As individuals and as a society, we are steadily losing our long-term memories. Endless stimulation and “choices” have nearly turned us into the protagonist in the film Memento (2000), whose memory-loss condition puts him at the mercy of others’ manipulations.  Rote memorization–unfairly maligned by modern educators–has its merits, and deserves a reconsideration.

 

This podcast is available in a number of formats, including Soundcloud, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube.  

 

Learn more about character and virtue in my bold, ground-breaking new translation of Sallust’s The Conspiracy of Catiline and The War of Jugurtha: