Episodes
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The secondborn son of Priam and Hecabe was already making a big splash before he was born- and well before he swooped on a woman called Helen. There's not many of us who get a prophecy about our destructive legacy- or who get confused with a major European city...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Ovid (1914), Heroides and Amores. Translated by G. Showerman. London and New York: William Heinemann and The Macmillan Co. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company. Wilkinson, P., Carroll, G., Faulkner, M., Field, J. F., Haywood, J., Kerrigan, M., Philip, N., Pumphrey, N. and Tocino-Smith, J. (2018), The Mythology Book. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited. Author unknown, Merriam Webster (date unknown), What is a 'Firebrand?' (online) (Accessed 10/11/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Heroides (online) (Accessed 10/11/2024). -
It's the start of Chapter II, so we're off to the Trojan War! Except... Not just yet. We need some background first. You might have heard of our subject today- she shares a name with one of the co-hosts...
Sources for this episode:
Euripides (1981), Medea and Other Plays. Translated by P. Vellacott. London: The Penguin Classics. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Callimachus and Lycophron (1961). Translated by A. W. Meir. London and New York: William Heinemann and G. P. Putnam's Sons. Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books. Norwich, J. J. (2003), Byzantium: The Decline and Fall. London: The Folio Society.Any sources and future debate about Aesacus to be put here.
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Missing episodes?
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All Hallows' Eve is upon us... and that means spooky stories! Join us for two longer-form Greco-Roman stories and four tales from around the world. Plus, the Autocrat palace may or may not be haunted. So there's that.
Sources for this episode (to be updated tomorrow):
Marks, A. and Tingay, G. (date unknown), Romans. London: Usborne Publishing. Pliny (1969), The Letters of the Younger Pliny. Translated by B. Radice. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. Steel, R. W. , Gardiner, R. K. A. , McMaster, D. N. , Dickson, K. B. , Nicol, D. S. H. W. , Clarke, J. I. , Kröner, A. , Middleton, J. F. M. , Mabogunje, A. L. and Smedley, A., Encyclopedia Britannica (2024), Africa (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Tacitus (1983), The Annals of Imperial Rome. Translated by M. Grant. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Africa (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Claudius (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Curtius Rufus (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Hadrumetum (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) List of consuls (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Lucius Vitellius (consul 34) (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Quintus Curtius Rufus (online) (Accessed 28/10/2024). -
Back in episode 15, we discussed the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha in their experience of the great flood sent by Zeus to destroy humanity. However, there are other flood myths we didn't get to cover because of our focus. So, we welcomed Chris Stewart from the History of China to go through Chinese creation stories, flood myths, scientific controversy, and more!
Sources for this episode:
Allan, S. (2017), The Jishi outburst flood of 1920 BCE and the great flood legend in ancient China: preliminary reflections. Journal of Chinese humanities 3.1: 23-34. Bergman, J. (2003), Do Creation and Flood Myths Found World Wide Have a Common Origin? The Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism 5: 517-528. Wilkinson, P., Carroll, G., Faulkner, M., Field, J. F., Haywood, J., Kerrigan, M., Philip, N., Pumphrey, N. and Tocino-Smith, J. (2018), The Mythology Book. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited. Wu, Q., Zhao, Z., Liu, L., Granger, D. E., Wang, H., Cohen, D. J., Wu, X., Ye, M., Bar-Josef, O., Lu, B., Zhang, J., Zhang, P., Yuan, D., Qi, W., Cai, L. and Bai, S. (2016), Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of China's Great Flood and the Xia dynasty. Science 353(6299), 579-582. Author unknown (2010), Holy Bible: International Children's Bible (New Century Version). Milton Keynes: Authentic Media Limited. -
After 48 episodes, it's time to move on to the Trojan War. Before we do, let's look back at everything we've covered, watch the co-hosts quiz each other and answer your questions and comments! All while we struggle to pronounce words and feel pain over the fall of Constantinople. Plus, a voice from somewhere beyond the microphone...
Some sources for this episode:
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), History of Portugal (online) (Accessed 17/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Siege of Perinthus (online) (Accessed 17/10/2024). -
It is time to say an emotional goodbye to Heracles- but not before he sacks Troy before it becomes cool, does some light target practice on a centaur and builds himself a funeral pyre.
Sources for this episode:
Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L. and Stryer, L. (2007), Biochemistry (6th edition). New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. Homer (2021), The Iliad & The Odyssey. Translated by S. Butler. Ovieda, Spain: King Solomon. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Plutarch (1973), The Age of Alexander. Translated by I. Scott-Kilvert. Harmonsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. Robertson, J. (1788), The Parian Chronicle, or the Chronicle of the Arundelian Marbles; with a Dissertation Concerning its Authenticity. London: J. Walter, Charing Cross. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Agesilaus II (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Argead dynasty (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Aristomachus (mythology) (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Caranus of Macedon (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Cleodaeus (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Coenus of Macedon (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Eurysthenes (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Heracleidae (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Iole (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Leonidas I (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Neoptolemus (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Temenus (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Tyrimmas of Macedon (online) (Accessed 06/10/2024).Sources for drawing research:
Afidah, A., Agustina, M. F. and Trisnawati, R. K. (2022), Colorful God and Goddess as the representation of modern Greek mythology in Lore Olympus. DIKSI 30(2): 160-169. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Apollo (online) (Accessed 14/10/2024). -
Just to let you know that there won't be a new episode this week due to one of the co-hosts not feeling great. However, stick with us! In this filler episode, we discuss the direction the podcast is going to take over the next few weeks and go through a bit of housekeeping. Not only that, but if you are lacking your history podcasting fix this week, there's an exclusive clip of episode 69 of After Alexander- before it's even out on that podcast's feed...
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Another instance of a cursed family tree- this time in two stories. The first is one of a man who just wants to find a nice statue and settle down. In the second, a series of cursed events lead to someone Aphrodite can fall in love with! A handy precedent to set as we wind our way towards the Trojan War...
Sources for this episode;
Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Galatea (mythology) (online) (Accessed 13/08/2024). -
Quick correction- we call Orthus the father of Cerberus in the episode, but it's actually Typhon! Just swap 'father' for 'brother' and everything still works.
The final and most dangerous task is here, and we've got to go down into the underworld... We've got the whole package: Heracles solving fighting-based problems; Harry Potter connections from Cassie, and Vince going down a rabbit hole about mythological chronologies!
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd. Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK: Harvard University Press. -
Back in episode 33, we examined what the ancient authors had to say about the phoenix. Well, this time the basilisk is under scrutiny! Also, find out which snake we think it probably sprung from! That and Part II of Harry Potter references...
Sources for this episode:
Alexander, R. McN. (1963), The Evolution of the Basilisk. Greece & Rome 10(2): 170-181. Rackham, H. (1967), Pliny Natural History with an English Translation in Ten Volumes. Volume III: Libri VIII-XI. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd. -
Originally meant as a wedding gift for either Zeus or Hera, the Golden Apples lie in a garden far in some direction- either north or west, the sources disagree. Look forward to a cameo from a sly Atlas! He may have already become a mountain due to Perseus' shenanigans in episode 17 if you believe Ovid but hey, who's really keeping score... Plus sky giraffes. We can't forget about those.
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd. Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK: Harvard University Press. -
A heroine in Greek mythology! Her story involves the stories of many other heroes, including Peleus, the fallout from Oedipus and Jason and the Argo. We also see that if you want to get ahead in life, all you need is some divine golden fruit and you'd be... well... golden.
Sources for this episode:
Aelianus, C. (1665), Various History. Translated by T. Stanley. London: Printed for Thomas Dring. Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge. Florio, P. I. (1983), Birth of a Lion x Leopard Hybrid in Italy. International Zoo News 30/2(178): 4-6. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Tzetzes, J. (last edited 2018), Chiliades or Book of Histories. Translated by A. Untila, G. Berkowitz, K. Ramiotis and V. Dogani. -
If there's one thing Heracles is good at... It's gratuitously killing things. Oh good, here's another chance to do that while fetching some cows from the remnants of Atlantis! That and horrify Cassie by committing crimes against doggos...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd. Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK: Harvard University Press. Author unknown, UNRV Roman History (date unknown), The Aventine Hill (online) (Accessed 07/05/2024). -
You either die a hero... or you're Jason. Let's watch the wheels come off the wagon off Jason's cart as he angers a powerful sorceress by marrying princess Glauce behind her back. Expect violence, murder and a wild life the hosts were very excited to tell each other about!
Content warning: It's Medea, so we're going to get a lot of violence.
Sources for this episode:
Aelianus, C. (1665), Various History. Translated by T. Stanley. London: Printed for Thomas Dring. Baldauf, S. L. and Palmer, J. D. (1993), Animals and fungi are each other's closest relatives: congruent evidence from multiple proteins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 90(24): 11558-11562. Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. de Carli, G. J. and Pereira, T. C. (2017), On human parthenogenesis. Medical Hypotheses 106: 57-60. Euripides (1981), Medea and Other Plays. Translated by P. Vellacott. London: The Penguin Classics. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Riley, H. T. (1889), The Metamorphoses (Ovid), Literally Translated Into English Prose, With Copious Notes and Explanations. London: George Bell & Sons. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company. Watts, P. C., Buley, K. R., Sanderson, S., Boardman, W., Ciofi, C. and Gibson, R. (2006), Parthenogensis in Komodo dragons. Nature 444: 1021-1022.Sidenote: The Medea Complex is characterised as a wish of a mother to kill one's children, while the Argo became the constellation Argo Navis. Sources for these tangents:
Stern, E. S. (1948), The Medea Complex: The Mother's Homicidal Wishes to her Child. Journal of Mental Science 94(395): 321-331. Tyminski, R. (2014), The Medea Complex- Myth and Modern Manifestation. Jung Journal 8(1): 28-40. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Argo Navis (online) (Accessed 18/08/2024). -
The Amazons feature for the first time in a major way, as Heracles is tasked with fetching a belt from their queen! All in order to please the first recorded instance of both a spoiled princess and a daddy's girl...
Content warning: An apparent Amazon practice of mutilation gets mentioned very briefly.
Sources for this episode:
• Beverly, B. I. (1947), Spoiled Children. Postgraduate Medicine 2(2): 90-92.
• Euripides (1930), Euripides in Four Volumes (Volume III). Translated by Way, A. S. London and New York: William Heinemann and G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
• Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
• Herodotus (1904), The Histories of Herodotus. Translated by Cary, H. New York: D. Appleton and Company.
• Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK: Harvard University Press. -
A rightful heir who's been defrauded of his inheritance, a king with a fetch-quest and a talking boat. Just the right ingredients to summon together an Avengers-style all-star cast of Greek heroes. All while our hero barely seems relevant in his own story...
Content warning: It's a story containing Medea, so it gets a bit brutal at times.
Sources for this episode:
Apollonius Rhodius (1889), The Argonautica. Translated by E. P. Coleridge. London: George Bell and Sons. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Aeolus (son of Hellen) (online) (Accessed 04/08/2024). -
Carnivorous horses! Speculation about Alexander the Great! A cameo from the jar! This episode has it all. Expect Heracles to have to clean up someone else's mess, as well as deal with a bunch of his groupies and an unexpected funeral...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd. Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK: Harvard University Press. -
You might think you've seen a few vain people in your life, but this one gets an entire psychological trait named after him. He's quite the heart-breaker, but is he prepared to have his own heart broken?
Sources for this episode:
Chadburn, H. (2014), Narcissus poeticus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T193504A2239955. Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd. Riley, H. T. (1889), The Metamorphoses (Ovid), Literally Translated Into English Prose, With Copious Notes and Explanations. London: George Bell & Sons. Sheldon, F. A. S. (1816), History of the heathen gods, and heroes of antiquity, to which is added an original translation of the battle of the gods and giants. The whole newly arranged, corrected and enlarged, with the addition of several original and valuable articles. Boston: Isaiah Thomas. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company. Tzetzes, J. (last edited 2018), Chiliades or Book of Histories. Translated by A. Untila, G. Berkowitz, K. Ramiotis and V. Dogani. Author unknown, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (online) (Accessed 26/06/2024). Author unknown, Kew (date unknown), Daffodils (online) (Accessed 26/06/2024). Author unknown, Theoi (date unknown), NARCISSUS (Narkissos) (online) (Accessed 26/06/2024). -
We've come back for one last look at the Theseus saga, as in this week's task we sort of deal with the consequences of Minos II annoying Poseidon that time! Not that we're sure how this fits with the timeline of Minos dying on Sicily but hey- at least there's a big bull for Heracles to deal with.
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd. Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK: Harvard University Press. -
Constantine the Great founded New Rome, or Constantinople, in the 4th century. However, there was already a city there centuries earlier. For the mythical roots of Byzantium, we have to go back to yet another man with dubious parentage- this time called Byzas...
Sources for this episode:
Angelov, D. (2019), The Byzantine Hellene: The Life of Emperor Theodore Laskaris and Byzantium in the Thirteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge. Doležal, S. (2020), The Reign of Constantine, 306-337: Continuity and Change in the Late Roman Empire. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. Genesios (1998), On the Reigns of the Emperors. Translated by A. Kaldellis. Canberra: Australian Association for Byzantine Studies. Kazhdan, A. P. (ed.) (1991), The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 1-2-3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mango, C. (1990), Nikephoros Patriarch of Constantinople Short History. Washington D. C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. Michael the Syrian (2013), The Chronicle of Michael the Great, Patriarch of the Syrians. Translated by R. Bedrosian. Long Branch, New Jersey. Oldfather, C. H. (1963), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume II: Books II (continued) 35- IV, 58. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company. Venning, T. (ed.) (2006), A Chronology of the Byzantine Empire. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Whitby, M. and Whitby, M. (2007), Chronicon Paschale, 284-628 AD. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. Wiseman, T. P. (1983), The Wife and Children of Romulus. Classical Quarterly 33(ii): 445-452. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Byzas (online) (Accessed 25/06/2024). - Show more
