Victor Davis Hanson talks with Sami Winc on the ancient Roman novel “The Satyricon” and applies Petronius’ ideas to modern culture. First, VDH has a few words on General Milley’s recent testimony.
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9 thoughts on “The Culturalist: Our Satyricon”
Kenneth Riehl
Another wonderful episode, thank you Professor Hanson and Ms. Winc.
Remarkable how the faux pas of history continue to be replicated and even more remarkable that those replicating it, do not seem to have the slightest idea they are doing so.
PS: I am very much looking forward to my copy of The Dying Citizen being delivered in a few days.
Most impressive historical facts until today about a great nation on the planet that is falling apart…2 more days until the book is on my kindle..thank you VDH.
So I finished the Satyricon. I’m not sure I buy Sami’s contention that the author means to convey disapproval for the decadents he portrays. The fragments feel closer to classicist Oscar Wilde or The Rockey Horror Picture Show.* That is, I think the outlook is Lucretian (materialism) and Epicurean (hedonism) and serves as part nostalgic elegy, part self-satire of the lifestyle the Arbiter and the Neronian court shared.
*it delights me to no end to imagine progressive academics picturing this podcast community as a group of warped decadents sneaking out at midnight with toilet paper, squirt guns, and The Dying Citizen to participate in some strange cult ala The Rockey Horror Picture Show:
Victor Hanson’s podcast feature do-do-doo
Selma barns have lots of creatures wah-wah-wah
See Stanford fighting Dr. atlas
Gavin Newsome’s always maskless
Whoa-ho-ho-ho
At Victor Hanson’s
Double feature
podcast show…
I wonder if we are in a weird “Malthusian Earth’s Revenge” period of history as we approach 10 billion humans. In other words, natural human controls of death by war, disease and starvation on a massive scale due the shear ignorance, hubris and stupidity of man. Reminds me of Spinoza’s contradiction: The problem of organized religion is that it is ultimately a platform for political will but… if there is no collective religion then the tendency is for complete idiots to think that the are capable (indeed a God given right) of being the creators and arbiters of universal societal moral and ethical conduct. The post-modern triumph of superficial, reactionary, mob rule.
I know Lemay was/is controversial, however, he seems to be the last military leader that believed in an all-out offense rather than a wait-and-see defense. Our adversaries don’t suddenly wake up and decide they are going to play nice. It seems we are following Marques of Queensberry’s Rules and our opponents are using MMA tactics. Any thoughts?
I am a big fan. I learn a lot by listening to you. I know of you for a long time back in the day when I was a regular Dennis Prager show listener. I have stopped listening to Mr. Prager for many years now. I started listening to you when Trump became president. I did not need anyone’s convincing or analysis to vote for Trump. I read all his books long before he ran for president. If anyone was going to be an effective leader/president, he certainly would. And, he did not disappoint.
I started listening to you since 2016 because I love the way you articulate your position, with overwhelming fact, detail, and example. Your analysis stands on its own.
But, If I may, I feel that lately your emotion is hurting your talk, or maybe you just have too many of these weekly podcasts. Don’t get me wrong, I love listening to you! I think we all know (regardless of how much or little podcast/news/youtube/tv we consume) that our beloved country is in great turmoil. When I talk to my neighbors or encounter people at grocery stores, or restaurants, they still remind me Americans are decent (because I live in a safe neighborhood). Ironically, I grew up in the ghetto, not much different than the environment depicted in the movie, Boys and the Hood. We get harassed and terrorized on a daily basis. This is heaven compared to the ghetto I grew up in. Lastly, I hate the mask but it’s not fair to criticize Obama, or Met gala. All essential workers wear masks.
Another wonderful episode, thank you Professor Hanson and Ms. Winc.
Remarkable how the faux pas of history continue to be replicated and even more remarkable that those replicating it, do not seem to have the slightest idea they are doing so.
PS: I am very much looking forward to my copy of The Dying Citizen being delivered in a few days.
Thanks to Victor and Sami for putting this together. I just arrived in Croton in my own reading of the Satyricon and this was good food for thought.
Most impressive historical facts until today about a great nation on the planet that is falling apart…2 more days until the book is on my kindle..thank you VDH.
So I finished the Satyricon. I’m not sure I buy Sami’s contention that the author means to convey disapproval for the decadents he portrays. The fragments feel closer to classicist Oscar Wilde or The Rockey Horror Picture Show.* That is, I think the outlook is Lucretian (materialism) and Epicurean (hedonism) and serves as part nostalgic elegy, part self-satire of the lifestyle the Arbiter and the Neronian court shared.
*it delights me to no end to imagine progressive academics picturing this podcast community as a group of warped decadents sneaking out at midnight with toilet paper, squirt guns, and The Dying Citizen to participate in some strange cult ala The Rockey Horror Picture Show:
Victor Hanson’s podcast feature do-do-doo
Selma barns have lots of creatures wah-wah-wah
See Stanford fighting Dr. atlas
Gavin Newsome’s always maskless
Whoa-ho-ho-ho
At Victor Hanson’s
Double feature
podcast show…
you should run for high office. You make sense, deliver a great speech that would make democrats change there position.
I wonder if we are in a weird “Malthusian Earth’s Revenge” period of history as we approach 10 billion humans. In other words, natural human controls of death by war, disease and starvation on a massive scale due the shear ignorance, hubris and stupidity of man. Reminds me of Spinoza’s contradiction: The problem of organized religion is that it is ultimately a platform for political will but… if there is no collective religion then the tendency is for complete idiots to think that the are capable (indeed a God given right) of being the creators and arbiters of universal societal moral and ethical conduct. The post-modern triumph of superficial, reactionary, mob rule.
I know Lemay was/is controversial, however, he seems to be the last military leader that believed in an all-out offense rather than a wait-and-see defense. Our adversaries don’t suddenly wake up and decide they are going to play nice. It seems we are following Marques of Queensberry’s Rules and our opponents are using MMA tactics. Any thoughts?
Hi Mr. Hanson
I am a big fan. I learn a lot by listening to you. I know of you for a long time back in the day when I was a regular Dennis Prager show listener. I have stopped listening to Mr. Prager for many years now. I started listening to you when Trump became president. I did not need anyone’s convincing or analysis to vote for Trump. I read all his books long before he ran for president. If anyone was going to be an effective leader/president, he certainly would. And, he did not disappoint.
I started listening to you since 2016 because I love the way you articulate your position, with overwhelming fact, detail, and example. Your analysis stands on its own.
But, If I may, I feel that lately your emotion is hurting your talk, or maybe you just have too many of these weekly podcasts. Don’t get me wrong, I love listening to you! I think we all know (regardless of how much or little podcast/news/youtube/tv we consume) that our beloved country is in great turmoil. When I talk to my neighbors or encounter people at grocery stores, or restaurants, they still remind me Americans are decent (because I live in a safe neighborhood). Ironically, I grew up in the ghetto, not much different than the environment depicted in the movie, Boys and the Hood. We get harassed and terrorized on a daily basis. This is heaven compared to the ghetto I grew up in. Lastly, I hate the mask but it’s not fair to criticize Obama, or Met gala. All essential workers wear masks.
A person whose words you can trust.