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Welcome to the weekend edition of the Daily Stoic. Each weekday we bring you a meditation inspired by the ancient Stoic, something that can help you live up to those four

Stoic virtues of courage, justice, wisdom, and temperance. And here on the weekend we take a deeper dive into those same topics. We interview Stoic philosophers, we reflect, we prepare, we think deeply about the challenging issues of our time. And we work through this philosophy in a way that's more possible here when we're not rushing to worker to get the kids to school.

When we have the time to sing, to go for a walk, to sit with our journals and to prepare for what the future will bring.

What if you were trafficked into a cult over shot nine times or fell in love with a vampire or went into a minor surgery and woke up one week later, paralyzed. What would you do?

I'm with Missle Dine, the creator of this is actually happening a podcast from Wondry that brings you extraordinary true stories of life changing events told by the people who lived them from a young man that dooms his entire future with one choice to a woman who survived a notorious serial killer.

You'll hear their first person account of how they overcame remarkable circumstances. Each episode is an exploration of the human spirit and personal discovery. These haunting accounts sound like Hollywood movies, but I assure you this is actually happening. Follow this is actually happening wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen, add free on the Amazon Music or Wondry app.

Hey, it's Ryan. We have a very special episode of the podcast today. I am bringing you a selection from one of my favorite books written by one of my favorite authors on stoicism.

This is from Donald Robertson's How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, the stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. I blurbed this book. My blurbs on the cover. It's a clear guide for those facing adversity seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence.

But what I wanted to do is pick one of my favorite chapters from the book. This is chapter seven. It's called Temporary Madness. What I love about it is it's actually a story that I partly explore in the obstacles the way the story of a video cast, he has and his revolt against Marcus real is Marcus probably would have described it as a coup.

It's one of the most spectacular and credible events in history. Marcus intended it to be exactly the lesson that it becomes. He wanted to use this as an opportunity. He said to teach future nations how to deal with civil strife in Rome.

Obviously things were more violent than they are today, but he wanted wanted to show that political differences like this could be resolved with as little bloodshed as possible that there didn't need to be the reprisals and the persecutions and the prescriptions that were so common in Rome at this time.

Marcus was secure enough in himself, secure enough of his power that he was able to see this just so philosophically. To me, it's just an incredible moment of leadership in these sort of uncertain chaotic political times. I think this is just an absolutely relevant chapter.

It's a fantastic book. If you haven't listened to it, well, here's your chance to preview a bit of it. You can get it in audio, print, digital, in any of the formats. It's a great book. There's a reason it's selling like crazy. I think you'll really like this. And I'm just so excited for you to listen.

Chapter 7. Temporary Madness May 175 AD. An Elvis Courier hands over a letter to Gaius Avedius Cassius, commander of the Syrian legions and Governor General of the Eastern Provinces.

It contains only a single Greek word which to his consternation reads, emanates, your mad, you've lost your mind. Cassius is furious and tears it to pieces. He's not someone to be trifled with. In fact, his brutality has become notorious.

One of his favourite punishments is to chain men together in groups of ten and let them drown in the middle of a river. Rumors circulated that he once had dozens of the enemy bound to a pole nearly 200 feet high and set it ablaze so that for miles around their countrymen could watch them burn alive.

Even by the brutal standards of the Roman army, that was considered horrifically cruel. He was renowned among his own trips as a strict disciplinarian, sometimes to the point of savagery.

He cut off the hands of deserters or broke their legs and hips, leaving them crippled. Letting them live on in misery was his way of warning others against disobeying his orders. However, Cassius was also a distinguished military hero.

Next to the Emperor, he was the second most important commander in the Roman army, perhaps even the second most powerful man in the whole empire.

Cassius' guy on grip on his trips was legendary and it made him indispensable to Rome.

Marcus and Cassius had long been family friends, while Cassius was rumored to criticise the Emperor behind his back. Marcus would tell his courtiers, it is impossible to make men exactly as one would wish them to be. We must use them such as they are.

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