives and professional positions energized and focused, with a deeper understanding of the context of their decisions, decision-making processes, and leadership roles.
Episodes
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Ep. 82 Homer's "Iliad" Book 24
It's here: our last episode on the Iliad! Achilles continues to mourn Patroclus, and to try to disfigure Hector's body. After days of this, Apollo intervenes, and the gods help Priam to retrieve his son's body from Achilles' tent. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff consider Achilles' "foreign policy" in his...
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Ep. 81 Homer's "Iliad" Book 23
After our antepenultimate Iliad episode comes... the penultimate episode! In Book 23, Hector is dead, and Achilles mourns Patroclus, who comes to Achilles in a dream and demands a funeral. So Achilles organizes funeral games: chariot and foot races, boxing and wrestling, and more. The Argives...
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Ep. 80 Homer's "Iliad" Book 22
Here's our antepenultimate episode on the Iliad! In Book 22, Apollo, disguised as Agenor, lures Achilles away from Troy. When he sees through the deception, Achilles goes after Hector, and chases him around the city's walls. This goes on until Athena disguises herself as Deiphobus, and tricks...
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Ep. 79 Homer's "Iliad" Book 21
We're back, with our preantepenultimate episode on the Iliad! In Book 21, we get into the action. Achilles kills so many Trojans that the river Scamander protests the mess he is making. So Achilles fights the river, and nearly dies. Then there is a war between the gods; they lay it on without...
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Ep. 78 Homer's "Iliad" Book 20
In Book 20, Achilles gets new armor from his mom, and rejoins the battle. Zeus tells the gods to take sides, and to go nuts. And Achilles faces Aeneas and Hector, and fights them, so that the gods have to save them. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff talk about why Achilles' single combat with Aeneas is the...
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Ep. 77 Homer's "Iliad" Book 19
We're back! And so is Achilles. But what is he back for? Join Brian, Shilo, and Jeff as we ask why the Iliad isn't over, now that Achilles says his wrath is done. We discuss whether Achilles has a new cause for wrath, against Hector, for the death of Patroclus', and whether this new cause is the...
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Ep. 76 Homer's "Iliad" Book 18
Achilles is crushed by Patroclus' death. Thetis, his mother, helps him to revenge himself on Hector by asking Hephaestus to make Achilles some new armor. We ask about the elaborate and famous description of Achilles' shield. How should we understand the details on this shield, which looks like…
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Ep. 75 Homer's "Iliad" Book 17
Shilo gets a new gig, and we offend a whole county! But back in the Iliad, Patroclus is dead, and the Greeks and Trojans fight over his body. Why is a whole book concerned with Patroclus' body? And why do we care about the armor and the horses of Achilles? Brian, Shilo and Jeff talk about how…
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Ep. 74 Homer's "Iliad" Book 16
In this book, Achilles comes upon the crying Patroclus, and pities and chides him. Then Patroclus puts on Achilles' armor, joins the fight, is stunned by Apollo, and killed by Hector. Brian, Shilo and Jeff ask why Achilles lets Patroclus join the fight wearing Achilles' armor, when Achilles…
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Ep. 73 Homer's "Iliad" Book 15
Zeus wakes up, and gives us a spoiler of the rest of the Iliad. Then he sets his will in motion. Apollo fills Hector with chutzpah, and he leads the Trojans to fight among the Greek ships. In this episode, Brian, Shilo, and Jeff ask about the smile of Zeus. Has he caught Hera in a lie? Does his...
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Ep. 72 Homer's "Iliad" Book 14
Poseidon interferes with the will of Zeus because Hera has seduced the king of the gods with a sexy belt. Also, the battle between the Greeks and Achaeans continues to escalate. We return to the question of "who should be in charge?" and try to figure out why someone should be in charge of...
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Ep. 71 Homer's "Iliad" Book 13
We wonder why Book 13 doesn't have a cool name like Book 12 did. Then we turn to other questions, like what is on the minds of both sides of this conflict? is it true that military prowess, or military virtue, gives you other virtues, such as skill at deliberation? Or are the two things separate?...
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Ep. 70 Homer's "Iliad" Book 12
Shilo, Jeff and Brian continue their read through of Homer's Iliad. We try to figure out why Book 12 exists as the midpoint of the story and how Homer is using it to build on his themes and continue the narrative. Specifically we ask why is the book so short compared to the others? Why all the...
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Ep. 69 Homer's "Iliad" Book 11
[Yell-y war voice] "CARNAGE ON THE BATTLEFIELD!!!!" Our opening question from Jeff is "can we spoil the Iliad?" We try to understand what's going on with the story in terms of the hierarchy of Greek heroes on the battlefield and who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are. We also try to…
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Ep. 68 Bonus Pod Q&A with Mr. Mark Eleveld's AP Literature Class at Kankakee High School
We got some calls! Thanks a ton to Mark Eleveld and his students at Kankakee High School. Truly honored that you all took the time to call or write in your questions on our Episode 62 on the Iliad Book 5 where we discussed the apparent blurring of gods and mortals and especially Diomedes wounding...
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Ep. 67 Homer's "Iliad" Book 10
The Night Raid! Important book in the kinda middle of the story with lots of action. Agamemnon wakes up in the middle of the night and convenes a war planning committee. Nestor says the Greeks should send some spies out, Diomedes and Odysseus volunteer. Hector also calls for a spy to go look at…
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Ep. 66 Homer's "Iliad" Book 9
The Trojans have pushed the Greeks all the way back to their ship. Night falls, and a panicked Agamemnon and Menelaus need a plan. They decide to send an embassy to Achilles, to beg him to rejoin the fighting. And (spoiler alert) the embassy fails -- but interestingly. It looks like Achilles'...
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Ep. 65 Homer's "Iliad" Book 8
The gods assemble on Mount Olympus after the Trojans put a whooping on the Greeks. The Greeks decide to build defensive fortifications for the first time in the nine year war. Zeus gives a speech to the other gods warning them about going against his will. What do we think of Zeus as a leader?…
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Ep. 64 Homer's "Iliad" Book 7
Book 7 opens with a duel. The Greeks draw lots to fight Hector and (supposedly) end the war. Nine Greeks volunteer to fight and lots are drawn. Ajax wins the lottery and fights Hector. Ajax seems to be winning but the fighters make a truce and decide to take a day off to bury and honor the dead....
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Ep. 63 Homer's "Iliad" Book 6
Oh hey! You can call us now! 703.677.8645. Leave a voicemail with your question and we may play it on the air and try to answer it. You can also email us at [email protected] In this week's episode we find the Trojans getting beat pretty badly by the Greeks, so Helenus (a soothsayer and...
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Ep. 62 Homer's "Iliad" Book 5
We've reached Book 5, and Diomedes isn't playing around. He even stabs Ares himself. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff ask: what does it mean to have a war in which men and gods fight one another? We consider whether war is an uncanny world where the gods can be wounded, where men act like gods and gods act...
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Ep. 61 Homer's "Iliad" Book 4
Athena appears to cause an end to the truce by wounding Menelaus. Brian, Shilo and Jeff look at how "the will of Zeus is fulfilled" through the wrath of Achilles and through Zeus' lying. In Book I we framed the wrath of Achilles in terms of his mortality, and achieving immortal greatness. And we...
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Ep. 60 Homer's "Iliad" Book 3
In this episode, Paris and Menelaus duel over Helen and the fate of Troy. Menelaus wins (yeah, he does) -- so why doesn't the war end here? Brian, Shilo, and Jeff discuss what this book of the Iliad teaches us about the difference between Greeks and Trojans: are the Greeks all about anger, and…
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Ep. 59 Homer's "Iliad" Book 2
Would Agamemnon have made a bad Marine? Join Brian, Shilo, and Jeff as we discuss Brian's question: why does Agamemnon get a dream from Zeus telling him to test his troops before Troy, but the Trojans hear from a disguised messenger direct from the gods? We think about the different physical and...
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Ep. 58 Homer's "Iliad" Book 1
We embark on our journey through Homer's "Iliad," humanitiy's longest surviving poem on war. We ask "why is human rage a good subject for a war poem, and not the wrath of gods?" You can ask us questions on our pod by emailing us at combatandclassics.org and follow us on social media...
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Ep. 57 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 7
In the last book of Xenophon's "Anabasis" we look back at the three challenges Xenophon has experienced: going to war alongside Cyrus, marching the Greeks through enemy territory, and the army by the sea trying to get home. We explore what Xenophon wants and the idea of leadership in these three...
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Ep. 56 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 6
How are dance parties related to diplomacy? The schisms continue in Book 6 within the Greek army, but some schisms seem better than others. Some try to make friends with the locals, some go for help, some go raiding. Xenophon turns down the generalship of the whole army.
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Ep. 55 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 5
The rebels have arrived at the Black Sea, but through betrayal and bad decisions, things go awry..... Xenophon leads an expedition for provisions, but the ships they are waiting for don't show up. We flash forward to Xenophon the writer, who's bought some land in exile and wants to build a temple...
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Ep. 54 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 4
Xenophon and the Greek host begin their march north, out of the Persian king's territory, through the icy highlands of Armenia, until at last, from a mountain, they catch sight of "the sea! the sea!" So how do the demands of the terrain and weather impose necessities on the Greeks, and how does...
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Ep. 53 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 3
The Greek army has been beheaded: all its generals are dead. The remaining soldiers lie down on the ground in despair. And Xenophon has a dream, one that somehow leads him to reanimate the Greeks and start them on their march north out of Persia. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff talk about how Xenophon...
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Ep. 52 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 2
At the beginning of Book 2, Cyrus is dead, but the Greeks are victorious. By the end of Book 2, every Greek general is dead through Tissaphernes' treachery. How did this happen? What does this have to do with Clearchus, the de facto Greek general, and in particular with his piety? And what is the...
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Ep. 51 Xenophon's "Anabasis" Book 1
Brian, Shilo, and Jeff start their reading of Xenophon's great adventure story, "The Anabasis" -- or "Ascent" -- "of Cyrus." We have a new Cyrus; is he the same as the old Cyrus? How is Cyrus the Younger different from Cyrus the Great? (Is he Cyrus the not-so-Great?) And whose ascent is…
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Ep. 50 Warspeak by Lise van Boxel
Brian and Jeff are joined by Michael Grenke, St. John's College - Santa Fe, to discuss Lise van Boxel's posthumously published book "Warspeak" from PoliticalAnimalPress.com. Purchase your copy here.
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Ep. 49 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book VIII with Shilo Brooks
All good things must come to an end -- but so must all bad things, and Cyrus' empire ends badly. Was Cyrus happy? Is it possible to rule human beings the way he did, like a god, and also make yourself and them happy? And why did such a cold king have two sons? Brian, Shilo, and Jeff have answers,...
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Ep. 48 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book VII with Shilo Brooks
Abradatas is hacked to pieces, and Panthea kills herself over his corpse. Croesus is defeated by Cyrus, and tries to teach him what "know thyself" means. And Cyrus surrounds himself with a bodyguard... of eunuchs? In this episode, Brian, Shilo, and Jeff finally confront the question of what "the...
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Ep. 47 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book VI with Shilo Brooks
Brian, Shilo and Jeff get together to talk more about the difference between sexual and political love, or eros, and about the connection between eros and gratitude. We end on another cliffhanger, as Cyrus' army, complete with siege engines, is about to attack the Assyrian host. And Jeff admits…
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Ep. 46 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book V with Shilo Brooks
Shilo Brooks returns for the next podcast in our series on Xenophon's Education of Cyrus. We talk about Book V, the love book -- easy now -- and especially about the differences between sexual and political love. Cyrus' special friend returns, as does his boyfriend, and the Susan woman. And the...
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Ep. 45 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus," Book IV with Shilo Brooks
Shilo Brooks returns for Book IV of Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus." We discuss Cyrus' attack on the Assyrians, consolidation, cavalry, and Cyrus' first boyfriend returns (::kiss::kiss::) and the Susan woman. For more info check out combatandclassics.org. We now have a newsletter, Instagram...
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Ep. 44 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book III with Shilo Brooks
Shilo Brooks returns for another episode of "The Education of Cyrus" by Xenophon. We discuss moderation, virtue, risk and a brief mention of the ugly boyfriend.
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Ep. 43 Pierre Manent's "The Metamorphoses of the City" with Dr. Joseph Wood
Dr. Joseph Wood (Institute for World Politics and Cana Academy) joins Brian and Jeff to discuss Pierre Manent's "The Metamorphoses of the City," Chapter 2: The Poetic Birth of the City. We discuss the relationships between war and politics, especially as it relates to The Iliad.
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Ep. 42 Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book II with Shilo Brooks
Shilo Brooks returns to continue our exploration of Xenophon's "The Education of Cyrus" Book II where Cyrus goes to war against the Assyrians and we try to tease out what fundamentals of warfare Cyrus discovers versus what he's taught by the Persians.
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Ep. 41 Xenophon's "Education of Cyrus," Book I, with Shilo Brooks
Shilo Brooks returns to the pod to discuss Book I of Xenophon's "Education of Cyrus" examining the early upbringing of Cyrus and the nature of government.
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Ep. 40 The Sicilian Expedition, with Andrea Radasanu
Andrea Radasanu returns to discuss the Sicilian Expedition from Thucydides "History of the Peloponnesian War."
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Ep. 39 The Wright Brothers, with Shilo Brooks
Jeff and Brian are joined by Shilo Brooks, Director of the Engineering Leadership Program at the University of Colorado - Boulder, to discuss the role of engineering in the liberal arts and his lovely essay on the Wright Brothers for Scientific American:...
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Ep. 38 Thucydides Part I with Andrea Radasanu
Jeff and Brian are joined by Dr. Andrea Radasanu, Acting Director of the University Honors Program at Northern Illinois University, to discuss Thucydides "History of the Peloponnesian War," specifically the Athenian plague and Pericles funeral oration. For more info on Andrea and NIU, click here:...
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Ep. 37 Claudia Hauer "Strategic Humanism"
Brian and Jeff are joined by Claudia Hauer, St. John's College Tutor and Visiting Professor at the United States Air Force Academy to discuss her new book "Strategic Humanism: Lessons of Leadership from the Ancient Greeks." To pre-order, click below:...
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Ep. 36: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Join Brian, Ashley Johnson (https://www.writethinkdream.com/) and Anne Kniggendorf (twitter: @annekniggendorf) in their discussion of the 19th century classic, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
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Ep. 35 In Memoriam: Lise van Boxel
Our dear friend, co-founder, co-host and great souled human, Lise van Boxel, has passed away. We present our humble tribute.
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Ep. 34 Homer's Iliad, Book 6
ANNOUNCEMENT: We recently learned that C&C co-founder Lise van Boxel has been diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment. If you would like to help and express your support, please visit the GoFundMe page created for her benefit. In this episode, Brian is joined by...
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Ep. 33: Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra
We begin our next "close read" series with the first two sections of Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which conclude with the famous line "God is dead." Lise, Jeff, and Brian discuss Nietzsche's imagery, allusions, and treatment of questions of love, envy, and humanity.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Combat and Classics is a series of podcasts and free online seminars for active duty, reserve, and veteran U.S. military members, sponsored by St. John’s College. The podcasts and seminars encourage deep thought and reflection by leaders in the company of their peers. In the discussion-based seminars devoted to what a leader must be and know, participants study historical and fictional leaders from the great books of the western canon. We examine techniques and examples of persuasion and fundamental questions on the nature of man. When participants take the time to reflect, with their peers, on the principles of leadership, they find that they return to their lives and professional positions energized and focused, with a deeper understanding of the context of their decisions, decision-making processes, and leadership roles.
HOSTED BY
Brian Wilson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Combat and Classics Podcast have?
Combat and Classics Podcast currently has 83 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Combat and Classics Podcast about?
Combat and Classics is a series of podcasts and free online seminars for active duty, reserve, and veteran U.S. military members, sponsored by St. John’s College. The podcasts and seminars encourage deep thought and reflection by leaders in the company of their peers. In the discussion-based...
How often does Combat and Classics Podcast release new episodes?
Combat and Classics Podcast has 83 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Combat and Classics Podcast?
You can listen to Combat and Classics Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Combat and Classics Podcast?
Combat and Classics Podcast is created and hosted by Brian Wilson.
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