This week Jeff and Dave continue their look at Carl Richard's 2009 masterpiece on Classics in America. As Richard surveys the antebellum landscape, there are some surprises in store. For example, devotion to the Classics, to the expanding literary reign of 'Tully' was not limited to the eastern elite along the seaboard. Even in the hinterlands, rustic frontier types were clutching copies of Cicero's Catilinarians. And, with the war for Greek independence raging abroad, Lord Byron and others fostered a wave of Hellenism that swept through American schools. No longer did the Romans dominate. Now, Aeschylus, Euripides, Xenophon, and a host of others--both in the original and in translation--rode a wave of new found popularity. Perhaps most surprisingly, the President of Yale Jeremiah Day briefly considered appointing a Prof. of Whittling. So grab your penknife, your whittlin' gloves, a jug of Mountain Dew, and tune in!

This week we salute American independence with a dive into Carl Richards’ fascinating tome The Golden Age of the Classics in America (2009). The guys begin with a look at the state of Classical education during the antebellum era, frontloading the discussion with questions as to why Classical education was the default at this time: did Americans believe such an approach produced virtuous and clear-thinking citizens? Was it that Greece and Rome provided a gold standard after which America should model itself? Or was it just trying to stay hip because it was what all those German cool kids were already doing? From there the episode turns to Classical curricula in 19th century schools and who exactly could access this stuff (hint: it wasn’t just for those uppity wig-wearers).

This week the guys wrap up the second portion of Marrou's chapter on the ancient ephebia, that system of education for youth ages 14-21 that was popularized by the city of Athens and which spread to more than 100 cities around the Mediterranean during the Hellenistic era. What were the features of this system, and how did they vary from polis to polis? What happened when the generosity of local benefactors, euergetes, couldn't be tapped anymore for resources? How did public funding come into play? What about all of those multiplied titles, the various underlings who supervised the various underlings who supervised the athletes? If you are interested in golf, polo, tennis, and the aristocracy, this is one you won't want to miss.