pplpod

Aristophanes was the greatest comic playwright of ancient Athens, and his mockery of Socrates in The Clouds may have contributed to the philosopher's trial and execution. He attacked politicians, inte...

17 Jun 21min

Marcus Brutus killed Julius Caesar in the name of the Republic, and Shakespeare turned him into the noblest Roman of them all. The real Brutus was a loan shark who charged 48 percent interest, a polit...

17 Jun 22min

Bjorn Borg won 11 Grand Slam titles, dominated tennis for five years, and retired at 26. He walked away from the sport at the peak of his powers and never came back in any meaningful way. His rivalry ...

17 Jun 23min

Marcus Licinius Crassus was the richest man in Roman history. He built his fortune through slave labor, real estate speculation, and fire brigades that extorted burning homeowners. He bankrolled Caesa...

17 Jun 24min

Seneca preached Stoic simplicity while amassing one of the largest fortunes in the Roman Empire. He tutored Nero, helped govern Rome during the emperor's early years, and was eventually ordered to kil...

17 Jun 21min

Theodora rose from the stage and the streets of Constantinople to become empress of the Byzantine Empire. She co-ruled with Justinian, saved his throne during the Nika riots, and championed laws prote...

17 Jun 22min

Tacitus served under the tyrant Domitian, kept his head down, and then wrote histories so scathing that they defined how the Western world understands Roman imperial corruption. His Annals and Histori...

17 Jun 18min

Lucius Cornelius Sulla marched on Rome twice, published proscription lists that legalized the murder of his enemies, and ruled as dictator with absolute power. Then he voluntarily resigned and retired...

17 Jun 21min