HeyJaredGruntled History Teacher
Historical content and musings on teaching history, from a classical school perspective
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 9
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- Sep 2, 2026
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- Jul 8, 2026
Latest issues
Grounding Machiavelli (opens the original)
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ClassicalED Review published an article Monday from a Hillsdale professor, Dr. Benjamin Beier, discussing the dangers of holding up Machiavelli as an exemplar to be learned from. It’s a good article that gets at a tension that sometimes pops up in classical education - how should we evaluate figures such as Machiavelli? I’ll throw in Thucydides as well for presenting a similar challenge.Dr. Beier talks about the dangers of holding up Machiavelli as an exemplar to be emulated, and it mentions ins
The Roads of the World Grew Dark - Homer’s Odyssey, Books 10-12 (opens the original)
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After a hiatus during the start of the school year, my literature teacher sister and I return to our discussion of the Odyssey. Books 10-12 include:The winds of Aeolus and how the Greeks are their own worst enemy.The Laestrygonians and the gradual stripping away of civilization, gods, and humanity from Odysseus.Pigs and human appetites, Hermes makes another appearance, and why Odysseus and Circe go to bed together. The underworld, Tiresias, and Odysseus’ meeting with his Mother.The parade of fem
The Neolithic Revolution: Social Contracts and Stationary Bandits (opens the original)
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This is the next installment in the Five Founding Cities narrative. Links to Ch. 1 may be found here, and the first installment of Ch. 2 here. The following excerpt is a thought-experiment on state formation during the Neolithic Revolution.Let’s return to our hypothetical village full of early farmers and
The Alcoholic Peasant and the Printing Press (opens the original)
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Life for an alcoholic peasant in the premodern world required less temperance. In a small agricultural village, where the supply of fermented grains was limited or seasonal, one could drink to excess during festival events and feast-days, and then sober up on a daily ration of weak beer or wine for most of the year. Literature and historical sources are full of examples of civilians and soldiers losing their self-control at a moment’s notice in the presence of alcohol, as well as ship captains k
A Cyclops Doesn't Blink at Zeus - Homer's Odyssey, Book 9 (opens the original)
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(Update: fixed audio playback speed)We spent so much time on Book 9 that it deserved an entire episode. Topics covered include:The sacking of the Cicones and why Odysseus can’t control his men.The Lotus Eaters and memory.The Cyclops’ community as an anti-polis.How Odyssues knew to bring the wine.Zeus, Xenia, and the Cyclops asking “who are you.”Nobody.Homer’s incredibly evocative and gruesome depictions of violence.Why Odysseus had to reveal himself to Polyphemus.<
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