A network dedicated to fellowship, classical formation, and reviving the ancient spirit of greatness
- Tweets 45
- Following 61
- Followers 953
- Likes 249
Pinned Tweet
Please consider donating to Ben's GoFundMe as his treatment is not covered by insurance ❤️
gofundme.com/f/help-ben-figh…
The Cancer Episode
> My diagnosis and prognosis
> What this means for How to Take Over the World
> A few thoughts on death
> See below for links to GoFundMe, etc.
1
15
1,910
Thank you to The Why Files @OMGTheWhyFiles
For hosting @costofglory in discussing why studying the classics still matters, ancient politics, and practical philosophy for life 👇
youtube.com/watch?v=61yS5tVM…
4
243
You rang?
There's a huge opportunity for invite-only social networks because current networks are flooded with noise or contain people who don't want to talk to each other.
Any network that isn't great (e.g. Goodreads, Yelp) can be rebuilt easily now. The 10x better product is the curation of people and information.
The internet can't just be split between broadcast networks for everyone and group chats for dozens of people. There has to be something in between.
15
666
Relatedly, the Society has been discussing the concept of Kairos (καιρός)
It must have been particularly unpleasant for a man as energetic and active as Hamilton to camp at Valley Forge through the brutal winter of 1777
Yet, the καιρός had not yet presented itself--striking back at British-occupied Philadelphia was not tenable
And so hunkering down and biding time was the choice that was made
Alexander Hamilton, 20 years old, Washington's Aide de Camp, stayed up reading late into the night at Valley Forge.
Especially Plutarch's biographies of the state founders of antiquity.
One quote he copied from Plutarch's bio of Romulus:
"We must readily believe, that both from their nature and the divine constitution virtuous souls are exalted from men into heroes, from heroes into demigods, and after that... they are raised to consummate felicity and enrolled amongst the gods not by the vote of a people but by the just and established order of nature."
18
533
Prayers requested
My life hinges on this study and the results appear to be very VERY good!
The data won’t come out until next month but this early indication is better than I could have hoped for.
Stage 4 cancer is always dangerous but I might have many more high-quality years in front of me.
12
432
The Classical Society retweeted
The Hollywood Odyssey is a bizarre inversion.
So I'm retelling it on Cost of Glory.
Part 2: Man of Wiles
These books (5-8) show how Odysseus was the Greatest. Also demonstrate his power over women.
Weird how Nolan skipped most of this
8
15
205
23,197
🇺🇸
America is not a creedal nation. It never has been.
The Constitution declares it is for “ourselves and our posterity.” You cannot have a creed based on a document that rejects being a creed.
The process of naturalization is better compared to adoption or marriage.
Adopting our values and mores is necessary but not sufficient to becoming an American. To become an American, you must join yourself to that nation. Consider their fate to be your own fate. Make their welfare your primary preoccupation.
3
308
One Society tradition of ours is to post a Loeb translation in exotic places
This such member was quartering a caribou in Alaska
1
6
1,124
Thanks to Chris Williamson of 'Modern Wisdom' for hosting!
'The True Story Of The Odyssey (and why it matters)' - Alex Petkas @costofglory
Consider watching or listening before you see 'The Odyssey' in theaters 👇
youtube.com/watch?v=cVsepqYj…
1
2
16
856
🎧Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
🎧Spotify Podcasts:
open.spotify.com/episode/1Zu…
1
129
Over the course of 2 months, The Classical Society members competed in our first 'Writing Sprint'
A competition in which we wrote, edited, and ultimately published personal essays in the spirit of becoming more effective writers and thinkers
It was both extremely edifying and fun to participate in
1
11
546
Ultimately, we whittled all of our submissions down to one outstanding essay, whose signal we're proud to boost
It's elucidating, incisive, and provocative
We hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as our membership did
Link to the Substack article below 👇
1
4
188
Antigone, Homicidal Empathy, and the Collapse of Politics, by @ChristoWCoffman open.substack.com/pub/chrisc…
4
94
"The Homeric alternative is for every citizen to study the heroes of his tradition, and to take on the challenge of living up to their standard."
👇
firstthings.com/great-books-…
11
1,516
There are few works that look better on a bookshelf than these
Tell me, Muse, of the sale of many epics.
To celebrate the release of @odysseymovie, we're running an epic summer sale across our classics in translation series: bit.ly/4vTTey7
Use the code EPICS at checkout to save 25% on the entire Loeb Classical Library—home of the man of many devices—as well as the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, the Murty Classical Library of India, and The I Tatti Renaissance Library.
Only a lotus-eater would sleep on this one...
1
14
1,584
The Classical Society retweeted
Did autodidacts found Western Culture?
The first occurrence of the word "autodidact" (αὐτοδίδακτος) is in Homer's Odyssey.
It's book 22, Odysseus has just slaughtered the suitors.
The bard Phemius "who sang for them under compulsion," emerges from hiding to plead for his life.
He makes his case while holding Odysseus by the knees (suppliant style).
His claim to be "self taught" is not a plea for pity ("I couldn't afford an MFA degree!") but rather a suggestion of his divine inspiration.
Telemachus turns to his dad, and backs up Phemius "Leave the bard be, he's one of the good ones".
Phemius lives.
Before universities and degree programs and schools, artists (and intellectuals) were credentialed on competence alone.
You could tell if the Muse was with them or not.
13
58
404
99,800