What America’s Founders Learned from Antiquity

by Caroline Winterer (Author, Narrator), The Great Courses

Many Americans know that our nation’s founders drew inspiration from the political systems of ancient Rome and Greece. But what exactly were these influences? And did they shape the United States in far-reaching ways?

In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Winterer takes you on a journey into the thought and actions of the American revolutionaries, showing how classical antiquity shaped every aspect of the revolutionary and founding era. In a multi-layered look at the founders’ epoch, you’ll investigate key aspects of the story, such as:

· A Culture of Classicism. Explore the ethos of classicism that deeply permeated the world of the founders, in education, art, architecture, politics, and more.

· The Clash with Britain. In the wake of oppressive British taxation, track the ways in which the revolutionaries identified with the virtues of the ancient Roman republic, viewing the British as a monarchical empire veering into tyranny, as had the Roman empire.

· Revolutionary Spirits. Over five lectures, dig deeply into the thought of iconic founders Washington, Adams, Madison, Jefferson, and Franklin; observe how the classical influences of Cicero, Socrates, and many others shaped their public actions.

· Classicism, Christianity, and the Enlightenment. Uncover the founders’ synthesis of Christian values with the ethical precepts of classical philosophers; also, assess key currents of Enlightenment thought, which deeply informed the founders’ vision of a republic which could last through time.

· Surpassing the Ancients: The US Constitution. See how the framers created a radically new political model, based in the unprecedented conception of equality, separating the branches of government, and placing all power in the hands of one element: the people.

In What America’s Founders Learned from Antiquity, you’ll discover a new way of appreciating the exciting history of the birth of the American republic.

Genres: History

13 pages, Audible Audio

Published July 19, 2024

Reviews

[Riq Hoelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it has some good moments, found for the most part that this was too bland and dumbed down. I even wondered if the professor actually wrote as it was so similar to other Teaching Course offerings, with little to no individual flair or opinion. Sometimes nuance is so much missing that it could lead listeners into wrong understandings. For example, it announces that the British had fought a war with the French (Seven Years War) in America and naturally now expected the Americans to pay taxes to pay for it. But that leaves out the fact that the Americans never asked for the war! Similarly it announces that the Roman Empire fell to the barbarians in 476 AD. Well, there's a lot more nuance to that as well.

[Darrell Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than Greek mythology, it is interesting how much more in depth the literate of that time could get into Greek and Roman government and philosophy.
So much of the course was about the fashion of dress, furnishings and architecture, which I came to appreciate. Definitely something to reread, to be reminded of an era so influenced by Greek and Roman ways.

[Enrico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty average course for The Great Courses. It is often said that the founders were influenced by antiquity but not further expanded on how exactly. This course tries to answer that question. It covers which ancients, which founders and what kind of influence.