With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, and the birth of Christianity. The show's current season is on Late Antiquity (or 200-700 CE) and the dawn of the Middle Ages. A typical episode (they average about two hours) features a general introduction to a work of literature, then a full summary of that work that expects no prior knowledge, and finally, an analysis of the cultural, biographical, and historical forces that gave rise to the work in question. Original symphonic and ambient background music is woven throughout each show, and all episodes offer free full, illustrated, footnoted transcriptions as well as quizzes for purposes of review. The show has no advertisements, and its host takes pride in a professional approach that avoids chitchat and ephemera and gets straight to the educational content. You can listen to the episodes in any order, although most listeners begin at the beginning and proceed from there, as the podcast itself is chronologically organized. Doug Metzger finished his Ph.D. in literature in 2011. His chief scholarly interest, following his dissertation work, continues to be 19th-century realism and postbellum American philosophy.
Listeners of Literature and History that love the show mention: metzger, literature and history, songs at the end, iliad, western literature, ancient literature, works of literature, doug s podcast, thank you doug, greek and roman, silly songs, college level, doug is a great, old testament, humanities, ever found, thanks doug, ancient history, ancient world, doug does a great.
Prior to the dawn of Islam, the Arabian Peninsula had a great poetic tradition, with many genres, and many poets who are still celebrated and studied today. Episode 112 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-112/ Episode 112 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-112-pre-islamic-arabic-poetry Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@literatureandhistorypodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literatureandhistorypodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/literatureandhistory TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lahpodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lahpodcast.bsky.social X https://x.com/lahpodcast
Leading up to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in about 570 CE, the Arabian Peninsula was an increasingly populous and globally interconnected region. Episode 111 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-111/ Episode 111 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-111-pre-islamic-arabia Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
In Episode 110, Literature and History host Doug Metzger answers dozens of listener questions about making the show, books, and how and why the podcast came to be. Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons: https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/ The Actual First Novels Bonus Series: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn Episode 110 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-110-questions Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Episode 109 brings our long season on Late Antiquity to a close, reviews the past 24 programs on the beginnings of the Middle Ages, and introduces our new season on early Islamic History. The Actual First Novels Bonus Series: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons: https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/ Episode 109 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-109-cornerstones Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
One of the great scholars of Late Antiquity, Isidore (c. 560-636) left behind a compendium called the Etymologies, an encyclopedia of his epoch's knowledge, a book second only to the Bible during the Middle Ages. Episode 108 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-108 Episode 108 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-108-isidore-of-seville Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The Merovingian court poet Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530-600), at work in Francia in the late 500s, shows us the world of the Middle Ages blooming from Roman ruins. Episode 107 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-107 Episode 107 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-107-venantius-fortunatus Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The second half of the History of the Franks (591) is a deep dive into the grime and intrigue of the Merovingian dynasty, written in a style that's as medieval as it is classical. Episode 106 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-106 Episode 105 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-106-gregory-of-tours-part-2 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594) completed The History of the Franks in 591. The long book's account of Clovis and the Merovingian Dynasty has been one of our most important sources on early Medieval History, ever since. Episode 105 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-105 Episode 105 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-105-gregory-of-tours-part-1 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Second only to the Tanakh, the 63 Tractates of the Talmud are the main text of Rabbinic Judaism, containing the teachings of thousands of ancient rabbis. Upcoming Seasons: https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/ Episode 104 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-104 Episode 104 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-104-introduction-to-the-talmud Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
In the twilight of the Western Empire, Boethius (c. 476-523) served as consul, but ended his life imprisoned by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric, writing The Consolation of Philosophy. Ancient Greece Declassified Enemies of Athens Tour (October 11-19, 2023): https://www.greecepodcast.com/tour/ Episode 103 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=351&catid=2 Episode 103 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-103-boethius Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Augustine's City of God, Part 2 of 2. The second half of the City of God contains some of Late Antiquity's most influential writings – most notably Augustine's take on Original Sin. Episode 102 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-102-quiz Episode 102 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-102-an-old-mans-book Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Augustine's City of God, Part 1 of 2. The first half of the City of God is a broadside against paganism – its culture, religion, and history, subjects about which Augustine had much to say. Episode 101 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-101-quiz Episode 101 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-101-against-the-pagans Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Augustine's Confessions, Part 2 of 2. The second half of Augustine's Confessions contains some of the most famous theology in Christian history. Episode 100 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-100-quiz Episode 100 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-100-late-have-i-loved-you Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Augustine's Confessions, Part 1 of 2. The first half of Augustine's Confessions tells of his wayward early years, his intellectual journey, and his spiritual awakening. Episode 99 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-99-quiz Episode 99 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-099-the-boy-who-stole-pears Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Polyglot Jerome (347-420) had a gigantic impact on all subsequent Christian history, leaving behind a huge body of works, including the Latin Bible. Episode 98 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-98-quiz Episode 98 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-098-the-life-and-works-of-saint-jerome Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory Ancient Greece Declassified Tour: https://www.greecepodcast.com/tour/
The Dionysiaca, Part 2 of 2. The last surviving Greek epic of antiquity draws to a close with Dionysus fighting wars far to the east, in India. Episode 96 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-97-quiz Episode 96 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-097-blood-and-ivy Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The last epic from Greco-Roman antiquity that survives in full, Nonnus' fifth-century Dionysiaca tells of the wine god Dionysus' journey eastward, to India. Episode 96 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-96-quiz Episode 96 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-096-the-last-pagan-epic Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
In 417 CE, the Roman poet Rutilius Namatianus journeyed from Rome back to his homeland of Gaul, not knowing whether there was a home to return to. Episode 95 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-95-quiz Episode 95 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-095-rutilius-namatianus Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
One of the later Latin poets of the Empire, Ausonius' expansive body of work gives us a window into the changing world of fourth-century Roman culture. Episode 94 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-94-quiz Episode 94 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-094-ausonius Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Sulpicius Severus' (c. 363-425) life of St. Martin is one of the great hagiographies – a portrait of a timeless saint, but also of a human being and working bishop. Episode 93 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-93-quiz Episode 93 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-093-severus-life-of-saint-martin Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Athanasius (c. 297-373) wrote a wildly popular biography of the desert hermit St. Antony, touting the ideals of asceticism and triumph over demonic temptation. Episode 92 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-92-quiz Episode 92 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-092-athanasius-life-of-antony Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
In Carthage, in 203 CE, a Roman noblewoman and her retinue were butchered in an amphitheater. Learn her story, and the earliest history of Christian martyrs. Episode 91 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-91-quiz Episode 91 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-091-the-passion-of-perpetua Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Learn the documentary history behind how the Catholic Church was founded and set up as an organization, together with some of the works of the earliest church fathers. Episode 90 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-90-quiz Episode 90 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-090-ante-nicene-catholicism Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Heliodorus of Emesa (3rd/4th century CE) wrote the longest novel to have survived from antiquity, an adventurous romance that reemerged into Europe in the 1500s. Episode 89 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-89-quiz Episode 89 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-089-the-aethiopica-of-heliodorus Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory Great Anthology of Ancient Greek Fiction: B.P. Reardon's Collected Ancient Greek Novels
In roughly the 160s CE, the Greek satirist Lucian of Samosata wrote A True History, one of history’s earliest surviving novels, with strong tinges of what we’d call science fiction. Episode 88 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-88-quiz Episode 88 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-088-ancient-greek-sci-fi Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The satirist Lucian (c. 125-180) was popular in his own time and during the Renaissance, among other things probably being the first author of science fiction. Episode 87 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-87-quiz Episode 87 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-087-lucian-of-samosata Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Once pervasively described as a period of fall and decline, today Late Antiquity is often understood as a period of cultural flowering and economic revolution. Episode 86 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-86-quiz Episode 86 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-086-an-introduction-to-late-antiquity Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
A primer on Biblical canon formation, retrospective on what we’ve covered so far, and introduction to the upcoming season. Episode 85 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-085-river Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
After 300 CE, Manichaeism spread quickly from its origins in modern day Iraq and Iran. Recent archaeological discoveries have finally allowed us to learn about it firsthand. Episode 84 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-84-quiz Episode 84 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-084-manichaeism Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The Nag Hammadi Library, Codex Tchacos, and Berlin Codex, as they came to light in the twentieth century, radically changed our understanding of early Christianity. HarperOne Nag Hammadi Scriptures https://harperone.com/9780061626005/the-nag-hammadi-scriptures/ Episode 83 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-83-quiz Episode 83 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-083-gnosticism Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Learn the basic tenets and early history of Zoroastrianism, one of the most important and widespread religions in the ancient world, and possibly earth’s oldest living monotheism. Episode 82 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-82-quiz Episode 82 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-082-zoroastrianism Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
One of the most spectacular pieces of writing in the world’s religious texts, Revelation influenced generations of writers and theologians. Episode 81 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-81-quiz Episode 81 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-081-revelation Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory Write Large Podcast: https://www.writlarge.fm/
The later epistles of the New Testament show early Christian theology expanding and evolving in the Ancient Mediterranean. Episode 80 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-80-quiz Episode 80 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-080-the-general-epistles Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Possibly the most influential theologian in history, Paul codified and clarified Christianity as it emerged into the diverse world of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The story of Christianity’s first missionaries is a sweeping , intercontinental narrative, filled with danger, strange encounters, and the hope for a better future. Episode 78 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-78-quiz Episode 78 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-078-the-book-of-acts Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the heart of the New Testament. And today, historians and Biblical scholars know more about them than ever before. Episode 77 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-77-quiz Episode 77 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-077-the-gospels Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The Roman client king Herod (c. 73-4 BCE) ruled Judea for thirty years. Learn about his rule, and the political and religious climate of Judea just before the birth of Christ. Episode 76 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-76-quiz Episode 76 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-076-judea-under-herod Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
A retrospective on the material we’ve covered thus far as we head into Early Christianity and Late Antiquity, plus some announcements. Episode 75 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-075-dusk-and-starlight Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations show an intelligent emperor coping with the realities of an empire buckling under its own weight. Episode 74 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-74-quiz Episode 74 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-074-marcus-aurelius Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Apuleius’ The Golden Ass is Ancient Rome’s only novel to survive in full – a strange, often disturbing fairytale that had a huge influence on posterity. Episode 73 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-73-quiz Episode 73 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-073-the-golden-ass Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Juvenal’s Satires, produced some time in the decades around 100 CE, mercilessly mock some of the more colorful aspects of Roman life. Episode 72 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-72-quiz Episode 72 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-072-bread-and-circuses Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Statius’ Thebaid, Books 7-12. Six hundred years after Aeschylus, Statius once again brought the Theban epic to a thunderous conclusion.
Statius’ Thebaid, Books 1-6. This epic is hardly ever read or taught these days, but in 100 CE, it was as famous as anything in the Roman world. Episode 70 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-70-quiz Episode 70 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-070-romes-forgotten-epic Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Petronius’ Satyricon is a contender for history’s first novel, a picaresque filled with sex, misadventures, and details about daily life. Episode 69 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-69-quiz Episode 69 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-069-romes-comic-novel Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Seneca’s Phaedra (c. 50s CE) is the story of an illicit passion, a stoic cautionary tale and simultaneously vivid character study. Episode 68 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-68-quiz Episode 68 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-068-love-means-sin Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Seneca’s Thyestes, probably written around the 50s CE, is one of the most horrifying and influential plays ever written. Episode 67 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-67-quiz Episode 67 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-067-jaws-dripping-blood Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Stoicism, starting with Zeno in 300 BCE, was a popular philosophy by the lifetime of Seneca, perhaps even making its way into the New Testament. Episode 66 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-66-quiz Episode 66 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-066-seneca-stoicism-st-paul Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Seneca the Younger (c 1 BCE-65 CE) practiced the philosophy of stoicism over the course of several volatile, and very different imperial reigns. Episode 65 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-65-quiz Episode 65 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-065-seneca-and-the-julio-claudians Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
For mysterious reasons, in 8 CE, Ovid was exiled from Rome. Ovid’s last works were composed an ocean away from Italy, on the western shore of the Black Sea. Episode 64 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-64-quiz Episode 64 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-064-ovids-exile Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Books 11-15. The vast Metamorphoses draws to a resonant conclusion as Ovid brings his great poem to Rome itself. Episode 63 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-63-quiz Episode 63 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-063-all-is-in-flux Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Books 6-10. In the middle portion of Ovid’s great poem, psychological transformations become as gripping as physical ones. Episode 62 Quiz: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-62-quiz Episode 62 Transcription: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-062-a-curious-passion Bonus Content: http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
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