Lawrence Sammons II
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
This time, those who think about Rome all the time, and those who do not.
This time, those who think about Rome all the time, and those who do not.
This time, those who think about Rome all the time, and those who do not.
Sure. My name's Lawrence Sammons, but everyone calls me Jay. And I teach Greek history and Greek and Latin at Boston University and have done so for over 30 years. I also work for the American College of Greece in a consulting role in Athens. And my interests have been democracy and imperialism and the historians who write about democracy and imperialism for pretty much my whole career.
Sure. My name's Lawrence Sammons, but everyone calls me Jay. And I teach Greek history and Greek and Latin at Boston University and have done so for over 30 years. I also work for the American College of Greece in a consulting role in Athens. And my interests have been democracy and imperialism and the historians who write about democracy and imperialism for pretty much my whole career.
Sure. My name's Lawrence Sammons, but everyone calls me Jay. And I teach Greek history and Greek and Latin at Boston University and have done so for over 30 years. I also work for the American College of Greece in a consulting role in Athens. And my interests have been democracy and imperialism and the historians who write about democracy and imperialism for pretty much my whole career.
When I got to graduate school, I still thought I was going to be a Roman historian, but it was really Thucydides that dragged me into Athenian history. I found him so interesting that I abandoned my Roman studies and focused on the Greeks. And what was it about Thucydides? What about the way that he wrote? He was so dark. I mean, Thucydides has an extremely dark view of human nature.
When I got to graduate school, I still thought I was going to be a Roman historian, but it was really Thucydides that dragged me into Athenian history. I found him so interesting that I abandoned my Roman studies and focused on the Greeks. And what was it about Thucydides? What about the way that he wrote? He was so dark. I mean, Thucydides has an extremely dark view of human nature.
When I got to graduate school, I still thought I was going to be a Roman historian, but it was really Thucydides that dragged me into Athenian history. I found him so interesting that I abandoned my Roman studies and focused on the Greeks. And what was it about Thucydides? What about the way that he wrote? He was so dark. I mean, Thucydides has an extremely dark view of human nature.
He's very much like my father in many ways. If you think things are as bad as they can possibly get, you're definitely wrong. They're going to get worse. But I think sometimes people think Thucydides is sort of taking joy in that, that he's saying what's good, that human beings exercise power in this really sort of awful way. But I think that's wrong.
He's very much like my father in many ways. If you think things are as bad as they can possibly get, you're definitely wrong. They're going to get worse. But I think sometimes people think Thucydides is sort of taking joy in that, that he's saying what's good, that human beings exercise power in this really sort of awful way. But I think that's wrong.
He's very much like my father in many ways. If you think things are as bad as they can possibly get, you're definitely wrong. They're going to get worse. But I think sometimes people think Thucydides is sort of taking joy in that, that he's saying what's good, that human beings exercise power in this really sort of awful way. But I think that's wrong.
He's someone who recognizes the tragedy of the fact that human beings tend to make similar mistakes over and over again.
He's someone who recognizes the tragedy of the fact that human beings tend to make similar mistakes over and over again.
He's someone who recognizes the tragedy of the fact that human beings tend to make similar mistakes over and over again.
Of course, one of the most famous things Thucydides said is, as long as human nature remains the same, similar things will happen again. And that's why he believed his work would be useful for those who want to know about the future.
Of course, one of the most famous things Thucydides said is, as long as human nature remains the same, similar things will happen again. And that's why he believed his work would be useful for those who want to know about the future.
Of course, one of the most famous things Thucydides said is, as long as human nature remains the same, similar things will happen again. And that's why he believed his work would be useful for those who want to know about the future.
Not because history is cyclical, not because history repeats itself, but because human beings repeat themselves and make the same kinds of mistakes generation after generation.
Not because history is cyclical, not because history repeats itself, but because human beings repeat themselves and make the same kinds of mistakes generation after generation.