In this podcast we have a bit of fun suggesting who may be the fifteen greatest military commanders in history. It is, of course, a highly subjective exercise, and I need not be told how rash the proposal is. Nevertheless, we persist. I based the selections on a specific criteria, and this method is discussed in the podcast. The full list is shown below. My hope is that this exercise will generate some animated discussion.
In taking the measure of a man’s cultural refinement, we must examine the degree to which he is practiced in the art of hospitality. And when I say art, I mean this in a literal sense. Arts are not inborn; they must be studied and honed with constant use. A culture that teaches its members how to treat guests is a confident one; it is a culture that has, to some degree at least, liberated itself from the oppressions of acquisitiveness and greed, and has embraced some aspects of the communitarian ethic. It is also a culture that understands the value of reciprocity: the idea that a good turn done for one today, may mean a good turn done for oneself tomorrow.
In this special interview, MMA star Carlo “The One” Prater discusses how he got into martial arts, what it’s like to have a family, and many other subjects. Don’t miss it!
The Hellenistic philosopher Philo of Alexandria made this compelling analogy in his essay, Every Good Man is Free (Quod Omnis Probus Liber Sit V.26):
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In this podcast we discuss some impressions of my recent visit to Fortaleza. Then we do a few tweet readings from the G Manifesto.
When a man is exposed to different modes of life, his sense of understanding and sympathy is correspondingly activated. Preconceptions and prejudices begin to recede into the mist, and steps are made, perhaps still hesitatingly, towards a feeling of human commonalities. And things that may once have seemed to be so important in our own lives take on a much more diminished aspect.
The town of Cambuco is about 40 kilometers from Fortaleza, and I visited it today. A bus came and picked me up around 8:00 am, and we drove for about two hours. When you arrive at the destination, you immediately are made aware that it is a tourist destination. Vendors are aggressive, and the destination is designed as a small resort oasis with pools, restaurants, and “kite surfing” classes. Tourism is a major source of income for the local residents. I was surprised not to see a single foreign tourist, though: the visitors were all domestic Brazilian tourists, all coming from different states in the country.
Today I visited Fortaleza’s fish market and a few other sights. Fish markets have always fascinated me; I remember making a point of seeing Tokyo’s the last time I was there in 2014. In Fortaleza, the selection revolves around different types of local fishes, lobster, octopus, and a few other things. The arrangement is very simple: buyers purchase what they want, then sit at the tables near the market. For a nominal fee, the food is cooked and served up to you on the spot.
I have been in the city of Fortaleza for two days, and wanted to explore some of the surrounding sights. This is my first time in the northern part of Brazil, and I had heard for a long time how beautiful the beaches were here. They did not disappoint.
In this podcast, we discuss a reader’s email asking about the differences between courage and recklessness. What are the parameters? And how do we know when we have gone too far?
We then close with more G Manifesto tweet readings.
Quintus Curtius 
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