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The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor
ArtsBooks
The John Batchelor Show
Latest episode

9641 episodes

  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep1068: The Philippics, a Tragic Alliance, and a Heroic End. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. In the chaotic aftermath of Caesar's death, Cicero delivered the Philippics to trash Mark Antony's reputation. In an attempt to destroy Antony, Cicero formed an alliance wit

    29/06/2026 | 8 mins.
    The Philippics, a Tragic Alliance, and a Heroic End. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. In the chaotic aftermath of Caesar's death, Cicero delivered the Philippics to trash Mark Antony's reputation. In an attempt to destroy Antony, Cicero formed an alliance with Caesar's young heir, Octavian. He believed he could use the boy to further his own political goals, but this strategy backfired. Octavian eventually joined forces with Antony and Lepidus, and together they ordered Cicero's execution as an act of vengeance for Caesar. Legend s
    ays that Cicero faced his death heroically, extending his neck to the soldiers sent to kill him. This account was likely perpetuated by his loyal secretary, Tiro, who published Cicero's works after his death. Two thousand years later, Cicero's writings remain a staple for students of Latin and rhetoric. His speeches are still valued for their entertainment value and their insightful political put-downs. His life serves as a testament to the high stakes and theatrical nature of Roman political life, illustrating the end of a republic and the birth of an empire. 8
    SULLA
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep1068: Civil War, the Ides of March, and the Spiritual Godfather. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Cicero eventually returned to Rome, but the republic was sliding toward civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Although Cicero tried to remain neutral, he eventually joi

    29/06/2026 | 11 mins.
    Civil War, the Ides of March, and the Spiritual Godfather. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Cicero eventually returned to Rome, but the republic was sliding toward civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Although Cicero tried to remain neutral, he eventually joined Pompey's side but was pardoned by Caesar after the latter's victory. Cicero was present in the Senate on the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. While he was not part of the conspiracy, he celebrated the act and was famously hailed by Brutus as a spiritual "godfather" of the plot. The aftermath was chaotic, as the assassins' hope for celebration was met with a swift popular reaction against them. This shift was largely due to Mark Antony, who gave a dramatic funeral eulogy and displayed Caesar's blood-spattered toga to the crowd. Cicero recognized that Antony's genius utilized the same rhetorical techniques he had mastered: demonstrating feelings rather than just talking about them. This moment locked Cicero into a final, deadly contest with Antony over the future of the republic. He began writing and delivering the Philippics, a series of speeches designed to destroy Antony's political standing. 7
    1450 VIRGIL
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep1068: Exile, Humiliation, and the Power of the Tribune. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Seeking revenge for the Bona Dea trial, Clodius Pulcher transferred his status from patrician to plebeian to run for the office of tribune. Once elected, he passed legislation

    29/06/2026 | 8 mins.
    Exile, Humiliation, and the Power of the Tribune. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Seeking revenge for the Bona Dea trial, Clodius Pulcher transferred his status from patrician to plebeian to run for the office of tribune. Once elected, he passed legislation that targeted anyone who had put Roman citizens to death without a trial. This law was aimed directly at Cicero for his actions during the Catiline conspiracy. Recognizing the danger, Cicero fled Rome and went into exile, during which Clodius's supporters destroyed his mansion on the Palatine Hill. Clodius even built a shrine to the goddess Freedom on the site to humiliate his rival. During his exile, Cicero's wife, Terentia, worked to manage their affairs and protect their children while seeking his restoration. Cicero's departure was highly theatrical; he adopted the appearance of a mourner in "ashes and sackcloth" to stir public pity. Despite his attempts to gain sympathy, Clodius's populist support and political maneuvering ensured the law remained in effect, marking a devastating period of ruin for Cicero. He eventually returned to Rome, but his political influence was permanently diminished. 6
    CRETE MINOANS
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep1068: The Bona Dea Scandal and the Creation of a Lifelong Foe. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Despite his careful rise to power, Cicero made a significant error during the aftermath of the Catiline conspiracy. He arrested five high-ranking collaborators who had r

    29/06/2026 | 8 mins.
    The Bona Dea Scandal and the Creation of a Lifelong Foe. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Despite his careful rise to power, Cicero made a significant error during the aftermath of the Catiline conspiracy. He arrested five high-ranking collaborators who had remained in Rome to facilitate a coup. Cicero, feeling invincible after his recent successes, pushed for these men to be executed as traitors to the republic. He argued that by conspiring against Rome, they had forfeited their rights as citizens and should be treated as public enemies. However, executing Roman citizens without a trial was a major legal taboo. Julius Caesar, then a rising politician, offered a more prudent alternative: life imprisonment. Cicero ignored this advice and moved forward with the executions, a decision that the Senate endorsed but for which Cicero bore ultimate responsibility. While he initially gloated about his actions, the move eventually aroused populist opposition and made him a political target. This mistake was followed by the Bona Dea scandal of 62 BCE, where Cicero testified against Publius Clodius Pulcher, breaking his alibi and turning the young aristocrat into a dangerous, lifelong enemy. 5
    1910 CARTHAGE
  • The John Batchelor Show

    S8 Ep1068: The Catiline Conspiracy and the Perils of Invincibility. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. The rivalry between Cicero and Catiline represented a clash between a "new man" and an established aristocrat. Catiline was a brave soldier from an ancient family who fe

    29/06/2026 | 7 mins.
    The Catiline Conspiracy and the Perils of Invincibility. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. The rivalry between Cicero and Catiline represented a clash between a "new man" and an established aristocrat. Catiline was a brave soldier from an ancient family who felt humiliated after losing the consular election to the newcomer Cicero. As the economic situation in Italy worsened due to a credit crisis, Catiline adopted a populist platform, calling for debt reform and the cancellation of loans. Cicero, who was aligned with the financial elite of Rome, viewed Catiline's plans as a threat to the republic's stability. When Catiline lost a subsequent race, he became desperate and organized a group of fashionable young men to support a conspiracy. Cicero used an extensive network of spies to monitor these developments, fueled by his own justified paranoia. He eventually denounced Catiline in the Senate, leading to a showdown where Catiline fled to lead an army. Although Catiline died in battle, the fallout from the conspiracy would eventually lead to Cicero's greatest political crisis. Cicero believed this moment was his peak, marking his place in history as the savior of the republic. 4
    CARTHAGE
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About The John Batchelor Show
The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.
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