Podcasts about Iliad

This fall, Crack the Book is heading into the ancient world with an epic reading project: Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, followed by Virgil's Aeneid. We'll move at a beginner-friendly pace, keeping our eyes on the forest rather than examining every leaf, while exploring the history, mythology, translations, movies, and enormous cultural influence of these stories.I'll be reading Robert Fagles as my primary translation, while dipping into versions by Emily Wilson, W.H.D. Rouse, and Sarah Ruden to see how translation changes the experience. Along the way, I'll share practical strategies for handling the intimidating number of names, gods, heroes, and places—and bring in guests and experts for other perspectives.Most importantly, you don't need to know Greek mythology or be an expert to begin. These books have survived because they are great stories. Come find out why they still have the power to surprise us.Next week: The Iliad, Books 1–5.BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEHomer, The Iliad — Robert Fagles translation, Penguin Classics Deluxe EditionHomer, The Odyssey — Robert Fagles translation, Penguin Classics Deluxe EditionVirgil, The Aeneid — Robert Fagles translation, Penguin Classics Deluxe EditionHomer, The Iliad — Emily Wilson translationHomer, The Odyssey — Emily Wilson translationHomer, The Iliad — W. H. D. Rouse translation (prose)Homer, The Odyssey — W. H. D. Rouse translation (prose)Virgil, The Aeneid — Sarah Ruden translationApuleius, The Golden Ass — Sarah Ruden translation CONNECTThe complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2rTo read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebookLISTENSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bdApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

This is it! We've finally reached the end of our Iliad journey and boy oh boy does it...end?? Join David and Michael on their quest for closure this week!

Dcn. Harrison Garlick hosts a full house to discuss the short, strange, forgotten dialogue of Plato's Ion, subtitled "On the Iliad." 10 Question Written Guide on Plato's IonVisit our website for more information!Plato's Ion opens with a victorious rhapsode who claims to speak more beautifully about Homer than any other human being. Socrates grants the premise that a true rhapsode must not merely recite but interpret the poet's thought to his hearers—and then tests whether that excellence is a techne, a teachable art that should apply across all poets who treat the same subjects.Ion fails the test. He is “asleep” except when Homer is mentioned. Socrates therefore offers another account: poets and rhapsodes work not by craft but by divine mania. The Muse is a lodestone, and poet, reciter, and audience form a chain of possession. Ion recognizes himself at once. On stage he is outside himself, and he can move twenty thousand hearers to tears and terror (with a subtle nod in the dialogue about the desire to make money...).The dialogue then presses the distinction between speaking beautifully and speaking correctly. On charioteering, medicine, and the other arts present in Homer, the expert—not the rhapsode—speaks rightly. Unwilling to admit he has no art at all, Ion seizes the last remaining claim and declares himself the best general. The identification is absurd, and the conversation nearly collapses. Socrates leaves him a choice: to be called unjust, or divine. Ion takes the latter. Skill and inspiration remain unreconciled. What the short work has done is place poetry, possession, and the education of the city on the table—and prepare the larger judgment of the poets that the Republic will make.Chapters00:00 - Welcome to Ascend and overview of the episode's purpose01:05 - Introducing Ion and the returning and first-time guests02:29 - Erik Rostad explains Book of Titans and his lifelong reading project06:28 - First reactions to Ion and its perplexing character07:11 - Preliminary framing: subtitle, translation, and why the dialogue matters10:10 - Ion's claim to be the finest speaker on Homer11:44 - What techne means in this dialogue20:00 - Does Ion really claim knowledge, or only beautiful performance?23:50 - Ion's claim that no one else speaks more finely on Homer28:37 - The question of poetry as a better educator than philosophy31:03 - Ion admits he dozes off when other poets are discussed38:45 - The magnet metaphor and the chain of divine influence44:32 - Is divine inspiration irrational, or can it be a real source of truth?55:31 - A third sense of possession: skill, demonization, and being subsumed into beauty60:15 - Ion says he watches the crowd and adjusts for money and effect62:49 - Does Ion have a real art, or is he just managing audience response?70:29 - The charioteer, the physician, and whether Socrates is being fair72:26 - Does philosophy itself become a narrow specialty in the same way?76:03 - Why actors may be excellent performers but poor explainers of their craft78:10 - Socrates as a guide toward self-recognition of Ion's actual techne87:25 - Plato as storyteller and the philosopher's need for a better story90:20 - Storytelling, parables, and the pedagogical power of narrative92:37 - Plato's self-reflection on his own art and craft94:36 - The unresolved tension between inspiration and skill99:44 - Closing thanks KeywordsPlato's Ion, On the Iliad, Ion of Ephesus, rhapsode, Homer, Iliad, Odyssey, technē, techne, divine inspiration, mania, theia moira, magnet metaphor, lodestone, Muse, speaking beautifully, speaking correctly, kalos, orthos, Socratic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, aporetic dialogue, poetry versus philosophy, education of the city, Republic Book 10, poets as imitators, Allan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Roots of Political Philosophy, Debra Nails, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Thomas Lackey, Jack Drury, Erik Rostad, Book of Titans, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, rhapsodic contest, Asclepieia, Epidaurus, generalship, polymathy, Plato as dramatist.

Guests: Stephen Smith and Sam Lair Host Scot Bertram talks with Stephen Smith, dean of humanities and Professor of English at Hillsdale College, to preview his brand-new online course, “The Iliad.” And Sam Lair, former director of The Center for American Education at the Idaho Freedom Foundation, discusses his Hillsdale College Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship […]

Guests: Stephen Smith and Sam Lair Host Scot Bertram talks with Stephen Smith, dean of humanities and Professor of English at Hillsdale College, to preview his brand-new online course, “The Iliad.” And Sam Lair, former director of The Center for American Education at the Idaho Freedom Foundation, discusses his Hillsdale College Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship dissertation on the political thought and statesmanship of James Monroe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, Dr. Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey discuss the short, strange, and forgotten dialogue of HIppias Minor or "On the Lie."8 Questions on Hippias Minor Study GuideCheck Ascend out on X, YouTube, Facebook, and More!Plato's Hippias Minor is a short, strange dialogue with a traditional subtitle that cuts straight to the point: “On the Lie.” After the boastful sophist Hippias finishes a public speech ranking Achilles the best and Odysseus the most polytropos—the man of twists and turns—Socrates is drawn into a conversation that begins with Homer and ends in one of the deepest aporias of the early dialogues. What starts as a dispute over who is the better man, the straightforward Achilles or the wily Odysseus, quickly becomes a rigorous examination of voluntary versus involuntary wrongdoing, the nature of knowledge and power, and the unsettling claim that the man who does injustice on purpose is better than the one who does it by accident.Deacon and the guests work through the dialogue's sharp arguments and its surprising relevance. The conversation exposes the limits of treating virtue as mere knowledge plus power, raises the question of whether a just person might ever speak falsely for a good end, and serves as a genuine appetizer for the noble lie in the Republic. Come listen—and discover why even Socrates, at the end, cannot agree with himself.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Hippias Minor and its Context04:55 Setting the Scene: Hippias' Speech and Socrates' Role09:22 Hippias' Boasts and Socrates' Irony17:55 The Homeric Heroes: Achilles and Odysseus25:04 Knowledge, Power, and the Art of Lying36:15 The Distinction Between Capacity and Action44:53 The Nature of Truth and Falsehood in Socratic Dialogue46:43 Conclusion: What Socrates Reveals About Knowledge and Lies02:39 Socrates' questioning of Hippias and the nature of virtue04:55 The analogy of athletic competitions and the concept of justice07:57 Socrates' discussion on voluntary and involuntary actions12:05 The role of knowledge and capacity in moral actions15:34 Hippias' understanding of justice and its relation to power19:50 The concept of noble lies and pedagogical deception25:04 The absence of forms and gods in the dialogue30:14 The deeper meaning of Socratic ignorance and self-awareness34:54 The significance of the question: Is justice knowledge or power?39:51 Conclusion: What we learn about virtue, knowledge, and truthKeywordsPlato's Hippias Minor, Lesser Hippias, On the Lie, Hippias of Elis, Achilles and Odysseus, polytropos, voluntary and involuntary wrongdoing, voluntary liar, Socratic dialogue, aporetic dialogue, forgotten Platonic dialogues, noble lie, Republic, virtue is knowledge, knowledge and power, sophist, polymath, Eudicus, Embassy scene Iliad, teleology, Forms, Socratic irony, beneficial falsehood, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dr. Brett Larson, Thomas Lackey, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, political philosophy, Allan Bloom, Roots of Political Philosophy.Next week we discuss Plato's Ion!

Before we can pursue the God of the Bible, we need to examine the Bible itself. How do we know that we can trust what it says? Why should we listen to its truth claims? That's what pastors Bryan, Ross and John cover in this episode. --The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and it's unlike any other book written in history. It has changed individual lives and shaped entire cultures. It's an ancient text that claims to have been written by God himself, and the proof of its reliability is surprisingly strong. Here are three reasons we can trust what it teaches:Historical Evidence Ancient manuscripts and archeological digs have stacked up in favor of biblical reliability. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, long before printing presses and modern technology. Manuscript fragments of the biblical text have endured wars and weather throughout the ages, and the scraps that remain represent just a fraction of the originals. Are those remnants enough to provide a reliable testimony for modern-day readers? And how can we be sure that the message hasn't been corrupted over the millennia? The good news is that the God who inspired the scriptures was also powerful enough to preserve those writings through the ages. Consider the manuscript evidence. Manuscript copies in the ancient world were painstakingly hand-written, and not all of them survived the ravages of time. Reliability of ancient writings is determined by the number of copies (or partial copies) of the work in existence. So how does the Bible stack up? See for yourself:Today we have only 49 copies of Aristotle's writings.Homer's “The Iliad” does a little better, with 643 copies in existence.The New Testament wins by a landslide, with almost 5700 Greek copies and over 19,000 copies in other languages!The New Testament clearly has more manuscript evidence than any other ancient work. But how do we know that those manuscript copies are faithful to the originals? What if human authors changed the message, intentionally or otherwise? Modern archeology helps us answer this question, thanks to the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1947 a shepherd boy discovered some ancient scrolls hidden away in remote caves in the Middle East. This led to even more discoveries in the area, and in the end almost 1000 manuscripts were recovered. Parts of almost every book of the Old Testament were found, and some of those fragments proved to be almost 1000 years older than the oldest manuscripts known at the time. This offers a perfect test for the reliability of our modern translations. The book of Isaiah provides the most compelling example, since the Dead Sea Scrolls contained a complete copy of the prophet's writings. When compared to the Masoretic Text (the oldest copy previously known, dating back to about 800 AD), the Isaiah manuscript from the Dead Sea Scrolls was 95% identical! And the only differences were minor, often just variations in spelling.So the historical evidence stacks up in favor of the reliability of the Bible. But there's more:Textual Evidence The Bible is the most impressive writing project in the history of the world. It contains 66 books written by 40 different authors over the course of 1500 years, and yet it tells one unified story. Think about it: Moses, a Jewish slave raised in the house of a Pharaoh, wrote the first five books. John, a fisherman-turned-revolutionary, wrote the last four books. In between were books and letters written by shepherds, kings, prophets, tax collectors, doctors, and more. And the most prolific author in the New Testament was Paul – a religious Pharisee who zealously persecuted the Jesus followers before joining them. Most of these authors never met each other, and many of them were unaware of the other books and letters that would eventually be included in the Bible. Their writings spanned different cultures and languages over the course of 15 centuries, and yet the Bible amazingly reads as one story. From beginning to end it's about Jesus, and the fulfilled prophecy is the glue that holds it together. Let's take just a few examples: Of the 12 tribes of Israel, Judah was surprisingly predicted to be the one through which Jesus would come – which is exactly what happened. Genesis 49:10, Matthew 1:1-3It was prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, and that's how it happened – even though his mother didn't even live there. Micah 5:2, Luke 2:1,4Prophets wrote with shocking accuracy about the torture and death of Jesus hundreds of years before it happened – exactly as predicted. Psalm 22, Isaiah 53It was because of these kinds of prophecies that Jesus spoke these words to the religious leaders of his day:John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!The Bible amazingly tells one story, centered on Jesus, because it was ultimately inspired by the God of human history.Personal Evidence The Bible is ultimately about Jesus, and the changed lives of his followers is the most compelling proof of its message. Let's just take three examples from the New Testament, starting with Peter. When Jesus was on trial before his crucifixion, a servant girl noticed Peter and accused him of being a follower of Jesus. Peter denied it three times, walking away with an incredible sense of guilt and shame (Luke 22:56-59). But that's not the end of his story, because days later the resurrected Jesus sat down to breakfast with Peter and reinstated him – three times (John 21:15-19). Peter went on to be a pillar of the Christian church, eventually giving up his life for Jesus. Or consider “doubting” Thomas. He missed out on meeting the resurrected Jesus with the other disciples and expressed his doubt that they really saw the risen Christ. But soon enough he met Jesus for himself and professed his faith in him (John 20:25-28). Thomas, too, ended up dying for his faith. And then there's Paul, a self-righteous Pharisee (Philippians 3:5) whose life mission was to persecute the followers of Jesus. Then he met Jesus and joined that very group of misfit disciples. Paul made it his life's mission to spread the Good News about Jesus and he, too, died a martyr's death. There's no way to explain away these changed lives except to conclude that the message about Jesus, along with every word in the Bible, truly is inspired by God.But no amount of evidence can overcome an unbelieving attitude. At the end of the day, trusting the reliability of the Bible comes down to your willingness to believe in the God behind the Bible. Jesus made this point one day as he taught in the Temple courts:John 7:16-17 My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.If you're unwilling to submit to God's will, your pursuit is over before it has even started. But if you are willing to come to God on his terms and take him at his word, then Jesus promises that you'll discover the truth. The teachings of Jesus, and indeed all of the teachings in the Bible, are from God, not man. And so we can trust the Bible in our pursuit of God.

Are you sure there is a single, "real" version of Achilles, Helen, or the Odyssey?In this episode, classicist and author Emily Hauser (creator of Mythica) joins Paul Bavill to dismantle one of the biggest misconceptions in classical literature: the search for a single, definitive "truth" behind ancient myth. From Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to modern cinematic interpretations, myth was never meant to be a static rulebook. It is a living, flexible oral tradition shaped by who is telling the story, why they are telling it, and which voices—especially those of women—are written into or out of the narrative.Together, Emily and Paul explore how figures like Penelope, Cassandra, Helen, Briseis, and Andromache offer richer, more complex insights into the ancient world than any rigid timeline ever could. They unpack the ancient concept of Xenia (guest-friendship), the tragedy of divine curses, and why asking "why was this myth told this way?" is far more powerful than chasing a "canon" that never existed.Key Takeaways & Discussion HighlightsThe Myth of the "Correct" Myth: Why searching for the "real" Achilles or Helen misses the core purpose of fluid, evolving oral storytelling.The Silencing of Women: How Telemachus's rebuke of Penelope in Book 1 of the Odyssey marks one of the earliest Western literary examples of silencing female speech—and how female writers resist it.The Real Meaning of Xenia: Why host-guest relationships act as the social glue of ancient Greece, and how both the suitors and Odysseus himself violate these sacred rules.Agency and Curses: The tragic dimensions of Cassandra's truth-telling curse, Helen's balance of agency and divine intervention, and how Briseis evolved from Homer to Shakespeare.Featured Guest: Dr. Emily HauserDr. Emily Hauser is a classicist, academic, and author of Mythica: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It.Book: Buy Emily's book Mythica at the official History Rage Bookshop:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804992791Gloucester History Festival: Emily is speaking live at the festival on Thursday, 17th September at 6:00 PM. The Gloucester History Festival runs from 12th – 20th September. Get your tickets here:https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.ukRelated History Rage EpisodesContinue exploring Ancient Greece, historical myths, and classical voices with these recommended episodes:Episode 257: Natalie Haynes rages that Greek myth is a lot less male-centric than we think.Episode 305: Adrian Goldsworthy rages that Ancient Greece is not all poets and philosophers.Follow, Contact & Support History RageFollow & Contact:Website: https://www.historyrage.comX / Twitter: https://x.com/HistoryRageInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrageSupport the Podcast: Enjoying the rage? Help keep the thunderbolts raining down by becoming a History Rager! For £5 per month, Patreon supporters receive ad-free episodes, early access, exclusive monthly live streams, and the official History Rage mug.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys are back with the penultimate chapter in the Iliad, and after so much death and destruction everyone agrees it's time to let loose with some friendly competition. But will tempers and egos get the best of our warriors? Find out this week!

Renowned Caucasus correspondent Alexander Thatcher joins Gladio Free Europe from the land Anatolia for the first of several episodes examining the historic bronze-age context of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Written in the 8th or 7th century BC but set a half-millennium before, the Greek epic cycle recounts events that were ancient even to an Iron Age audience. While the historicity of the mythic Trojan War cannot be proven, scholars from the days of Schliemann onward have proven that the city of Troy really existed. In its heyday, this archaeological site in Anatolia was closely involved with the affairs of the early Mycenaean Greeks as well as the great empire of the Hittites.Identified shortly after the discovery of Troy, the Hittites were a civilization previously only known to western culture due to a few references in the Hebrew Bible. Not attested in any of the chronicles of the Greeks or Romans, the Hittites would be the first great civilization known primarily through archaeology. The decipherment of Hittite texts at the turn of the 20th century led to two shocking revelations: that these Hittites led an empire stretching from the Aegean down to Canaan, the greatest power in the Bronze Age Mediterranean after the New Kingdom of Egypt. Second, it was proven that their language was Indo-European. These discoveries would reorient the western understanding of the ancient past, and cause some Europeans to project their own image onto the Ancient Near East. Alexander Thatcher helps Liam and Russian Sam contrast the various nationalist and mythological narratives of the Bronze Age with what we actually know about the Hittites and their fascinating society. Recent breakthroughs in archaeogenetics and completing linguistic models provide fascinating insight into how the Hittites emerged in the deep past, and to what extent they were related to the Greeks of the west and the Semitic peoples of the east. Also discussed are the mysterious disappearance of one Hittite prince, the existence of an obscure Levantine kingdom of apparently Indian origin, and of course, the infamous Hittite legal code with its very specific attitudes toward certain interactions with horses.While the Hittites are not mentioned once in Homer, their fall around 1177 BC may be the most dramatic episode of the famous Bronze Age collapse. This episode and its follow-up look at what the Iliad and the Odyssey can tell us about the folk memory of this catastrophic event, and to what extent the Greeks themselves were implicated. 

In Part 2 of our discussion on Homer's Odyssey, translator Emily Wilson returns to discuss the cinematic spectacle of Christopher Nolan's film, the different responsibilities of translation and adaptation, and the challenges of weaving together multi-layered narrative episodes and characters into a single movie.  Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a MacArthur Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Odyssey, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393417937. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social. 

Ever notice how your own love of learning shows up after you start homeschooling? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Amy Jones talks with Classical Conversations mentor Aimee Smith about the 15-year journey that took her from a nervous first-year Foundations tutor — who once got caught not knowing where to find things on the map — to a Classical Learning Cohort mentor helping other homeschool moms teach with confidence. Somewhere along the way, she picked up something she never expected: a real, honest love of learning. Aimee opens up about the Classical Learning Cohort's five semesters (Classical Way, Invitation, Form, Assessment, and Catechesis) and how "hospitable assessment" reshaped the way she sees herself, not just her students. She also shares the moment she — an adult who'd never read the classics — cracked open the Iliad and Odyssey for the first time to tutor Challenge IV, and how that leap turned into teaching Online Learning Seminars on Homer's epics today. Whatever stage of the homeschool journey you're in, Aimee's advice is simple: take one step, learn one thing alongside your child. You don't have to check every box — you just have to keep going. Tune in for an honest, encouraging conversation about growing up right alongside your kids. Learn more about the Classical Learning Cohort, Online Learning Seminars, and Aimee's master's program: https://ccalumni.network/programs/  

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a pervasive topic of conversation these days, and recently it's been on my mind a lot as I endeavor to move past grief. It's been over 5 years since my life partner departed suddenly - so suddenly that when it was happening, and for a long time after, I completely denied its reality. We know that death comes for us all, and no matter what age you are it's probably best to prepare yourself, to make friends with the Reaper, and get ready to surrender to his scythe - (I heard that George Harrison used to rehearse his passing); Sarah Bernhardt slept in a coffin… but, very few of us are truly prepared, even at some pretty advanced ages - my father wasn't reconciled to his fate even when it came at 96. The last phone conversation we had as he waited to be seen at the emergency room was fraught with annoyed bewilderment at being held there against his will.It seems to be the primary topic of conversation that Rich and I are apt to discuss on any given day, and he has expressed frustration at my reticence to volunteer the dour details of my slide towards the inevitable, but really, why harp on it? Why dwell on the depressing aspects of life while you can still laugh ironically at those same concerns? Eat, drink, and be merry, I say. Of course, if you have to constantly watch your sodium and cholesterol while considering the lethal effects of the cocktail you're sipping, your options for fun will be limited. Anyway, back to PTSD… This week it's been front and center of my consciousness because I recently consumed two items of popular culture that feature it - one 60 years old, the other recently released - namely, Rod Serling's short lived 1965 television series, The Loner, starring Lloyd Bridges, and Christopher Nolan's freshly minted sword and sandal epic, The Odyssey. In both, the main character struggles with PTSD - Bridges' character in the aftermath of the Civil War, and Odysseus from his part in the atrocities recounted in the Iliad. Both men have experienced horrific and emotionally crippling events; they roam vistas rife with unremitting violence, and long to find home. Rod Serling transplanted his WW2 experiences to the Western genre, and audiences weren't ready for it's moral meditations, ill suited to an escapist medium. Regarding the Odyssey, Jon Stewart has reflected that it seems like a sequel to Oppenheimer, Nolan's rueful depiction of that protagonist's bequest of a doomsday weapon to arm mankind with the power to destroy itself. Echoes of PTSD resound everywhere - inside each of us, in the chaos all around, and throughout our popular culture. And, today I asked the oracle how to find peace with it. QUESTION: HOW CAN I OVERCOME RESENTMENT?The Oracle answered with Hexagrams 51  (Provoking), and 31 (Cutting)Let's examine those, along with  a dream diary passage, and  a song, “Cairns” composed during that time…Chemayne used to collect stones that appealed to her. She would then cover them in varnish to make them glisten. After she died there were tons of them, and I started giving them away as gifts. One friend was so taken with them that he took a bunch and built some amazing cairns, a term which I hadn't been familiar with, but which filled me with hope and pride for their future home. The following song “Cairns” evokes that appreciation. CAIRNS (Bill Mesnik)Stones banded by layers of timeStacking stone upon stone upon stoneCreates a monumentA tower sublimeMarking timeThese cairns of stoneChorus:Fly away through Arches in the desertTo a windswept morning beachWhere the sun glistens on the pebblesAs you soarSwiftlyOut of reach You left no lost communicationBefore your flight to the unknownJust some orphansWith no destinationLying lonely in our homeI'll stack stone upon stone upon stoneAnd mark the trail of timeFor some wanderer To wonder onWho left this cairn behind?

Soucheray and Reusse give their thoughts on the MLB trade deadline that is today.NFL training camp is well underway.Joe and Pat give their thorough breakdown of The Odessy and Iliad.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Soucheray and Reusse give their thoughts on the MLB trade deadline that is today.NFL training camp is well underway. Joe and Pat give their thorough breakdown of The Odessy and Iliad. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of our discussion on Homer's Odyssey, we welcome translator Emily Wilson to discuss Odysseus as a complicated character, the roles of women and divine beings in the poem, and the centuries-old stories within stories that pose questions of hospitality, power, fatherhood, and time still relevant today. Part 2, coming tomorrow (8/4), will center Wilson's reaction to Christopher Nolan's recent film. Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been named a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a MacArthur Fellow. In addition to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, she has also published translations of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She lives in Philadelphia.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Odyssey, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393417937. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social. 

The Odyssey is trending so I though I would pick out some elements from the poem and discuss them. From trying to advocate for the suitors through to a theme I think is often missed, there is a lot to chat about. I also include a promo for something you might be interested in, Alexandria: A Hellenistic World podcast. Find me across social media and the like here and don't forget to check out the Ancient History Hound subreddit Reading / sources used The Odyssey (translated by Emily Wilson), this has a great introduction which covers a couple of the points raised. Gazing at Helen with Stesichorus, Kampakoglu & A. Novokatko Odyssey 5.234-53 and Homeric Ship Construction: A Reappraisal. Samuel E Mark. Bronze and iron in Homer. Andrew Lang Megarons and ΜΕΓΑΡΑ: Homer and Archaeology. Mary O Knox. Artemidorus at the dream gates: Myth, theory, and the restoration of liminality. Vered Lev Kenaan Hades, Homer and the Hittites. Gunnel Ekroth. (for a great piece on katabasis and how it wasn't undertaken by Odysseus by Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts click here) Priam's Katabasis: Traces of the Epic Journey to Hades in Iliad 24. Miguel Herrero de Jauregui

From Homer to Iraq: Why The Iliad Still SpeaksJosh Cannon is a Marine Corps veteran, former Arabic cryptologic linguist, and scholar whose career bridges modern warfare and one of the oldest stories ever written.Following two combat deployments to Iraq, Josh pursued advanced study in Classics and now teaches Ancient Epic and the History of Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean. His unique combination of lived military experience and scholarly expertise led him to write Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran's Iliad. This work explores how Homer's epic continues to illuminate the experiences of today's warriors.In this conversation, we explore why The Iliad remains one of history's greatest books, what modern veterans recognize in Homer that civilians often overlook, how stories shape our understanding of conflict, and why leadership, honor, sacrifice, and grief remain timeless human questions.G. Mick Smith, The Doctor of Digitalhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/g-mick-smith-phd-24495127/Subscribe to my LI newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-literary-cpr-playbook-7343709688632381440Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-doctor-of-digital-gmick-smith-phd--1279468/support.

With the recent release of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and buzz around Emily Wilson's translation of Homer, we thought we would unlock this special Stop! Homer Time episode originally released to Patreon supporters in early 2024.In November 2023, the acclaimed translator returned to the show to chat with us as we embarked upon our Iliad read. She spoke with us about her process, what it was like to have an audience clamoring for her translation, and what happens when the muses make you forget how to play guitar. For more information on longreads series like Stop! Homer Time, please head to patreon.com/overduepod.Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Follow @overduepod on Instagram and BlueskyAdvertise on OverdueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

n this special episode we're joined by Josh Cannon who holds a PhD in near eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago. Prior to this, Josh was a member of the US Marine Corps and served in two tours of Iraq as an Arabic cryptologic linguist. We sat down with Josh to chat about his book Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran's Iliad which brings together his lived experience of military service with the ideas that emerge from Homer's epic poem.Things to listen out forModern versus ancient conceptions of gloryThe power of translation to inspireConnections between near eastern mythology and Homer's IliadThe shared stories of the Hittites and the Ionian GreeksThe way the consequences of modern warfare can help us understand the depictions of warfare in the ancient world betterBooks and scholars mentioned in this interviewEpic of Gilgamesh - There are many translations of this epic, one of the most recent is that of Simon ArmitageTranslations of Homer's Iliad and OdysseyRobert Fagles - The Iliad (1998) Robert Fagles - The Odyssey (1996) Richard Lattimore - The Iliad Stanley Lombardo - The Iliad (1997) Emily Wilson - The Odyssey (2017) Emily Wilson - The Iliad (2023)Spartan poet TyrtaeusBachvarova, M. R., From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic (2016, Cambridge University Press)Carolina López-Ruiz, When the Gods Were Born: Greek Cosmogonies and the Near East (Harvard University Press, 2010)Patrick Shaw-Stewart's untitled poem “I saw a man this morning”Jonathan Shay, Achilles in Vietnam: combat trauma and the undoing of character (2004, Scribner)Martin West, The East Face of Helicon: West Asiatic Elements in Greek Poetry and Myth (1999, Oxford University Press)For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk is going to save Western Civilization from migration, Sharia law, and Christopher Nolan films. He bravely offered up Grok as the tool to generate a woke-free version of The Odyssey, after spending months of his life complaining about casting choices and insults to traditional Greek culture.  Jessa and Nico rehash how The Iliad and The Odyssey became culture war flashpoints, how Elon became such a RETVRN guy, and why weirdos look to the past to shore up their identities so they don't have to deal with what disappointments they all are. Shownotes and references: http://theculturewedeserve.substack.com

Learn more by reading "Conversations on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind," currently on sale for a limited time:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737305534/https://www.julianjaynes.org/book/conversations-on-consciousness-and-the-bicameral-mind/Or by becoming a member of the Julian Jaynes Society: https://www.julianjaynes.org/join/This episode explores one of the most provocative ideas in psychology and history: Julian Jaynes's theory of the bicameral mind. According to this controversial hypothesis, humans did not always possess the kind of introspective consciousness we take for granted today. Instead, until roughly 3,000 years ago, people supposedly experienced decision-making as the literal voices of gods, ancestors, or rulers — auditory hallucinations generated by one hemisphere of the brain and perceived by the other. The hosts stress that this is not presented as a metaphor, but as a radical explanation for the origins of consciousness, religion, and civilization.The discussion traces this theory across multiple disciplines, arguing that ancient monuments, religious practices, and classic texts all reflect a world in which people relied on divine commands rather than internal reflection. The Iliad is contrasted with the Odyssey to suggest a shift from automatic obedience to genuine self-awareness, while the Hebrew Bible is interpreted as documenting the gradual silence of God's voice and the rise of written law as a replacement for direct divine guidance. Similar patterns are claimed to appear in ancient China, Tibet, and the Americas, suggesting that this psychological transition may have been global rather than culturally isolated.A major focus is how civilizations functioned before introspective thought emerged. The hosts argue that monumental structures like pyramids, temples, and idols may have served as neurological cues that reinforced perceived divine authority, enabling large societies to cooperate without modern concepts of self-governance. They propose that environmental disasters, population growth, writing, and cultural mixing eventually disrupted this system, forcing humanity to develop conscious reasoning in place of hallucinated commands.The discussion also connects Jaynes' theory to modern neuroscience and psychiatry. It discusses brain imaging research on auditory hallucinations and suggests that conditions such as schizophrenia — and even children's imaginary companions — could represent remnants of an ancient neurological system rather than entirely separate phenomena. The hosts highlight organizations like the Hearing Voices Network as examples of approaches that seek to understand, rather than simply suppress, voice-hearing experiences.The conclusion broadens the discussion into the present day. Just as writing may have transformed human consciousness thousands of years ago, the hosts speculate that smartphones, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies could be reshaping the architecture of the human mind once again. They argue that Jaynes's theory offers a compelling framework for rethinking the origins of religion, consciousness, and the way humans relate to increasingly powerful external sources of guidance.Produced by Marcel Kuijsten using generative AI tools and reviewed by human editors for accuracy and clarity.

It's all about famous actors roles and appearances! This episode's topic: NAME THAT ACTOR Love trivia battles? Try Learn Clash! http://learnclash.com/budds Fact of the Day: Alexander the Great carried an annotated copy of The Iliad on his campaigns, reportedly keeping it beneath his pillow beside his dagger. He called it a "handbook of the military art" and modeled himself after Achilles. Triple Connections: Brim, Lime, Rhine THE FIRST TRIVIA QUESTION STARTS AT 01:19 SUPPORT THE SHOW MONTHLY, LISTEN AD-FREE FOR JUST $3 A MONTH: www.Patreon.com/TriviaWithBudds INSTANT DOWNLOAD DIGITAL TRIVIA GAMES ON ETSY, GRAB ONE NOW! GET A CUSTOM EPISODE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES: Email ryanbudds@gmail.com Theme song by www.soundcloud.com/Frawsty Bed Music: "Laser Groove" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://TriviaWithBudds.comhttp://Facebook.com/TriviaWithBudds http://Instagram.com/ryanbudds Book a party, corporate event, or fundraiser anytime by emailing ryanbudds@gmail.com or use the contact form here: https://www.triviawithbudds.com/contact SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL MY AMAZING PATREON SUBSCRIBERS, INCLUDING: Samantha Wheeler Boomer Cates Mark Kloppenburg Cadi Snow-Brine Amber Shiels Alan Kreisel Rich Sommer Joe Heiman Waqas Ali Logan Booker Bringeka Sam Nathan Stenstrom Brooks Martin Robyn Price Gee Brian Clough Charles Glanville IV Lauren Schuette Evan Lemons AnneMarie Mattacchione Yves Bouyssounouse Kenny Zail York yates Gay Geek Fabulous Mollie Dominic Nathalie Avelar Natasha raina leslie gerhardt Diane White Youngblood Trophy Husband Trivia Lynnette Keel Lillian Campbell Jerry Loven Jamie Greig Gail Lancman Jeremy Yoder Adam Jacoby rondell Adam Suzan Tiffany Poplin Bill Bavar Sarah Daniel Hoisington Keith Martin Sue First Steve Hoeker Jessica Allen Lauren Glassman Brian Williams Brett Livaudais Linda Elswick Carter A. Fourqurean Justly Maya Brandon Lavin Kathy McHale Chuck Nealen Courtney French Nikki Long Mark Zarate Laura Palmer  JT Dean Bratton Kristy Erin Burgess Trenton Sullivan Jen and Nic Michael Redman Timothy Heavner Jeff Foust Richard Lefdal Myles Bagby Jenna Leatherman Vernon Heagy Albert Thomas Kimberly Brown Tracy Oldaker Sara Zimmerman Madeleine Garvey Jenni Yetter Patrick Leahy Dillon Enderby James Brown Christy Shipley Clayton Polizzi Alexander Calder Ricky Carney Paul McLaughlin Willy Powell Robert Casey Matthew Frost Brian Salyer Greg Bristow Megan Donnelly Jim Fields Mo Martinez Luke Mckay Simon Time Feana Nevel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exploring The Odyssey with Dr. Emily Hauser | Homer, Emily Wilson, Greek Mythology & the Humanities Few books have shaped Western literature more profoundly than Homer's The Odyssey. Nearly 3,000 years after it was composed, readers are still asking the same questions Homer posed: What makes a hero? What does it truly mean to find home? How much of our lives is shaped by fate, choice, and the stories we tell ourselves? In this episode of Reality Raincheck, we're joined by ancient historian and classicist Dr. Emily Hauser for an in-depth discussion of one of history's greatest epics. Together we explore Homer's world, the remarkable staying power of The Odyssey, the challenges of translating ancient Greek into modern English, and why Emily Wilson's acclaimed translation has introduced a new generation of readers to this timeless masterpiece. We also discuss some of the most fascinating questions surrounding The Odyssey: Who was Homer, and did he really write The Odyssey? Why is The Odyssey still taught in schools and universities around the world? How does Emily Wilson's translation differ from earlier translations? What role do Athena and the Greek gods play in Odysseus's journey? What does the poem teach us about heroism, family, identity, and home? What can modern readers still learn from an ancient epic? One of the themes that stayed with me after this conversation is the importance of the humanities. Great literature doesn't simply entertain us—it teaches us to think carefully, wrestle with difficult ideas, understand cultures beyond our own, and appreciate the experiences of people separated from us by centuries. Those are skills worth preserving. As colleges and universities continue to reduce or eliminate humanities programs, I believe we should make a conscious effort to support them. The study of literature, history, philosophy, languages, and the arts helps shape thoughtful, curious, compassionate people. If you believe these disciplines matter, I encourage you to learn more about organizations like the National Humanities Alliance and the work they're doing to advocate for humanities education. If you enjoyed today's conversation, I highly recommend Dr. Hauser's bestselling book, Mythica: A New History of Homer's World, Through the Women Written Out of It. It offers a fascinating look at the women, history, archaeology, and culture that shaped the world behind The Iliad and The Odyssey. Learn More Dr. Emily Hauser Website: https://www.emilyhauser.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyhauserauthor/?hl=en Mythica (Penelope's Bones in the U.S.) Penelope's Bones by Emily Hauser Support the Humanities National Humanities Alliance: https://nhalliance.org/

It could be argued that Christopher Nolan has been remaking the Odyssey for his whole career, and his latest film revisits many of the themes of his earlier movies, as once again a male protagonist embarks on a desperate quest to recover a female love object. But, as Emily Wilson argues, while Homer's Odyssey might seem the perfect source material for Nolan, the ancient Greek poem also excels at many things the director isn't so good at, not least dialogue and characterisation. Wilson, who has translated both the Odyssey and the Iliad, joins Thomas Jones to talk through the new adaptation, discussing its echoes of Nolan's earlier films and his use of the Trojan Horse as a parable about wars built on lies. They also look at the compositional history of Homer's poem and consider why this archetypal journey narrative is also a story about stasis and the desire to resist time. Listen to Emily and Tom's Close Readings episode on the Odyssey here: Apple: https://lrb.me/odysseyapple Spotify: https://lrb.me/odysseyspotify LRB website: https://lrb.me/odysseyweb GET 50% OFF a 12-month Close Readings subscription with the code 'SUMMER50' when you sign up here: https://lrb.me/atasummer50 Read Emily Wilson on Nolan's ‘Odyssey' in the LRB: https://lrb.me/wilsonodysseypod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 155 of The Film ‘89 Podcast is a full-on history lesson as hosts Martin Kessler and John Arminio take a trip back to 480 BC as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of Zack Snyder's big screen adaptation of legendary comic book writer Frank Miller's 300. 300 tells the epic tale of the Battle of Thermopylae, and how an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army in the mountain pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the enemy in one of the most famous last stands in history. Snyder's hyper-stylised film employed then-cutting-edge filmmaking techniques and remains one of the most faithful comic-book adaptations ever made. In addition to analysing the film, John and Martin delve deep into Greek history and discuss Christopher Nolan's new adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey, as well as Wolfgang Petersen's 2004 film Troy, loosely based on Homer's The Iliad. 

Send us comments, suggestions and ideas here! In this week's episode we invite our friend Julian the Philosopher back on the show to discuss the mythic source material from which Christopher Nolan's new film is based: The Odyssey. We discuss not just Nolan's new film, but Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, quite a bit of the historical context around these works of epic poetry, how these stories were thought of initially, criticized by Plato, recontextualized by Virgil, translated countless times and transformed into Nolan's new blockbuster film. As part of our larger conversation, we discuss the dichotomy between the Homeric hero and the Platonic Hero of the mind, considering how each incarnation of the story fits into this framework or not. Thank you and enjoy the show :) Check out Julian the Philosopher here:https://www.youtube.com/@JulianSoloninkahttps://medium.com/@jsolonin In this week's episode we discuss:-The Homeric Hero-Nolan's Odysseus-The Emily Wilson Translation -The Presence / Absence of Gods-Hanging of the Servants-The Life and Times of Homer -The People From the Sea-Achilles and the Ethiopian FleetIn the extended episode available at www.patreon.com/TheWholeRabbit we go off script to discuss: -Virgil's Aeneid-The Telegony-Rome, Ancestors of Troy -The Christianization of The Odyssey-The Boatman Charon-John the Baptist-The Sirens-Philip K. Dick, Christ and the SacramentsThis discussion was impelled by the research and study of Julian Soloninka with additional contributions made by Luke Madrid, Heka Astra, Mari Sama and Tim Hacker. Recorded in unscripted, Socratic discussion style.I did have notes ready but I did not use them. They are available for our rabbit tier. Good stuff in there. We just didn't talk about it! Where to find The Whole Rabbit:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0AnJZhmPzaby04afmEWOAVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_whole_rabbitTwitter: https://twitter.com/1WholeRabbitOrder Stickers: https://www.stickermule.com/thewholerabbitOther Merchandise: https://thewholerabbit.myspreadshop.com/Music By Spirit Travel Plaza:https://open.spotify.com/artist/30dW3WB1sYofnow7y3V0YoSupport the show

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Greece by historian Dr Emily Hauser and comedian and actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe to learn about the epic poems the Iliad and Odyssey. Traditionally attributed to the poet Homer, these works tell parts of a legend that has fascinated us for centuries: the story of the Trojan War. Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters – Achilles, Odysseus, Paris, Helen, Hector and Agamemnon – the war between ancient Greece and Troy has inspired writers, artists and filmmakers for over a millennium. But the Iliad and Odyssey only recount episodes of this much bigger story. The Iliad, focusing on the hero Achilles, takes place in the closing stretches of the war. And the Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus's perilous voyage home after the Greeks have triumphed. In this episode, we trace the origins of the poems in the 8th century BCE, looking at whether Homer really wrote them and how these originally oral tales came to be written down, before exploring the fantastical tales they tell. Along the way, we also look at whether or not the Trojan war really happened, how the ancient Greeks defined heroism, and examine the role of gods and monsters in the poems and the lives of their heroes.If you're a fan of fantastical myths and legends, heroes behaving badly, and ancient Greek culture, you'll love our episode on the Iliad and Odyssey.If you want more from Kiell Smith-Bynoe, listen to our episode on Viking explorer Leif Erikson. And for more historical epics, check out our episodes on the Legends of King Arthur, and the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh.You're Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Auréliane Perrin Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

The wrap up of things unearthed in the second quarter of 2026 includes the potpourri category, lots of books and letters, shipwrecks, and neanderthals. Research: Addley, Esther. “Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists.” The Guardian. 6/17/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype Anderson, Sonja. “These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Plant.” Smithsonian. 5/29/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/ Archaeology Magazine. “Copper Part From Illicit 19th Century Still Discovered in Scotland.” 5/12/2026. https://archaeology.org/news/2026/05/12/copper-part-from-illicit-19th-century-still-discovered-in-scotland/ Associated Press Copenhagen. “Archaeologists discover wreck of Danish warship sunk by Nelson 225 years ago.” The Guardian. 4/2/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/02/archaeologists-discover-wreck-danish-warship-sunk-admiral-nelson Bassi, Margherita. “After Nearly 80 Years of Doubt, Scientists Say a Spear Lodged Between Elephant Ribs Offers Evidence That Neanderthals Hunted Big Game.” Smithsonian. 4/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/ Baum, Stephanie and Robert Egan. “Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization.” EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bolivian-mummy-rewrites-scarlet-fever.html Blackwood, Emma. “Baby fossils reveal link between human and Neanderthal development.” University of Queensland. Via EurekAlert. 6/19/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1132850 Blair, Elizabeth. “Decades-old, newly restored Smithsonian carousel reopens — to children’s delight.” WAMU. 4/25/2026. https://wamu.org/story/26/04/25/decades-old-newly-restored-smithsonian-carousel-reopens-to-childrens-delight/ Blake, Elissa. “New evidence reveals a millennium-old dingo was ritually buried, and cared for, along the Darling (Baaka) River in Australia.” University of Sydney. Via EurekAlert. 5/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128408 Cerino, Marco. “Appeals court clears Trump's path to alter Philadelphia slavery exhibit at historic site.” Philadelphia Tribune. 6/18/2026. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/appeals-court-clears-trumps-path-to-alter-philadelphia-slavery-exhibit-at-historic-site/article_8ac83e65-6a6d-4db1-91c4-074f98c96a74.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share Clark, Gaby. “Climate and competition alone cannot explain Neanderthal extinction, study finds.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-climate-competition-neanderthal-extinction.html Clark, Gaby. “Did Neanderthals use rhinoceros teeth as tools?” Phys.org. 6/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-neanderthals-rhinoceros-teeth-tools.html Clark, Gaby. “Nondestructive DNA sampling reveals 1,300 years of secrets in historic parchments.” Phys.org. 5/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nondestructive-dna-sampling-reveals-years.html Clark, Gaby. “Surprising diversity found among Europe's last Neanderthals.” Leiden University. Via Phys.org. 6/24/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-diversity-europe-neanderthals.html Cummings, Mike. “Medici brothers' remains reveal Renaissance-era malaria strains, closing the book on a murder mystery.” Phys.org. 6/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-medici-brothers-reveal-renaissance-era.html Defranceschi, Laura. “Ötzi and his microbiome: a 5,300-year-old relationship.” Eurac Research. Via EurekAlert. 6/2/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129908 Dungate, Joanna. “Shakespeare’s ‘missing’ London house mapped with new discovery.” Kings College London. Via EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123989 Egan, Robert. “Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago, ancient molar suggests.” Phys.org. 5/13/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-neanderthal-dentists-stone-drills-cavities.html Egan, Robert. “Stonehenge Altar Stone's epic transportation across ancient Britain detailed in new study.” Curtin University. Via Phys.org. 6/4/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stonehenge-altar-stone-epic-ancient.html Ellenby, Danielle. “Medieval Japanese poetry and buried trees help elucidate volatile space weather.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123008 Forbes, Ellie. “Archaeologists discover unexploded mortar shell at Culloden Battlefield.” Scottish Field. 4/14/2026. https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/news/archaeologists-discover-unexploded-mortar-shell-at-culloden-battlefield/ Harley, Sadie and Robert Egan. “Ancient chicken bones reveal human management in Korea 2,000 years ago.” Phys.org. 4/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-chicken-bones-reveal-human.html Jones, Sam. “Hidden treasures: Spanish archaeologists discover trove of ancient shipwrecks in Bay of Gibraltar.” The Guardian. 4/15/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/15/hidden-treasures-spanish-archaeologists-discover-trove-of-ancient-shipwrecks-in-bay-of-gibraltar Kuta, Sarah. “A Shipwreck, but Make It Fashion: Researchers Transformed Wooden Fragments From a 17th-Century Shipwreck Into a Pair of Stylish Maxi Dresses.” Smithsonian. 5/26/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-but-make-it-fashion-researchers-transformed-wooden-fragments-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck-into-a-pair-of-stylish-maxi-dresses-180988825/ Kuta, Sarah. “Archaeologists Discover Evidence That a Wooden Prototype for Stonehenge May Have Aligned With the Solstice 500 Years Before the Stone Circle.” Smithsonian. 6/19/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Potatoes Didn’t Just Feed Ancient Indigenous Communities in the Andes—the Tasty Tubers Also Reshaped People’s DNA.” Smithsonain. 5/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/potatoes-didnt-just-feed-ancient-indigenous-communities-in-the-andes-the-tasty-tubers-also-reshaped-peoples-dna-180988732/ Kuta, Sarah. “This American Submarine Lost During WWII—Along With 83 Crew Members—Has Been Discovered in the Pacific Ocean.” Smithsonian. 6/3/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-submarine-USS-Herring-lost-during-WWII-along-with-83-crew-members-has-been-discovered-in-the-pacific-ocean-180988895/ Kuta, Sarah. “Turtles May Have Been Tasty Snacks for Neanderthals 125,000 Years Ago. But Their Shells Were Probably the Real Prize.” Smithsonian. 4/15/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/ Kuta, Sarah. “What Killed the Neanderthals? New Research Suggests a Lack of Genetic Diversity May Be Partially to Blame.” Smithsonian. 4/24/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/ Lakowski, Amy. “Digging for Remnants of the Battle of Bunker Hill.” Bostonia. Boston University’s Alumni Magazine. 6/22/2026. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2026/digging-for-remnants-battle-of-bunker-hill/ Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “The Sagrada Familia Will Finally Be Completed in 2026. The Last Challenge? Demolishing the Homes of Some 3,000 Local Residents.” ArtNet. 2/13/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sagrada-familia-2026-local-residents-2254826 Lock, Lisa and Robert Egan. “Ancient curse tablet bears rare Greek inscription with binding spell intended to harm enemies.” Phys.org. 6/17/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-curse-tablet-rare-greek.html Lu, Donna. “Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines.” The Guardian. 5/18/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/19/dingo-burial-site-first-nations-people-relationship-to-animals net. “Lost Writings of Saint Augustine Found in Medieval Manuscript.” 6/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/06/lost-writings-of-saint-augustine-found-in-medieval-manuscript/ net. “Secret Letter Detailing Late Medieval Britain Fully Decoded.” https://www.medievalists.net/2026/04/secret-letter-detailing-late-medieval-britain-fully-decoded/ Mehrtens, Michelle. “A Young Black Girl Was the First to Desegregate a Maryland Carousel in the 1960s. Now, the Historic Merry-Go-Round Will Entertain Visitors on the National Mall.” Smithsonian. 4/22/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-young-black-girl-was-the-first-to-desegregate-a-maryland-carousel-in-the-1960s-now-the-historic-merry-go-round-will-entertain-visitors-on-the-national-mall-180988596/ Mondal, Sanjukta. “Scraped from ancient Roman toilets, these crusted remains expose a pathogen found far earlier than expected.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-roman-toilets-crusted-expose.html Moreau, Didier and Julie Louis. “Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo.” University of Liege. Via EurekAlert. 4/1/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122449 Mosquera, Pau. “Sagrada Família’s 144-year journey nears its end with the Tower of Jesus Christ.” CNN. 6/8/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/08/style/sagrada-familia-barcelona-tower-jesus-christ-intl Nicholls, Catherine and Taylor Nicioli. “Papyrus scroll burnt to a crisp during Vesuvius eruption deciphered with help of AI.” CNN. 6/26/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/26/science/papyrus-scroll-vesuvius-ai-scli-intl Oster, Sandee et al. “Rare 500-year-old freeze-dried potatoes unearthed at Inca coastal site.” Phys.org. 6/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-year-dried-potatoes-unearthed.html Oster, Sandee. “A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain.” Phys.org. 5/31/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-kohl-bottle-york-hint-ancient.html Oster, Sandee. “Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany.” Phys.org. 6/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lavatory-shaft-reveals-17thcentury-vanity.html Oster, Sandee. “Mummified dogs reveal Tiwanaku people buried companions beside homes long before they became status symbols.” Phys.org. 6/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mummified-dogs-reveal-tiwanaku-people.html Randolph, Mary. “A Man and His Dog Discovered a 3,400-Year-Old Ax Head While Out for a Walk in One of England’s Ancient Forests.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-and-his-dog-accidentally-discovered-a-3400-year-old-ax-head-while-out-for-a-walk-in-one-of-englands-ancient-forests-180988649/ Randolph, Mary. “After a Poet’s Love Story Was Cut Short, His Letters Mysteriously Disappeared—Until Rare Book Dealers Acted on a Hunch.” Smithsonian. 4/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-john-keats-love-story-was-cut-short-his-letters-mysteriously-disappeared-until-rare-book-dealers-acted-on-a-hunch-180988585/ Science in Poland. “Ancient ‘beer’ traces found in 4,500-year-old vessels in Northeastern Poland.” 5/17/2026. https://scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news%2C112850%2Cancient-beer-traces-found-4500-year-old-vessels-northeastern-poland.html Solly, Meilan. “A 13-Year-Old Boy Found This Bronze Coin in a Field. It Turned Out to Be the First Ancient Greek Artifact Discovered in Berlin.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/ Solly, Meilan. “New research has identified four members of the doomed 1845 search for the Northwest Passage, including the owner of a paper-stuffed wallet that has long mystified historians.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-franklin-expedition-officer-died-in-the-arctic-in-uniform-that-didnt-belong-to-him-now-dna-has-revealed-his-identity-180988702/ Solly, Meilan. “These Italian Teenagers Stayed Overnight at Their School. They Found Ancient Roman Ruins Hidden in the Basement.” Smithsonian. 6/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/ The History Blog. “1,500-year-old kitchen knife set found in Hadrianopolis.” 4/22/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75890 The History Blog. “11th c. sword found in Warta River in Poland.” 6/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76308 The History Blog. “Charred loaf of bread found at Roman military camp.” 4/24/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75904 The History Blog. “First-grader on field trip finds 1,300-year-old sword.” 5/13/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76055 The History Blog. “Matching fragments of Silla stele reunited.” 4/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75837 Thorsberg, Christian. “A Hiker in Norway Found an Elite Warrior’s Golden Sword Ornament. It Was Likely a Sacrifice to the Gods Made During a Time of Turmoil.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-hiker-in-norway-found-an-elite-warriors-golden-sword-ornament-it-was-likely-a-sacrifice-to-the-gods-made-during-a-time-of-turmoil-180988707/ University of Copenhagen. "4,000-year-old tablets reveal magic spells, kings feared, and a beer receipt." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 May 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504023848.htm. University of Iowa Health Care. "Ancient DNA shared with Neanderthals may explain human language." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 June 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260611024612.htm University of York. “Ancient DNA from Tuscan Wells Reveal Origins of Modern Wine.” 5/12/2026. https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2026/research/ancient-dna-tuscan-wells-origins-wine/ Wexler, Ellen. “Archaeologists Unearth a Papyrus Fragment From the ‘Iliad’ Tucked Inside the Wrappings of a 1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy.” Smithsonian. 4/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/ Wexler, Ellen. “Divers Discover the Shipwreck of a World War I-Era Coast Guard Cutter, Which Vanished With 131 Sailors on Board in 1918.” Smithsonian. 5/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/divers-discover-the-shipwreck-of-a-world-war-i-era-coast-guard-cutter-which-vanished-with-131-sailors-on-board-in-1918-180988676/ Wexler, Ellen. “Why Did the Handwriting in This 248-Year-Old Notebook Look Familiar? It Turned Out to Be a Forgotten Mozart Manuscript.” Smithsonian. 6/25/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-handwriting-in-this-248-year-old-notebook-look-familiar-it-turned-out-to-be-a-forgotten-mozart-manuscript-180989017/ Whiddington, Richard. “Newly Recovered Love Letters by John Keats Could Net $2 Million at Auction.” ArtNet. 5/12/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/john-keats-love-letters-sothebys-auction-2772300 Whiddington, Richard. “Rare Centuries-Old Notebook Discovered in Medieval Latrine.” ArtNet. 5/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/notebook-medieval-latrine-2774230 Whiddington, Richard. “Shakespeare’s London Home Finally Located After Centuries of Mystery.” ArtNet. 4/17/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-london-home-site-found-2766154 Widdington, Richard. “Lost Copy of Earliest-Known English Poem Found in Roman Library.” ArtNet. 5/10/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/caedmon-hymn-copy-rome-library-trinity-college-2771600 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we explore the epic tragedy of the Iliad—from the oral traditions of Homer and the discovery of the real Troy to the legendary duel between Achilles and Hector and the poems that followed. Welcome to History Camp!

The Odyssey - Ep. 405 The journey home begins! This week the Normies set sail into the epic world of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, tackling Homer's timeless tale through the lens of one of modern cinema's most ambitious filmmakers. From breathtaking practical spectacle and mythic monsters to Nolan's signature twists of time, memory, and destiny, the hosts break down how this legendary voyage was reimagined for the big screen. Did the film live up to its monumental expectations? Which performances stole the show? And where does The Odyssey rank among Nolan's incredible filmography? Hoist the sails, beware the Cyclops, and chart a course for adventure as we journey across the wine-dark sea with The Odyssey—only on Normies Like Us! Insta @Normies_Like_Us https://www.instagram.com/normies_like_us/ @_j__a___c___o__b_ https://www.instagram.com/_j__a___c___o__b_/ @Mike_Has_Insta https://www.instagram.com/mike_has_insta/ https://letterboxd.com/BabblingBrooksy/ https://letterboxd.com/hobbes72/ https://letterboxd.com/mikejromans/

Part one of the mid-year coverage of things literally and figuratively unearthed in the last quarter includes updates, more updates, animals, edibles and potables, and accidental finds. Research: Addley, Esther. “Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists.” The Guardian. 6/17/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype Anderson, Sonja. “These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Plant.” Smithsonian. 5/29/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/ Archaeology Magazine. “Copper Part From Illicit 19th Century Still Discovered in Scotland.” 5/12/2026. https://archaeology.org/news/2026/05/12/copper-part-from-illicit-19th-century-still-discovered-in-scotland/ Associated Press Copenhagen. “Archaeologists discover wreck of Danish warship sunk by Nelson 225 years ago.” The Guardian. 4/2/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/02/archaeologists-discover-wreck-danish-warship-sunk-admiral-nelson Bassi, Margherita. “After Nearly 80 Years of Doubt, Scientists Say a Spear Lodged Between Elephant Ribs Offers Evidence That Neanderthals Hunted Big Game.” Smithsonian. 4/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/ Baum, Stephanie and Robert Egan. “Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization.” EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bolivian-mummy-rewrites-scarlet-fever.html Blackwood, Emma. “Baby fossils reveal link between human and Neanderthal development.” University of Queensland. Via EurekAlert. 6/19/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1132850 Blair, Elizabeth. “Decades-old, newly restored Smithsonian carousel reopens — to children’s delight.” WAMU. 4/25/2026. https://wamu.org/story/26/04/25/decades-old-newly-restored-smithsonian-carousel-reopens-to-childrens-delight/ Blake, Elissa. “New evidence reveals a millennium-old dingo was ritually buried, and cared for, along the Darling (Baaka) River in Australia.” University of Sydney. Via EurekAlert. 5/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128408 Cerino, Marco. “Appeals court clears Trump's path to alter Philadelphia slavery exhibit at historic site.” Philadelphia Tribune. 6/18/2026. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/appeals-court-clears-trumps-path-to-alter-philadelphia-slavery-exhibit-at-historic-site/article_8ac83e65-6a6d-4db1-91c4-074f98c96a74.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share Clark, Gaby. “Climate and competition alone cannot explain Neanderthal extinction, study finds.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-climate-competition-neanderthal-extinction.html Clark, Gaby. “Did Neanderthals use rhinoceros teeth as tools?” Phys.org. 6/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-neanderthals-rhinoceros-teeth-tools.html Clark, Gaby. “Nondestructive DNA sampling reveals 1,300 years of secrets in historic parchments.” Phys.org. 5/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nondestructive-dna-sampling-reveals-years.html Clark, Gaby. “Surprising diversity found among Europe's last Neanderthals.” Leiden University. Via Phys.org. 6/24/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-diversity-europe-neanderthals.html Cummings, Mike. “Medici brothers' remains reveal Renaissance-era malaria strains, closing the book on a murder mystery.” Phys.org. 6/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-medici-brothers-reveal-renaissance-era.html Defranceschi, Laura. “Ötzi and his microbiome: a 5,300-year-old relationship.” Eurac Research. Via EurekAlert. 6/2/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129908 Dungate, Joanna. “Shakespeare’s ‘missing’ London house mapped with new discovery.” Kings College London. Via EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123989 Egan, Robert. “Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago, ancient molar suggests.” Phys.org. 5/13/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-neanderthal-dentists-stone-drills-cavities.html Egan, Robert. “Stonehenge Altar Stone's epic transportation across ancient Britain detailed in new study.” Curtin University. Via Phys.org. 6/4/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stonehenge-altar-stone-epic-ancient.html Ellenby, Danielle. “Medieval Japanese poetry and buried trees help elucidate volatile space weather.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123008 Forbes, Ellie. “Archaeologists discover unexploded mortar shell at Culloden Battlefield.” Scottish Field. 4/14/2026. https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/news/archaeologists-discover-unexploded-mortar-shell-at-culloden-battlefield/ Harley, Sadie and Robert Egan. “Ancient chicken bones reveal human management in Korea 2,000 years ago.” Phys.org. 4/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-chicken-bones-reveal-human.html Jones, Sam. “Hidden treasures: Spanish archaeologists discover trove of ancient shipwrecks in Bay of Gibraltar.” The Guardian. 4/15/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/15/hidden-treasures-spanish-archaeologists-discover-trove-of-ancient-shipwrecks-in-bay-of-gibraltar Kuta, Sarah. “A Shipwreck, but Make It Fashion: Researchers Transformed Wooden Fragments From a 17th-Century Shipwreck Into a Pair of Stylish Maxi Dresses.” Smithsonian. 5/26/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-but-make-it-fashion-researchers-transformed-wooden-fragments-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck-into-a-pair-of-stylish-maxi-dresses-180988825/ Kuta, Sarah. “Archaeologists Discover Evidence That a Wooden Prototype for Stonehenge May Have Aligned With the Solstice 500 Years Before the Stone Circle.” Smithsonian. 6/19/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Potatoes Didn’t Just Feed Ancient Indigenous Communities in the Andes—the Tasty Tubers Also Reshaped People’s DNA.” Smithsonain. 5/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/potatoes-didnt-just-feed-ancient-indigenous-communities-in-the-andes-the-tasty-tubers-also-reshaped-peoples-dna-180988732/ Kuta, Sarah. “This American Submarine Lost During WWII—Along With 83 Crew Members—Has Been Discovered in the Pacific Ocean.” Smithsonian. 6/3/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-submarine-USS-Herring-lost-during-WWII-along-with-83-crew-members-has-been-discovered-in-the-pacific-ocean-180988895/ Kuta, Sarah. “Turtles May Have Been Tasty Snacks for Neanderthals 125,000 Years Ago. But Their Shells Were Probably the Real Prize.” Smithsonian. 4/15/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/ Kuta, Sarah. “What Killed the Neanderthals? New Research Suggests a Lack of Genetic Diversity May Be Partially to Blame.” Smithsonian. 4/24/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/ Lakowski, Amy. “Digging for Remnants of the Battle of Bunker Hill.” Bostonia. Boston University’s Alumni Magazine. 6/22/2026. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2026/digging-for-remnants-battle-of-bunker-hill/ Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “The Sagrada Familia Will Finally Be Completed in 2026. The Last Challenge? Demolishing the Homes of Some 3,000 Local Residents.” ArtNet. 2/13/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sagrada-familia-2026-local-residents-2254826 Lock, Lisa and Robert Egan. “Ancient curse tablet bears rare Greek inscription with binding spell intended to harm enemies.” Phys.org. 6/17/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-curse-tablet-rare-greek.html Lu, Donna. “Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines.” The Guardian. 5/18/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/19/dingo-burial-site-first-nations-people-relationship-to-animals net. “Lost Writings of Saint Augustine Found in Medieval Manuscript.” 6/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/06/lost-writings-of-saint-augustine-found-in-medieval-manuscript/ net. “Secret Letter Detailing Late Medieval Britain Fully Decoded.” https://www.medievalists.net/2026/04/secret-letter-detailing-late-medieval-britain-fully-decoded/ Mehrtens, Michelle. “A Young Black Girl Was the First to Desegregate a Maryland Carousel in the 1960s. Now, the Historic Merry-Go-Round Will Entertain Visitors on the National Mall.” Smithsonian. 4/22/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-young-black-girl-was-the-first-to-desegregate-a-maryland-carousel-in-the-1960s-now-the-historic-merry-go-round-will-entertain-visitors-on-the-national-mall-180988596/ Mondal, Sanjukta. “Scraped from ancient Roman toilets, these crusted remains expose a pathogen found far earlier than expected.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-roman-toilets-crusted-expose.html Moreau, Didier and Julie Louis. “Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo.” University of Liege. Via EurekAlert. 4/1/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122449 Mosquera, Pau. “Sagrada Família’s 144-year journey nears its end with the Tower of Jesus Christ.” CNN. 6/8/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/08/style/sagrada-familia-barcelona-tower-jesus-christ-intl Nicholls, Catherine and Taylor Nicioli. “Papyrus scroll burnt to a crisp during Vesuvius eruption deciphered with help of AI.” CNN. 6/26/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/26/science/papyrus-scroll-vesuvius-ai-scli-intl Oster, Sandee et al. “Rare 500-year-old freeze-dried potatoes unearthed at Inca coastal site.” Phys.org. 6/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-year-dried-potatoes-unearthed.html Oster, Sandee. “A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain.” Phys.org. 5/31/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-kohl-bottle-york-hint-ancient.html Oster, Sandee. “Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany.” Phys.org. 6/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lavatory-shaft-reveals-17thcentury-vanity.html Oster, Sandee. “Mummified dogs reveal Tiwanaku people buried companions beside homes long before they became status symbols.” Phys.org. 6/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mummified-dogs-reveal-tiwanaku-people.html Randolph, Mary. “A Man and His Dog Discovered a 3,400-Year-Old Ax Head While Out for a Walk in One of England’s Ancient Forests.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-and-his-dog-accidentally-discovered-a-3400-year-old-ax-head-while-out-for-a-walk-in-one-of-englands-ancient-forests-180988649/ Randolph, Mary. “After a Poet’s Love Story Was Cut Short, His Letters Mysteriously Disappeared—Until Rare Book Dealers Acted on a Hunch.” Smithsonian. 4/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-john-keats-love-story-was-cut-short-his-letters-mysteriously-disappeared-until-rare-book-dealers-acted-on-a-hunch-180988585/ Science in Poland. “Ancient ‘beer’ traces found in 4,500-year-old vessels in Northeastern Poland.” 5/17/2026. https://scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news%2C112850%2Cancient-beer-traces-found-4500-year-old-vessels-northeastern-poland.html Solly, Meilan. “A 13-Year-Old Boy Found This Bronze Coin in a Field. It Turned Out to Be the First Ancient Greek Artifact Discovered in Berlin.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/ Solly, Meilan. “New research has identified four members of the doomed 1845 search for the Northwest Passage, including the owner of a paper-stuffed wallet that has long mystified historians.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-franklin-expedition-officer-died-in-the-arctic-in-uniform-that-didnt-belong-to-him-now-dna-has-revealed-his-identity-180988702/ Solly, Meilan. “These Italian Teenagers Stayed Overnight at Their School. They Found Ancient Roman Ruins Hidden in the Basement.” Smithsonian. 6/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/ The History Blog. “1,500-year-old kitchen knife set found in Hadrianopolis.” 4/22/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75890 The History Blog. “11th c. sword found in Warta River in Poland.” 6/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76308 The History Blog. “Charred loaf of bread found at Roman military camp.” 4/24/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75904 The History Blog. “First-grader on field trip finds 1,300-year-old sword.” 5/13/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76055 The History Blog. “Matching fragments of Silla stele reunited.” 4/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75837 Thorsberg, Christian. “A Hiker in Norway Found an Elite Warrior’s Golden Sword Ornament. It Was Likely a Sacrifice to the Gods Made During a Time of Turmoil.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-hiker-in-norway-found-an-elite-warriors-golden-sword-ornament-it-was-likely-a-sacrifice-to-the-gods-made-during-a-time-of-turmoil-180988707/ University of Copenhagen. "4,000-year-old tablets reveal magic spells, kings feared, and a beer receipt." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 May 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504023848.htm. University of Iowa Health Care. "Ancient DNA shared with Neanderthals may explain human language." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 June 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260611024612.htm University of York. “Ancient DNA from Tuscan Wells Reveal Origins of Modern Wine.” 5/12/2026. https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2026/research/ancient-dna-tuscan-wells-origins-wine/ Wexler, Ellen. “Archaeologists Unearth a Papyrus Fragment From the ‘Iliad’ Tucked Inside the Wrappings of a 1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy.” Smithsonian. 4/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/ Wexler, Ellen. “Divers Discover the Shipwreck of a World War I-Era Coast Guard Cutter, Which Vanished With 131 Sailors on Board in 1918.” Smithsonian. 5/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/divers-discover-the-shipwreck-of-a-world-war-i-era-coast-guard-cutter-which-vanished-with-131-sailors-on-board-in-1918-180988676/ Wexler, Ellen. “Why Did the Handwriting in This 248-Year-Old Notebook Look Familiar? It Turned Out to Be a Forgotten Mozart Manuscript.” Smithsonian. 6/25/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-handwriting-in-this-248-year-old-notebook-look-familiar-it-turned-out-to-be-a-forgotten-mozart-manuscript-180989017/ Whiddington, Richard. “Newly Recovered Love Letters by John Keats Could Net $2 Million at Auction.” ArtNet. 5/12/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/john-keats-love-letters-sothebys-auction-2772300 Whiddington, Richard. “Rare Centuries-Old Notebook Discovered in Medieval Latrine.” ArtNet. 5/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/notebook-medieval-latrine-2774230 Whiddington, Richard. “Shakespeare’s London Home Finally Located After Centuries of Mystery.” ArtNet. 4/17/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-london-home-site-found-2766154 Widdington, Richard. “Lost Copy of Earliest-Known English Poem Found in Roman Library.” ArtNet. 5/10/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/caedmon-hymn-copy-rome-library-trinity-college-2771600 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a poet who survived prison sits down with the world's oldest war story--and reads it in three sleepless, wandering days? In this second episode of the EconTalk Book Club on the Iliad, Dwayne Betts and EconTalk host Russ Roberts trade their impressions of the Iliad, discovering it's less about war than about fathers, friendship, and the stubborn dignity people find inside fates they can't escape. Betts connects Achilles's rage and grief to his own experience of incarceration and depression, while Roberts marvels at Homer's cinematic style and the strange tenderness between enemies. Together they unpack the shield of Achilles, the ransom of Hector's body, and how an ancient poem about war still cracks readers open today. It's a conversation about reading as communion--and how a 2,800-year-old story became, unexpectedly, a way of connecting to each other.

Guests in Londinium, 92 AD: Gaius and Germanicus. The Corruption of Hollywood and the Sacred Canon. Regarding the Hollywood remake of the Odyssey, Germanicus characterizes the production as a "Hail Mary" by a "cesspool of corruption" known as Hollywood to remain relevant while "hemorrhaging talent." He labels the film an "abomination" and a "short shrift" to a sacred work of literature. Despite this, he sees a "beacon of hope" in the possibility that the film's failure will drive the younger generation to seek out the original texts. He emphasizes that the Iliad and Odyssey were not "fantasy" but the civilizational canon of Greco-Roman antiquity, acting as "sacred works" that dictated how to live and think. Gaius notes that these epics were originally meant to be "chanted" or "sung" and that they traditionally ended with "calm after the violence" rather than mere spectacle. They conclude that Hollywood has "cheapened our sensibility" and "raped our legacy" by failing to respect these foundational pillars of Western identity. (3)

“There's a reason why movies have always been used for propaganda.” Correction: Our seventh year anniversary just passed, not our fifth. Thanks for listening! Time StampsOpening – (0:00)The Odyssey review – (1:30)IMAX Accessibility – (19:15)Whatcha Been Watching – (22:09)Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America – (22:19)Emily Wilson's The Iliad and The Odyssey – (23:08)Live action Moana – (28:48)The Invite – (29:38)On The Horizon – (30:53)Outro – (37:20) Like, subscribe, and comment below! Wanna find […]

Send us Fan MailODYSSEYThe tales of our quartet of heroic hacks hath concluded, and alas Season 17's continued voyage to cover a single work otherwise shunned by the codes of TGTPTU would have to wait another day as the movie theater houses of IMAX and lesser film abodes have brought to the weary masses a film of epic proportions and grand length. That motion picture would be THE ODYSSEY (2026), and the man of Briton to foregather the talents of the camera-wielding Double Hoyte and the Talented Mr. Damon harkens back to adventures during TGTPTU's Season 12 and is no other than Sir (IRL!) Christopher Edward Nolan.   As your humble scribe is no soothsayer, he cannot in good faith foretell how the film will deviate from the classic work of Homer (blind and of Ancient Grecian fame, not Simpson of Springfield). Nor can yours truly hint at the reactions the hosts Ryan, Ken, or he, himself, Thomas will have, nor may he here throw his customary shade and poison the reader of such unnecessarily ramose sentences as herein contained toward his views on the film.    Will adapting an oral tale later committed to archaic languages befall the fate of Aronofsky's Noah (2014, covered in Season 11)? Will Travis Scott with his role as The Bard for Nolan surpass his previous acting credit in Harmony Korine's Aggro Dr1ft (2023)? Will Jon Bernthal battle Robert Pattinson in a clash between the comic book titans The Punisher and The Batman? Will Bill Irwin's cyclops surpass both his previous Nolan role as robot and that of whoever was the cyclops in Krull (1983, covered earlier this season)? Will the film contain or be structured so that the beginning and end meet in the middle, again cribbing TGTPTU's patented pincer movement and leading to further litigation? Will there be an Iliad prequel?   Of all this and more, I am humbly ignorant. But I will wager anyone a Way of the Gun DVD with postage paid that Irwin's cyclops will rival that of James Marsden's or Tye Sheridan's. You can @ me using the contacts below.     In two weeks, a homecoming as the 1x1's begin and Season 17 draws to a close.   THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.Email: thegoodthepodandtheugly@gmail.comFacebook: https://m.facebook.com/TGTPTUInstagram: https://instagram.com/thegoodthepodandtheugly?igshid=um92md09kjg0Bluesky: @goodpodugly.bsky.socialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6mI2plrgJu-TB95bbJCW-gLetterboxd (follow us!):Podcast: goodpoduglyKen: Ken KoralRyan: Ryan Tobias

Troy made nearly $500 million worldwide, cast half of Lord of the Rings as extras, and turned Brad Pitt into a Greek demigod for two hours and forty-three minutes. It also cut every god out of Homer's Iliad and left Achilles as a straight-up atheist.Josh, Garrett, and David dig into what David Benioff's screenplay kept, what it invented, and why removing the mythology from a mythology movie might be the reason nobody in it feels worth rooting for. Plus: the Letterboxd guessing game, a Peter O'Toole story that did not end well for anyone, and a rating that dropped the more they talked about it.Part of Mythology Month, timed to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey — now in theaters. Follow So Many Sequels at somanysequels.com and @somanysequelspod on Instagram.

(4) Rituals of the Arena: Chubby Gladiators, Elephant Empathy, and the Roman Mythic Past Guests in Londinium, 92 AD: Gaius and Germanicus. This discussion strips away the Hollywood image of gladiators, focusing on their specialized diets and the cultural role they played in Roman society. Gaius reveals that gladiators were intentionally chubby to "bleed better" for the audience and suffered from bad breath due to a meatless diet, highlighting that many were actually volunteers seeking money, and that animal hunts were often more popular than death matches. He shares a poignant account of elephants in the arena begging the crowd for their lives, which led Romans to acknowledge their intelligence. Germanicus explains gladiatorial combat as a "ritual" for citizens to reconnect with their "mythic heroic past" now that they no longer serve in the legions, defending the "chubby" physique by noting that body fat was essential for the survival of both Hannibal's soldiers and elephants during Alpine crossings. He connects these spectacles to the Roman imagination and literary traditions like the Iliad. They also discuss the Emperor Commodus, noting that despite his whimsical cruelty, he was not a coward in the arena, even though his reign was a "long line of tragedy." (4)1897 

What if the world's most famous homecoming was really a nightmare of monsters, gods, and one very stubborn king trying to get back to Ithaca?In our new series Tristan Hughes and classicist Dr. Emily Hauser dive into Homer's Odyssey, an epic of shipwrecks, sorcery, giants and divine meddling, where Odysseus is never quite sure whether the next shore will save him or destroy him.They trace his journey from the ruins of Troy to Calypso's island, the Phaeacians, Circe, the Cyclops, and even the Underworld, asking what kind of hero Odysseus really is, and why his story has lasted for more than 2,500 years.Ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan's new epic film, get across the story and all the key characters and plot lines, including rich historical context.MOREThe IliadListen on AppleListen on SpotifyHomerListen on AppleListen on SpotifyWe're going on *TOUR* to Australia and New Zealand! - grab your tickets here.The Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcastPresented by Tristan Hughes. Edited by Natasha Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue our epic and cinematic journey towards Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey by taking a look at a second inspiration behind his adaptation. This time it's Troy from 2004 from director Wolfgang Peterson. Loosely based on Homer's Iliad and the story of the Trojan War it pits (pun intended) Brad Pitt's Achilles against Eric Bana's Hector, Orlando Blooms Paris against Brendan Gleeson's Menelaus, a city of stupid people against a horse and a whole lot more. Thanks for watching our Caravan Of Garbage reviewSUBSCRIBE HERE ►► http://goo.gl/pQ39jNHelp support the show and get early episodes ► https://bigsandwich.co/Patreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesJames' Twitter ► http://twitter.com/mrsundaymoviesMaso's Twitter ► http://twitter.com/wikipediabrownPatreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesT-Shirts/Merch ► https://www.teepublic.com/stores/mr-sunday-moviesThe Weekly Planet iTunes ► https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-planet/id718158767?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4The Weekly Planet Direct Download ► https://play.acast.com/s/theweeklyplanetAmazon Affiliate Link ► https://amzn.to/2nc12P4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ego, pride, wrath, fear, gods, superheroes, mortals, and lots of killing. Welcome to Homer's Iliad, which reads at times like a script for a Tarantino film or the latest installment of the Avengers franchise. In the first episode of the EconTalk Book Club on the Iliad, Ido Hevroni of Shalem College speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the surprising relevance of a 2800-year-old epic poem. Hevroni also provides useful background for first-time readers and what it's like to read the Iliad with combat veterans.

The story of Achilles, Odysseus and the siege of Troy has captivated audiences for millennia, but behind the legends lies a deeper mystery. Was this epic war a myth, a memory of a real Bronze Age conflict, or something in between?Today Tristan Hughes is joined by Eric Cline to explore the reality behind Homer's greatest tale. From the legendary heroes of The Iliad to the ruins of Troy, discover what archaeology and ancient texts reveal about the Trojan War, and whether the story of Helen, Paris and the fall of Troy truly has a historical foundation.MORETroyListen on AppleListen on Spotify The Bronze Age CollapseListen on AppleListen on Spotify We're going on *TOUR* to Australia and New Zealand! - grab your tickets here.The Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcastPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Gore of Battle and the Sanctity of the Dead. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The Iliad features vivid and gory battle scenes that Wilson rendered by consulting with combat veterans to understand the visceral nature of death. Homeremphasizes the specific details of how each man dies, often juxtaposing the brutality of a spear through an eyeball with beautiful similes from the natural world. A major theme is the treatment of the dead; the poem views the corpse as the person, requiring those who loved the warrior to wash, wrap, and lament him. Entire books are dedicated to the struggle of reclaiming a fallen comrade's body, as desecrating a corpse is seen as the ultimate victory over an enemy. Stripping the armor from a victim serves as both an economic prize and a symbol of total dominance. While the gods like Poseidon and Hera intervene to support the Greeks, they also remain distinct from mortals by "bleeding" a substance called ichor. These divine and human elements culminate in the pivotal death of Patroclus, which shifts the direction of the entire war. 6

Mortality and the End of the Iliad. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The final stages of the Iliad focus on Achilles' intense grief and the rituals surrounding death. Following the violent funeral pyre for Patroclus, Achilles organizes funeral games, which Wilson suggests represent his growing realization that all mortals are ultimately "losers" in the face of death. These games provide a new model for competition where skillful men can win prizes without the conflict ending in the destruction of society. A significant moment of reconciliation—or perhaps a "sick burn"—occurs when Achilles gives Agamemnon a prize for spear-throwing without requiring him to compete, acknowledging Agamemnon's status while potentially mocking his habit of taking things he did not earn. The poem notably concludes not with the fall of Troyor the Trojan Horse, but with the voices of three women—Andromache, Hecuba, and Helen—singing laments. Their grief highlights the future of enslavement and loss facing the survivors. This ending, marked by a humanitarian pause for Hector's funeral, underscores the poem's central theme: the universal struggle to accept human mortality. 1

The Homeric Question and Epic Tradition. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The identity of Homer remains a subject of intense scholarly debate, as the Iliad emerged from a long oral tradition that existed before the return of literacy to Greece in the 8th century BCE. For centuries, performing poets developed stories of heroes like Achilles and Agamemnon, using dactylic hexameter to aid memory and performance. The Iliad is a monumental written poem that takes a sophisticated approach to these familiar tales, often subverting expectations. Interestingly, it omits many "famous hits" like the Trojan Horse, the judgment of Paris, and the actual fall of Troy. Instead, it focuses on a mere month and a half of the ten-year war, centering on internal Greek conflict rather than just a battle against Trojans. Wilson notes that while she translates the work into iambic pentameter to capture its drive, the poem itself possesses the narrative complexity of a modern novel, utilizing techniques like shifting perspectives and narrator omniscience. She also mentions lost epic poems like the Cypria, which provided more backstory on Zeus's plan to reduce the human population through war. 2

Character Pairings and the Pressure of Honor. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The Iliad features vivid character relationships that function with the depth of a novel. Helen is portrayed as an ironic thinker and a storyteller who weaves the sufferings of the war into her textiles, much like the poet himself. She possesses a unique perspective on her own fate and the limited power mortals have against the whims of gods like Aphrodite. In contrast, Hector and Andromacheform a tragic pairing; Andromache's heartbreaking pleas for her husband to stay within the city walls are met with Hector's refusal, driven by the intense fear of shame and the pursuit of kleos, or undying glory. The royal couple Priamand Hecuba represent different facets of leadership and loss, with Hecuba displaying a maternal rage so fierce she wishes to eat her enemies raw. Divine figures like Thetis, Achilles' mother, add a layer of sympathy as she bargains with Zeus to grant her son glory, knowing his life will be short. However, these divine interventions often result in further horror for the mortals involved. 31789

Goddesses, Trophies, and the Bond of Achilles. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The gods in the Iliad often represent extreme human instincts, such as Aphrodite representing lust and Ares representing aggression. These deities are sometimes depicted as ridiculous because they flee the battlefield when wounded, whereas mortals must face their pain heroically. Within the Greek camp, the social structure is built around honor and "trophies," specifically enslaved women like Briseis, who are parceled out after military victories. While Briseis has a limited voice, she is shown to have a kind relationship with Patroclus, who is described as a multi-faceted character capable of both great kindness and brutal violence. Patroclus is not a "beta male" but a skilled warrior who mocks his victims as he kills them. The bond between Achilles and Patroclus is the most intimate and emotionally vulnerable relationship in the poem. Achilles' awareness of his own impending death and the violation of his honor by Agamemnon creates a deep-seated rage that drives the central plot. 41919

The Plot Begins: Rage and Divine Bargains. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The plot of the Iliad is ignited by a clash of egos between Agamemnon and Achilles. When Agamemnon is forced to return his own war prize to appease Apollo, he seizes Achilles' enslaved woman, Briseis, to recoup his lost face. This action causes Achilles to withdraw from the fighting, perversely restoring his honor by demonstrating how much the Greeks suffer without him. This human conflict is mirrored by divine bargaining; for instance, Hera is so intent on destroying Troy that she offers to let Zeus destroy three of her own beloved cities, including Sparta, in exchange for his cooperation. The Greek audience would have recognized the historical weight of these fallen cities. Wilson interprets Agamemnon not as a simple villain, but as a weak and struggling leader who often blames his poor decisions on divine delusion rather than taking personal responsibility. Despite his flaws, the poem illustrates the immense difficulty of maintaining power and making decisions under the influence of manipulative gods. 5

Mortality and the RAGE OF ACHILLES. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The conclusion of the Iliad explores the resolution of Achilles' rage following the death of Hector. Initially, Achilles attempts to prolong Hector's humiliation by dragging his body behind a chariot and refusing to allow a proper burial. However, the funeral games for Patroclus mark a shift toward maturity, as Achilles provides a space for competition that does not end in death. He even shows a degree of grace—or perhaps a subtle insult—by awarding Agamemnon a prize without a contest. The poem finishes with a humanitarian pause that allows the Trojans to bury Hector, bookending the story with funerals. The final voices are those of mourning women, emphasizing the shared human experience of grief and the inevitable suffering that follows war. Wilson concludes that the Iliad is fundamentally about the struggle to accept mortality, a theme that has provided comfort and insight to readers for over 2,700 years. 8