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HOMER’S ILIAD

These episodes cover the lead up to the Trojan War, the Iliad of Homer, and the events after the Iliad to the end of the Trojan War.


Before the Iliad - Background

Don't be Awful, or, the Curse on the House of Atreus

What makes Agamemnon and Menelaus tick? There's a curse on the House of Atreus: Pelops, Myrtilus, Atreus, Thyestes, and Aegisthus, so much awful s**t.

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One Mustn't Trust Mysterious, Inscribed, Shiny Fruit - Trojan War Origins 1

It’s the most famous war of history and mythology, but there’s more to the story of the Trojan War than the war itself. Peleus marries the nymph Thetis, and their wedding is a s**tshow. Paris and Achilles are born.

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When a Seer Tells You to Kill Your Daughter, Just, Don't - Trojan War Origins 2

Paris and Helen jet off to Troy leaving Helen's husband more than a little peeved. Agamemnon puts together an expedition to Troy, and there are some familial hiccups.

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The Iliad

PART 1 - Achilles & Agamemnon, the Real Housewives of the Trojan War

Achilles and Agamemnon have a major spat over a prize (read: a woman). The gods are called in to settle things, and everyone gets a little dramatic.

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PART 2 - Vineyards and Doves, the Armies of the Trojan War

The Greeks go on and on planning their approach and the Trojans prepare for the Greek's attack. It's more excited than it sounds, I swear. So many vineyards and dove

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PART 3 - Athena vs. Aphrodite, Kind Of

Results of the oath sworn by Paris and Menelaus, some godly intervention and drama, and, finally, an actual battle!

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PART 4 - The Achaeans, Infinity War

The wrath of Diomedes (he's something else), and his encounters with Aeneas, Aphrodite, Athena, and Apollo. It's gory and god-filled!

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PART 5 - The Immortal and Dysfunctional Family of the Gods

Flashback to the birth of Aeneas and the affair between his parents Anchises and Aphrodite. Plus, as usual, the gods made the war far, far worse for the humans.

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PART 6 - Hector of Troy, A Pretty Decent Dude

More of Diomedes' madness, and a day in the life of Hector, warrior prince of Troy,

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PART 7 - Return of Achilles, Sort Of

The Trojan War wages on. The gods involve themselves in the action once more, and surprise surprise, it doesn't go well for the humans.

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PART 8 - The Beginning of the End of the Beginning

Eris gets involved in the war, it's a real thrill, and Achilles continues to be a jerk. Paris is a dink, and Hector and Odysseus are kickass.

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PART 9 - Hera & Zeus' Dysfunctional Relationship

Hector is using his god-power to break down the walls, and Poseidon decides he needs to insert himself on behalf of the Greeks. Hera, meanwhile, realizes the key to success is an intricate seduction of her husband. Things are getting dicey for the Greeks.

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PART 10 - Patroclus, Patroclus, Patroclus

Things get dark for our beloved Greeks... *sigh* Patroclus.

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PART 11 - Hector & the Wrath of Achilles

Achilles is furious and heartbroken, and he's taking it out on Hector. The gods weigh in once again as this epic war comes crashing to it's finale.

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PART 12 - The End of the Trojan War, Something About a Horse & a Heel

It's the end of the war as we know it. Achilles and his famous heel, the Trojan horse, and what happens to the Trojans when the Greeks are finished with them?

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Conversations and Extras on the Trojan War

Calliope is Over Your Sh*t, the Women of the Trojan War with Natalie Haynes

Liv speaks with author and classicist Natalie Haynes about the women of the Trojan War and Pandora. Natalie's latest books are A Thousand Ships, recently published in North America and Pandora's Jar, available in the UK.

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Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache... Euripides' Trojan Women

The Trojan War is over, but for the women of Troy, the horror is just beginning. Euripides' Trojan Women: Hecuba, Queen of Troy, Cassandra, princess and prophetess, and Andromache, the widow of Hector.

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Fragments of an Ethiopian King, Memnon & the African Continent in Greek Myth

The ancient Greeks knew incredible warriors when they saw them. The African continent featured often in Greek myth, Egypt as well as regions typically referred to as Libya and Ethiopia, these are the Greek myths featuring those people and places.

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HOMER’S ODYSSEY

These episodes cover the 10 long years following the Trojan war where Odysseus tries, and tries again to get back home - to Ithaca


PART 1 - Telemachus is a Whiny Little B…

Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope's whiny, grown son, with the help of Athena, is a on a mission to find information about his father.

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PART 2 - It's All Calypso... Odysseus' Journey Begins

Finally, we find Odysseus on the beguiling nymph Calypso's island. He's being set free after so many years, but the Odyssey is just beginning...

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PART 3 - Pobody's Nerfect, Odysseus & Polyphemus

Odysseus begins to tell his story... So far it involves people who eat Lotus and a giant with one eye named Polyphemus.

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PART 4 - Winds are Strong, Giants are Big & a Witch is a Witch

Odysseus and his men visit Aeolus, keeper of the winds, the Laestrygonians, and finally land on the witch Circe's island of Aiaia.

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PART 5 - Hanging Out in the Halls of the Dread Goddess Persephone

Odysseus and his men stay with Circe on Aiaia, before being given some advice on how best to get home to Ithaca from the dead.

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PART 6 - In the Underworld Dead Men Whine

Back in the Underworld hanging out with dead friends. Circe gives some tips on how to get past favourite mythological monstrosities: Scylla and Charybdis.

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PART 7 - Don't Eat the Sun God's Cattle

Odysseus and his men escape from Scylla and Charybdis: the final dramatic episode before a whole new type of dramatic episodes.

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PART 8 - Ithaca, Is That You?!

Odysseus is FINALLY back in Ithaca, took him long enough! But nothing in Greek mythology is easy.

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PART 9 - Reunited and It Feels So Good

Odysseus is reunited with his son Telemachus. They enjoy some quality father-son plotting of murderous revenge.

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PART 10 - Checking the Suitors' Privilege

Odysseus and Telemachus get closer to finally doing away with the suitors, but first, confrontations and a cameo by Penelope.

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PART 11 - Penelope, A Cunning Woman Surviving in a Man’s World

Penelope and the "stranger" who is Odysseus finally speak. And the suitors inch closer and closer to their doom.

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PART 12 - Odysseus and a Sea of Suitors' Blood

Odysseus is fed up, it's time for the suitors to die.

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PART 13 - Penelope, Odysseus & A Very Special Olive Tree

Penelope and Odysseus [sleeping under] a tree, proving his identity. (But seriously, it's nice.)

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 VIRGIL’S AENEID

Many, many hundreds of years after the Iliad and the Odyssey were finally written down after being sung by bards for who knows how long, Virgil wrote the Aeneid. It’s ancient Rome’s answer to the Greek epics and fascinating in its own right… even if Aeneas is a bit obnoxious at times.


The Context

Friends, Romans, Countrymen... Rome, Janus & Virgil's Aeneid

Let's talk Rome: their mythology and some very important historical contexts of a little thing called the Aeneid.

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The Epic

Part 1 - He’s Greek & He’s Roman, He’s Making Juno Angry, He's Aeneas, Baby!

It's (finally) time... Aeneas, the hero founder of Rome, exile from Troy, son of Venus, hated by Juno... He's lived quite the life.

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Part 2 - Dido, the Badass Queen of Carthage

Jupiter and Venus discuss Aeneas and the Trojans' fate, and it's time we meet the Carthaginians and their badass queen Dido.

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Part 3 - Not That Damn Horse Again!

Aeneas meets Dido who asks him to tell her all he's been through to get to Carthage (it's a lot). Meanwhile, Venus and Cupid plot.

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Part 4 - Aeneas Had a Wife in Troy! Ghost Creusa’s Got Shit to Say

Aeneas tells the story of the end of the Trojan War, and where to go from there. He's visited by ghosts, quite a few ghosts. It's a vibe.

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Part 5 - The Man, the Myth, the Legend? Aeneas

Guess who's back, back again? It's time to return to the Aeneid. Aeneas is in Carthage with its queen, Dido, and things are going well... for now.

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Part 6 - Dido Wonders Why She Got Out of Bed At All

The "relationship" of Dido and Aeneas continues with the affects of the love potion only increasing. Juno and Venus begin to form a plan of how to handle Carthage.

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Part 7 - No Earthly Ships, the Tragedy of the Aeneid’s Dido

Dido's fate is determined by Aeneas's stubbornness and the far too potent love spell of Venus... Things get sad and dark for Carthage.

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Part 8 - A Dramatic Ship Race & Someone Lands in Blood and Dung

Abandoning queens! Burial anniversary celebrations! Funereal ship races! Aeneas and the Trojans set off from Carthage, but there is more in their way. They must land on Sicily where they take the opportunity to hold some anniversary funereal rites for Aeneas's father, Anchises. Plus, a ghost!

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Part 9 - Aeneas, Anchises, and Underworld Propaganda

Aeneas travels to the Underworld to speak with his father and learn the future of his descendants including, once again, Caesar and Augustus themselves!

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Part 10 - Just When Things Are Looking Up, Aeneas Goes to War

Finally, finally, Aeneas and the Trojans reach Latium. But Hera isn't finished with them yet!

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Part 11 - Vulcan Sure Can Forge a Prescient Shield

It's time for war... Fortunately, though, the future's pretty clearly laid out on Vulcan's shield for Aeneas. The war with Turnus and the Latins begins.

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Part 12 - What is the Aeneid Without Aeneas? The Second Trojan War Continues

The war rages on, Trojans vs. Latins. Jove convenes a meeting of the gods and Juno and Venus each make their case. And finally, FINALLY, Aeneas is on the horizon.

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Part 13 - Violent Aeneas, Merciful Aeneas, Phantom Aeneas

The war between the Trojans and their allies and Turnus, the Latins, and theirs, continues. Pallas, Lausus, and Mezentius enter the fray and things don't go well for any of them. Plus, ghost Aeneas!

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Part 14 - The Real Aeneid Was the Friends We Made Along the Way

It's here: the final episode of the Aeneid. The battle isn't over... Bloodshed, meddling goddesses, and angry dudes. Aeneas vs. Turnus... last man standing.

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Conversations

Why We Should Give Aeneas A Chance, with Dr. Aven McMaster

That's right: it's time to defend Aeneas! Classics professor Dr. Aven McMaster tells me all about Virgil's Aeneid, why the Aeneid is Good, Actually, and why we should really give Aeneas a chance. (Brief, simplified historical note should you get confused: Octavian = Augustus. Same person, Octavian = before he was emperor, Augustus = emperor.)

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