Episoder
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Content warning: Peleus is a terrible person, so expect a mild reference to some implied nastiness.
Peleus is one of those people who gets things he doesn't deserve. Despite all that terrible behaviour we outlined in episode 55, he gets to marry a goddess! However, it's at the wedding that the seeds of something dreadful will be sown...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft. Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Judgement of Paris (online) (Accessed 01/12/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Thetis (online) (Accessed 01/12/2024). -
In the quiet before the storm of the Trojan War and its immediate causes, we introduce two major characters today. The first is Odysseus, great-grandson of Hermes and creator of oaths that blow up in his face. The second is Achilles- descendant of Zeus and an ancient Greek example of play dress-up to run away from your problems.
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft. Statius (1928), Statius. Volume II: Thebiad V- XII and Achilleid. London and New York: William Heinemann, Ltd. and G. P. Putnam's Sons. -
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Content warning: the title should tell you everything you need to know here. The descendants of Tantalus are violent, and they don't mess about.
Tantalus is usually known for being the originator of the word tantalising. But how bad can his story really be? In this episode, Vince tells a progressively more horrified Cassie about the messed-up lives of his descendants- including Agamemnon and Menelaus...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Oldfather, C. H. (1993), Diodorus of Sicily: the Library of History. In Twelve Volumes. Volume III: Books IV.59- VIII. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books. 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, Wikipedia (date unknown), Tantalus (son of Thyestes) (online) (Accessed 19/11/2024). -
Meet the most beautiful woman in the world- who may have hatched from an egg. She's got suitors lining up to marry her which poses a problem for her stepfather Tyndareus. Maybe Odysseus will have a short term solution that will only cause problems later?
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. Pausanias (1886), Pausanias Description of Greece. In Six Volumes. Volume II: Books VII to X. Translated by A. R. Shilleto. London: George Bell and Sons. Plutarch (1938), Plutarch's Lives. Dryden's Edition, Revised, with an Introduction, by Arthur Hugh Clough. In Three Volumes (Volume I). Everyman's Library 407. London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. and E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc. Procopius (2016), The Secret History. Translated by G. A. Williamson. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Leda and the Swan (online) (Accessed 17/11/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Penelope (online) (Accessed 17/11/2024). -
Prince Aeneas of Troy has a bit of an unusual parentage- he's the son of minor prince Anchises by Human Woman. Who is definitely human. And not Aphrodite.
Sources for this episode:
Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). 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. Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Tithonus (online) (Accessed 16/11/2024). -
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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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. - Se mer
