The Rise of History’s Greatest Emperor: An Untold Story - Alex Petkas

Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster. What can one of history's greatest empires, and its most notorious leaders, teach us about the modern world? We all know the story of Julius Caesar and his famous assassination... but what really happened? And what lessons from Ancient Rome still shape our lives today? Expect to learn why learning about roman history useful or instructive at helping us in the modern world, what Caesar's life teach us about being a good person, What actually happened the night Caesar crossed the Rubicon, how Cleopatra managed to secretly meet Caesar inside the palace at Alexandria, what Caesar's his last night like, the convincing argument that convinced Brutus that killing Caesar was necessary and much more... - 0:00 Why Roman History Still Matters Today 5:18 Julius Caesar: Genius or Tyrant? 9:58 The Origins of Caesar’s Ruthless Ambition 25:48 The Pirate Story That Defined Caesar 29:25 How Caesar Won the the People of Rome 34:02 The Strategy Behind Caesar’s Loyal Following 40:58 Caesar & Pompey: Allies or Enemies? 47:32 When Did Caesar and Pompey Become Enemies? 55:41 Was Crossing the Rubicon a Declaration of War Against the Senate? 01:03:07 How Pompey’s Murder Led Caesar to Egypt 01:16:13 Cleopatra’s Winning Tactics Over Caesar 01:21:14 Were Caesar and Cleopatra Lovers? 01:25:18 Inside the Final Day of Caesar’s Life 01:38:25 The Bad Omens That Caesar Ignored 01:49:50 The Decisions That Sealed Caesar’s Fate 01:58:23 Where to Find Alex - Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostAlex Petkasguest

Apr 16, 20262h 1mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 16, 2026
Duration: 2h 1m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster. What can one of history's greatest empires, and its most notorious leaders, teach us about the modern world? We all know the story of Julius Caesar and his famous assassination... but what really happened? And what lessons from Ancient Rome still shape our lives today? Expect to learn why learning about roman history useful or instructive at helping us in the modern world, what Caesar's life teach us about being a good person, What actually happened the night Caesar crossed the Rubicon, how Cleopatra managed to secretly meet Caesar inside the palace at Alexandria, what Caesar's his last night like, the convincing argument that convinced Brutus that killing Caesar was necessary and much more... - 0:00 Why Roman History Still Matters Today 5:18 Julius Caesar: Genius or Tyrant? 9:58 The Origins of Caesar’s Ruthless Ambition 25:48 The Pirate Story That Defined Caesar 29:25 How Caesar Won the the People of Rome 34:02 The Strategy Behind Caesar’s Loyal Following 40:58 Caesar & Pompey: Allies or Enemies? 47:32 When Did Caesar and Pompey Become Enemies? 55:41 Was Crossing the Rubicon a Declaration of War Against the Senate? 01:03:07 How Pompey’s Murder Led Caesar to Egypt 01:16:13 Cleopatra’s Winning Tactics Over Caesar 01:21:14 Were Caesar and Cleopatra Lovers? 01:25:18 Inside the Final Day of Caesar’s Life 01:38:25 The Bad Omens That Caesar Ignored 01:49:50 The Decisions That Sealed Caesar’s Fate 01:58:23 Where to Find Alex - Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Host of the Modern Wisdom podcast and interviewer.
Alex Petkas
guest
Historian and creator/host of the Cost of Glory podcast, known for classical history analysis and retreats.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Alex Petkas, The Rise of History’s Greatest Emperor: An Untold Story - Alex Petkas explores julius Caesar’s ambition, charisma, and assassination through Roman history’s lens Alex Petkas argues history is most useful when read “monumentally,” as a source of inspiring exemplars to emulate rather than a mere archive of facts.

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