The Spartan Mirage
A special series of episodes, available wherever you get your podcasts... Spartan myth, history, culture, and more, accompanied by conversations with some of the top experts in ancient Sparta and ancient military practices, along with the more troubling modern notions of Sparta...
Part 1
Why Is Sparta So Weird? Ancient Sparta & The Spartan Mirage
In this introduction to the new series on ancient Sparta and the Spartan Mirage, Liv gives a rundown on the history of Archaic and Classical Sparta, truths and misconceptions.
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Conversations:
Pausanias in the Peloponnese, Spartan Myth & Culture w/ Dr. Maria Pretzler
Liv is joined by Maria Pretzler, a professor of Classics who specializes in mythology and the writings of Pausanias. They talk about the culture of the Peloponnese, what we learn from the late travel writer Pausanias, the mythology of ancient Sparta.
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Part 2
Very Extravagant Rich People, Ancient Sparta & The Spartan Mirage
We're talking all things Spartan culture: all the things made them Spartan, set them apart from the rest of the Greek world.
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Conversations:
The Classic Blunder! 'Never get involved in a land war [with Sparta], Spartan Military w/ Roel Konijnendijk
Liv speak with Roel Konijnendijk who teaches at Oxford and specializes in ancient Greek warfare. Roel covers Spartan warfare, what made them different, and not so different from the rest of the ancient Greek city-states.
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Part 3
Mythology vs. Myth Making, From the Heracleidae to Thermopylae, Ancient Sparta & The Spartan Mirage
That's right it's time for actually, run of the mill mythology! Okay, it's Spartan so actually it's still pretty weird, and confusing... Because you know, Greek mythology. We're talking Children of Heracles and all the famous Spartans of the Homeric world. Plus, the myth-making that gave us 300.
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Conversations:
Not the Fun Kind of Myths, De-Mystifying Spartan Tradition w/ Owen Rees
Liv speaks with Owen Rees, a professor and founder of Bad Ancient, about ancient Sparta, that Mirage, and how Sparta is viewed today by some of the most dangerous groups around.
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Part 4
They Really Just Loved to Sing & Dance, Ancient Sparta & The Spartan Mirage
We're talking more of Sparta's history and culture including a (very brief!!) overview of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars and just a taste of Sparta during the Roman period, Lacedaimonia Land.
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Conversations:
A Long and Storied History of Sparta, Modern Misuse & Misconception w/ Stephen Hodkinson
Liv speaks with Stephen Hodkinson, expert in all things Sparta. They discuss Sparta throughout history including its use in politics from the founding of the USA to Nazi Germany to modern day misuses of Spartan culture and history.
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Part 4
Things Were Marginally Better for Them! The Women of Sparta
In this final episode of the Spartan series, Liv goes through the lives of Spartan women. From worshipping and dancing with Helen to having your brother in law's babies, Spartan women had interesting and unique lives.
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Bonus!
Researching Sparta Was A Trip, Behind the Scenes w/ Michaela Smith
In this bonus episode, Liv speaks with Michaela Smith who handled the research for the special Sparta series. They talk about researching for the show, and the ancient world in general.
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Conversations:
Singing the Songs of Sparta, Alcman’s First Partheneion w/ Julia Perroni
Liv speaks with fellow podcaster Julia Perroni about the (possibly) Spartan poet Alcman and his poem dedicated to the young women of Sparta, the First Partheneion.
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Q&A!
Answering Those Lingering Spartan Questions
In a brief finale to the series on Sparta and the Spartan mirage, Liv answers lingering listener questions about that ancient city-state and its mythology.
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