Editorial Staff

UK Classics Scholar Kathryn Tempest on Cicero, Brutus, & the Death of Caesar

/in , , , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Gerard and Cara talk with Dr. Kathryn Tempest, a Reader in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Roehampton in London, UK, and author of Cicero: Politics and Persuasion in Ancient Rome and Brutus: The Noble Conspirator. They discuss the historical, civic, and moral lessons political leaders, educators, and schoolchildren today can learn by studying the Roman Republic and the lives of key figures from that era such as Cicero and Brutus. Dr. Tempest reviews the legacy of Cicero, the distinguished statesman and orator, whose timeless works, influenced by Greek philosophy, have endeared him to extraordinary leaders through the ages, from St. Augustine to Churchill. She contrasts Cicero’s adherence to limited constitutionalism with the worldview of his nemesis, the colossal dictator Julius Caesar. She also delves into the complex relationship between Caesar and the enigmatic Brutus, whom Shakespeare called “the noblest Roman of them all” for his role in Caesar’s assassination on the “Ides of March.” Dr. Tempest traces the influence of these events on Enlightenment thinkers, including Locke and Montesquieu, and concepts such as the mixed constitution and separation of powers that are so fundamental to the American founding. She concludes with a reading from her biography of Brutus.

Stories of the Week: The latest COVID stimulus package comes with strings attached that could limit states’ ability to start or expand tax credit scholarship programs that help students attend private schools. A new report finds that nearly 40 percent of K-12 education employees have considered changing jobs out of fear of COVID exposure.

Guest:

Dr. Kathryn Tempest is a Reader in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Roehampton in London, UK. She specializes in the literature, history, and political life of the late Roman republic. She is the author of two books: Cicero: Politics and Persuasion in Ancient Rome (Continuum 2011; reprint Bloomsbury 2013) and Brutus: The Noble Conspirator (Yale University Press, 2017), which won the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 award sponsored by Choice.

The next episode will air on Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 at 12 pm ET with guest, Dr. Eric Hanushek, the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Tweet of the Week:

News Links:

WSJ e-board (edu tax credits): “Democrats to States: No New Tax Cuts”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-to-states-no-new-tax-cuts-11615333751?st=dznzwkiu6vpyi5p&reflink=article_email_share

Many Stressed K-12 Education Workers Consider Changing Jobs

https://www.governing.com/now/Many-Stressed-K-12-Education-Workers-Consider-Changing-Jobs.html

Get Updates on Our Education Research

Related Content

NH Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut on State-Driven K-12 Reform

0 Comments
/
New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut joins "The Learning Curve" podcast this week, plus Bob & Cara break down the new NAEP results, and share education stories out of Denver and Detroit.

The Learning Curve: Andrew Campanella, President of National School Choice Week

0 Comments
/
This week on The Learning Curve, Bob talks with Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week and author of the new book, "The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child."

Dr. Howard Fuller on School Choice & Presidential Politics

0 Comments
/
Cara and Bob talk withthe the great Dr. Howard Fuller, Distinguished Professor of Education, about his passionate activism on behalf of education reform, his concerns about the lack of support among Democratic presidential candidates for charter schools & more!

The Learning Curve: “Wilfred McClay on his new book, Land of Hope”

0 Comments
/
Wilfred McClay, University of Oklahoma Professor, discusses his new high school textbook, "Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story," that seeks to provide an account of this nation's rich and complex story that puts it in proper perspective, and that is both honest and inspiring.

This Week on “The Learning Curve”: Natalie Wexler on her new book, The Knowledge Gap

0 Comments
/
Bob & Cara talk with Natalie Wexler, author of "The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System–And How to Fix It," about the shift in K-12 education, even in the Common Core era, from an emphasis on academic content to empty skills and strategies.

The Learning Curve: National Education Podcast

“The Learning Curve” is where you’ll find straight talk about the nation’s hottest education stories - news and opinion from the schoolyard to the 2020 campaign trail.