This podcast mixes deep dives into the lives of great ancient Greeks and Romans profiled in Plutarch’s Lives with insightful shorter shows on ancillary and relevant topics. Alex’s fine storytelling skills and deep historical knowledge are a perfect blend. I recently had surgery to repair a detached retina and was forced to spent a week flat in bed. Binging these terrific podcasts passed the time, extended my knowledge, and kept me sane.

Been going through the backlog and enjoying it a lot

I listened to the first episode about Cato the younger (Uticensis). It brought tears to my eyes multiple times. There is nothing so beautiful as when a man acts honorably. Then I went back to the life of Marius. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Petkas introduces the Legacy of history’s greatest biographer to a new generation, encouraging listeners to follow the good example, and avoid the mistakes, of the Great Men of the Greek and Roman world. Optime!

The detailed treatments of great figures from antiquity is marvelous and gripping.

One of the best ancient history podcast out there.

I have long been looking for a podcast like this. I was introduced to great ancient history storytelling through Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History and his long-form telling of Herodotus’ Histories. And while podcasts like The History of Ancient Greece with Ryan Stitt and The History of Rome with Mike Duncan are great podcasts in their own right, this podcast has really hit the spot. Finally I have found what I was looking for! Keep up the great work!

Best practical presentation of history and philosophy I have experienced. Also very practical and valuable leadership lessons. Alex is an outstanding narrator! Only suggestion: get better theme music. Sure, this sounds authentically ancient and Mediterranean, but that does not make it pleasant to hear…

The first time a podcast has been worthy of a review. Well done. Thank you Alex and whomever else is involved. 5 stars is not enough.

Cost of Glory/Alex might be the single best history themed content out there today. Am so very grateful his perspective and worldview exists for like-minded critical thinkers. 5 stars isn’t a high enough scale to rate CoG. Genius.

I can’t speak highly enough about this podcast. Alex goes into great detail but tells these profound stories in a way that anyone can understand them and gain insights. Do yourself a favor and start listening NOW!

He gives me life and lessons to listen to. 11/10

The shows are well written, the narrator has a great voice, and the stories are presented on their own merit. Everything tides of history should be.

The episodes and very well done. The stories are told in an engaging and thorough way. So far I’ve listened to the series on Sertorius and Eumenes. The stories are inspiring and thought provoking. Things are set up well to encourage the listener to apply the lessons from these great men to their own lives. 10/10. I’m recommending to the show to friends and family.

This is one of the most wonderfully produced and insightful podcasts I’ve ever listened to. Masterfully done!

I’m so glad you went on Pete’s show! Now I’ve found a new history podcast. And great voice. I too have a history show and I think part of why it’s taken off is cause of a good voice (I’m told). Keep up the good work! I can’t wait to catch up.

Do a episode on Marcus Aurelius please very interested in him

This podcast is a top contender for the title of “#1 History Podcast of All Time”. Alex masterfully explains the Classics with a knowledgeable and balanced perspective, blending history with self-improvement. If he ever stops producing this podcast I will be very sad.

Alex captures the mood of antiquity’s greatest stories and their characters in such a captivating way. If I’m ever feeling low and in need of an encouraging wind at my back, I listen to one of Alex’s podcasts and feel immediately reinvigorated! Heroes were real and can be once more. If we just remember…

Have tried a handful of history podcasts so far, previously to no avail, and this is by far the best. First hand sources, balanced with welcome explanation from Alex, make it a good antidote to the blunt force trauma of “pop” history. Its healing properties come from the fact that Alex seems actually to love the past rather than hate it, and thus has no modern fetish for reducing great figures to tabloid hit pieces. Cheers, Alex!

This podcast bring’s Plutarch’s Lives to life through master storytelling. The best part is the modern life lessons to be gleaned from the stories of the ancients. Great voice from the host too!

This podcast is exceedingly well written and produced. The exploration of the lives of these historical figures is entertaining, educational and impossible to “put down!”

Why did I never learn about these men as a history major at Hillsdale College. Amazing. Helpful and fun!

As a classics lover, so glad I found this podcast that ties actual history into everyday advice. 10/10

Great job. He makes history comes alive.

Keep it up Alex. Your podcast is a fantastic source of information of these great periods in history, and as a plus you do a great job in pulling out the lessons we can take from them. Look forward to all the stories in parallel lives :)

I’ve heard there are men who think about Ancient Rome every day. I know of one woman who does also and Alex Petkas helps with this podcast. Unlike other favorites Cost of Glory isn’t immoral, illegal or fattening! I love to listen to Plutarch and other primary sources presented in such an easily digestible form. Dr. Petkas certainly has a wonderful voice and uses it well. Did Caesar or Cicero have such an instrument, I wonder?

Alex Petkas is a great storyteller, and has a way of repackaging ancient history into a clear and understandable way. He’s working with the greatest ancient sources and proves once again that these antique histories have survived down through the ages for very good reasons. They are instructive, practical, and endlessly interesting. A great place to start would be either Sertorius or Sulla, however they are all very good to listen to. Thank you!

I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Petkas at a public lecture. His serious enthusiasm for ancient history and philosophy is contagious, and it permeates this podcast’s many great series. Intended for laypeople with a burning ambition for excellence in private and public life, the Cost of Glory is an accessible and riveting compilation of great stories. If there is one thing we can all agree our postmodern world needs, a good story must be it.

As much as I love Plutarch, his reading of Anabasis has been spectacular. Hoping for more of these ‘sugues’ in the months and years to come. I understand the work that goes into the mainline episodes, but do wish Alex released a bit more frequently. That said, if you’re just starting out, you’re in for a treat. Addendum to the core episodes— the finales, much like when I read Plutarch directly, had been phenomenally framed. The end of Sulla, Marius, Phyrrus and now Crassus have left me devastated. Fantastic storytelling. Relistening to some main episodes now. The gift that keeps on giving. Always worth the wait.

Thank you so much!

I’ve listened to every single episode, some more than once. The information provided is invaluable. What I find even more valuable is the way Alex builds the world in which the stories take place. It’s truly my favorite form of media; Netflix, YouTube, etc. don’t compare to the Cost of Glory.

Fantastic podcast - I love the source material and the depth in which the host covers each of the subjects. Fantastic use of Plutarch’s Parallel Lives to give the listener great context and understanding of the times and people.

Very well done, not big into all the modern day stoic stuff but the history episodes are very informative without being boring or droning. Keeps a great narrative tone throughout.

I can’t get enough of this podcast. I’m a huge Greek and Roman history fan and I’ve listened to so many podcasts in full. This one is my favorite and it’s not too close. Everything about this podcast is excellent. I will say I only listen to the podcasts that are about Plutarch’s biographies, but wow are they incredible. I’m always looking forward to the next episode!

Finally a worthy successor to the history of Rome podcast and so practical!

I never read much of Greek history, but Alex makes it so interesting and easy to follow! Kinda like potato chips, you can’t stop once you start : )

This podcast is stellar! I have been meaning to read Plutarch Greek lives, but still haven’t gotten around to it. Then I stumbled upon this podcast. I just finished episode 4, and I am duly impressed. This podcaster is such a gifted storyteller: the stories he weaves, the lessons he imparts, his voice and intonation, the music. It is very well done. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Ancient Greek and Roman lives or even to those who want to hear a good story.

Brings the ancient to the modern world in an accessible and engaging way. Asks great questions and makes me think. Sunscribed.

Rare combo of serious academic chops and exceptional storytelling ability. Petkas is the real deal and this podcast is absolute tops.

This show easily ranks with the top history podcasts out there, including Hardcore History, Revolutions, and Tides of History. While each of those has carved its own niche in podcast form (HH for narrative history, Revolutions for “trends and forces” historiography, and Tides for rigorous academic work) this show may be the defining biographical history podcast. Keep up the great work!

This is show equal to HTTOTW if not better. You need some sound effects as you transition between aspect within the episode or storytelling

This is my new favorite podcast. Keep up the good work!

Alex does a great job of bringing these ancient stories alive to the modern listener. So many lessons we can learn from Rome. There is nothing new under the sun but, it’s all new if no one shares the stories. Thank you Alex, these are a treasure.

Alex is a skillful storyteller and guide to these ancient biographies, and a good interpreter of what they mean for us today. The episode on Lysander and the 30 tyrants in Athens is truly an amazing narrative.

The lives of the ancients have never felt so modern or accessible. A fantastic companion and/or entry point to Plutarch and to the ancient world in general.

Best Plutarch/ Ancient Greek and Roman podcast I admit I became impatient to wait and have started reading Plutarch's Lives

This is an excellent podcast. The host has a PhD in Classics and sounds like a radio talk show host. Excellent deep dives into Plutarch’s lives (and other works) sheds surprising light on our modern world. Highly recommend.

Alex takes complex historical topics and put them into an extremely entertaining narrative. As a former history teacher I love that someone has used Parallel Lives to create an entertaining podcast! He also do a wonderful job showing how we can take those lessons from thousands of years ago and apply them to our daily lives. It’s already helped my mental health!

If Alex Petkas had been my high school history/philosophy teacher I would have had a whole different career. I have only finished Sertorius but what a great story, told so well and so little known. Great voice with good use of music for tension. It’s a noble goal to make the listener a better person via biography and reflection. I look forward to joining the community.

This podcast has it all. Great historical storytelling and thoughtful analysis while being inspirational. Right up there with “History of Rome”, “The History of Byzantium” and “Fall of Civilizations.” Completely fascinating. When is a podcast a good podcast? When you check daily for that new episode notification like I find myself doing with “The Cost of Glory”. Trust me. This is as good as it gets!