The Why Files: Plutarch, Philosophy, and Power with Alex Petkas

Ancient classics collide with modern life in this sharp conversation about why Plutarch still matters. In the full episode, Andrew Gentile speaks with Alex Petkas of Cost of Glory, a Princeton-trained scholar who turned a classics PhD into a mission to make Greek and Roman philosophy useful today. This shorter recap distills the original long-form discussion into a fast listen, highlighting how Plato, Aristotle, Stoicism, and Plutarch shaped ideas about leadership, discipline, education, and moral character. Petkas shares his own path from a rough teen period to faith and scholarship, then traces how ancient thinkers influenced real political power—from Syracuse to Sparta to Caesar’s Rome. The episode also touches on AI and machine learning through the Vesuvius Challenge, where artificial intelligence helped decode buried Herculaneum scrolls. If you’re interested in philosophy, ancient history, self-improvement, and decision-making, this summary shows why old texts still change modern lives. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.