The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
A Philosophy Podcast and Philosophy Blog
Combat and Classics is a series of podcasts and online seminars that explores the nature of man in conflict and cooperation through Socratic dialogue and the great books. Former Marine Corps officer Brian Wilson is joined by Shilo Brooks (Princeton University) and Jeff J.S. Black (St. John's College, Annapolis) and occasional guests.
For more info visit combatandclassics.org.
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 the world of the living? Does the shield conceal the world of the dead, who are Continue Reading …
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 this book contributes to the suspense of the story, and about the meaning of Continue Reading …
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 himself says he is ready to return to battle? We explore Achilles' thinking: what is Continue Reading …
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 smile mean that he thinks he is superior to all the other gods? Is it boring Continue Reading …
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 something (war, sports, business) generally. We think especially about taking feedback Continue Reading …
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? Said another way and using the example of sports, why isn’t the best player Continue Reading …
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 similes about war and the natural world and is war a natural phenomenon? You can Continue Reading …
[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 understand what's happening with Achilles, who said that he'd return to the fight once Continue Reading …
We got some calls! Thanks a ton to Mark Eleveld and his students at Kankakee High School. We’re truly honored that you all took the time to call or write in with your questions about our Episode 62 on the Iliad Book 5, where we discussed the apparent blurring of gods and mortals, and especially Diomedes' wounding of a god, as well as the difference between courage and the Continue Reading …
The Night Raid! It’s an important book kinda in the 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 the what the Greeks are up too, and Dolon volunteers. We talk about the Continue Reading …
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' position softens; but if so, why doesn't Odysseus report this to the rest of the Continue Reading …
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? How does he compare to the leaders of the Greeks and Trojans? You can find our Continue Reading …
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. Our opening question is: Who are the Greeks without Achilles? Some followup Continue Reading …
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 combatandclassics@gmail.com In this week's episode we find the Trojans getting beat pretty badly by the Greeks, so Helenus (a soothsayer and Hector's brother) tells Hector to go back to Troy and get the women to Continue Reading …
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 like men, and where the one can be mistaken for the other. Are the Homeric Continue Reading …
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 1 we framed the wrath of Achilles in terms of his mortality, and achieving immortal greatness. And we see Zeus, an immortal, using duplicity to continue the conflict so his promise Continue Reading …
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 controlling the army by the sea trying to get home. We explore what Xenophon wants and the idea of leadership in these three situations and ask "what's the difference between a military leader Continue Reading …
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 moral situations of the Greeks and the Trojans after nine years of fighting. Continue Reading …
We embark on our journey through Homer's "Iliad," humanity'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 @combatandclassics. Continue Reading …
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. Continue Reading …
