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Gwyn and Ode talk about some cool ladies and the stuff they wrote.

We've looked at several different members of the court during the reign of Uno no Sarara, aka Jitou Tennou.  Today we start to look at her life, who she was, and what she did.  In this first part we'll touch on some of her big accomplishments, including building the Fujiwara capital, patronage of Ise Shrine, and even the publication of the Kiyomihara law code.   For more, check out the podcast blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-152   Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 152: Queen Uno no Sarara, Part 1 It was rare that something would pull people from the fields at the height of the season, but it wasn't every day that people of Iga had the opportunity to watch a true royal procession.  They gathered on either side of the street as the parade passed through town.  There were horses and carts, but also just numerous men carrying various bags and provisions.  There were also military guards, decked out in their finest—just in case anyone got any ideas.  There were also various nobles and government officials, riding with her.  The outfits and color would have been striking, particular to those who had little business with the court.  And at the height of it all was a covered palanquin.  Nobody could see the royal presence inside through the screens, though later they would talk about getting a peek of her hair or her robes.  It didn't matter, the procession itself was enough of a spectacle for all to see. Not everyone was pleased.  A few of the more dour elders complained about how much of a disruption and a distraction it was.  They would at least be somewhat mollified by the news that, for enduring the disruption, they would at least get a break on their taxes that year.  The procession was headed east, to the land of Ise.  Apparently they were going to pay their respects at the shrine there.  Did you know that it was dedicated to the ancestor of the royal family itself?  The actual sun goddess herself, Amaterasu.  Some of the elders shook their heads.  They remembered when everyone had been focused on Mt. Miwa, to the west.  And what about this Buddha that had shown up from overseas?  There were temples to him popping up all over the place.  They weren't so sure about all of this, but they knew their local kami and their local priests, who helped with the local harvests, and that was enough for them.  The court and their fancy learning could figure out what the country needed, but they were going to stay focused on the day to day, instead. Here we are, in the reign of Uno no Sarara, widow of Ohoama and mother to the late Prince Kusakabe, known to history as Jitou Tennou.  We've actually been in Uno's reign for several episodes now, but while we've talked about how that reign began and the roles a lot of other people played in that beginning, this episode I would finally like to start focusing on her—who she was, where she came from, and what she did.  Since that covers a lot of ground, we are going to cover some of her history up to this reign, and we'll be mostly focusing on two major updates—the creation of the new capital of Fujiwara, aka Fujiwara-kyou, and the increased royal patronage of Ise, which is thought to have been responsible for the ascendancy of Amaterasu as the paramount kami of the pantheon of Shinto kami. So let's start at the very beginning. It is traditionally held that Uno no Sarara was born around 645 to Naka no Oe and Soga no Ochi no Iratsume.  Ochi was the daughter of Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro, cousin to the powerful Soga no Iruka.  Naka no Oe's marriage to Ochi no Iratsume and her sister, Mehi no Iratsume, had been part of a strategic alliance with Ishikawa no Maro, who helped him overthrow his cousins and institute the Taika Reforms.  We talked about all of that back in Episode 106, as well as subsequent podcasts after that covering the next several reigns. So 645 is about the earliest Uno no Sarara may have been born, the very start of the Taika era, when her father began instituting a lot of changes based on continental practices. She would have grown up in the inner buildings of the Asuka court during this  time of immense change.  She was probably a bit young when the Toyosaki palace was first built, though she may have remembered when the court abandoned it and moved back to Asuka.  Unfortunately, when she was only five years old, tragedy struck.  Ishikawa no Maro, who had been made the Udaijin, or Minister of the Right, was slandered by his own brother, Soga no Himuka, and in return, Naka no Oe sent a force to have him punished.  When he saw he could not get away, Uno no Sarara's grandfather, Ishikawa no Maro, took his own life.  The Nihon Shoki—written, I should note, at least partly under the direction of Maro's granddaughter—claims that evidence came to light demonstrating his innocence, and he was posthumously exonerated.  Maro's daughter, Miyatsuko no Iratsume, was so saddened by all of this that we are told she died of a broken heart. Miyatsuko no Iratsume appears to be another name for Ochi no Iratsume, and if so, it would mean that Uno no Sarara lost both her mother and grandfather when she was only five years old due to the actions of her own father.  This sounds to me like it should be some kind of villain origin story. From there, she was likely taken care of by her aunts and other women in the palace, at least until 657.  It was about that time, at the age of 13, that she was married off to her uncle, Prince Ohoama. We don't have a precise age for Ohoama, but he was likely no more than 5 years younger than Uno's father, Naka no Oe, and some estimates suggest he was in his late 20s or early 30s, taking to wife his 13 year old niece. I can't help but think, here, of the Heian period novel, the Tale of Genji, where the titular character, Genji, finds Lady Murasaki and marries her at the age of 10.  Uno no Sarara would have grown up in her uncle-husband's home, and she was still young when the entire realm was placed on a war footing.When the court moved to Kyushu in 661 for the prosecution of the war on the continent, Uno no Sarara went with her husband, and a year later gave birth to their son, Prince Kusakabe.  She was probably about 18 years old at the time.   I suspect that means She  probably knew about her grandmother, Takara Hime, passing away, something that the inner circle of the royal family had attempted to keep relatively quiet for fear of disrupting the war effort.   Soon after her own son was born, news came back that the forces on the continent had lost.  Baekje had fallen, and Yamato could be next.  She would have traveled with her husband and the rest of the court back to Asuka and, eventually, up to Ohotsu, where her father now ruled with his brother as his right-hand man and heir to the throne. At this time, Uno no Sarara was no stranger to politics.  While her husband was in line for the throne, she knew that her brothers were also potential claimants, once they came of age. The Nihon Shoki disqualifies them through their parentage, but we see that didn't stop the Afumi court from rallying behind Prince Ohotomo.  There was also the royal princes Kawashima and Shiki.  Prince Takeru would have technically been a potential threat as well, had he not died, tragically, at only eight years of age. Now, technically, some may have been more in line than others, but Uno no Sarara knew how her own father had jumped the line, displacing her late uncle, Furubito no Oe, and it was clear something similar might happen this time around.  There were also likely a few indications that not everything was great between her father and her husband, although you would hardly know it from the number of her siblings that were also residing in the north chambers of his residence. Things came to a head in 671.  At this point, Uno no Sarara was in her late 20s with a 10 year old son, and it was looking, for a moment, like her father, despite his illness, might have Ohoama killed to pave the way for Naka no Oe's own son, Uno's brother, Ohotomo.  When Ohoama surprised everyone and stepped down, taking the tonsure, she was the only one to follow him.  We don't know if this is because she was that loyal to her husband, or because she had no other options.  If her mother had taken her own life after her grandfather's death, she may have had nobody but her father, Naka no Oe, to turn to, and he was clearly doing poorly.  If she stayed, then she would be relying on the goodwill of Prince Ohotomo and others while looking after the nine year old son and heir of Ohoama, who was clearly persona non grata at court. In contrast, one of Ohoama's other consorts, Munakata no Amago no Iratsume would have had the Munakata family to fall back on, should she need it, and her son, Prince Takechi, was a bit older.  In addition, Uno's  sister, Ohota no Himemiko had passed away earlier, in 667, and it is unclear who cared for her son, Prince Ohotsu, who was only a year younger than Uno's son, Kusakabe.  However, he, too, appears to have remained at the Afumi court with his caretakers. So Uno no Sarara went to Yoshino with her husband.  From this point on, Yoshino would become an important place for her, and during her own reign she would frequently make visits to the palace there, sometimes just for a couple of days at a time. After Naka no Oe's death, and the entire conflict of the Jinshin no Ran that kicked off in 672, Uno stayed by her husband's side.  She and Kusakabe made the incredible overnight journey from Yoshino to the other side of the Kii Peninsula, eventually setting up in Mie.  Ohoama would continue on towards Fuwa pass, where his son Takechi was already stationed with loyal soldiers.  Before that, however, he is mentioned as turning towards Ise—towards Amaterasu.  The implication seems to be that he was praying for victory.  It is also notable that a large part of his support was coming from the East and from areas around Ise. Little is mentioned of Uno's role in the record of the Jinshin no Ran, but in the opening to her reign there is a mention that she addressed the troops and mingled with the throng, until at last they formed a plan.  This seems to indicate that she was involved in the planning, at least, for the prosecution of the war.  On the one hand she was placed well behind the front lines.  On the other hand, she was well positioned to assist with logistics.  Troops and supplies from the north could come down and be redirected to the south depending on what was needed, and communications would likely be more secure through that area fully controlled by Ohoama's troops.  It is easy enough to imagine Uno no Sarara taking a role, even if it isn't explicitly mentioned.  The fact that she is mentioned as much as she is suggests to me that she had plenty to contribute to the war effort. As the war of 672 came to a close, Ohoama had to move from a war footing to one of peacetime governance.  As he ascended to the throne in 673, Uno no Sarara was made his queen.  And in light of the recent issues, Ohoama appears to have leaned heavily on her and other members of the royal family for support. And so Uno no Sarara was not just a delicate flower sitting in the hinter palace, waiting on her husband.  She was an active participant in the government.  When Ohoama called the various princes down to Yoshino and had them swear to uphold and support each other, she was included in their number.  And the Chronicles explicitly mention that when the princes swore to uphold each other, Ohoama swore he would also support them, and then Uno no Sarara made her oath like his.  That is interesting in that she isn't included in the five princes, but rather with the sovereign, her husband.  It appears she approached this from the point of view of a ruler already.  Or perhaps she was not considered to be in the line of succession, and the focus was on upholding the various princes.  Either way, we see how that eventually turned out. Later, when starting the project for what is believed to be the Kiyomihara codes, she was seated on the dais with her husband, indicating that she certainly was involved in various matters of state.  She also gave and received presents from the various nobles, including suits of clothing, gold, and more.  When Ohoama grew ill, and could not carry out the functions of the government alone, he deferred matters to her and to the Crown Prince, presumably meaning her son, Prince Kusakabe. Now Kusakabe is recorded as being made Crown Prince, and thus heir to the throne, however, it has also been suggested that this might not have been the case.  Some have suggested that Prince Ohotsu may have been the actual Crown Prince, and that he wasn't plotting against Kusakabe and his mother, but rather it was the other way around, with Uno no Sarara clearing him off the field to make room for her son. Ohotsu, remember, was the son of Ohoama by way of Ohota-hime, who was a full sister to Uno no Sarara.  That meant that, from a strict bloodline perspective, Ohotsu had just as much of a claim to the throne as did Kusakabe, but Kusakabe was a year older—or so the Nihon Shoki, compiled under the reign of Uno and her successors, would have us believe.  We are also told that Uno was formally designated as Ohoama's queen—but again we have that from the Nihon Shoki, which is more than a little bit biased.   Personally, I feel this theory that Uno no Sarara plotted to have Ohotsu removed without anything else stretches some of what we know, but it does illustrate that Uno no Sarara had a vested interest in ensuring that the crown went to her own progeny.  I'd be more inclined to believe that there was some movement a foot, even if it was perhaps not quite as treasonous as the response to it would warrant. And this catches us up with much of what we know.  Ohotsu was executed, but then Kusakabe passed away, and so Queen Uno no Sarara became Tennou in her own right.  Things hadn't gone exactly to plan, but she still had her grandson, Prince Karu, the late Kusakabe's son, whose mother, Princess Abe, was a younger-half sister to Uno no Sarara.  Abe was the daughter of Naka no Oe and Mehi no Iratsume, making Abe another grand-daughter of Soga no Kuramayada no Ishikawa no Maro.  She was also 17 years Sarara's junior and only a year older than the late Kusakabe.  By all accounts, it seems that Abe and Sarara got on well together, though she is not as prominent in the narrative that we have in the Nihon Shoki.  Still, she had an important role, not in terms of governance, but in terms of ensuring that the line continued.  She was in charge or protecting and raising young Prince Karu until he was ready to take the throne.  In so doing, she would no doubt have had a front row seat to Queen Uno's own efforts. Since Uno no Sarara had already been so involved with the government, it should come as no surprise that she continued many of the efforts attributed to her husband.  In fact, you'll often find references to Temmu and Jitou side-by-side to describe what happened because very few things can be attributed to just one of the two, especially given how long some of these projects seem to have taken.  That said, there were some differences.  While Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, had relied primarily on members of the royal family following the Jinshin no Ran, Uno was much more likely to rely on trusted nobles, whose position at court was largely held thanks to the patronage of the royal family.  Having nobles running things again, rather than handing over power to those of the Princely class, may have provided opportunities for those noble houses to once again flex and grow their political muscle, but it was either that or hand that same power over to other princes with claims to royal descent—princes who might encourage the court that it would better if they, themselves, were to succeed the Queen, rather than the young prince, her own actual bloodline.  Even the loyal Prince Takechi, who seems to have supported her and Prince Karu as best he could, could easily have become a threat.  This could be one of the reasons she held on to power as long she did.  It was, after all, a deliberate choice on her part.  She could have had someone else step in as regent, but she chose not to. We've talked about Uno's dealings with Silla and the continent at this time. That was back in Episode 148, when we talked about how Ohoama was mourned and how Yamato dealt with the early missions.  We discussed, thenhow she berated the Silla envoys for not adhering to protocol and turning them away.  She also met with Emishi and Hayato embassies, which only helped to cement Yamato's place as the central hegemony over the archipelago and all those living on the islands.  At first, this was just an extension of what she and Kusakabe had been doing since Ohoama had first grown ill and handed over the reins of government.  But then Kusakabe died—and life went on.  Later, Kusakabe would be remembered as Okanomiya Tennou and the Nagaoka Tennou.  While not counted in the formal lineage, he was still granted the title "Tennou" posthumously, likely to help legitimize his son and that lineage.  And yet, despite this, there is no report of a eulogy or anything similar upon his death.  Even Royal Prince Ohotsu, when he was killed for threatening Kusakabe's own ascendance, is given a fairly wordy entry full of praise for his virtues and how he was remember.  For Kusakabe we get silence.  Things just move on. Indeed, just two weeks after the Crown Prince's death, we get orders talking about given people four holidays each month.  It seems a rather banal announcement coming the same week that the Crown Prince passed away. And banal it may be, but I do want to pick at it a bit.  I think it helps us understand even more the life at that time.  In most of the world, today, we have become accustomed to the western concept of a week with seven days, including two holidays every week—though we just refer to it as the weekend.  Saturday and Sunday began as holy days—the Sabbath in Jewish and then Christian tradition.  Even Judaism only had a single day of rest every seven days.  Many cultures did not have the concept of a weekend.  After all, there wasn't anything particularly special about one day or the other.  A lunar month is just under 30 days—alternating between 29 and 30 days depending on various factors.  Five would fit into that much better than four seven day weeks and two more days.  Or divide it into two 15 day periods, more or less.  Or three weeks of ten days each.  In fact, that is what was popular in the Tang dynasty at the time—though a seven day week had crept in through Buddhism, which had been picked up on the Indian subcontinent thanks to Hellenic influences.  This seven day week, which is now used in modern times, was originally used more by astronomers.  The days corresponded to the Sun, the Moon, and the visible planets. The point is, there's no such thing as a natural weekend.  At some point, the Tang court introduced a rest period every five days for court officials.  In Yamato, it seems that they introduced four holidays.  Specifically, the local governors were to give laborers—those conscripted as corvee labor—four days every month.  It doesn't mention if they are spaced out, or at what intervals, and it was specifically for laborers.  I should probably also mention that, at this time, there wasn't a concept of a "9-to-5" job.  Sure, the court operated on a schedule that may have fit fairly well in our modern life, other than its extremely early start due to the lack of cheap, safe artificial light sources.  Most people, however, especially in the agricultural sectors, were likely working from sunrise to sunset, when necessary.  There was no concept of overtime or a forty hour work week.  You worked when you needed to work, and that was it.  No time cards, just life, punctuated by holidays, festivals, market days, and whatever else needed to happen.  Oddly, in our modern, more regular work schedule we work both more and less, in some ways, than our ancestors did.   Our labor often goes into things beyond our job—everything from taking care of our home to various hobbies that we enjoy. Giving laborers time off from their endeavors was no doubt something they appreciated, but I don't know how much of an impact it had on things long term.  A more interesting endeavor comes a few months later.  That is when Uno had a royal commission come together as commissioners of "good words".  We mentioned this before, especially when talking about Kose no Tayasu, who had been part of this commission, though he was the lowest ranked of the bunch.  At the top it was headed by Prince Shiki, a half-brother to Uno, and one of those who had pledged his loyalty with other members of the royal family down in Yoshino, though at the time Shiki was only about 11 years old.  He was the son of Koshi no Michi no Kimi no Iratsume, and a brother to Prince Osakabe.  In 689, when he took charge of this commission from his half-sister, he would have been in his 22nd year, so this was probably one of his first major assignments. We don't have a finished product that we can point to from this project, so there isn't a clear idea of exactly what the commission did.  Aston believed that they were attempting to determine auspicious words to be used by the court.  By this one could infer that they were looking into the way to draw up formal language for edicts, or how to formally address the sovereign and members of the court.  However, others have suggested that this was more about finding stories and other such things and writing them down.  If that is the case, this may have been a continuation of—or perhaps an addendum to—the history project started during the reign of Ohoama.  The words, or stories, that the commission wrote down were likely used by later Chroniclers, though there is no specific work that is clearly attributed to their efforts.  So in the end we can't exactly know for sure.  What we can see is that Uno no Sarara was continuing to make tweaks and changes to things—and in particular in how things were stated, remembered, and passed down to posterity, one way or another.  This is also part of what we see later that same month, when the 22 books of what we now call the Kiyomihara Law Codes were also published.  Like the history project, this was also begun during the reign of Ohoama, and Uno had continued to see it through.  It appears to have been just the law itself, not necessarily the punishments which made up the other half of the Ritsuryou, but it is still significant.  Unfortunately, we don't know exactly what was in it—the earliest law code that we have good evidence for is the Taihou code, which would come over a decade later—but we have seen some of the edicts and orders and we can make some assumptions based on later law codes as well as the language used to even define the court and how things ran.  Much of what was written had likely been promulgated, previously, and a lot of this may have been more documenting the changes they had already put in place. There is also the Afumi law code, but there are even more questions about that one.  This is possibly the first one written down to this level of detail.  Though it would be superseded, later, it was still an impressive work. As in past reigns, we see things both monumental and mundane.  A month after the law codes were finished, we see about orders to the Mayors of the Left and Right to set up places for Archery—literally glossed as "Ikusa", or "war", but likely because the two had a common root and archery and war were closely intertwined.  As for the Mayors of the Left and Right, this is the first time we are seeing those terms, and I suspect they are also part of the reforms that Uno no Sarara and her late husband had been implementing. The Mayors of the Left and Right of the Capital are known as Kyoushiki or, alternatively, as Misato-zukasa.  They were like kokushi, or governors, except they oversaw the capital city.  Now remember, the quote-unquote "capital city" in use at this point is Asuka—it is the Kiyomihara palace and environs.  There were other streets, buildings, and such around, but nothing terribly organized.  Most family estates were off in their own lands or strongholds.  At the same time, the court was building out a new, permanent capital.  It was taking time—and likely had been put on hold during the three year mourning period for the late Ohoama Ohokimi.  It required that they survey and transform an immense and populated area into a new and impressive capital in the area known today as Kashihara.  This work took years—they likely had to divert labor to build the late sovereign's mausoleum, or misasagi, and there were droughts and other reasons why they may have had to pause work.  And yet, it continued, nonetheless. The main ideal for a capital city was based off of continental models.  While Luoyang may have been the more active capital, the western capital of the Tang dynasty, at Chang'an—modern Xi'an—appears to have been a more quintessential capital city layout, and may have been what the Yamato capital was attempting to mimic—though they may have also been relying on the theoretical Confucian model, as well.  In fact, I tend to think that the Confucian model was closer to this first attempt at a permanent capital.  Early on, excavations assumed that the palace structures were towards the northern end of the city, but further investigations have suggested that the scale of Fujiwara-kyo was much more ambitious, and some maps of the area place the palace towards the center of the city.  Either way, there were several key things about the capital and how it mimicked the continental models.  One of the primary things that Yamato had appropriated from across the strait was the north-south orientation of the palace, with the main audience hall facing south, so as to get the sun.  This meant that, from the point of view of the sovereign in that hall, the left side would be the east and the right side would be to the west.  And so the capital city was divided into a left and right, east and west, and each half had its own administrator responsible for taxation, public safety, and general law and order.  They were, as I said, similar to the governors of the various provinces in the scope of their powers, except that they oversaw the capital city. The building of the Fujiwara capital is perhaps one of the most obvious changes that Uno no Sarara was overseeing.  As I've mentioned before, it was a physical manifestation of court.  The three sacred mountains which were included within the boundaries of the capital were woven into the myths and legends that would find their way into the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.  The size and scale of the earthworks and the stones laid as foundation demonstrate that this was clearly meant to be a permanent capital, overturning the idea that there would be a huge change every time a sovereign passed away.  Instead, there would be consistency.  The order of the state would go on. Later we'll talk about reasons why the Fujiwara capital was abandoned.  For now, though, let's look at what we see about its construction. In 690, the same year that Uno ascended to the throne, Royal Prince Takechi, Ohoama's oldest son, inspected the site where the new Fujiwara palace was to be placed.  Two months later, Uno no Sarara came out to see it for herself.  I imagine this as being the point where the land had been cleared, and they could see the mountains and the placement and get an idea of the overall size of what they were looking for.  With royal approval, the project continued. A year later, in 691, officials were sent to perform the Chin-sai, the pacification ceremony, for the new capital.  Today, this is a common ceremony, known as a Jichin-sai, or Earth Pacification Ceremony, done before undertaking a construction project.  Theoretically it is before breaking ground on the project, though there is often some amount of preparation that has to be done in preparation.  The idea for the Jichin-sai is to effectively negotiate with the spirits of the land before disturbing the area, a recognition that the process of construction is going to alter the natural landscape.  As such, one wants to propitiate the spirits and the kami that are on the land to ensure that the construction is successful.  This was likely a much older ritual, but this is the first mention we have of it in the record.  This ceremony was also apparently directed at the new capital as a whole, while a year later another ceremony was held specifically for the new palace complex.  In the intervening time we see the court laying out the roads and giving land for the various mansions of court nobles, like Tajihi no Shima's four chou of land—roughly ten acres.  Those of Jikikwoni rank and above were given two chou, and those from Jikidaisan down were given one chou.  Those of Gon rank on down would get land dependant on the number of inhabitants in their fiefs.  First class fiefs would get one chou, while second class would warrant a half chou and at the bottom they would get one quarter chou.  This was apparently the land that they were being given in the capital to build their personal residences.  Other land was given out for markets, temples, and other necessary facilities, but this whole city really was being built from scratch. Shortly after the pacification ceremony for the palace, officials were sent out to the major shrines of the time.  This included the great gods, the Ohokami, of Ise, Yamato, Sumiyoshi, and Kii.  So not just the local kami, but also the larger kami who were seen as the kami of the archipelago more generally. It would still take another year to build the palace.  Uno visited the site a few times during the construction, with her last visit just a quick outing on the 8th month of 693.  At that point it was likely ready, though she wouldn't formally move into the new palace until the first month of 694.  Before that, though, there was one other thing that had to happen.  In the 2nd month of 693 they had to rebury the bodies. That's right.  The Fujiwara capital occupied a huge swath of the plain of what is now known as Kashihara.  And that plain had been settled for centuries—all through the kofun period.  And those kofun, and possibly even older funkyubo, the older mixed-use burial mounds—would have been destroyed in the making of the new capital.  There also may have been plain pit burials that were dug up while laying out roads and foundations.  I don't know that there was anything approaching the size of the larger, keyhole shaped mounds, but we have no way to know for certain how many were there that had to be destroyed or moved.  I also have not seen any indications of any mass reburial site—whether they opened an existing tomb or simply dug a pit in the ground somewhere.  I imagine that such a find would be incredible, but unless archaeologists stumble upon it, I guess we'll never know.  Still, it is interesting, and almost poetic as we move further and further from the kofun period, this feels like the final nail in the proverbial coffin, if you'll forgive the pun.  Indeed, when Uno no Sarara finally passes away, she will become one of the first sovereigns to be cremated, with her ashes and burnt remains then deposited in the existing tomb with her husband, Ohoama, rather than having a new mounded tomb built.  Buddhist style cremation would eventually become commonplace throughout the archipelago, though sovereigns would still have special mausoleums built for their memory, it really was a change from the ancient practices. From 694 onward, the court would meet at the new Fujiwara Palace.  Compared to previous palaces, I can only imagine how impressive this one must have seemed.  Based on what we can tell, it was likely built much more in the continental style.  Previous palaces had largely been in the style of the archipelago, with what we believe was plain wood and a thatched roof.  The Fujiwara palace was likely a mix, but with more of the continental style than the previous Kiyomihara place.  It also dwarfed its predecessor, at over twice the size.  It was actually much closer in size and shape to the Toyosaki palace, in Naniwa.  At the southern end of the palace was the Suzaku mon, the Suzaku gate, followed by the choshu-den'in, a courtyard with two buildings, one in the east and one in the west, where officials could wait and prepare for the day.  From there they would be let into the Chodoin, a large court yard with four buildings on the east and west, and four more at the southernmost point.  These would be where the various departments, or bureaus, would operate.  There were also gates in the east and west of the Chodoin for easier access.  To the north was another gate, leading to the Daigokuden, the main audience hall.  This would have been quite the impressive and imposing structure—the main focus of the palace.  It was in its own walled enclosure, and would have been the seat of the sumera Mikoto, or Tennou.  It was both inside and apart from the Dairi, the inner palace.  This was the actual residence of the sovereign and the royal family.  The dairi itself occupied more land than the entire Kiyomihara palace.  None of the buildings exist, but we can see their footprint from the large foundation stones and there are numerous rooftiles and other architectural features that fell off or were removed and then buried, purposefully or not, allowing us to get some idea of the size and scale of the project. And yet, it appears that this palace may not have been completed when they moved in.  The entire city was likely still under construction, in fact.  The main pieces were in place, but to build an entire city from scratch took a lot of work.  Most of the buildings would have been built with more traditional—and less labor intensive—practices.  You didn't need a false second story gallery some thirty feet off the ground, even if you were the Minister of the Right.  It was enough to have a relatively simple mansion with gardens, servants quarters, and everything else needed to keep you comfortable.  That in and of itself was going to put a strain on labor and other resources. And so it looks like some parts of the galleries and other features may not have been finished even while Uno no Sarara was there.  In fact, it may not have been fully finished by the time they moved again.  The Fujiwara capital, the first permanent capital city, was only occupied from 694 until about 710—less than two decades.  This massive project, taking multiple years and how many people to create, would be abandoned several years later.  The buildings would be torn down and moved to the new site—Heijou-kyou, in modern Nara city.  And yet, the impact of Fujiwara kyou would remain. Besides making changes to the physical landscape, Uno no Sarara was also focused on the spiritual landscape as well.  Both Ohoama and Uno not only supported the Buddhist temples, building new temples and leveraging the ceremonies, but they also supported the traditional kami.  During the Jinshin no Ran, Ohoama turned and addressed the kami of Ise before heading to the Fuwa barrier.  Later we see a greater focus on Ise Shrine, with Saigu, the royal princesses sent to Ise Shrine as the Shrine priestess, being heavily reported.  In fact, the position seems to have not been commented on much until this reign, and there is some thought that Ohoama and Uno actually instituted the practice—or at least made it a formal part of the court and the royal household.  This is combined with their support of the Jingikan, the state governmental body responsible for dealing with kami matters.  At this time it appears to have been even more powerful, in many ways, than the other bureaus or departments of the Great Council of State, the Dajokan. There are plenty who argue that the preeminence of Ise was born in this period.  Early Yamato worship focused more on the deity of Mt. Miwa:  Ohomononushi.  Sun worship seems to have also been baked into the rituals of the ethnic Wa people, but that wasn't necessarily focused on Amaterasu—and Amaterasu was not necessarily seen as a feminine goddess.  Early worship appears to focus on the deities such as Takabi Musubi, and similarly named deities.  These are deities that show up in court ritual, and presumably date back to well before this period.  Thanks to the fact that we get alternate stories in the Nihon Shoki, we occasionally see them take a more central role in events, such as the descent of the Heavenly Grandson, but at the same time we also see that the main throughline of the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki has placed Amaterasu more front and center in the narrative.  Ama Terasu effectively translates to something like "The Shining of Heaven".  In neither the Japanese nor Sinitic language is she particularly gendered most of the time, and this may have been a more generic name for the concept of a sun deity.   I believe it is also somewhat telling that the Ichi-no-miya, the First Shrine, or primary shrine, of Ise is not Ise Shrine, but rather Tsubaki Grand Shrine, which is the home of Sarutahiko Ohokami.  Even in the Nihon Shoki, there is a narrative regarding the yata no kagami, the great mirror, that it was moved from its original location in the Nara Basin over to Ise and the shrine was then established there, marking the shrine as a relative late-comer to the region rather than marking a particularly ancient spot.  The Great Kami of Ise then appears to have taken on some of the shine, pun intended, of Sarutahiko, who is no longer seen as a sun-deity, and is even placed in the way of the Heavenly Grandchild's descent—perhaps a subtle nod to some of the tensions between the worship of one over the other. Besides sending the Shrine Princess, the Saigu, to Ise, the sovereigns themselves made plans to go, in person.  Ohoama made preparations, including purifying himself, but his trip was cancelled due to a sudden death in the palace.  He is never recorded as making the trip, after that.  Uno no Sarara, however, did make the trip, in 692. This was clearly quite the production, and requires several entries in the Nihon Shoki.  The first entry is in the 2nd month of the year, when she makes her intentions clear.  The Court officials were set to task to prepare all the necessary clothing for the trip, which was about 3 weeks out.  This likely also meant preparing the road, ensuring that there would be food, and a place for Uno no Sarara and her entourage to stay when they reached Ise.  The preparations clearly had an impact, as Miwa no Ason no Takechimaro, a Chunagon, or Middle Counselor, presented a memorial to remonstrate with her majesty on the trip.  He noted that they were in the middle of the agricultural season—roughly April or May by modern standards—and a royal trip would have an outsized impact on the areas where she would be traveling through.  His remonstration was heard, and overruled.  Uno no Sarara was determined to go.  As she delegated the Prince Hirose, Tahema no Mabito no Chitoko, and Ki no Ason no Yumibari to all look after the palace while she was away, Miwa no Takechimaro reiterated his remonstration and then took a drastic step:  He offered to her his cap—basically he offered to resign his rank.  This was quite the step, and not from nobody. Miwa no Takechimaro was from a prominent family.  As their name suggests, they were connected to Mt. Miwa, and the worship, there.  Based on what evidence we have, he was probably born around 657 CE, and when he was about 16 years old he was fighting on the side of Ohoama in the Jinshin no Ran.  In particular, he was involved in the fighting near Hashihaka kofun, and then moved over to attack the Afumi forces on the Middle Road.  There is evidence after that of him making his way up through the ranks, and was even one of those who offered a eulogy for Ohoama.  As Chunagon, he was in a fairly powerful position in court, and giving up his court rank would mean not just a loss in status, but also giving up the income associated with that rank. And this remonstration may be why we are told that the court commuted taxes, including forced labor, for the lands that she passed through, and she recognized the local Kuni no Miyatsuko with cap-rank.  She also remitted taxes for those who had been conscripted to help from elsewhere, such as her baggage handlers, the people who built the temporary palace for her to stay in, in Ise, etc.  So even if the procession to Ise had an impact, she seems to have done her best to lessen the blow. As for Takechimaro, we don't see him again in the Nihon Shoki, but he does show up later.  He would become the governor of Nagato, and then later he is given positions such as the Mayor of the Sakyou, or Left Capital.  So it would seem that either his resignation wasn't accepted, or that he was re-hired at some later point.  He would pass away in 706 CE. By the way, there is one other notable feature about him, and you may have caught it as I went over all of this.  That was the name of his uji, or clan:  Miwa, or Ohomiwa.    This means he had a connection to—and possibly a vested interest in—promoting the worship at Mt. Miwa, the traditional Yamato cultic center.  Nothing is outright stated, but it makes sense that someone from Miwa might be a little bit concerned with the extra attention being given to the shrine at Ise around this time—so there is that, as well. Regardless of his intentions, it certainly seems that from that point on Ise Shrine and the deity worshipped there, Amaterasu Ohokami, would be tied to the imperial line from the late 7th century onward.  Clearly the royal patronage of the shrine stepped up, and for the most part we do see a fairly regular stream of Saigu, with one slight exception:  There doesn't appear to have been one during Uno no Sarara's reign.  Ohoku no Himemiko had been sent down during the reign of Ohoama, but she was the sister to Prince Ohotsu, and appears to have returned after his death.  The position appears to have remained vacant until after Uno no Sarara's reign.  It makes me wonder if she wasn't "filling in" for the Saigu, in a way.  That could, in part, explain her travels there. There also may not have been a good candidate at the time, but I find that less believable—perhaps there was no candidate that Uno trusted given the precarious position her own bloodline was in at the moment.  Still, after her reign, the position of Saigu would be regularly filled by a member of the royal family through the end of the Heian period.  It was interrupted by the Genpei wars, and then the practice fell into decline during the period of the Kamakura bakufu.  Late Edo period pro-imperialists tried to restore the practice, but it didn't catch back on. Despite the apparent importance of the shrine to the royal family, it would also remain somewhat aloof.  The priests of the shrine would provide the sacred mirror for ascension ceremonies, but it would be very rare for any sitting sovereign to actually pay a visit to the shrine, and, as I mentioned before, Amaterasu was not one of the deities reflected in the inner court rituals.  Still, she would come to be seen as the dominant kami of the Shinto pantheon, and even today, many shrines will hold space for her as well as the primary deity; home shrines, or kamidana, will often include ofuda for Amaterasu as a central point of worship, with kami associated with one's local shrines as well. So there you have just a little taste of what Uno no Sarara was up to.  Whether she had intended to be in this position or had it thrust onto her, she was no shrinking violet.  She took control of the ship of state and set a course that would continue to influence the archipelago down to the modern day.  The reforms that started with her father and husband she continued and made manifest in the physical and spiritual world.  And this is only the beginning.  There is more to talk about regarding Uno no Sarara's reign, and her eventual abdication, but for that, we will have to wait until Part 2. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

In conjunction with the ILRN conference, which starts later this week in Athens, I am hosting a limited series I'm calling "Immersive Learning in the Cradle of Western Civilization."  I'll be talking with educators, developers, business leaders, museum leaders, and others from across Greece to highlight all of the amazing things that are happening in immersive learning in and around Greece.  Up today are the leadership team of the Hellenic IT Museum.

What do the 4B movement, abortion, child murder, modern writing and ancient Hellenic plays have in common?

Unser Showpartner ist JOIN, die KI-basierte Trainings-App für Radfahrer:innen. Trainiere die ersten 30 Tage kostenlos, ohne dabei schon Zahlungsdaten hinterlegen zu müssen. https://join.cc/campaigns/faszinationrennrad. Du willst ROADBIKE zwei Monate gratis lesen? Dann sichere dir dein Probe-Abo unter: https://www.roadbike.de/podcast-abo ROADBIKE ist Faszination Rennrad! Tests, News, Tipps, Interviews, Reise- und Szene-Reportagen rund um deine Leidenschaft Rennradfahren findest du bei uns auf allen Kanälen. Monatlich erscheint eine neue gedruckte ROADBIKE-Ausgabe - erhältlich am Kiosk, digital als ePaper oder ganz praktisch als Abonnement. https://shop.motorpresse.de/zeitschriften/sport-freizeit/roadbike/abo-print.html Auch mit unserer Website https://www.bike-x.de/rennrad/ oder über unsere Social Media-Kanäle Instagram und Facebook sowie YouTube bleibst du stets auf dem Laufenden. Die wichtigsten Nachrichten aus der bunten Rennradwelt fasst einmal wöchentlich unser Newsletter zusammen - hier abonnieren: https://www.bike-x.de/newsletter/?mtm_campaign=newsletter-anmeldung-podcast&mtm_medium=podcast Du interessierst Dich auch für andere Facetten des Radfahrens und Outdoor-Lebens? Dann hör doch mal in unsere anderen Podcasts rein: - Alles ist fahrbar – der MOUNTAINBIKE-Podcast https://www.bike-x.de/mtb/ratgeber/mtb-podcast-alles-ist-fahrbar-sprechstunde-mit-der-mountainbike-redaktion/?mtm_campaign=newsletter-anmeldung-podcast&mtm_medium=podcast - Hauptsache raus – der OUTDOOR-Podcast https://www.outdoor-magazin.com/wandertipps/hauptsache-raus-jetzt-den-neuen-podcast-anhoeren/?mtm_campaign=newsletter-anmeldung-podcast&mtm_medium=podcast

Max Riese spricht über seinen Sieg bei dem Bikepacking-Race durch Griechenland Unser Showpartner ist JOIN, die KI-basierte Trainings-App für Radfahrer:innen. Trainiere die ersten 30 Tage kostenlos, ohne dabei schon Zahlungsdaten hinterlegen zu müssen. https://join.cc/campaigns/faszinationrennrad. Du willst ROADBIKE zwei Monate gratis lesen? Dann sichere dir dein Probe-Abo unter: https://www.roadbike.de/podcast-abo ROADBIKE ist Faszination Rennrad! Tests, News, Tipps, Interviews, Reise- und Szene-Reportagen rund um deine Leidenschaft Rennradfahren findest du bei uns auf allen Kanälen. Monatlich erscheint eine neue gedruckte ROADBIKE-Ausgabe - erhältlich am Kiosk, digital als ePaper oder ganz praktisch als Abonnement. https://shop.motorpresse.de/zeitschriften/sport-freizeit/roadbike/abo-print.html Auch mit unserer Website https://www.bike-x.de/rennrad/ oder über ... Dieser Podcast wird vermarktet von der Podcastbude.www.podcastbu.de - Full-Service-Podcast-Agentur - Konzeption, Produktion, Vermarktung, Distribution und Hosting.Du möchtest deinen Podcast auch kostenlos hosten und damit Geld verdienen?Dann schaue auf www.kostenlos-hosten.de und informiere dich.Dort erhältst du alle Informationen zu unseren kostenlosen Podcast-Hosting-Angeboten. kostenlos-hosten.de ist ein Produkt der Podcastbude.

What do the 4B movement, abortion, child murder, modern writing and ancient Hellenic plays have in common?

Turkey is expanding its military training programmes across Africa, with soldiers from Mali and Niger graduating from a special forces camp as Ankara seeks to deepen ties across the continent. The soldiers completed training this month at Turkey's special forces camp in Isparta. The approach, known as the "Somalia model" after Turkey's largest overseas base, has become central to Ankara's strategy in Africa. "The Somalia model is one of the Turkish military ideas to educate, train certain African states that are very much interested in military cooperation with Turkey," said Huseyin Bagci, an international relations professor at Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Turkey has done it to Central Asian countries in the 90s, in the 2000s. So now the African is on the line, and this is the new development and is good for Turkey." Turkey has signed more than 20 military training cooperation deals across Africa in recent years. Turkey courts Libya's rival factions in bid to further Mediterranean ambitions Growing ties "Somalia and Libya are central where Turkey does have training bases," said Nebahat Tanriverdi Yasar, a defence expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. "But also, we are seeing growing ties with Sahelian countries, especially Niger, Mali, Nigeria." Turkey sees military training as a cost-effective way to increase its influence in Africa. "It is a relatively low-cost way to present itself in sensitive theaters, with fewer operational costs and risk of direct intervention. So in a way, those relations serve as a tool for defense diplomacy," Yasar said. Turkey has moved swiftly to capitalise on the vacuum left by France's retreating military and fading diplomatic sway in West Africa and the Sahel. Meanwhile, African nations increasingly view Turkey as a counterweight to the rising influence of Russia and China. Turkey expands military footprint in Somalia as regional rivalries intensify Libya's role Turkey's training of Libyan forces linked to rival administrations also serves European interests because Libya has become a crucial gateway for people smugglers heading into Europe, said Aya Burweilla, a Libya expert at the Athens-based Center for Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies. "Libya with an army that can secure its borders is good for Europe, too," Burweilla said. "Libya has two seas, one in the desert and one on the Mediterranean. And you need a properly organized army that can keep the border safe." Turkey's military training programmes are also helping the country's booming defence industry. "If you train them, they should use Turkish weapons; this is very normal. When you look at the export of Turkish arms to the world, you see mostly to African countries," said Bagci. Turkey's growing defence ties are helping to bring African military and political leaders to industry events in Turkey. "It is not easy to make business, of course, with African countries, with the military leaders there, it is not easy. But when you look at military fairs in Istanbul, you see how many African countries' military and political leaders visit," Bagci said. Turkey boosts Mali defence ties after separatist and jihadist attacks Defence links Turkish arms sales, such as military drones now found across Africa, often include extensive training, intelligence sharing and diplomatic engagement. Training junior officers in countries like Somalia, some destined to become future generals, could also help Turkey build long-term relationships, said Omar Mahmood, East Africa analyst at the International Crisis Group. "You invest in the up and coming of the Somali security force, and you'll have some sort of long-standing ties going forward," Mahmood said. "Some of them are trained in the Turkish language as well, so that creates these sorts of bonds. So, absolutely, I think that's part of their strategic plan. It kind of shows a longer-term vision as well."

Gwyn and Ode talk about magical Marie Condo-ing.

This month's spiritual book review turns into a cozy, chaotic, and deeply personal conversation about the books that helped us survive the month, the stories behind our tattoos, and the scars that made us who we are.Emily and Krista talk Dungeon Crawler Carl, Gilgamesh, Between Two Rivers, Witch Hat Atelier, healing through fiction, anti-capitalist book themes, Emily's book going to print, and the weirdly sacred way stories stay with us. Then the episode shifts into tattoos, grief, spiritual symbolism, brain surgery scars, childhood injuries, barbed wire cow scars, and the memories our bodies carry.What books helped you this month? And do you have a tattoo or scar with a story behind it?Go make some magic.CHAPTERS:00:00 Hook00:23 Welcome to the midweek mini episode01:15 Why the podcast feels like a fixed point02:15 Monthly book review begins02:41 Gilgamesh, Between Two Rivers & book research03:44 Astrology enemies-to-lovers energy04:17 Emily's comfort reads for a stressful month06:09 Dungeon Crawler Carl deserves the hype07:17 Donut singing makes everything okay07:53 Anti-capitalism, government critique & AI themes08:41 Emily's book goes to print10:42 Where to preorder La Custa12:49 Getting to be professionally weird13:09 Witch Hat Atelier & healing stories14:28 Tattoos and scars question begins15:24 Emily's first tattoo and grief story16:16 The Chronicles of Narnia tattoo17:14 Hellenic polytheism, Apollo & knowing thyself18:18 The accidental Gemini tattoo split19:26 Song lyrics, moon tattoos & spiritual symbols20:46 Japan, bunnies, butterflies & Mistborn21:45 Krista's sak yant tattoo22:20 Brain surgery scars and being sewn back together22:40 The childhood stocking nail scar24:02 Razor scars and car accident scars24:59 Barbed wire cow scar25:27 Mystery timeline scar25:57 Belly button surgery fears26:36 Top surgery scars and nose scar27:26 Do you have more scars than us?28:14 Closing thoughts28:42 Go make some magicBOOKS & SERIES MENTIONED:Dungeon Crawler CarlGilgamesh by Emily WilsonBetween Two Rivers by Moudhy Al-RashidWitch Hat AtelierLa Custa by Emily DexterThe Chronicles of NarniaMistbornJoin our new LIVE show, The Alchemist's Inkspill, every Friday at 1pm EST/10am PST here on ⁠YouTube⁠ (and ⁠Instagram⁠ Live)!Connect with us across the internet + IRL!

Η ίδρυση του Australian Hellenic Future Fund (AHFF), ενός νέου φιλανθρωπικού ταμείου που φιλοδοξεί να στηρίξει το μέλλον της ελληνοαυστραλιανής παροικίας, αναζωπυρώνει τη συζήτηση γύρω από την αξιοποίηση των περίπου $120 εκατομμυρίων δολαρίων που αναμένεται να προκύψουν από την πώληση της γης του Hellenic Village στο Kemps Creek του δυτικού Σύδνεϋ.

Με την συμμετοχή άνω των 120 συμπαροίκων πραγματοποιήθηκε χθες βράδυ στο οίκημα της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητας της ΝΝΟ δημόσια συγκέντρωση κατά την οποία συζητήθηκαν προτάσεις για την αξιοποίηση των περίπου $120 εκατομμυρίων δολλαρίων που προέκυψαν από την πώληση του οικοπέδου του οργανισμού Hellenic Village στο Kemps Creek του δυτικού Σύδνεϋ.

What do the 4B movement, modern writing and ancient Hellenic plays have in common?

In a bold move by Ankara, Turkey this week brought together Libya's two rival militaries for international exercises. While firmly supporting the Tripoli-based regime, Turkey is now extending an olive branch to the Benghazi administration, aiming to steady Libya and broaden its sway across the region. For the first time, Libya's two military forces participated internationally together under one flag. According to the Turkish defence ministry, 501 personnel from both Libyan armies joined Turkey's Efes 2026 military exercises. “There needs to be one unified army in Libya, one unified military force,” said Libya expert Aya Burweila of the Athens-based Centre for Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies. “I think these joint exercises help with that. They help facilitate closer cooperation with both sides, and that can only be a good thing.” Libya has been split since 2014, with the Government of National Unity ruling the west from Tripoli and the Government of National Stability holding the east in Benghazi. While Ankara has long championed Tripoli, analyst Burweila suggests that May's joint exercises signal a new Turkish push to engage with Benghazi. “This is a huge, practical pivot towards the east [by Turkey]. It has huge implications for Libya's stability. Turkey's position now is that it has good relations with both sides,” said Burweila. “It's not just joint military exercises. There are business interests, there are sales of weapons and drones, and so forth.”  Turkey and Italy boost cooperation in bid to shape Libya's political future Energy reserves For Ankara, courting the Benghazi administration, led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, is all about expanding Turkey's influence in the eastern Mediterranean, argues Jalel Harchaoui of the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defence think tank.  Harchaoui said Ankara needs Haftar's support to enforce a 2019 memorandum of understanding that Turkey signed with the Tripoli administration to create a joint exclusive economic zone in Libyan waters.  “Now, if Ankara wants to enforce it, which it does, it needs to have the Haftar family on board,” Harchaoui explained. “The Haftar family can deliver on two very necessary things: the parliamentary ratification, because the parliament happens to be controlled by the Haftar family, and also the part of the coast that is involved in this arrangement is eastern Libya, not western Libya.” However, the Turkey-Libya exclusive economic zone, believed to have large untapped energy reserves, is strongly opposed by Greece and Cyprus, who claim it violates their territorial waters. Neighbouring Egypt and Israel have also voiced concerns. Haftar's eastern Libyan government shares their reluctance. “Eastern Libya has very good relations with Egypt and has cordial relations with Greece as well. And this memorandum, at least from their side, violates their rights,” explained Libya analyst Burweila.  She added: “I think what lots of Libyans feel is: 'this fight is not our fight. We don't want to be involved in this kind of dispute.' So while this is a big priority for Turkey, it is not a priority for Libyans, and I think everybody there would prefer to kick this can down the road.” Egypt and Turkey's closer ties spark hope for peace among Libya's rival factions Carrot and stick Throughout 2025, Ankara wooed Haftar and his son Saddam, chief of staff of the Libyan National Army, but saw little progress. According to analyst Harchaoui, Turkey has since toughened its stance, zeroing in on Haftar's late-year military backing of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Turkish-made combat drones have been pictured on airbases in southern Egypt, which like Turkey backs the Sudanese army in its fight against the paramilitary RSF. According to a New York Times investigation, they have been used for strikes in Sudan. “This was a new development,” said Harchaoui, “It was basically Turkey saying, 'I smiled for most of 2025, and you did nothing for me. And you will have seen two faces. You will have seen the carrot, obviously, but also the stick.'” In April, Turkey delivered a new batch of military drones to Haftar's army, continuing this carrot-and-stick policy. The Turkish defence ministry says it aims to hold further joint military exercises with both Libyan armies. While Turkey is stepping up its efforts to stabilise Libya, its goal of securing joint control of a huge swathe of the eastern Mediterranean threatens to drag the country further into an increasingly bitter regional rivalry.

We had the honor and pleasure of welcoming the great Mike Manatos to the show! Mike serves as the Executive Director of The Hellenic Initiative (THI). He stepped into this leadership role to mobilize the global Greek diaspora and Philhellene community. THI focuses on driving sustainable economic recovery, entrepreneurship, and crisis relief for Greece and Cyprus. Before leading THI, Manatos built a 35-year career in public policy and government relations.He previously served as President of the prominent boutique lobbying firm, Manatos & Manatos. This made him the third generation of his family to cultivate deeply rooted, bipartisan relationships with top U.S. policymakers. A dedicated philanthropist and advocate for Hellenic causes, his notable accomplishments include: Co-founding the Washington Oxi Day Foundation, where he served as Executive Director to establish the globally recognized OXI Courage Awards; Raising over $2 million and granting more than 250 wishes during his 26-year involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic; Advocating pro-bono for religious freedom, specifically supporting the Ecumenical Patriarchate before the White House, State Department, and Congress; Serving on major nonprofit boards, including the Executive Committees of Leadership 100 and the National Hellenic Society.Join us in getting to know this fantastic Hellene with us!Learn more at:https://thehellenicinitiative.org/https://thehellenicinitiative.org/ithaka/

Gwyn and Ode talk about Scott Cunningham's work and legacy in the pagan community.

Hello!Happy Wednesday and hope all is well my curious archaeogastronomers!I've been talking, thinking, cooking ancient Greek food and culture for years now but it struck me that I haven't had the chance to speak with many experts from Greece (and Greek experts for that matter) in the subject! Or at least bring them on the podcast as guests. I am more than curious to know had they think and what have they discovered. One person I was always interested to talk to, and I know of is Mariana Kavroulaki who's work I've been following online for over a decade.So here's my interview with the amazing Greek archaeologist and food historian Mariana Kavroulaki!I've include some extra links of the topics covered in our conversation today:Beer in ancient Greece:https://beer-studies.com/en/world-history/Birth-of-brewing/Archaic-beers/Crete-GreeceFranchthi Cave:https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/uploads/media/hesperia/147874.pdfhttps://www.travel.gr/en/experiences-ee/unknown-greece/franchthi-cave-and-the-dolines-of-didyma-in-the-peloponnese/Garos episode of The Delicious Legacy and other links about the topic:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-delicious-legacy/id1494707127?i=1000535608061https://www.costatropical.net/almunecar/almunecar-monuments-fish-factory.phphttps://costieraamalfitana.com/colatura-di-alici-di-cetara/https://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/luislopezcortijo/19372/a-sauce-with-a-lot-of-history-in-southern-spain.aspxhttps://fuegoysal.com/en/producto/flor-de-garum-of-cadiz-andalusia/Mariana's website:https://historyofgreekfood.eu/about-2/The menu from the Hellenic Centre Dinner in London in 2024:https://helleniccentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Feast-Menu-4.pdfLove,The Delicious LegacyThomSupport the podcast on Ko-Fi and Patreon for ad-free episodes! https://ko-fi.com/thedeliciouslegacypodcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedeliciouslegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is Opinion Scholarship on the so-called "Golden Versus" of Pythagoras. We compare and contrast this ancient European moral code with the law of Moses to see how they differ and where they overlap. We explore the spirit of the law in both cases and identify what they reveal about these two cultures, their understanding of their place in the world and their relationship to the Divine. The Greeks claim that the greatest duty is 'honor of self,' while the Hebrews say it's 'honor of God.' The Greeks are concerned with becoming; with self-building; with acquiring virtue towards some Hellenic ideal of perfection, while the Hebrews are concerned with holiness and with preserving social cohesion. The varying spirits result in varying cultures; different values, different aspirations, different ideals. The question is, does one spirit speak to you more directly than the other? Enjoy ;)

President Donald Trump's recent announcement that the US would pull five thousand troops from Germany took allies by surprise. The latest comments, which came in the wake of European criticism of the Iran war, were followed by a threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on automobiles and auto parts from Europe, as the US President claimed on social media that Europe was not living up to its end of a trade agreement struck last summer.  The two moves have experts and analysts wondering if this will further weaken the credibility of US deterrence in Europe, while at the same time bracing for the prospect of a renewed transatlantic trade war. Keeping one eye on the simmering tensions between the White House and the EU, we're also turning our attention this week to a report that has gone viral recently. For those following international politics on platforms like X - formerly Twitter - they're sure to have come across a page called “Clash Report”, which was also quick to post about the latest developments in the transatlantic relationship. What most people don't know, however, is that Clash Report is the English-language arm of a Turkish media operation with close ties to the Erdogan family. These connections were unmasked this past weekend. Thanos Davelis dig into all of these developments with Max Bergmann, Maria Demertzis, and Eitan Fischberger as we break down what message the withdrawal of US troops from Europe sends, whether we should prepare for another US-EU trade war, and look at who is behind Clash Report and why it matters.  Moving to our I am HALC segment, we're putting the spotlight on one of HALC's earliest members, Stathis Theodoropoulos. Stathis is a successful entrepreneur and owner of Firefly Lighting, but beyond this entrepreneurial side, Stathis is also a dedicated advocate for his local community. Aside from his commitment to Hellenic causes, he serves as a councilman in Kearny, New Jersey, where he's at the frontlines of making sure local government works for the communities it's designed to serve.  A little more info on our guests: Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Maria Demertzis, a Professor of Economic Policy at the European University Institute. Eitan Fischberger is a journalist and Open Source Intelligence Investigator. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

Welcome to Greek News Global for 30 April 2026, with legendary Greek-Australian journalist, John Mangos. In this bulletin; the Australian Hellenic choir backs out of a joint performance with a Jewish Choir. French President Macron says “we'll be there” to support Greece in its time of need. Police say Greeks continue to defy helmet laws… and OFI Crete FC takes an historic Greek Cup victory.Send us Fan MailSupport the showEmail us at ouzotalk@outlook.comSubscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OuzoTalkFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OuzoTalkFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ouzo_talk/

April Rose is a belly dancer, teacher, and creator of the Dance Cohesion method, known for her precise technique, integration of finger cymbals and frame drum, and emphasis on group improvisation and musical connection. Based in Austin, Texas, she has taught and performed in over 25 countries, sharing a fusion approach rooted in Middle Eastern, North African, Turkish, Hellenic, and Central and South Asian dance influences. With a background that includes a bachelor's degree in Dance and a master's in Culture and Performance from UCLA, April combines academic research with embodied practice, exploring dance as a tool for presence, creativity, and human connection. She is also the founder of the Boss Bellydancer training program, where she mentors dancers in building sustainable and meaningful professional careers.In this episode you will learn about:- What multi-generational dance spaces can teach us beyond technique- How alternative dance communities expanded ideas of beauty, identity, and self-expression- The balance between respect for cultural roots and freedom to explore the dance- The reality of building a sustainable dance career without burnout- Why dance is ultimately a practice of presence, creativity, and human connectionShow Notes to this episode:Find April Rose on Instagram, FB, YouTube, TikTok and her website.Our listeners can get April's "Frame Drum for Bellydance Workshop Bundle" for free when they use the code PODCAST during check out: https://brilliantbellydancer.com/framedrumforbellydancewithaprilrose/Details the BDE shows and training programs are available at www.JoinBDE.comFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

In this special episode of Ouzo Talk, we sit down with Publisher of The Greek Herald, Dimitra Skalkos, to celebrate the masthead's 100th anniversary. From its humble beginnings rooted in the Australian Kytherian community to its evolution into a national voice for the Greek diaspora, Dimitra reflects on the publication's rich history and enduring cultural significance. She shares personal insights into the legacy of her father, Theo Skalkos, whose vision and dedication helped shape the paper into a trusted institution, and opens up about taking the reins herself – including all the challenges that went with it. As the only Greek newspaper printed daily outside of Greece, The Greek Herald continues to inform, connect, and champion Hellenic identity across generations – making this episode not just a celebration of the past, but a powerful peek into the future.This episode is proudly brought to you by our good friends at:MKJ Accounting: https://mkj.com.au/The Greek Herald: https://greekherald.com.au/The Greek Providore: https://thegreekprovidore.com.au/The Diaspora Tour: https://www.enmoretheatre.com.au/event/angelo-tsarouchas-the-diaspora-tour/Send us Fan MailSupport the showEmail us at ouzotalk@outlook.comSubscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OuzoTalkFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OuzoTalkFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ouzo_talk/

Gwyn and Ode talk about incense through history, the different types and how to use them, and making your own incense. Tip: powdered incense can be used in ways other than burning! Consider using it to dress a candle or adding it to a spell bag!

Recently we marked 77 years since the NATO alliance was founded. Instead of celebrating this milestone, however, President Trump's comments slamming NATO over its reluctance to help the US secure the Straits of Hormuz, including calling the alliance a “paper tiger” and saying NATO allies were “tested” and they “failed”, have left allies wondering if the future of the alliance is in doubt. Given President Trump's statements, could a US withdrawal from NATO be in the cards, and what would it mean for the US and for allied countries like Greece?  James Lindsay and Ino Afentouli join Thanos Davelis as we break down why NATO matters in a world of increasing great power rivalry, what's at stake for the US, and why it's critical for Greece, Southeastern Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean. This week we're also digging into Greek history as Greece recently commemorated the 200th anniversary of the heroic exodus of the Greeks from the besieged city of Messolonghi during the Greek Revolution. We break down this story with Professor Alexander Kitroeff who explains why it was a pivotal moment for the Greek Revolution, how it galvanized philhellenes around the world, and why this story still resonates today. Taking us to our “I am HALC” segment, we're highlighting one of HALC's earliest members, Harry Koulos. A distinguished attorney, Harry has been named one of Best Lawyers' Ones to Watch since 2024. He honed his skills as a clerk in Federal court and at one of the biggest law firms in the US, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, before taking his expertise to Kibler Fowler & Cave, where he currently practices. A distinguished leader, Harry's passion for the law is equal to his passion for his Hellenic identity and the community. A little more info on our guests: James Lindsay is the Mary and David Boies distinguished senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. Ino Afentouli is the Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Observatory of Geopolitics and Diplomacy at ELIAMEP. Alexander Kitroeff is a professor of history with an expertise in Greece and the diaspora. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

In the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), both the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire are left facing a critical question: what comes next?In this episode, we explore the tense and uncertain months that followed one of the most decisive naval battles in ancient history. While the Athenians celebrate their victory, they must also confront the reality that the war is far from over. Themistocles, ever the strategist, takes to the Aegean—seeking to punish those accused of medizing and to strengthen Athens' position among the Greek world.Meanwhile, the Persian king Xerxes I withdraws, leaving behind a powerful army under his cousin and general Mardonius. From central Greece, Mardonius prepares for the next phase of the conflict, as a fragile Hellenic coalition gathers at the Isthmus of Corinth—determined to defend the Peloponnese at all costs.But beneath the surface, political tensions, rivalries, and strategic disagreements threaten to fracture the Greek alliance.Will the Persians strike again?Or will they wait for Xerxes to return with an even greater force?*Contents:*00:00 Xerxes' Decision11:59 Themistocles the Cunning23:06  The Long and Deadly March Home30:27 Mardonius' Grand Strategy for Greece39:28 An Achaemenid-Athenian Alliance?!?55:45 Mardonius Marches on Athens Again01:00:55 The Honorable Men of Sparta!01:10:03 Thank You and PatronsSpecial thanks to *Farya Faraji* for the following musical compositions featured throughout the program: "Rise of Arsaces""Achaemenes""Mater""To Phrygia""Under Iranian Stars""In Pythagoras' Mind""Fratres""Aima""Legends of Sparta"Check out more of his work that spans across many countries, cultures and time periods: https://www.youtube.com/@faryafaraji.and.worldmusiciansYou can also find them on the albums:*Songs of Old Iran Vols. I & II**Voices of the Ancients Vols. I & II* Additional Music:Epidemic Sound"Pepper Seeds""Interstate 895" "A Glimmer of Hope""Can I Reach You""On the Lookout""Keeping up with the Tarahumaras""The Trustee""Zero Remorse""Dark Premonitions""Where Kings Walk""Checkmate""Deer Hunt"Support the show

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – Like the British, the Crusaders, the Romans, the Hellenic, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Assyrians, the Parthians, the Mongols, the Armies of Mohammad, and countless more, the Americans are fighting the Persians for control of the Pivot Area. But what Mackinder did not factor in was the effect that a deeply interconnected global trade dependence upon...

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – Like the British, the Crusaders, the Romans, the Hellenic, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Assyrians, the Parthians, the Mongols, the Armies of Mohammad, and countless more, the Americans are fighting the Persians for control of the Pivot Area. But what Mackinder did not factor in was the effect that a deeply interconnected global trade dependence upon...

Gwyn and Ode talk about the Father and Mother of modern witchcraft.

Hello!Something a little different this weekend instead of a recipe...On today's episode, I'm talking about the recent ancient roman tasting event I went at the Hellenic and Roman Library in Senate House in central London.I'm discussing the menu that was served by Sally Grainger a prominent food archaeologist specialising in ancient Mediterranean cooking and ingredients. She also talked about her research all these years about Garum and Silphium two of the most well known but equally misunderstood ingredients of the ancient Greek and Roman table. Overall in my opinion and Sam's opinion the food was tasty and the audience/guests all seem to enjoy it and those who had a negative opinion about ancient food have changed their minds! From a room of 50 or so attendees I think only three or so weren't keen in the tastes of the food.Anyway it was fascinating and I hope I'll get the chance to interview Sally for this podcast soon!Love & GarumThe Delicious LegacySupport the podcast on Ko-Fi and Patreon for ad-free episodes! https://ko-fi.com/thedeliciouslegacypodcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedeliciouslegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luis Ruiz, exjugador profesional costarricense, ha sido nombrado Director Técnico de Fútbol para 2026 del Hellenic A.C, uno de los clubes de fútbol más antiguos de Australia. En este podcast, Luis habla sobre su trayectoria futbolística en el país y sobre cómo, poco a poco, está ganando un lugar importante en el fútbol formativo de Australia.

This week on Into The Necrosphere, Hellenic black metal legend The Magus joins me to discuss his new album Daemonosophia and his pivotal role in shaping the Greek black metal movement as a founding force behind Necromantia. We revisit the roots of the Hellenic scene, his creative brotherhood with Baron Blood, the occult philosophy driving his work, his devotion to medieval fencing, and his unfiltered perspective on modern society and the state of the underground.   In Unsanctioned Filth, one-man black metal entity Death Ritual earns his stripes among the unsigned elite, while Matt Priso (SIK, Spells Ov Torment, Conspiracy X) joins the Weekly News Rant to pass judgement on new releases from Aversio Humanitatis, Sepultura, Monstrosity, Cruel Force and more. We answer questions from the Legion — and award a fully merited Swirly of the Week to those who think a 35-year-old horror film should come with a sensitivity warning.    Featured Bands: The Magus - https://themagusthecirclemusicfamily.bandcamp.com/  Death Ritual - https://deathritualrecords.bandcamp.com/  Aversio Humanitatis - https://aversiohumanitatis.bandcamp.com/     Support Nick Barker: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nicholas-barker   Visit intothenecrosphere.com for playlists and more. Subscribe for weekly black and death metal interviews, news rants, and reviews. Follow on X, Instagram and Facebook, and check out the Horsemen of the Podcasting Apocalypse: Horrorwolf 666, Iblis Manifestations, Everything Went Black, Necromaniacs and The Sol Nox Podcast.

Gwyn and Ode (+Jax!) talk about Shapash, Anat, Nanahuatzin, Huixtocihuatl, Ah Puch and Kalfu.Special Guest: Jax.

Gnostic Informant on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtdweFMJ5DGj7_q5IcpQhPQNeal and I do a deep dive into the origins of the term "demon"/"demonic". What was the original meaning of the term "daimones" in Ancient Greece? How does the understanding of the term change, from the Hellenic to the Hellenistic to the Christian eras? We also discuss the imagery associated with the demonic, deriving from Pan, and discuss the anecdote from the ancient world, from which we get the phrase, "the Great God Pan is dead!"

What if the alliance that crushed Persia had become a lasting settlement? We revisit the brief window after Plataea and Mycale when Greece looked coordinated, and we test a bold idea: Athens commands the sea, Sparta secures the land, and both accept firm limits. From the outside it sounds elegant. Inside the machinery, doctrine, ideology, and economics pull the partnership apart.We trace why Spartan warfare favored short, decisive campaigns tied to helot stability, while Athenian power thrived on long-haul naval pressure, trade protection, and cumulative influence across the Aegean. Those clashing tempos made joint strategy awkward: one side sought closure, the other needed continuity. Then we tackle freedom itself. Sparta equated liberty with order and control; Athens tied it to participation and autonomy at home and, increasingly, among allies abroad. Each city believed it defended Hellenic freedom, yet each defined it in ways the other found threatening, turning coordination into a contest of values.Material realities widened the gap. The Piraeus, tribute, and fortified long walls made Athenian security inseparable from projection. Spartan strength remained agrarian and territorial, built for defense rather than maritime governance. Pausanias's overreach hastened a shift: Sparta withdrew from Ionia as Athens organized the Delian League, converting emergency leadership into durable influence. Could institutions have rescued a dual hegemony—arbitration councils, command rotations, codified spheres? Perhaps in theory, but the polis world resisted supra-city authority, and neither side could reliably practice the self-restraint required.Across strategy, culture, and political tempo, the same pattern emerges: wartime unity simplified choices; peacetime complexity revived incompatible logics. The result is a clear takeaway for students of ancient history and statecraft alike: alliances can win battles, but only institutions and shared definitions turn victory into order. If you found this exploration useful, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves Greek history, and leave a review with the single reform you think might have saved the partnership.Support the show

Over the past weeks we've seen some major developments in the region, with Greece stepping into the limelight. These include Greece's announcement that it will send a special battalion to participate in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, its decision to join the Board of Peace as an observer, and a key briefing hosted by the Eastern Mediterranean Knesset Caucus bringing together legislators and experts from Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the US. At the same time, we've also seen Greece's defense ties with Israel come under the spotlight as Athens looks to grow its own defense industrial base. Tom Ellis, John Psaropoulos, Gregg Roman, and Endy Zemenides join Thanos Davelis this week as we dig into Greece's decision to be part of the Gaza Stabilization Force and the Board of Peace, deepening Greek-Israeli defense ties, and the challenges and opportunities for the 3+1 partnership between Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the US. Taking us to our “I am HALC” segment, we're taking a look at one of HALC's emerging leaders and Leadership 2030 fellows, Alexis Nash, exploring how advocacy - on Hellenic issues and in her professional life - has become a key part of her story.  A little more info on our guests: Tom Ellis is the editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition. John Psaropoulos is an independent journalist and Al Jazeera's correspondent in southeast Europe. He publishes Hellenica, a weekly deep dive into Greek current affairs and history that you can find on Substack.com. Gregg Roman is executive director of the Middle East Forum. Endy Zemenides is executive director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

Episode 85 kicks off with Carl railing against the Winter Olympics being held in Italy -- not because he hates pasta or gondolas, but because the time difference and the internet have completely destroyed the magic. After the usual weekend riff, the crew runs through a packed News of the Week: The Mansfield Inn is officially emptied after the vacate order, a major roundabout project is coming to Lexington-Springmill and Home Roads and a gang-related case ends in a prison sentence. Then the show takes a sharp turn into the mysterious and fascinating: Carl and the guys sit down with Maddalena, a Mansfield mom of four and independent researcher/translator exploring ancient Greek biblical texts through a poetic, Hellenic lens. She walks through how she got into the work, what separates her approach from traditional biblical scholarship and what she believes gets lost across time, translation and power. It’s an open-minded deep dive into language, symbolism, myth, early Christianity and the kinds of interpretations that challenge what many people assume the text “has to mean.” This episode is powered by the great folks at Relax, It's Just Coffee. Related links: Follow Maddalena on Instagram Follow Dr. Ammon on YouTube Links to the Soma library Orphic Vox Glossary Sabachthani Mark 14:51-52 Queen Medea News of the Week links Vacate order fulfilled: Last tenant leaves Mansfield Inn in Mifflin Township Bids sought for roundabout at Lexington-Springmill/Home Road intersection Mansfield police CAT team credited as gang member pleads guilty in court Be a Source Member for unlimited access to local, independent journalism. Download our new mobile app. Full intro song (produced by AI) here.Support the show: https://richlandsource.com/membersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gwyn and Ode (+Jax!) discuss making things.

Trigger warning: description of gun violence and death.

He was born Michael Tivolis in 1470. In his early youth he traveled to Italy, where many scholars had fled to preserve Hellenic culture despite the fall of Constantinople. After completing his studies in Florence, he went to the Holy Mountain in 1507 and entered Vatopedi Monastery, where he received the name of Maximos. Ten years later he was sent to Russia in answer to a request of Grand Prince Basil Ivanovich, who sought someone to translate works of the Holy Fathers on the Psalter, as well as other Church books, into Slavonic. Maximos completed this work with such success that he was made to stay in Russia to correct the existing translations (from Greek to Slavonic) of the Scriptures and liturgical books, and to preach. His work aroused the jealousy of some native monks, and Maximos was falsely accused of plotting against the Prince. In 1525 he was condemned as a heretic by a church court and banished to the Monastery of Volokolamsk, where he lived as a prisoner, not only suffering cold and extreme physical privation but being denied Holy Communion and the use of books.   One day an angel appeared to him and said 'Have patience: You will be delivered from eternal torment by sufferings here below.' In thanks for this divine comfort, St Maximus wrote a canon to the Holy Spirit on the walls of his cell in charcoal, since he was denied the use of paper and pen. (This canon is sung on Pentecost Monday in some Russian and Serbian Monasteries). Six years later he was tried again and condemned to indefinite imprisonment in chains at a monastery in Tver. Happily, the Bishop of Tver supported him, and he was able to continue his theological work and carry on a large correspondence despite his confinement. He endured these grim conditions for twenty years. Toward the end of his life, he was finally freed by the Tsar in response to pleas on his behalf by the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria and the intervention of pious Russian nobles. He was received with honor in Moscow, and allowed to carry on his theological work at the Lavra. The Tsar Ivan IV came to honor him highly, partly because the Saint had foretold the death of the Tsar's son. When the Tsar called a Church Council to fight the doctrines of some who had brought the Calvinist heresy into Russia, he asked St Maximos to attend. Too old and weak to travel, the Saint sent a brilliant refutation of the heresy to the Council; this was his last written work. He reposed in peace in 1556, aged eighty-six. Not long after his death, he was glorified by the Church in Greece as a Holy Confessor and 'Enlightener of Russia.' In 1988 (!) he was added to the calendar of Saints by the Moscow Patriarchate.

Gwyn and Ode (+Jax) talk about (mostly) mystery cults in ancient Greece. Special Guest: Jax.

Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like “pandemic,” a Freudian state of mind like the “Oedipus complex,” or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks' spell. But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us? In What the Greeks Did for Us (Yale UP, 2023), Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it's to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence—from the Nazis' obsession with Spartan “racial purity” to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world's living legacy—considering to whom it matters, and why. Tony Spawforth is emeritus professor of ancient history at Newcastle University. As well as leading cultural tours in Greece, he has presented eight documentaries for the BBC and has published thirteen books, including The Story of Greece and Rome. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–215 CE) stands as a formative intellect of the Alexandrian Christian tradition, mediating between apostolic faith and Hellenic paideia. As a teacher at the Catechetical School of Alexandria, he argued that philosophia especially Platonic ethics and Logos-theology—was a preparatory discipline granted by God to the Greeks, analogous to the Torah for Israel. In works such as Protrepticus, Paedagogus, and Stromateis, Clement articulated a vision of gnōsis not as elitist speculation but as the mature apprehension of faith, ordered by love and ascetic virtue. Christ, the Logos, is for Clement the true Teacher who heals the passions and leads the believer toward likeness to God. His synthesis laid crucial groundwork for later Alexandrian theology, especially in Origen, while preserving a rigorously ethical and ecclesial horizon. For more teachings about Patristics and early church father check our online Academy: www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com/academy 

This episode offers a critical, historically grounded examination of Aphrodite as a trans-cultural religious phenomenon rather than a stable mythological figure. It traces the goddess's development from Near Eastern traditions associated with Astarte, Ishtar, and Inanna through her incorporation into Greek religion, where tensions between her martial, erotic, civic, and cosmic dimensions produced multiple and often contradictory forms of worship. The discussion then follows her Roman reconfiguration as Venus, focusing on the political and ideological implications of her role as divine ancestress and guarantor of imperial order.Combining literary sources, archaeological evidence, cult practice, and ritual calendars, the lecture analyses how Aphrodite functioned within ancient economies of desire, gender, power, and civic cohesion, as well as how regional cults negotiated her ambivalent capacity to generate both harmony and destruction. The final section examines modern resurrections of Aphrodite in Neopaganism, feminist spirituality, Hellenic reconstructionism, and Western esotericism, assessing how contemporary movements selectively reinterpret ancient materials.CONNECT & SUPPORT

Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like “pandemic,” a Freudian state of mind like the “Oedipus complex,” or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks' spell. But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us? In What the Greeks Did for Us (Yale UP, 2023), Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it's to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence—from the Nazis' obsession with Spartan “racial purity” to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world's living legacy—considering to whom it matters, and why. Tony Spawforth is emeritus professor of ancient history at Newcastle University. As well as leading cultural tours in Greece, he has presented eight documentaries for the BBC and has published thirteen books, including The Story of Greece and Rome. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like “pandemic,” a Freudian state of mind like the “Oedipus complex,” or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks' spell. But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us? In What the Greeks Did for Us (Yale UP, 2023), Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it's to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence—from the Nazis' obsession with Spartan “racial purity” to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world's living legacy—considering to whom it matters, and why. Tony Spawforth is emeritus professor of ancient history at Newcastle University. As well as leading cultural tours in Greece, he has presented eight documentaries for the BBC and has published thirteen books, including The Story of Greece and Rome. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Gwyn and Ode (+ Jax!) talk about effigies. Special Guest: Jax.

Gwyn and Ode talk the Victorian era and Victorian Christmas traditions.

After winning the 2024 Tour Divide, Salsa Cycles' Meaghan Hackinen set her sights on the three-part Mountain Race Series that spans Africa, Europe, and Asia. Meaghan not only became the first female finisher of the wildest race series on the planet, but she also won both the Hellenic in Greece and arguably the most remote and challenging event of all, the Silk Road Mountain Race that travels through the isolated mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Today's episode sees Meaghan explain the challenges of tackling the most difficult ultra series out there, from logistical concerns to trouble at armed border crossings, from sleeping at elevation to wading through dangerous rivers, and how her bike setup evolved from being rigid with a drop handlebar to using a suspension fork and taking a more mountain bike-esqe approach. See the latest from Meaghan Hackinen: https://meaghanhackinen.com/ See the latest from Velo: velo.outsideonline.com/featured See prior episodes of the Velo Podcast: velo.outsideonline.com/tag/velo-podcast

EVEN MORE about this episode!What if ancient wisdom held the key to protecting your energy and transforming your life from the inside out? In this powerful episode, spiritual teacher and psychic healer George Lizos reveals how to navigate today's hyper-connected world without losing your energetic balance. We uncover how emotional contagion spreads through social media, why drama addiction keeps us drained, and how to reclaim your power through mindful energy protection and digital detoxing.George also shares his experiences as a priest of the Hellenic ethnic religion, offering a rare glimpse into how ancient Greek practices of purification, healing, and balance are more relevant than ever. We explore energy-clearing tools like cord-cutting, the violet flame, and alignment with your soul's frequency—bridging timeless mysticism with modern spiritual science.This conversation dives deep into healing trauma, cleansing energetic residue, and rediscovering your divine purpose. You'll learn how intuition and spiritual discipline can restore your vitality, helping you live from alignment rather than reaction. Tune in for an unforgettable journey that reminds us: energy protection isn't just self-care—it's soul preservation.Guest Biography:George Lizos is a spiritual teacher, psychic healer, and priest of the Hellenic Ethnic Religion, dedicated to helping lightworkers discover their life purpose and use their spiritual gifts to create meaningful change. He is the host of The Lit Up Lightworker and Can't Host podcasts and the #1 bestselling author of Be The Guru, Lightworkers Gotta Work, Protect Your Light, Secrets of Greek Mysticism, and Ancient Manifestation Secrets. As the creator of the Intuition Mastery School® and the Psychic Healing Practitioner Course, his work has been featured in Goop, National Geographic, Mind Body Green, Kindred Spirit, and more. Named Spiritual Writer of the Year 2024 by Kindred Spirit Magazine, George blends ancient wisdom with modern spirituality to guide others toward empowerment, healing, and authentic self-expression.Episode Chapters:(0:00:01) - Protect Your Light(0:09:09) - Ancient Greek Religion and Healing(0:18:46) - Rediscovering Ancient Healing and Manifestation(0:24:50) - Navigating Trauma and Spiritual Awakening➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Español YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Português YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Deutsch YouTube➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Français YouTube✏️Ask Julie a Question!