For several years a group of friends and I have been gathering to discuss the history of the Peloponnesian War. We’ve been reading primary sources, and working our way through them together.

The process has been helpful for me as a teacher, because it has deepened my understanding of the context of some of the ancient philosophers whose works I teach regularly.

More importantly, it is a reminder of how perennial these texts are. My friends and I work in a range of different fields, but each of us notices how relevant the old histories are for our times.

Perhaps best of all: reading and talking together has been a good practice in friendship.