Discussing the Hoplite Experiment | Episode 14

How To Actually Save The West | Ft. WompTomp

Follow Chris: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WompTomp TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notwomptompInstagram: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womp_tomp/ X: https://x.com/womp_tomp In this episode, we sit down with WompTomp for a wide-ranging conversation on modernity, comedy, philosophy, Christianity, politics, music, aesthetics, and the spiritual crisis underneath contemporary culture. WompTomp is known for blending cultural critique with humor, but this conversation moves beyond the jokes into the deeper worldview behind his content: why modern life feels hollow, why people have lost contact with higher principles, and why so much of online culture is driven by attention, resentment, ego, and performance. The discussion begins with WompTomp’s background in philosophy, neuroscience, and online commentary before moving into Guénon, Evola, perennialism, the Enlightenment, and the collapse from sacred order into a world of quantity, ideology, and abstraction. From there, we discuss content creation, the temptation of attention, Tolkien’s Ring as a symbol of power, music as spiritual programming, the romanticization of misery, the difference between pagan heroism and Christian love, and why self-sacrifice only becomes meaningful when it is ordered toward something higher than the self. The final section turns toward politics, liberalism, communism, social fragmentation, Nietzsche, C.S. Lewis, Plato, Christian metaphysics, and the question of whether the West can still be saved. Rather than treating “saving the West” as a nostalgic political project, the conversation points toward a deeper answer: truth has to become living again. The past cannot simply be recreated, but the soul can be restored, families can be built, culture can be renewed, and the embers of civilization can be carried forward into something new. Jonas’ Links: YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker]  Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/]  TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker] X: ⁠https://x.com/jonaskilker⁠ [https://x.com/jonaskilker] Jonas’ Merch: ⁠https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism⁠ [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism]  Website: ⁠https://jonaskilker.com/⁠ [https://jonaskilker.com/] Dane's Links:  Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269] Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/]  Tiktok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13?_t=8s6TjlAlLmZ&_r=1] X: ⁠https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20⁠ [https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20]  Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@danemillerhass⁠ [https://substack.com/@danemillerhass] Dane’s Merch: ⁠https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction⁠ [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction] Timestamps: 00:00 – Introducing WompTomp 02:34 – Philosophy behind the comedy 09:58 – Posting honestly online 14:47 – Attention as the ring 25:47 – Music, taste, and identity 39:20 – Music as spiritual programming 41:31 – Misery, ego, and sacrifice 49:26 – Offense, honesty, and activism 01:00:53 – Gender, science, and ideology 01:10:30 – Communism and human nature 01:17:23 – Liberalism, politics, and order 01:26:30 – Salvation beyond history 01:40:44 – Fan questions and overthinking 01:47:24 – Art, Lewis, and philosophy 02:00:46 – Can the West be saved?

Why Looksmaxxing Will Never Be Enough | Ft. Hexumlite

Follow Hexumlite: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@hexumlitee⁩  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCgqnp7YjbMND9i9qLG3n1iw] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexumlite/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/ ⁨@hexumlitee⁩  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCgqnp7YjbMND9i9qLG3n1iw] Other Links: https://linktr.ee/hexumlite?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1055a99-c5b9-4839-8d6a-c9de8807cf73 In this episode, we explore the modern world of looksmaxxing, the blackpill, male self-improvement, social anxiety, dating, resentment, and the psychological consequences of building your entire identity around physical appearance. A major theme throughout the conversation is that improving your appearance can absolutely improve your life — especially for men who have genuinely neglected themselves physically, socially, or psychologically. Taking care of your body, style, health, and confidence matters. But the discussion also examines the point at which self-improvement can become obsessive and spiritually hollow. For many men, the pursuit of attractiveness slowly transforms from a tool into a worldview, where every interaction, relationship, and life decision becomes filtered through status, validation, and comparison. We discuss the reality that looksmaxxing alone cannot resolve deeper issues of loneliness, insecurity, resentment, or lack of purpose. Without internal development, social confidence, meaningful relationships, competence, and direction in life, external improvement can still leave someone feeling empty. The episode ultimately explores the tension between physical optimization and genuine fulfillment, and asks whether modern self-improvement culture is creating stronger men — or simply more anxious and image-obsessed ones. Jonas’ Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker [https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker [https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker] X: https://x.com/jonaskilker [https://x.com/jonaskilker] Jonas’ Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism]  Website: https://jonaskilker.com/ [https://jonaskilker.com/] Danes Links:  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269 [https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/ [https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/]  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13 [https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13?_t=8s6TjlAlLmZ&_r=1] X: https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20 [https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20]  Substack: https://substack.com/@danemillerhass [https://substack.com/@danemillerhass] Dane’s Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction] Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro with Hexumllite 02:14 – Young men after college 11:27 – Leaving the job path 17:07 – Turning life around 22:45 – Jonas’ firefighting story 28:35 – The social media grind 37:16 – Men, women, and dating 42:33 – Entitlement and self-worth 53:21 – Blackpill and confidence 01:02:19 – Looksmaxxing versus hero maxing 01:17:48 – Building social skills 01:28:07 – Resentment and humanity 01:39:21 – Blackpill to whitepill 01:51:22 – Fan questions begin 02:03:23 – Legacy and modern culture

Sea Peoples Summer

Sea Peoples Summer is upon us. In this episode of Barbarian Banter, we discuss the mysterious raiders and displaced warriors who emerged during the Bronze Age Collapse and terrorized the eastern Mediterranean. We discuss why the Sea Peoples should not be understood simply as villains who destroyed civilization, but as part of a wider Mediterranean crisis involving famine, piracy, earthquakes, collapsing trade networks, migration, and warfare. We break down what we actually know from Egyptian records, especially the inscriptions connected to Ramses III, and how those sources describe groups like the Sherden, Philistines, Weshesh, and other peoples associated with Sardinia, Troy, Greece, Anatolia, Italy, and possibly Iberia. We also talk about the material culture of the Sea Peoples: horned helmets, feathered crests, long swords, ships, beards, armor, mercenary warbands, and the broader world of Bronze Age piracy. From there, we move into the genetics and archaeology of the Philistines, the evidence for European ancestry appearing briefly in the Levant, and what that suggests about migration across the Mediterranean. Finally, we turn Sea Peoples Summer into a modern life philosophy: travel, risk, physical vitality, friendship, exploration, sun, ocean, aesthetics, and the willingness to look ridiculous while doing something memorable. Jonas’ Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker [https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker [https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker] X: https://x.com/jonaskilker [https://x.com/jonaskilker] Jonas’ Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism]  Website: https://jonaskilker.com/ [https://jonaskilker.com/] Danes Links:  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269 [https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/ [https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/]  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13 [https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13?_t=8s6TjlAlLmZ&_r=1] X: https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20 [https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20]  Substack: https://substack.com/@danemillerhass [https://substack.com/@danemillerhass] Dane’s Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction] Timestamps: 00:00:15 – Sea Peoples Summer Begins 00:01:02 – Who Were the Sea Peoples 00:04:53 – Egyptian Sources and Philistines 00:07:11 – Sherden, Troy, and Achaeans 00:10:05 – Bronze Swords and Mercenaries 00:13:00 – Philistine Genetics and European DNA 00:17:30 – Troy, Earthquakes, and Collapse 00:22:40 – Migrations, Famine, and Displacement 00:27:55 – Egypt Versus the Sea Peoples 00:43:10 – What Sea Peoples Summer Means 00:53:21 – Samurai, Bushido, and Honor 00:58:45 – Why We Started Barbarian Banter 01:00:58 – Boars, Kings, and Neoplatonists 01:10:23 – Pirates, Gods, and Heaven 01:21:10 – Out-of-Character Stories and Lessons

The Return of the Renaissance Man | Episode 15 with Zach Schenken

Follow Zach: Website: https://www.thevitruvian.co/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@zachschenken Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachschenken/ X: https://x.com/zachschenken Substack: https://substack.com/@zachschenken In Episode 15 of Barbarian Banter we sit down with Zach Schenken for a discussion on personal excellence, the Renaissance man ideal, mythologizing your life, masculinity, spirituality, time travel, truth, and building a meaningful life in a disenchanted age. We discuss Zach’s philosophy behind “Be the Renaissance,” the importance of male friendship, rites of passage, competence, family, and creating culture from the individual outward. The conversation also covers romanticizing everyday life, synchronicity, birds as omens, Hyperion, time travel, AI, reality, Christ, Nietzsche, the Western canon, materialism, historical uncertainty, physical vitality, and the role of family support in building future generations. Jonas’ Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker [https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker [https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker] X: https://x.com/jonaskilker [https://x.com/jonaskilker] Jonas’ Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism]  Website: https://jonaskilker.com/ [https://jonaskilker.com/] Danes Links:  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269 [https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/ [https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/]  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13 [https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13?_t=8s6TjlAlLmZ&_r=1] X: https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20 [https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20]  Substack: https://substack.com/@danemillerhass [https://substack.com/@danemillerhass] Dane’s Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction] Timestamps: 00:15 – Introducing Zach Schenken 03:21 – Be The Renaissance 07:40 – Heroism And Selfhood 12:50 – Men In Formation 18:15 – Family And Generational Decline 25:18 – Mythologizing Your Life 28:47 – Romanticizing The Present 35:01 – Birds, Omens, Synchronicity 48:55 – Hyperion And Time 58:30 – Truth Is Nearby 01:22:42 – God, History, And Materialism 01:33:31 – Questions And Life Advice 01:47:53 – Christ, Nietzsche, And Philosophy 02:00:45 – Advice To Your Younger Self 02:05:56 – Zach’s Name And Purpose

Discussing the Hoplite Experiment | Episode 14

In episode 14 we discuss and breakdown the recent Hoplite Experiment conducted by Sur Le Champ in August of 2025 "to test and observe the dynamics of flight and pursuit during the rout of a hoplite formation in ancient Greece." They observed how hoplite formations moved, broke, collided, and pursued fleeing enemies, with emphasis on fear, cohesion, shock, and casualty patterns. We also discuss the limits of reenactment-based military history, including armor, endurance, skirmishers, cavalry, psychology, and the difficulty of recreating real fear of death. The episode then moves into questions on modern war, chivalry, Bronze Age Europe, Roman gladiators, Greek myth, and our personal Heroes. Timestamps: 00:15 – Hoplite Warfare Experiment 03:36 – Recreating Greek Phalanx Combat 05:12 – Orthodox And Heretical Views 08:33 – Methodology And Battle Setup 12:30 – First Formation Clash 15:12 – Problems With Formation 19:32 – Shock Zones Explained 23:43 – The Free Hunt 27:37 – Casualties And Routing 30:14 – Fear, Speed, And Endurance 32:37 – Limitations Of The Experiment 39:37 – Religion And Battlefield Courage 01:09:13 – Modern War And Chivalry 01:21:27 – Bronze Age Europe 01:29:10 – Greek Myth And our own personal Heroes Jonas’ Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker [https://www.youtube.com/@Jonaskilker]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonaskilker/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker [https://www.tiktok.com/@jonaskilker] X: https://x.com/jonaskilker [https://x.com/jonaskilker] Jonas’ Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/mythic-vitalism]  Website: https://jonaskilker.com/ [https://jonaskilker.com/] Danes Links:  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269 [https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatdane269] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/ [https://www.instagram.com/the_great_dane469/]  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13 [https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreatdane13?_t=8s6TjlAlLmZ&_r=1] X: https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20 [https://x.com/thegreatdane269?s=20]  Substack: https://substack.com/@danemillerhass [https://substack.com/@danemillerhass] Dane’s Merch: https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction [https://constantinegraphicsco.com/collections/under-construction]