Thersites the HistorianIn this video, I review Graham Hancock's new series on Netflix, where he presents his case for a globe-spanning prehistoric civilization to a general audience.
My Review of Graham Hancocks Ancient ApocalypseThersites the Historian2023-01-17 | In this video, I review Graham Hancock's new series on Netflix, where he presents his case for a globe-spanning prehistoric civilization to a general audience.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus, Consul 49 BCEThersites the Historian2024-05-22 | By early 49 BCE, a conflict was brewing in the Roman Republic and one of the newly-elected consuls, Lentulus Crus, was among the tiny minority of Senators who were hell-bent on seeing the state plunge into war. Representing the Optimates, he effectively blocked all attempts at compromises and made the war between Pompey and Caesar an inevitability.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMarcus Octavius, Aedile 50 BCEThersites the Historian2024-05-20 | A distant cousin of the future emperor, Marcus Octavius was a devoted member of the conservative clique in Rome, which was dedicated to the defeat of Gaius Julius Caesar. Joining Pompey in 49 BCE, Marcus Octavius had a memorable stint as an independent commander in Illyricum, where he rallied a number of survivors and opened up a secondary front, which forced Caesar to divert troops and resources to the area. I argue that he has fallen into obscurity because he never rose to a senior magistracy and because his life's work does not play into any of the major narratives that emerged about this age during the early Roman Empire.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLQuintus Cornificius, Praetor 45 BCEThersites the Historian2024-05-18 | A well-known poet, Quintus Cornificius was also an important member of the Caesarian faction during the civil war period. Before meeting his end after he fell out of favor with Antony, Cornificius ensured his legacy by composing an epyllion entitled Glaucus, which was still being read in the 5th Century CE.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVL13 Scenarios Whereby These United States Would Not Exist (feat. Monica from Bookworm 2 Bookworm)Thersites the Historian2024-05-03 | Monica and I consider 13 different do or die situations for the Patriot cause presented by historian Thomas Fleming. We are not impressed by most of them, but hopefully it is still a fun conversation about how contingent the success of the American War for Independence was.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLFrench Generals of World War I, Part II Take 2 (feat. Sean Chick)Thersites the Historian2024-04-24 | We proceed forward from Ferdinand Foch and cover 18 other who held high command during World War I.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGaius Pomptinus, Praetor 63 BCEThersites the Historian2024-04-12 | A talented new man, Gaius Pomptinus earned a triumph for his campaign in Transalpine Gaul and worked alongside of the famous orator Cicero during a couple of pivotal episodes during his career.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLPublius Villius Tappulus, Consul 199 BCEThersites the Historian2024-04-04 | The first in the long history of his gens to achieve the consulship, Villius was forced to spend his time as a consular commander restoring morale before becoming something like an expert in Greek affairs. Villius was also given the unenviable task of hammering out an agreement with Antiochos III to prevent war, but once again, unforeseen circumstances sabotaged his efforts. I argue that Villius' actions and lost opportunities were actually deeply impactful.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMarcus Centenius Penula, Unspecified Command 212 BCEThersites the Historian2024-04-01 | According to Livy, this man was an up-jumped centurion whose hubris was exposed by Hannibal Barca. As is usually the case, however, Livy valued the promotion of his narrative more than historical reality. In this video, I seek to contextualize and demystify Marcus Centenius Penula's special command.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGaius Centenius, Propraetor 217 BCEThersites the Historian2024-03-28 | A Roman cavalry commander in 217 BCE, Centenius' force was annihilated by Maharbal within a few days of Hannibal's victory at Lake Trasimene.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus, Consul 211 BCEThersites the Historian2024-03-01 | In 210, Centumalus was taken by surprise while laying siege to Herdonia. The result is one of Hannibal's most brilliant, but most overlooked victories.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLFrench Generals of World War I, Part Petain and Foch (feat. Sean Chick)Thersites the Historian2024-02-29 | We look at the remaining 20 Frenchmen who held high command during World War I. Actually, scratch that, we will only get to cover two commanders because of Marietta internet.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLEugene V. Debs Discussion (feat. Bookworm 2 Bookworm)Thersites the Historian2024-02-03 | We discuss the life and times of labor leader and Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs. We also talk about some other, tangentially related things.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Quinctius Flamininus, Consul 192 BCEThersites the Historian2024-01-29 | The younger brother of the famous Titus Flamininus, Lucius Flamininus served as second-in-command during the final two years of the Second Macedonian War. Later, as Consul he conducted a successful campaign to pacify Cisalpine Gaul. He is perhaps best remembered, however, for being expelled from the Senate in 184 BCE when he was the most prominent victim of Cato's legendary censorship. Just as worthy of song was his restoration to honor in the wake of his humiliation.Lucius Apustius Fullo, Praetor 196 BCEThersites the Historian2024-01-19 | Apustius was an accomplished legate from the Second Macedonian War, who won substantial victories while operating independently, both on land and at sea.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGobekli Tepe, the Sphinx, and Refuting Conspiracy Theories (feat. Robert Schneiker)Thersites the Historian2024-01-14 | Geophysicist Robert Schneiker joins me for a conversation on a variety of topics of geological and archaeological significance. We also discuss how Randall Carlson promised him a debate a few years back and now seems to be hiding from him.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMoney in Politics, Ancient and Modern (feat. Monica Shepherd)Thersites the Historian2023-12-06 | We talk about the role of money in politics in Athens, Sparta, Rome, and modern America.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLSlavery- Ancient and Modern (feat. Dr. Monica Shepherd)Thersites the Historian2023-12-02 | Monica and I discuss the similarities and differences between slavery in the ancient Mediterranean and slavery in the United States pre-1865.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLFrench Generals of World War I, Part I (de Mitry and dUrbal Segments)Thersites the Historian2023-11-05 | For some reason, my coverage of de Mitry and d'Urbal did not make it into my recent stream. Here is the lost footage.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLFrench Generals of World War I, Part I (feat. Luke Freet)Thersites the Historian2023-11-02 | I examine and tier-rank 21 of the 42 French generals who commanded an army or army group during the First World War. The headliners of this group are Joffre, Nivelle, Mangin, Castelnau, Franchet d'Esperey, and Guillaumat. If you want to hear more about Petain, Foch, Fayolle, and some of the others, you will have to wait for Part II, which will come out at a date yet to be determined.
Technical Issues caused my coverage of the last two generals, de Mitry and d'Urbal, to be lost, but I now have a supplemental video up covering those two commanders.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLZoe Porphyrogenita, 1028-1050Thersites the Historian2023-10-13 | As the daughter of Constantine VIII and niece of Basil II, Zoe Porphyrogenita became the new face of the Macedonian Dynasty from 1028 forward. By taking her hand in marriage, three very different men became emperors. However, Zoe is interesting in her own right and here, I look at her life from a sympathetic perspective to try to show how she attempted to resolve the messy succession crisis that she inherited from her uncle and her father. I will argue that Zoe had a number of excellent qualities, even if it seems rather clear that she was not someone who was capable of running a state.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLPublius Attius Varus, Praetor 53 BCEThersites the Historian2023-09-10 | A stalwart of the Senatorial/Pompeian cause during Caesar's Civil War, Attius Varus fought throughout the entire conflict. Starting as the very first Pompeian commander in northern Italy, Attius would meet his end at Munda. Although he was technically triumphant over Curio in Africa, Attius would not enjoy much battlefield success. However, he would pave the way for the creation of the powerful Pompeian host which Metellus Scipio led to defeat at Thapsus.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLAtlanta Campaign, Part II: Hood Takes The Helm (feat. Dave Powell, Sean Chick, and Luke Freet)Thersites the Historian2023-09-01 | Today, we will be examining the second half of the Atlanta campaign of 1864. Last time, Sherman's army group advanced through north Georgia and cleared all of the defensible terrain on the way to Atlanta. Despite some small setbacks, such as the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Sherman was able to sustain his force and keep casualties relatively low. Joseph E. Johnston's failure to take a strong stand got him fired and this led Confederate President Jefferson Davis to entrust the south's second field army to the young and relatively inexperienced John Bell Hood. Far more daring than Johnston, Hood will try to retrieve the situation and save Atlanta by going on the offensive. Will it work? Well, obviously not. However, we are here to look at precisely why Hood failed and get into the details of how Sherman successfully cut the rebellious South in half and set the stage for his March to the Sea and March Through the Carolinas.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLAtlanta Campaign, Dalton to Kennesaw Mountain (feat. Dave Powell, Sean Chick, and Luke Freet)Thersites the Historian2023-08-08 | We look at the first half of the 1864 Atlanta Campaign, where Sherman's Union army group faced off against the Confederate Army of Tennesee under Joseph E. Johnston. Sherman's hope was to capture the important industrial and rail center at Atlanta and Johnston's task was quite simply to stop him.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Vettius, Professional Informant, Died of Natural Causes 59 BCEThersites the Historian2023-07-25 | Lucius Vettius was the Roman Jeffrey Epstein, just without much in the way of leverage. His allegations were the talk of the town for a short period of time, but he died after two days of testifying to the existence of a murder plot against Pompey the Great. It was universally believed that he had been murdered and that he had been acting on behalf of a more powerful party. Vettius was unmourned and his murder remained unsolved.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLUkraine War Update Stream, 7/20/2023 (feat. Sean Chick, Michael Kraemer, and Dr. Jonathon Dreeze)Thersites the Historian2023-07-21 | We discuss the developments in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMarcus Aemilius Lepidus Minor, executed 30 BCEThersites the Historian2023-07-07 | The son of the triumvir by the same name and nephew of the assassin Marcus Junius Brutus, Lepidus Minor had a flair for the dramatic and a deep-seated hatred of Octavian. It didn't end well for him.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMarcus Junius Brutus, Tribune 83 BCEThersites the Historian2023-07-04 | The father of the famous tyrannicide, Papa Brutus was Marcus Aemilius Lepidus' chief lieutenant during his infamous 78-77 revolt.
*Note: I say at some point during the video that Brutus was Praetor in 83, but that was just a gaffe. He was never a Praetor, but rather a Tribune.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLSextus Julius Caesar, Governor of Syria 47-46 BCEThersites the Historian2023-07-01 | Caesar's young second cousin, Sextus Julius Caesar had a promising future, especially after he developed a strong friendship with the aging dictator. However, his premature death at the hands of mutineers in Syria not only squelched his potential but may have greatly altered the course of Roman history.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Julius Caesar, Proquaestor 46 BCEThersites the Historian2023-06-28 | The only member of his family to side with Pompey, the younger Lucius Julius Caesar was the black sheep of his family, someone who was treated as a joke in our sources, and the victim of an unsolved murder. Here, I argue that he may have been the victim of a hatchet job (in our sources) and that his murder may have had larger political ramifications than are immediately apparent.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGaius Caninius Rebilus, Suffect Consul 45 BCEThersites the Historian2023-06-21 | One of Caesar's most loyal generals, Caninius Rebilus participated in some of Caesar's toughest battles before becoming, perhaps, the least consequential Consul in the history of the Republic.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLQuintus Marcius Rufus, Quaestor 49 BCEThersites the Historian2023-06-19 | A minor player in a major military operation, Quintus Marcius Rufus is the epitome of what it means to be a flash in the pan.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLAustro-Hungarian Commanders of World War I Tier-RankingThersites the Historian2023-06-09 | I discuss and rank 39 crucial high-ranking commanders from Austria-Hungary's last war effort.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Cornelius Cinna, Praetor 44 BCEThersites the Historian2023-05-25 | The younger Cinna in his youth fought on the losing side against Sulla before going on to serve in the losing causes of Lepidus and Sertorius. His reward was to pardoned, but debarred from public office. When his political rights were restored by Caesar in 49, he began his career belatedly. However, it was in 44 when he finally made his mark by being the first person to publicly declare his support for the assassins on the Ides of March and becoming the most hated man in Rome by casting aside his Praetor's robes and denouncing Caesar's government as illegitimate.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMarcus Juventius Laterensis, Praetor 51 BCEThersites the Historian2023-05-19 | One of the more principled men during the Late Republic, Laterensis became an icon for a dead political cause.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Aemilius Regillus, Praetor 190 BCEThersites the Historian2023-05-04 | The last Roman fleet commander during Rome's war against Antiochus the Great, Regillus and his historical significance was more greatly appreciated by posterity than during his own time.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMichael V Calaphates, 1041-1042 CEThersites the Historian2023-05-01 | Michael V Calaphates took the Byzantine world by surprise when he ascended the throne in December 1041. After almost inexplicably removing his entire family from all positions of power, he overreached when he tried to sideline the Empress Zoe, the last public-facing member of the fabled Macedonian dynasty. His actions caused the city to turn out against him and resulted in him being blinded and sent to a monastery by the middle of April 1042. Despite his failure, the men he restored from exile did important things and inability to exercise restraint ended the last opportunity to create a smooth and peaceful transition from the moribund Macedonian house to the Paphlagonians.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVL1960s Music Tier-Ranking (feat. Thoughtful Pug and Sean Chick)Thersites the Historian2023-04-19 | Music was revolutionized in the 1960's. Here we discuss and tier-rank a number of the most important bands from the era.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGaius Livius Salinator, Consul 188 BCEThersites the Historian2023-04-09 | The son of the saltiest consul of the Second Punic War, Gaius Livius Salinator was one of Rome's most important commanders during the war with Antiochus III, the last time that the Republic would combat a true peer power. Gaius Livius Salinator contributed as much as any Roman to the victory, winning the Battle of Kissos, regularizing cooperation with the Rhodians and Attalids, and engaging in successful negotiations with Bithynia and the port city of Herakleia-Pontike.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLAulus Atilius Serranus, Praetor 192 BCEThersites the Historian2023-03-27 | Aulus Atilius Serranus was the first senior Roman official to respond to the Achaean League's plea for assistance during the Roman-Seleucid War, the last conflict where the Roman Republic confronted a peer power which had a chance of actually winning.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLMarcus Tullius Cicero Minor, Consul 30 BCEThersites the Historian2023-02-16 | Cicero Minor had one of the more well-documented childhoods in Roman history. After spending his youth trying to live up to his father's lofty expectations, Cicero Minor fought bravely in the Battles of Pharsalus and Philippi before returning to Rome and becoming a political ally of the ascendant Octavian, a close contemporary. Cicero Minor served as Consul and governed Syria before fading into obscurity and possibly dying prematurely due to his excessive drinking.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLPublius Servilius Vatia Isauricus the Younger, Consul 48 and 41 BCEThersites the Historian2023-02-13 | The son of a famous Optimate, Servilius Isauricus shocked the Roman world when he aligned with Caesar in 49 BCE. After playing a crucial role in keeping Rome in line, Servilius Isauricus put himself in a position to be stronger than ever when he arranged for his daughter to get engaged to young Octavian. However, this marriage did not happen and Servilius Isauricus' name was tarnished following his second consulship in 41 BCE. His life tells us a good deal about the politics of the 40's and he is often quickly and unfairly dismissed as a mere trimmer, something that I argue against in this video.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLLucius Antonius, Consul 41 BCEThersites the Historian2023-01-30 | The youngest of the Antonii, Lucius raised hell from his teenage years all the way until his consulship, when he nearly ended Octavian's career early. Here, I argue that Lucius Antonius, not Fulvia, was the prime mover of the Perusine War and that his importance in the period was greatly understated by our sources and continues to be underestimated to this day.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLGaius Antonius, Governor of Macedonia 43 BCEThersites the Historian2023-01-20 | The younger brother of Mark Antony, Gaius Antonius presided over two major disasters and is all too often simply dismissed. However, if we consider the details of defeats, insofar as we know them, Gaius Antonius was just woefully unlucky. Further, I argue that his early death was a major blow to Mark Antony's career as a triumvir.
BitChute: bitchute.com/channel/jbyggyAKQvVLQuintus Dellius, Acrobat of the Civil Wars, active 44-31 BCEThersites the Historian2023-01-02 | Quintus Dellius, who served as Antony's majordomo, is primarily famous for switching sides three times during the second round of civil wars at the end of the Roman Republic. However, his real significance comes from his influential memoir, which shaped all of the surviving ancient accounts of events in the eastern Mediterranean during the era of the Second Triumvirate.