Shows / Great Houses
Great Houses
The Great Houses series is a private discussion on the enduring structures of elite families, their strategies for generational continuity, and the practicalities of building a lasting legacy. Led by Gregory Treat, the series explores concepts like illegibility, patronage, feudal instincts, and the mechanisms by which great houses have persisted throughout history.
Episodes
- Great Houses
34. Cursus Honorum of the AI Future Part 6
In Episode 34 of the Great Houses Forum, Gregory Treat revisits his case for the Roman cursus honorum as an alternative to modern credentialing, correcting the…
- Great Houses
33. Cursus Honorum of the AI Future Part 5
In Episode 33 of the Great Houses Forum, Gregory Treat argues that the modern credentialing system, originally built to educate Prussian peasants, produces…
- Great Houses
32. Cursus Honorum of the AI Future Part 4
Continuing the series on the Cursus Honorum of the AI future, this episode tackles three main questions: (1) whether "AI-proof jobs" actually exist, (2) the…
- Great Houses
31. Zack Fava of Methean.io Talks Great Houses
In this episode of The Great Houses Forum, Gregory Treat sits down with Zack Fava, founder of Methian, an AI-powered homeschooling operating system built to…
- Great Houses
30. Cursus Honorum of the AI Future Part 3
In Episode 30 of The Great Houses Forum, Gregory Treat continues his series on the “Cursus Honorum of the AI Future," arguing that AI will collapse today's…
- Great Houses
29. James McPherson Talks Great Houses
In this episode of The Great Houses Forum, host Gregory Treat sits down with James McPherson, author of the Substack "Aegis of Zeus," a former teacher, and an…
- Great Houses
28. Will Tanner Talks Great Houses
Gregory Treat interviews Will Tanner about rebuilding “great houses” and why asset ownership matters more than wage income, using late-17th-century Virginia…
- Great Houses
27. Cursus Honorum of the AI Future Part 2
Gregory Treat continues his series on AI as an aristocratic technology, arguing that AI will collapse society's need for thousands of specialized roles down to…
- Great Houses
26. Cursus Honorum of the AI Future Part 1
Gregory Treat launches a new series arguing that AI is an "aristocratic" technology — one where cheap access doesn't produce equality, but instead rewards rare…
- Great Houses
25. The Architecture of Trust Part 4
Gregory Treat argues that modern institutions (pensions, public schools, student loans) are failed substitutes for functions the household historically…
- Great Houses
24. The Valerian Gens Part 2
This episode continues the story of Gens Valeria, one of Rome's oldest and most distinguished houses, tracing its arc from the height of the Republic through…
- Great Houses
23. The Valerian Gens Part 1
Continuing the Ancient City Series, Gregory examines House Valerius — Rome's oldest patrician family and the architects of Roman liberty. From the founding…
- Great Houses
22. Mike Faulkner Talks Great Houses
In this episode, Greg sits down with Mike Faulkner — a British-born financier who built and took multiple companies public — to explore the intersection of…
- Great Houses
21. Silas Mähner Talks Great Houses
In this episode, Greg Treat sits down with Silas Mähner, Catholic entrepreneur and founder of Catholic Founders, to discuss long-term employment relationships…
- Great Houses
20. The Architecture of Trust: Part 3
In this episode, Gregory Treat continues the "Architecture of Trust" series, exploring why modern communities trap themselves in poverty by boosting demand and…
- Great Houses
18. The Architecture of Trust: Part 1
This episode explores trust through the lens of two Substack articles: one critiquing African funeral traditions for keeping people poor, and another on how to…
- Great Houses
17. Colton Murray Talks Great Houses
This episode features a conversation with Colton Murray, a second-generation entrepreneur whose father built and sold major candy brands including Dynamic…
- Great Houses
16. Rebuilding a Great House: The Fabian Gens Part 2
In this episode, Gregory Treat concludes the series on the Fabian gens — one of Rome's six Gentes Maiores — by tracing how the trauma of near-total family…
- Great Houses
15. Rebuilding a Great House: The Fabian Gens Part 1
In this episode, host Gregory Treat continues the Ancient City series with a deep dive into the Fabian gens — one of Rome's six great aristocratic houses. The…
- Great Houses
14. The Ancient City Part 2
In this episode of the Great Houses Forum, Gregory Treat continues the Ancient City Series with a deep dive into the six gentes maiores — the great patrician…
- Great Houses
13. The Ancient City Part 1
Host Gregory Treat launches a new series examining why Rome's greatest families produced so many exceptional men. Drawing on a childhood spent in his…
- Great Houses
12. Churchill Aristocracy
Host Gregory Treat examines how John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, built one of Britain's most enduring aristocratic dynasties — not merely through…
- Great Houses
10. Chivalry Is Dead
In this episode, Gregory Treat examines how chivalry—the practical military skill of mounted cavalry combat that drove wealth and power for 2,000 years—died…
- Great Houses
9. The Myth of Universal Agency
In this episode, Gregory explores the concept of "agency" versus "domain mastery." He argues that the tech industry's popular concept of universal "agency" is…
- Great Houses
8. Keeping the Covenant
In this episode, Gregory Treat explores how to build multi-generational "great houses" by identifying and keeping family covenants—agreements with God or…
- Great Houses
7. Take Care of your Brothers
This episode explores the concept of "taking care of your brother" within the framework of building multi-generational family wealth. Gregory Treat explains…
- Great Houses
6. Elders and the Pillar of Discipleship
In this episode of The Great Houses Forum, Gregory Treat explores the pillar of discipleship and the essential role of elders in building multi-generational…
- Great Houses
5. Pillars and Levels of a Great House
Gregory Treat discusses building "great houses"—multi-generational family structures that serve as societal pillars. Every household needs four functions…
- Great Houses
4. Covenants v. Contracts; Legacy v. Growth
In this episode, Gregory Treat continues his series on joining the covenantal economy, exploring the concept of covenant versus contract as foundational…
- Great Houses
3. Honor, Virtue, and Coveting
In this episode, Gregory Treat explores how to signal membership in the covenantal economy through three key concepts: honor, virtue, and coveting. Building on…
- Great Houses
2. Games of Life Require Mediators
This episode explores how to build sustainable, long-term relationships within "Great Houses" - multi-generational family and business structures built on…
- Great Houses
1. Long Term Iterative Aristocratic Games
Attorney Gregory Treat introduces the "covenantal economy"—a framework for building multi-generational family legacies. He contrasts short-term transactional…