Ithaca Bound

In the final series episode of the Ithaca Bound Podcast, Professor Ivana Petrovic, Department of Classics and Department Chair, University of Virginia, joins the show to explore what scholars know about the Greek pantheon.

Pottery in ancient Sparta was used for storage, shipping, communicating moral lessons, and more. Dr Adrien Delahaye, French School at Athens, joins the show to explore what scholars know about Spartan pottery in the Archaic and Classical periods.

Marseille is the oldest city in France but not the oldest French city. Professor Junko Takeda, Syracuse University, joins the show to speak about the period of time when Marseille became part of France.

In 1516, the Ottoman Empire took over the region of Syria from the Mamluk Empire. Professor Stefan Winter, Koç University & University of Quebec at Montreal, joins the show to discuss Ottoman Syria during the century.

Much happened in the 7th century during Umayyad's prominence including two fitnas (commonly referred to as civil wars), printing coins, and the assembly of a navy. Dr. Antoine Borrut, University of Maryland, joins the show to discuss the caliphate's hegemony in the Mediterranean Basin in the 7th century.

Classical Athens had a principles-based legal system that echoes in many legal systems today. Emeritus Professor Edward Harris, University of Durham, makes a return appearance on the show to discuss what court trials were like in the Classical Athenian period.

Classical Sparta functioned for years with a body of citizens who passed laws while co-existing with two contemporaneously sitting kings (a diarchy). Dr Philip Davies, University of Nottingham, joins the show to explain how government functioned in the Classical Spartan period.

Bronze Age Palaikastro on the Island of Crete remarkably persisted for over two millennia, and peculiarly, may never have had a palatial building. Carl Knappett, a professor and department chair at the University of Toronto, joins the show to share what's known about this ancient Minoan urban centre. 

Pompeii became largely uninhabited in the fifth century and began a repopulation process in the fourth. Ivo van der Graaff, Associate Professor, University of New Hampshire, Durham, returns to the show to discuss what was occurring in Pompeii during the fifth and fourth centuries BCE.

The Abbasid Caliphate existed for hundreds of years longer than its Islamic predecessors. Dr Harry Munt, University of York, returns to the show to explain their reign and longevity.

Dr Kathryn Lomas, Durham University, makes a fifth appearance on the show to share what scholars know about Carthage during the interregnum between the Second and Third Punic Wars.

Religion during the Ptolemaic Egypt period was complex and diverse. Dr Julietta Steinhauer, University College London, returns to the show to discuss what religion was like in Ptolemaic Egypt.

In Greek mythology, the region of Thessaly is home to centaurs, Achilles, Jason, and more. Professor Emma Aston, University of Reading, returns to the show to chat about Thessaly appearing in Greek mythology.

During the Late Bronze Age, the Cypriots had a variety of settlements, their own language, and were seafaring. Louise Steel, Professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, joins the show to share what civilization was like on the island during this period of time.

After the Bronze Age, life on the Island of Crete continued. Dr Saro Wallace, Senior Research Fellow, Gerda Henkel Research Foundation, joins the show to explain what civilization was like in this period of time on the island.

In the 10th century, in response to the growing presence of the Fatimid Caliphate in northern Africa, an Emir in Córdoba declared himself a Caliph, transforming the Emirate of Córdoba into a Caliphate. Professor Brian Catlos returns to the show to discuss the period in time when the Caliphate of Córdoba was formed.

In the 17th century, the people commonly known as the Hittites created a kingdom called Hattusa. Dr Mark Weeden, Associate Professor of Ancient Middle Eastern Languages, University College London, returns to the show to speak about the Kingdom of Hattusa in the 17th and 16th centuries BCE.

Rome and farming were inextricable. Professor Annalisa Marzano, University of Reading, joins the show to talk about how ancient Romans farmed.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Almohads operated an empire that stretched across much of the Maghreb and southern Iberia, and are known for such features as their level of bureaucracy and minting squared coins. Professor Amira K. Bennison, University of Cambridge, returns to the show to discuss the Almohads.

The Social War was a five-year war fought in the 1st century BCE (91-87) between the Roman Republic and many of its allied communities. Dr. Seth Kendall, Associate Professor, Georgia Gwinnett College, returns to the show to speak about the events in the third year of the war.

The Old Kingdom was not only a period that's known for its pyramids, but also its pantheon of deities. Professor Emerita Fayza Haikal, The American University in Cairo, joins the show to share what religion was like in the Old Kingdom of Egypt.

In the 14th century BCE, Pharaoh Akhenaten controversially moved the capital of Egypt to Amarna (what contemporaries called Akhetaten). Dr Thais Rocha da Silva, University of São Paulo & Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, joins the show to talk about what the city was like.

The writing system used on the Island of Cyprus during the Late Bronze Age is known by the neologism, Cypro-Minoan. Dr Philippa Steele, University of Cambridge, joins the show to explain what's known about it.

Linear B is the writing system that was used by the civilization(s) known as the Mycenaeans. Professor and Chair of the Department of Classics at the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Dimitri Nakassis, joins the show to discuss this Late Bronze Age writing system.

The Samnites were a group of communities from the central Apennine Mountains who shared certain traits and that predominantly appear in the historical sources in the second half of the first millennium BCE. Historian, Dr Rafael Scopacasa, returns to the show to discuss what scholars know about the Samnites in fifth century BCE.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Almoravid Empire held vast amounts of territory in northern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, and capitalized their state in Marrakesh. Professor Amira K. Bennison, University of Cambridge, joins the show to discuss their reign.

Greek calendars, in the first millennium BCE, were plentiful and varied. Professor Alexander Jones, New York University, joins the show to explain ancient calendars in this period and region of the Mediterranean.

After an evidential hiatus of a few hundred years, an alphabet arrived in Greece, and with it, literacy. Dr Adam Schwartz, University of Copenhagen, returns to the show to talk about early literacy in Greece.

The Principality of Catalonia encompassed Barcelona, and in the fourteenth century, was part of the Crown of Aragon. Dr Jeff Fynn-Paul, Leiden University, joins the show to talk about what urban life was like in this part of the Mediterranean Basin in the period.

Pompeii presents an opportunity to understand the dynamics of city infrastructure better in the ancient period. Professor Eric Poehler, University of Massachusetts Amherst, joins the show to explore Pompeii's infrastructure in the later period of its existence.

In Greek mythology, the Chimera is a figure that is comprised of lion, goat and snake. Professor of Classics & Department Chair, Scott Smith, University of New Hampshire, joins the show to discuss what the Chimera is in Greek mythology.

After Alexander III's death, the relationship that Greek polities had with the Kingdom of Macedon was mixed: some were congenial, some acquiesced, and others outright revolted. Dr Charlotte Dunn, University of Tasmania, returns to the show to discuss what happened in Greece after Alexander III's life.

In the 14th century BCE, the Mycenaeans gained dominion of at least Knossos on Crete, and possibly, the entire island. Professor Louise Hitchcock, The University of Melbourne, makes a fifth appearance on the show to explore the topic.

Three major wars, substantial territorial annexation, and a new form for Consuls to be elected, all occurred between 349 to 300 BCE (late 4th Century BCE). Dr. Gary Forsythe, Associate Professor, Texas Tech University, makes a fifth appearance on the show to explain the events.

Ancient Ostia was a major port city of Rome, and at one point, bustling and diverse. Retired associate professor at the University of Oxford, Dr Janet DeLaine, joins the show to discuss what scholars know about the apartment buildings that existed in Roman Ostia.

In the 3rd millennium BCE, Egypt accomplished a remarkable feat for its time under Pharaoh Djoser—it united. Professor Kamil Kuraszkiewicz, University of Warsaw, joins the show to explain what scholars know about Pharaoh Djoser of the Third Dynasty and his associated pyramid.

The Etruscans were a group of communities, connected through language and culture, that flourished on the Italian peninsula before the Romans. Professor Alexandra Carpino, Northern Arizona University, returns to the show to discuss what scholars know about the Etruscans in the sixth century BCE.

Professor & Graduate Chair, Kelly Olson, Western University, joins the show to discuss what ancient Romans wore. Topics discussed include: the attire, fabrics used, what colour was meant to communicate about the bearer, if undergarments were exercised, how Romans cleansed themselves, and more.

Linear A is the writing system that was used by Minoans on the Island of Crete in the Bronze Age. Undeciphered for over a century, Dr Brent Davis, The University of Melbourne, joins the show to explain what is and isn't known about this ancient writing system.

The fifth century BCE was not only important for the history of theatre in Athens, but formative for the industry, as a whole. Dr. Andrew Walker White, George Mason University, joins the show to treat this period in history and drama.

By many standards, Ptolemy's reign in Egypt was successful, including an heir, Ptolemy II, who succeeded him without turbulence. Professor Ian Worthington, Macquarie University, returns to the show to analyze Ptolemy's pharaohship in Egypt.

Pompeii comes into the records in the seventh century BCE, and more materially, in the sixth. Dr. Ivo van der Graaff, University of New Hampshire, Durham, joins the show to discuss what scholars know about Pompeii in the sixth century BCE.

The Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt saw increased political stability and achievements on foreign and domestic fronts. Danish Egyptologist, Dr Nicky Nielsen, The University of Manchester, returns to the show to discuss the circumstances surrounding the founding of the Nineteenth Dynasty.

Ancient Christian anchorites rejected many aspects of ordinary life and practiced denying various bodily pleasures. Professor Andrew Jotischky, Royal Holloway, University of London, returns to the show to discuss their practices and way of life in the Mediterranean Basin.

The Mycenaeans were a group of prehistoric Greek people. Dr. Kim Shelton, University of California, Berkley, joins the show to share what's known about their settlements on mainland Greece and how the settlements would have been used in the Bronze Age.

To understand the Italian community, Samnium, in the Iron Age (9th to 6th centuries), scholars predominantly rely on funerary evidence. Dr. Rafael Scopacasa returns to the show to share what's known about Samnites in this period of time.

The Pompeiians had a wide variety of products at their disposal. Dr Ria Berg, Director, Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, joins the show to discuss the products that were being used in Pompeii by the 1st century CE.

In the ancient period, Delphi offered highly sought-after oracular services, hosted quadrennial sporting games, and was a nexus for culture and information sharing. Professor Michael Scott, Warwick University, joins the show to discuss Delphi in the ancient period.

In Greek mythology, the Trojan prince, Paris, choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful Goddess, laid the antecedents for the Trojan War. Professor Joel Christensen, Brandeis University, returns to the show to discuss who Paris is in Greek tradition.

In 6 CE, inhabitants of the Province of Illyricum rebelled against Roman rule, resulting in a four-year war, known as the Batonian War (6-9 CE). Dr Danijel Džino, Macquarie University, joins the show to explain what's known about the uprising.

Minoan settlements in the Bronze Age were advanced for the time, including featuring labyrinthine architecture in their palatial buildings. Professor Louise Hitchcock, The University of Melbourne, makes a fourth appearance on the show to discuss Minoan palaces, villas, and other residential buildings during the Bronze Age.