Podcasts about Pylos

Sherry returns as guest with a set of chapters she called dibs on far in advance, for good reason! We cover 4 fun Frank chapters as we follow along our team's continuing journey in The Son of Neptune! Topics include: film cameras, Florida, Dance Moms, recording timelines, snack time, trading, Butterscotch Krimpets, birth certificates, being ripped, languages, goosing, ROFL, Galaxy Quest, Business Daddy, fad diets, lactose, crediting, Mambo #5, shapeshifting, Teen Miss Dance of New Jersey, Missy Elliot, Pylos, MLMs, Chamber of Secrets, Willow Smith, Danse Macabre, and more!  — Find The Newest Olympian Online —• Website: www.thenewestolympian.com• Patreon: www.thenewestolympian.com/patreon• Instagram: www.instagram.com/newestolympian• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/newestolympian.bsky.social• Facebook: www.facebook.com/newestolympian• Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/thenewestolympian• Twitter: www.twitter.com/newestolympian• Merch: www.thenewestolympian.com/merch — Production —• Creator, Host, Producer, Social Media, Web Design: Mike Schubert• Editor: Sherry Guo• Music: Bettina Campomanes and Brandon Grugle• Art: Jessica E. Boyd — About The Show —Has the Percy Jackson series been slept on by society? Join Mike Schubert as he journeys through the Riordanverse for the first time with the help of longtime PJO fans to cover the plot, take stabs at what happens next, and nerd out over the Greek mythology throughout. Whether you're looking for an excuse to finally read these books, or want to re-read an old favorite with a digital book club, grab your blue chocolate chip cookies and listen along. New episodes release on Mondays wherever you get your podcasts!

Have you ever wondered how ancient empires managed the delicate dance of diplomacy and warfare? In this gripping episode, we unravel the complex strategies and political chess moves of the Peloponnesian War, spotlighting the pivotal period following 424 BC. Witness the dramatic rise and fall of Athens and Sparta as we dissect significant events like the Spartan defeats at Pylos and Sphacteria and Athens' bold military ventures. We also examine how setbacks at Megara and Delium fueled Sparta's resolve, leading to urgent peace negotiations. With a special focus on the cunning Spartan general Brasidas and his diplomatic ingenuity in Thrace, we unpack how his actions led to the revolt of key cities against Athens, culminating in the battle at Amphipolis and the fragile Peace of Nicias in 421 BC.But the story doesn't end with the signing of a treaty. Journey through the tangled web of alliances and political intrigue as cities like Corinth and Elis contemplate breaking free from Spartan dominance by joining the Argive League. We explore the strategic calculations and shifting allegiances that marked this era, including the influence of differing governmental systems on these decisions. As tensions rise, experience the secret negotiations and alliance formations that unfolded between Athens and Sparta, highlighting the undercurrents of distrust and preparation for renewed hostilities. This episode provides a rare glimpse into the fragile power dynamics and the precarious balance of peace during one of history's most tumultuous times. Support the show

fWotD Episode 2794: George E. Mylonas Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Saturday, 28 December 2024 is George E. Mylonas.George Emmanuel Mylonas (Greek: Γεώργιος Μυλωνάς, romanized: Georgios Mylonas, Greek pronunciation: [/ʝe'oɾʝios myːlo'nas/], ye-OR-yios mee-loh-NAS; December 21, [O. S. December 9] 1898 – April 15, 1988) was a Greek archaeologist of ancient Greece and of Aegean prehistory. He excavated widely, particularly at Olynthus, Eleusis and Mycenae, where he made the first archaeological study and publication of Grave Circle B, the earliest known monumentalized burials at the site.Mylonas was born in Smyrna, then part of the Ottoman Empire, and received an elite education. He enrolled in 1919 at the University of Athens to study classics, joined the Greek Army, and fought in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. He witnessed the destruction of Smyrna in September 1922, and was subsequently taken prisoner; he was recaptured after a brief escape, but was released in 1923 after bribing his captors with money sent by his American contacts.In 1924, Mylonas began working for the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, with which he retained a lifelong association. He became its first bursar the following year, and took part in excavations at Corinth, Nemea and Olynthus under its auspices. After receiving his Ph. D. from the University of Athens in 1927, he moved to Johns Hopkins University in the United States to study under David Moore Robinson, his excavation director from Olynthus. He subsequently taught at the University of Chicago. After a brief return to Greece, during which he taught at a gymnasium and made his first excavations at Eleusis, he was hired by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1931, before moving to Washington University in St. Louis in 1933, where he remained until returning permanently to Greece in 1969. There, he was prominent in the Archaeological Society of Athens and in efforts to conserve the monuments of the Acropolis of Athens.Mylonas's excavation work included the sites of Pylos, Artemision, Mekyberna, Polystylos and Aspropotamos. Along with John Papadimitriou, he was given responsibility for the excavation of Mycenae's Grave Circle B in the early 1950s, and from 1957 until 1985 excavated on the citadel of the site. His excavations helped to establish the chronological relationships between Mycenae's structures, which had been excavated piecemeal over the preceding century, and to determine the religious function of the site's Cult Center, to which he gave its name. He was awarded the Order of George I, the Royal Order of the Phoenix and the Gold Medal of the Archaeological Institute of America, of which he was the first foreign-born president. His work at Mycenae has been credited with bringing coherence to the previously scattered and sporadically published record of excavation at the site. At the same time, his belief that ancient Greek mythical traditions, particularly concerning the Trojan War and the Eleusinian Mysteries, could be verified by archaeological excavation was controversial in his day and has generally been discredited since.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Saturday, 28 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see George E. Mylonas on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ruth.

In this episode, we speak with Paul Wagner, the media officer for Sea-Watch's airborne operations.    He tells us about the rescue organisation's reconnaissance missions over the central Mediterranean, the push and pullbacks they have witnessed at sea, and how the EU has refugee blood on its hands.    He also tell us about the various ways the Italian government has tried to stop them from carrying out their human rights monitoring missions.     ---Get in touch---   Twitter: @FleetCivil   Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social   Bluesky: @thecivilfleet.bsky.social   Instagram: thecivilfleet   info@civilfleet.com   civilfleet.com   Support:   ko-fi.com/civilfleet   ---Show Notes---   For more on Sea-Watch, visit: sea-watch.org/en   For more on the Seabirds 1 & 2, see here: sea-watch.org/mission/airborne/   Follow Sea-Watch on Twitter on @seawatch_intl Bluesky: @en.sea-watch.org  Instagram: seawatchcrew   Also, check out episodes 43, 22, 7 and 1 of The Civil Fleet Podcast for more on Sea-Watch.    Read more about Carola Rackete here: https://thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/italys-highest-court-confirms-ngo-captain-should-not-have-been-arrested-for-saving-refugee-lives/    For more on SOS Humanity, see episodes 55 and 31   Read The Civil Fleet's coverage of Sea-Watch here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Sea-Watch   For more on the Matteo Salvini kidnapping trial. see: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/09/15/italian-deputy-pm-matteo-salvini-faces-possible-six-years-in-prison-over-migrants-case  It was SOS Humanity who rescued one person at sea in late October. They were then forced to sail to the distant port of Salerno, 870km, away from where the rescue took place. Read more about that here: twitter.com/soshumanity_en/status/1850235169568891033   You can read Ben's interbiew with Sea-Watch's Tamino Bohm, here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/07/18/the-libyan-coastguards-interceptions-of-refugees-couldnt-happen-without-europes-planes   For more on the sip captain Paul metions who was arrested for handing people over to the Libya, see here: euronews.com/2021/10/14/italy-ship-captain-convicted-after-sending-101-migrants-to-libya-in-2018   The merchant shop Ben talks about was the Maersk Etienne. You can read about that saga here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/09/13/forty-day-nightmare-finally-over-as-the-mare-jonio-brings-the-etienne-27-to-land   For more on the Maersk Etienne case, check out episodes 18 and 47   Read about Malta's treatment of the civilian rescuers here: https://thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Malta   For more on the Pylos shipwreck, see Episodes 60 and 52   Paul mention's a testimony by Ibrahim Hsian, the son of Mohammed Hsian who drowned in the shipwreck of 2nd September 2024. You can read that here: sea-watch.org/en/my-father-was-a-unique-irreplaceable-person

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jared Zimmerer to discuss Book 17 of the Odyssey: The Stranger at the Gates. Dr. Jared Zimmerer is the Content Marketing Director and Great Books adjunct professor for Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. The former Senior Director of the Word on Fire Institute and the Dean of Pastoral Fellows. He holds a PhD in Humanities from Faulkner University and a master's degree in Theology from Holy Apostles College. He and his wife Jessica live in Atchison, Kansas, with their six children.Check out more resources at thegreatbookspodcast.com. From the guide:86. What happens in book seventeen?Telemachus returns home and presents himself to his mother (17.36). He tells of his journey to Pylos and Sparta, and how Menelaus told him that Odysseus was being held captive on the island of Calypso (17.45). The prophet, Theoclymenus, declares that Odysseus is already on Ithaca (17.168). Meanwhile, the Swineherd and Odysseus—in the guise of a beggar—start to make their way to the palace and are mocked by the goatherd, Melanthius (17.231). As they approached the palace, Odyssey sees the dog he trained as a puppy, Argo, “invested with ticks, half dead from neglect” laying on a pile of dung (17.319). Argo recognizes his master and Odysseus hides his tears (17.330). As Odysseus enters his home, “the dark shadow of death closed down on Argo's eyes” (17.359).Odysseus, as the beggar, tests the suitors by asking each one for a scrap to eat (17.398). The suitor Antinous mocks him and throws a stool at Odysseus (17.492). Odysseus is “unstaggered” by the blow, silent, “his mind churning with thoughts of bloody work” (17.513). The book ends with Penelope inviting Odysseus the beggar to come and tell her his story face to face (17.588). 87. How does the theme of guest-friendship (xenia) inform book seventeen? The predominant theme in book seventeen is that Odysseus returns home and does so as a guest in his own house. Homer is arguably drawing a parallel between Odysseus' return home and cyclops narrative. As Odysseus raided the cyclops' cave and intended to pervert guest-friendship to receive gifts, so too does he now find guests in his own home devouring his goods. Moreover, as the cyclops consumed his ill-intentioned guests, so too will Odysseus consume his. The two narratives are linked explicitly by the curse the cyclops asks of Poseidon after Odysseus escapes and reveals his name.Other aspects of xenia to observe include the prophet, Theoclymenus, making an oath according to the table of hospitality (17.169). Moreover, we see that xenia is not only something upon which an oath may be made but also a standard of judgment—as it is for the suitors and their treatment of Odysseus the beggar (17.397). We also see guest-friendship expose the irony that the suitors—who are devouring the house of their host—mock Odysseus the beggar as bleeding the house dry (17.425, 492). Notably, the suitors are aware, in part, of Antinous' violation of guest-friendship, as they condemn him hitting Odysseus the beggar with the stool (17.531).Much more in our written guide!

Witness the dramatic power play between two iconic city-states as we pull back the curtain on the strategic chess match that was the conflict over Amphipolis. Could the overconfidence of Athenian generals have been their downfall against the cunning maneuvers of Spartan general Brasidas? This episode promises insights into the mind games and tactical genius that unfolded, unraveling how Brasidas turned the tables on Athens with diplomacy and strategy, charting an unexpected course through the battlegrounds of Thrace. Brace yourself for revelations on how an initial Athenian advantage, following their victories at Pylos and Sphacteria, was compromised by a series of unforeseen events in the region.As we explore the siege that disrupted the Athenian dominance, we examine the compelling narrative of Cleon's overreach and Brasidas's audacious ambush tactics that caught Athens off guard. Journey with us through the aftermath of the Battle of Amphipolis, where the city's citizens hailed Brasidas as a saviour, leaving Athens to grapple with the ramifications of their loss. The episode shines a light on the shifting geopolitical landscape, where both Athens and Sparta faced unprecedented challenges, prompting strategic recalibrations and new alliances. From the battlefield to the broader political stage, this episode captures the essence of a pivotal moment in ancient history, rich in dramatic twists and strategic lessons that continue to resonate. Support the show

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan continue the YEAR WITH HOMER by discussing Book 15 of the Odyssey: The Prince Sets Sail for Home. Check out our guide at thegreatbookspodcast.com.80. What happens in book fifteen?Athena goes to Sparta and inspires the young Telemachus to return home quickly (15.10) and advises him on how to avoid the ambush set by the suitors (15.31). Menelaus gives Telemachus kingly gifts and sends him and Nestor's son back to Pylos (15.112). Telemachus asks Nestor's son to leave him at his ship and not take him back to Nestor's house—as to be able to return home quickly and not be hosted again by the old king (15.222). As Telemachus is praying to Athena before launching his ship (15.246), a stranger approaches and asks to sail with him (15.286). Telemachus agrees, and the prophet Theoclymenus joins him on his journey back to Ithaca (15.312).Meanwhile, Odysseus the beggar tells the Swineherd he plans to go beg from the suitors (15.351). The Swineherd tells Odysseus the beggar his own story—and we discover that the Swineherd comes from a royal line (15.463). He was a toddler kidnapped, sold into slavery, purchased by Laertes, Odysseus' father, and raised by Odysseus' mother (15.540). The book ends with Telemachus returning to Ithaca and heading to the home of the Swineherd (15.618).81. What is notable about the story of the Swineherd?The story of the Swineherd reveals him to be royalty (15.437). To wit, he was kidnapped by a female servant who was subsequently killed by Artemis (15.534), and he ended up being purchased by Laertes, Odysseus' father (15.540). The noble soul of the Swineherd now has a fitting backstory. Note also the contrast between the unworthy servant who kidnapped him and the noble servant he has become. The piety or gratitude the Swineherd shows Odysseus' family is remarkable given the opportunities he has for bitterness. One may argue that the Swineherd shows the arete or excellence of a simple life—the excellence of a servant, as Penelope shows the excellence of a wife. One should return to the Swineherd's epithet, the “foreman of men,” and discern whether Homer has placed here a second meaning: a man who is the best of men.[1][1] We are thankful to Alec Bianco for raising many of these questions and exploring the richness of the Swineherd. Be sure to check out the podcast on Book 15 for further discussions.

Rick Howard, N2K CyberWire's Chief Analyst and Senior Fellow, turns over hosting responsibilities to Rick Doten, the VP of Information Security at Centene and one of the original contributors to the N2K CyberWire Hash Table.  He makes the case to invigorate the automation first principle cybersecurity strategy. In this case, he is specifically addressing remediation automation. References: Staff, n.d. National Pie Championships [Website]. American Pie Council. Rick Doten. Rick's Cybersecurity Videos [Youtube Channel]. YouTube. Joe, 2020. The Unbearable Frequency of PewPew Maps [Explainer]. Stranded on Pylos. Aanchal Gupta, 2022. Celebrating 20 Years of Trustworthy Computing [Explainer]. Microsoft Security Blog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if one man's daring ambition could change the entire course of a war? In our latest episode, we dive into the dramatic events of 424 BC during the Peloponnesian War, spotlighting the audacious Spartan general Brasidas. We'll recount Athens' initial victories, like the fortification at Pylos and the shocking Spartan surrender at Sphacteria, and their setbacks, including the failed attempts to control Megara and Boeotia and the devastating loss at the Battle of Delium.Follow Brasidas as he embarks on his bold campaign northward through the dangerous landscapes of Thessaly, employing shrewd diplomacy to navigate his way to Amphipolis. Discover how he forged key alliances with local oligarchs and negotiated with powerful figures like Perdiccas and Arabaeus. Brasidas' calculated risks and strategic brilliance not only secured crucial territories but also inspired cities to revolt against Athenian rule, significantly boosting Spartan influence in the region.Finally, we unravel the intricate political manoeuvres and shifting allegiances that defined Brasidas' campaign. Learn how his moderate terms for surrender and shrewd tactics led to the strategic capture of Athenian positions and a reshaped power dynamic. This episode provides a captivating look at the twists and turns of 424 BC, highlighting how one leader's vision and strategy could turn the tide of war. Tune in for an enlightening exploration of ancient Greek history and the brilliant tactics of a Spartan hero. Support the Show.

This week Adam Minihan returns to discuss Book Four of the Odyssey with Father Bonaventure, OP - a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph. The out our website for a 50+ page guide to the Odyssey.23. What happens in book four?Telemachus arrives in Sparta to find King Menelaus hosting a “double-wedding feast;” as Menelaus' daughter is marrying the son of Achilles, and Menelaus' son is marrying a girl from Sparta (4.04). Telemachus and Nestor's son, Pisistratus, are received warmly (4.68). Though a gracious host, Menelaus still mourns for his brother, Agamemnon (4.103), and for all the men lost in the Trojan war, especially Odysseus (4.120). Menelaus and Helen recognize Telemachus by his likeness to his father (4.131, 158).The next day, Menelaus tells Telemachus of his journey home from Troy (4.391). He and his men were stuck on the island of Pharos (4.396). After wrestling Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, he is told he failed to offer sacrifices to the deathless gods before leaving Troy (4.530); and now for penance, he must return to Egypt and make a “splendid sacrifice” (4.535). Menelaus asks about the fate of his comrades, and Proteus tells him the stories of little Ajax, Agamemnon, and Odysseus—the last of which is held captive by the sea nymph Calypso (4.627). Menelaus did as the Old Man of the Sea said, and he then returned home to Sparta (4.657). The narrative shifts to Queen Penelope in Ithaca (4.703). The suitors, led by Antinous, discover Telemachus has taken a ship to Pylos (4.711), and they elect to send out their own ship to ambush him (4.753). Penelope is told Telemachus is gone and that the suitors plan to murder him (4.784). Eurycleia, the old nurse, tells Penelope she helped Telemachus prepare for his departure, and advises the queen to pray to Athena (4.836). Penelope prays to Athena, and Athena sends a phantom of Penelope's sister to reassure the queen Telemachus is safe (4.930). The book ends with the suitors setting sail to ambush Telemachus (4.947). 24. What do we observe about the character of Menelaus?Notice that Menelaus agrees to welcome Telemachus and Pisistratus by first recalling all the hospitality he received on his journey home (4.38). He displays a certain gratitude and dare we say humility in passing on what he has received. A similar disposition is found in his piety of not wanting to be compared to Zeus (4.87). The pious but somber Menelaus declares: “So I rule all this wealth with no great joy,” as he recalls the death of his brother, Agamemnon (4.103). Moreover, he seems to lament the entire Trojan war, stating he would have rather stayed home with the wealth he had and the friends he lost at Troy—note, however, the implications of this statement regarding his wife, Helen (4.108).Check out the rest of the guide at thegreatbookspodcast.com.

How did Athenian victories at Pylos and Sphacteria become the turning point in the Peloponnesian War? Discover how these pivotal moments forced Sparta to rethink their entire strategy and seek diplomatic solutions. We explore the newfound aggression in Athenian tactics as they aimed to isolate Sparta by targeting its allies, reshaping the geopolitical landscape of ancient Greece. Uncover the dramatic and covert plans of Athenian generals Demosthenes and Hippocrates as they attempted to capture Megara amid its internal political chaos. The city, caught between conflicting factions, became a crucial battleground. Our narrative delves into the tense standoff that ensued when the plot was exposed, highlighting the complex interplay of local politics and strategic military operations.Lastly, we shift our focus to the Athenian invasion of Boeotia and the consequential Battle of Delium. Learn about the strategic decisions and unique tactical formations employed by the Boeotians under Pagondas' command. From impassioned speeches to chaotic clashes, we unravel the heavy casualties and pivotal outcomes that redefined ancient Greek warfare. Tune in for an insightful analysis of these significant events and their lasting impact. Support the Show.

In today's episode, we speak with Spyros, from the Free Pylos 9 campaign.    He's going to tell us more about the Pylos Shipwreck, how the authorities refused to help the 750 people on the small fishing boat, and how it sank on June 14, 2023, when the Greek coastguards tried to tow it. Only 104 of the 750 people survived.    Spyros also tells us about the nine survivors who were used as scapegoats for the disaster and jailed, about the campaign to free them, and how they were treated once they were acquitted.    ---Get in touch---   Twitter: @FleetCivil   Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social   Bluesky: @thecivilfleet.bsky.social   Instagram: thecivilfleet   info@civilfleet.com   civilfleet.com   Support:   ko-fi.com/civilfleet   ---Show Notes---   For more on Free Pylos 9, see their website here: freepylos9.info    Follow the Free Pylos 9 campaign on Twitter here: @FreePylos9 Find them on Instagram: freepylos9 For more background on the Pylos shipwreck and the 9 criminalised survivors, read this article by the Human Rights Legal Project: humanrightslp.eu/post/the-lack-of-jurisdiction-in-the-pylos-9-trial-and-the-incoherent-interpretation-of-international-cri   Spyros mentions the Captain Support Network. Check them out here: captainsupport.net   He also mentioned the Justice for Pylos campaign. Check out their website (in Greek) here: justice4pylos.org   For more on The Civil Fleet's coverage of the Pylos Shipwreck, see here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Greece Check out episodes 3, 4, 9, 16, 25, 26, 28, 35, 52, 53, and 56 of The Civil Fleet Podcast for more on Greece   Ben mention Lighthouse Reports and their investigation into the Pylos Shipwreck. You can read that here: lighthousereports.com/investigation/drowning-in-lies/   Check out Solomon's coverage of the shipwreck here: wearesolomon.com/mag/focus-area/migration/how-the-pylos-tragedy-could-have-been-avoided   For more on Alarm Phone visit: alarmphone.org, and find them on Twitter on @alarm_phone.   You can read Alarm Phone's timeline of the shipwreck here: alarmphone.org/en/2023/06/14/europes-shield/   Oh, and by the way, Hellas is Greece in Greek, and therefore the Greek coastguard are also called the Hellenic Coastguard. 

Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey discuss Book Three of the Odyssey: KING NESTOR REMEMBERS. The lovable old man from the Iliad returns to help set Telemachus on his way. More on Telemachus' coming of age storyWhat power comes to rest on Telemachus?How did Great Ajax die?! (ignobly...)What caused the Achaeans to suffer the wrath of Athena?Check out Dcn. Garlick's 50+ page guide to the Odyssey.What happens in book three?Telemachus arrives in Pylos to find King Nestor sacrificing eighty-one bulls to Poseidon and hosting a feast for forty-five hundred people (3.06). Athena, under the guise of Mentor, encourages Telemachus to speak to Nestor (3.16). Telemachus and Athena are welcomed warmly by Nestor's son (3.40), and, after their meal, Nestor asks them who they are (3.77). Telemachus asks Nestor for news of his father, Odysseus (3.91), and Nestor recalls the “living hell” of Troy (3.113). Nestor tells Telemachus of the disaster that was the Achaean army returning home from Troy (3.147). Telemachus tells Nestor of the plight of the suitors (3.228), and Nestor tells Telemachus of Athena's favor for his father, Odysseus—as Athena sits there in the guise of Mentor (3.247). Telemachus asks Nestor to tell the story of how Agamemnon died (3.282), and Nestor tells of how Agamemnon was betrayed by his wife and murdered (3.345).As the conversation turned to returning to Nestor's halls, Athena, disguised as Mentor, transformed into an eagle and flew away (3.415). Nestor explains to Telemachus what favor he must have with the goddess (3.420) and prepares a splendid sacrifice to Athena in her honor (3.429). He has the heifer's horns sheathed in gold (3.488), and Athena returns pleased with this sacrifice (3.485). The book ends with them obeying Athena's orders by preparing a chariot to take Telemachus to Menelaus in Sparta (3.335).Join us as we read the Odyssey in this YEAR OF HOMER.

Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey come together to discuss Book Two of the Odyssey: Telemachus sets sail.Summary of the bookDiscussion on key themesAristotle's MetaphysicsJohn Wayne referencesAnd more!Check out our website for 60+ page reader's guide to the Odyssey.What happens in book two?Inspired by Athena, Telemachus addresses the assembly of Ithaca (2.25) and condemns the suitors and invokes the gods against them (2.70). In response, Antinous, a suitor, blames Telemachus' mother, Penelope, the “matchless queen of cunning” (2.95) for refusing to return to her father's house and letting him choose for her a new husband (2.125). Thus, the suitors will “devour” Telemachus' house until a new husband for Penelope is chosen (2.136). Telemachus refuses to tell his mother to return to her father's house (5.154) and announces he is leaving for Sparta and Pylos to seek news of his father (2.238). Athena, takes on the guise of Mentor—the man Odysseus left in charge of his affairs (2.250)—and reassures him in his mission (2.302). Telemachus has his nurse prepare provisions for his journey and swears her to secrecy (2.384). The book ends with Telemachus setting sail with his crew and pouring out libations to Athena, the goddess with the “flashing sea-gray eyes” (2.472).Click HERE for more resources.

On June 14, 2023, a fishing trawler that had sailed from Libya to Italy capsized about 47 nautical miles south of Pylos. It is estimated that 750 people were on board. iMEdD's new audio documentary, Pylos: A Year On, reveals unknown details about what happened in the last hours of the fishing trawler, the exact circumstances under which it capsized, the roles of the Greek and European authorities and the trial of the nine survivors accused of trafficking and causing the shipwreck. The documentary, produced in collaboration with the independent investigative journalism organization Solomon and journalist Lydia Emmanouilidou, is based on their award-winning investigation, in which the British newspaper, Guardian, the German public broadcaster ARD and the non-profit research organization Forensis took part. Special thanks to our photographer in Egypt, Ibrahim Abdelmonam, and to omnia.tv for providing audio material from the Pylos 9 press conference.

Vor einem Jahr kamen über 600 Menschen bei einem Schiffsunglück im Mittelmeer ums Leben. Die griechische Polizei versuchte, den Überlebenden die Schuld dafür in die Schuhe zu schieben. Jetzt wurden sie endlich freigesprochen. Artikel vom 31. Mai 2024: https://www.jacobin.de/artikel/griechenland-migranten-pylos-flucht Seit 2011 veröffentlicht JACOBIN täglich Kommentare und Analysen zu Politik und Gesellschaft, seit 2020 auch in deutscher Sprache. Ab sofort gibt es die besten Beiträge als Audioformat zum Nachhören. Nur dank der Unterstützung von Magazin-Abonnentinnen und Abonnenten können wir unsere Arbeit machen, mehr Menschen erreichen und kostenlose Audio-Inhalte wie diesen produzieren. Und wenn Du schon ein Abo hast und mehr tun möchtest, kannst Du gerne auch etwas regelmäßig an uns spenden via www.jacobin.de/podcast. Zu unseren anderen Kanälen: Instagram: www.instagram.com/jacobinmag_de X: www.twitter.com/jacobinmag_de YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/JacobinMagazin Webseite: www.jacobin.de

The Athenian expedition to Sicily was an unexpected chapter in the Peloponnesian War, characterized by strategic missteps and unforeseen outcomes. As the Athenian fleet set out to aid their allies in Sicily against Syracuse, they found themselves caught in the whirlwind of war that stretched across the Greek world. From the Athenian prisoners on Sphacteria to the civil unrest in Corcyra, each event cascaded into the next, shaping the trajectory of the war. The delayed arrival of Athenian reinforcements to Sicily allowed Syracuse to regroup and counter-attack, leading to a stalemate that ultimately required Athenian withdrawal—a testament to the volatility of war and the importance of timely strategic decisions.Amidst this complex backdrop, the Battle of Pylos stands as a testament to Athenian ingenuity and Spartan bravery. Demosthenes, the Athenian commander, overcame limited resources to construct strategic defenses at Pylos, setting the stage for a confrontation that would defy the expectations of both sides. The Spartans launched a ferocious assault, only to be repelled by the clever positioning and steadfastness of the Athenian defenders. The subsequent arrival of the Athenian fleet tipped the scales, demonstrating the razor-thin margin between victory and defeat in ancient warfare.The political theatre that followed was equally charged. The peace negotiations between Athens and Sparta revealed the delicate balance of power and the grave consequences of political decisions. Sparta's willingness to negotiate due to the potential loss of their elite hoplites showcased the high stakes of the conflict. Yet, the breakdown of talks plunged the Greek world back into the throes of war, underscoring the fragility of peace in a time of unyielding ambition and honour.The Siege of Sphacteria, a decisive engagement in the war, illustrated the strategic acumen of the Athenians under the joint command of Cleon and Demosthenes. Employing a mix of hoplites, archers, and light troops, the Athenians outmanoeuvred the Spartans, ultimately forcing a surrender that marked a watershed moment in Greek warfare. This victory, however, was not without its political machinations. The intense debates within the Athenian Assembly, the advocacy of Cleon, and the opposition from Nicias revealed the intricate relationship between military action and political manoeuvring.The surrender of the Spartan forces on Sphacteria was a moment that altered the course of the Peloponnesian War. The image of Spartan warriors, famed for their indomitable spirit, surrendering to their Athenian captors was a stark contrast to their ancestors' last stand at Thermopylae. This historic event not only shifted the balance of power but also sent ripples through the societal structures of Sparta, igniting fears of helot uprisings and prompting desperate, yet futile, diplomatic efforts to reclaim Pylos and negotiate peace.In sum, the Peloponnesian War's defining moments—from the Athenian naval might to the Spartan surrender on land—paint a vivid portrait of ancient warfare, political dynamics, and the enduring human quest for dominance. It's a narrative that continues to resonate through the ages, reminding us of the timeless lessons of history and the ever-present echoes of the past in our modern world. Support the Show.

C'était un procès très attendu, qui se tenait aujourd'hui (21 mai 2024) à Kalamata, au sud de la Grèce. Celui du naufrage de Pylos : en juin 2023, un bateau  parti de Libye avec 750 migrants à bord chavirait après l'arrivée des secours. Seules 104 personnes ont survécu. La justice a finalement abandonné les poursuites contre neuf Égyptiens soupçonnés d'être des passeurs. La justice s'et déclarée incompétente car ce naufrage a eu lieu dans les eaux internationales. À Kalamata, les explications de Joël Bronner. Juliette Gheerbrant On constate que le respect de l'obligation de secours en mer s'est dégradé : le naufrage de Cutro en février 2023 en témoigne, il a fait 94 morts dont de nombreux enfants. L'embarcation a été signalée par Frontex aux autorités italiennes, mais ces dernières ont jugé inutile d'intervenir elles ont déclaré que le bateau «ne présentait pas d'intérêt» ; l'agence Frontex qui ne cesse de grandir et dont le budget devrait atteindre un milliard d'euros dans quelques années, a uniquement vocation à surveiller les frontières extérieures et dans tous les cas n'intervient que sous la responsabilité d'un État.   Les ONG, elles, continuent en effet de dénoncer des entraves à leurs opérations en MéditerranéeLes ONG regrettent d'abord le fait que le pacte asile et migration n'a pas sanctuarisé leur travail ni mis en place de force de sauvetage européenne. Elles dénoncent aussi les effets de la loi Piantedosi du nom du ministre italien de l'Intérieur du gouvernement Meloni : les immobilisations de navires humanitaires se multiplient, les trajets s'allongent les navires doivent désormais remonter jusqu'au côtes nord du pays pour débarquer quelques dizaines de personnes secourues au large de la Tunisie ou de la Libye. Les ONG n'ont plus le droit de faire plusieurs opérations de secours à la suite. Davantage de munitions et plus vite pour l'UkraineÀ l'heure de la nouvelle offensive russe dans l'est de l'Ukraine, dans la région de Kharkiv, un nouvel appel du président Zelensky pour la livraison des systèmes de défense et des munitions. Le rapport de feu, entre l'Ukraine et la Russie, n'a jamais été aussi défavorable à Kiev de 1 à 10. L'Europe a lancé un programme ASAP pour soutenir la production de munitions en Europe qui devrait doubler l'année prochaine. En Pologne, Adrien Sarlat le gouvernement qui partage une des plus longues frontières européennes avec l'Ukraine, on a fait passer le budget de la Défense à 4% du PIB un record. On imagine que l'aide européenne est la bienvenue. Et c'est dans un autre pays d'Europe centrale qu'on s'active pour trouver des munitions de manière urgente pour l'Ukraine. Une vingtaine de pays se sont déjà engagés aux cotés de Prague pour acheter près de 800 000 obus, hors de l'Union européenne. Les explications de notre correspondant Alexis Rosenzweig. Enfin en Irlande du Nord, l'industriel français Thales a réactivé un ancien site une usine de missiles destinés à l'Ukraine. À Dublin, Clémence Penard.   Et à 20 jours des prochaines élections européennes, nous poursuivons en collaboration avec le site Enter nos portraits de jeunes électeurs européens. Aujourd'hui, la Polonaise Wiktoria Magnuszewska, 22 ans militante pour les droits LGBT.  Après 8 ans de pouvoir du parti populiste PIS, elle place de grands espoirs de changement dans le nouveau gouvernement de centre droit et l'Europe pour changer les choses.  

C'était un procès très attendu, qui se tenait aujourd'hui (21 mai 2024) à Kalamata, au sud de la Grèce. Celui du naufrage de Pylos : en juin 2023, un bateau  parti de Libye avec 750 migrants à bord chavirait après l'arrivée des secours. Seules 104 personnes ont survécu. La justice a finalement abandonné les poursuites contre neuf Égyptiens soupçonnés d'être des passeurs. La justice s'et déclarée incompétente car ce naufrage a eu lieu dans les eaux internationales. À Kalamata, les explications de Joël Bronner. Juliette Gheerbrant On constate que le respect de l'obligation de secours en mer s'est dégradé : le naufrage de Cutro en février 2023 en témoigne, il a fait 94 morts dont de nombreux enfants. L'embarcation a été signalée par Frontex aux autorités italiennes, mais ces dernières ont jugé inutile d'intervenir elles ont déclaré que le bateau «ne présentait pas d'intérêt» ; l'agence Frontex qui ne cesse de grandir et dont le budget devrait atteindre un milliard d'euros dans quelques années, a uniquement vocation à surveiller les frontières extérieures et dans tous les cas n'intervient que sous la responsabilité d'un État.   Les ONG, elles, continuent en effet de dénoncer des entraves à leurs opérations en MéditerranéeLes ONG regrettent d'abord le fait que le pacte asile et migration n'a pas sanctuarisé leur travail ni mis en place de force de sauvetage européenne. Elles dénoncent aussi les effets de la loi Piantedosi du nom du ministre italien de l'Intérieur du gouvernement Meloni : les immobilisations de navires humanitaires se multiplient, les trajets s'allongent les navires doivent désormais remonter jusqu'au côtes nord du pays pour débarquer quelques dizaines de personnes secourues au large de la Tunisie ou de la Libye. Les ONG n'ont plus le droit de faire plusieurs opérations de secours à la suite. Davantage de munitions et plus vite pour l'UkraineÀ l'heure de la nouvelle offensive russe dans l'est de l'Ukraine, dans la région de Kharkiv, un nouvel appel du président Zelensky pour la livraison des systèmes de défense et des munitions. Le rapport de feu, entre l'Ukraine et la Russie, n'a jamais été aussi défavorable à Kiev de 1 à 10. L'Europe a lancé un programme ASAP pour soutenir la production de munitions en Europe qui devrait doubler l'année prochaine. En Pologne, Adrien Sarlat le gouvernement qui partage une des plus longues frontières européennes avec l'Ukraine, on a fait passer le budget de la Défense à 4% du PIB un record. On imagine que l'aide européenne est la bienvenue. Et c'est dans un autre pays d'Europe centrale qu'on s'active pour trouver des munitions de manière urgente pour l'Ukraine. Une vingtaine de pays se sont déjà engagés aux cotés de Prague pour acheter près de 800 000 obus, hors de l'Union européenne. Les explications de notre correspondant Alexis Rosenzweig. Enfin en Irlande du Nord, l'industriel français Thales a réactivé un ancien site une usine de missiles destinés à l'Ukraine. À Dublin, Clémence Penard.   Et à 20 jours des prochaines élections européennes, nous poursuivons en collaboration avec le site Enter nos portraits de jeunes électeurs européens. Aujourd'hui, la Polonaise Wiktoria Magnuszewska, 22 ans militante pour les droits LGBT.  Après 8 ans de pouvoir du parti populiste PIS, elle place de grands espoirs de changement dans le nouveau gouvernement de centre droit et l'Europe pour changer les choses.  

Content warning for discussion of genocide. Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 7 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 6 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. Speaking of weeks, we've finally hit our first week! Get it? This is episode 7, the episodes are called Days. There are 7 Days in a Week… I'm funny dammit! I've got something special for you starting at the end of Week 1. It's a new segment I'm going to call the Alchemist's Table. Every Day I'm going to be sharing with you a cocktail recipe that I have invented. If you enjoy a nice cocktail and you aren't driving to work feel free to make yourself one before sitting down for the rest of the episode. For Day 7 we're going to be enjoying the first cocktail I ever created. It's called A Taste of Spring. It starts with 2 oz of Gin, I prefer gunpowder gin, but a London Dry will work just fine. Followed by 1 oz of elderflower liquor, 1 oz of lavender syrup, stir for about 30 seconds in ice before straining into a rocks glass over ice. And that, my friends, is a Taste of Spring. Enjoy. Anyway, it's time to head back to the West, and for this episode we have to travel back in time to the 5th century BCE for the Siege of Melos during the Peloponnesian War. IN a modern historical context we look at the Peloponnesian War as being between Sparta and Athens, and while this isn't technically wrong, it's also not as right as it could be. The Peloponnesian War was fought between the Delian League, which was a confederacy of various Greek city-states with Atens in supreme control. The Delian League was created as a defensive alliance against the Persian Empire following the Second Persian Invasion of Greece (this is the invasion that included the famed Battle of Thermopylae). And the Peloponnesian League which was less a league and more an ancient world version of the Warsaw Pact, with Sparta (then called Lacadeamon) at the head with its various allied city states. See, around 550 BCE SParta got tired of having to conquer everyone and instead offered to NOT conquer them if they joined the League. The Delian League got its name from the island of Delos where they would meet and where their treasury was held before being moved to Athens in 454 BCE. The Peloponnesian League got IT'S name from the peninsula at the southern tip of Greece, which is known as the Peloponnese Peninsula. The Peloponnesian League is something of a misnomer as its membership was not limited to that area of Greece. But, I ramble, and so let us return to the Peloponnesian War. Why did Sparta and Athens, erstwhile allies against Xerxes I and the Persian Empire decide to go to war with each other? The period between the Second Persian Invasion of Greece and the Peloponnesian War is sometimes known as the Pentecontaetia, a term which means “a period of 50 years” which refers to the 48 year period between 479 and 431 BCE. The Pentecontaetia saw the rise of Athens as one of the most prominent Greek City States, it saw the rise of Athenian democracy, and it saw the rise of tensions between Sparta and Athens. You can look at this period as somewhat similar to the rising tensions between Rome and Carthage. Sparta HAD been the most powerful Greek city-state, and now suddenly they had a rival and didn't like that. Sparta was the Sasuke to Athens Naruto, the Vegeta to Athen's Goku. Following the flight of the Persian armies from Greece Athens began to rebuild the great walls around their city that had been lost to the Persian armies. Sparta, upon learning about this construction, asked them not to do that. But Athens rebuffed them, not wanting to put Athens effectively under the control of Sparta's massive army. Another way we can view Athens and Sparta through the lens of Carthage and Rome is that Athens was vastly superior at sea, and Sparta was vastly superior on land, just as Carthage and Rome were, respectively. I'm taking bets now on who is going to win this war, assuming you don't already know. These tensions, which were further exacerbated by a helot revolt within Sparta would explode, though not terribly violently, during a 15 year conflict known as the First Peloponnesian War. This first war would end with the signing of the Thirty Years Peace treaty. This treaty, which would only last for 15 years, would solidify the Athenian and Spartan Empires and would cement Athens as a true powerhouse in the Aegean Sea. Conflict between Athens and Corinth, a member of the Peloponnesian League, is what ultimately led to war. Athens and Corinth effectively fought a brief proxy war over control of the Corinthian colony of Potidea. Corinth, outraged that Athens had encouraged one of its colonies to rebel against their authority, urged Sparta to call a conclave to try and arbitrate peace as was stipulated under the Thirty Years Peace.  The Spartan King Archidamus II urged the Spartan magistrates (known as ephor) and the citizen assembly known as the ecclesia not to go to war, but in the end the assembly determined that Athens, in urging Potidea to rebel against one of their allies and then aiding them in the fight for the city had broken the Peace and war was officially declared in 431 BCE. The Second Peloponnesian War had begun. The Second Peloponnesian War, often known as just the Peloponnesian War, can be broken up into three distinct segments. The Archidamian War, The Sicilian Expedition, and the Decelean War. The first 10 years of the war are sometimes also called the Ten Years War. Sparta was, almost entirely, a land based empire. The Spartan Army was the most feared and one of the best trained armies of the ancient world. Their hoplites and their phalanxes were nearly invincible. Meanwhile Athens had the same prestige on the waves. The Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE, though discussed far less frequently than the concurrent Battle of Thermopylae, is no less impressive a feat of military genius. So the Spartan strategy during the beginning of the war was to march its armies to the land around the city state of Athens and seize them. This caused many Athenian farmers to abandon their farms and retreat behind Athens famous Long Walls. The Long Walls were fortified walls that connected Athens' main city to its ports at Piraeus and Phaleron. So despite the loss of farmland around Athens itself, this siege did basically nothing. Sparta was also only able to keep troops on the field for a few weeks at a time, as the hoplites were still needed to harvest their own fields and troops were always needed to keep the helots in line. The longest siege of the Ten Years War was only 40 days. Meanwhile Athens stayed in the Aegean Sea with their fleet, avoiding any open warfare with the Spartans who were unable to breach their walls anyway. The Athenians had great successes in their early naval battles, including the Battle of Naucaptus where 20 Athenian ships went up  against 77 Peloponnesian ships and emerged victorious. Of course, all of Athen's momentum would come to a screeching and screaming halt when th plague hit in 430 BCE. The Plague of Athens was an interesting facet of the war. While some Athenians believed that the Spartans were the cause of the plague, evidenced they said by the fact that the Spartans were unaffected by it, but Thucydides, author the the famous History of the Peloponnesian War was in the city when the plague hit. He even contracted it and survived his illness. Thucydides says that the plague came from Ethiopia as it appeared to have entered Athens along the Long Wall from the port of Piraeus. There's not much in the way of evidence regarding WHAT exactly the plague was, although Thucydides listed out a large number of symptoms that victims experienced including: Fever, Redness and inflammation in the eyes, Sore throats leading to bleeding and bad breath, Sneezing, Loss of voice, Coughing, Vomiting, Pustules and ulcers on the body, Extreme thirst, Insomnia, Diarrhea, Convulsions, and Gangrene. Modern epidemiologists and paleopathologists believe, based on extensive examination of all the available evidence that the plague was likely either smallpox or typhus, although it's unlikely that we'll ever know for certain. The plague had a massive impact on the course of the war. For one, it killed Pericles, the Athenian statesman and strategos of the Athenian military. It also killed over 30,000 people, made foreign mercenaries unwilling to aid Athens, no matter how much they were offered as they did not want to risk getting sick, the plague even halted any Spartan military action in Attica until it was finished as the Spartans also feared the disease. Even with the loss of Pericles Athens continued to have success on sea as well as on land through the efforts of their commanders Demosthenes and Cleon. They started to put cracks in the Spartan armies image of invincibility until the Spartans captured Amphipolis, a silver mine that supplied much of the Athenian war chest in 424 BCE. In 422 a great battle was fought at Amphipolis which saw both Cleon, and the Spartan general Brasidas killed. The loss of these military commanders would see Athens and Sparta sit down to try and negotiate peace.  The Peace of Nicias would be a failure from the very start. Despite it, nominally, declaring peace between Sparta and Athens, despite PoWs being exchanged and control over territories ceded back to those who originally owned them, the Peace of Nicias was something of a joke. Sparta and Athens entered something of a Cold War. They didn't fight against each other specifically, but Athens spent a LOT of time trying to stir up helot revolts and encourage Spartan allies to revolt against them in order to gain greater autonomy under Athenian democracy.  Something that is interesting to note, is that despite the single largest land battle of the Peloponnesian War taking place in 418 BCE, the Peace wasn't formally abandoned, and war declared again between Athens and Sparta until 214 BCE. The Battle of Mantinea was fought between Sparta and some of its Arcadian allies on one side, and the combined might of Argos, Athens, Mantinea and various Arcadian allies of Argos. The battle, which involved nearly 20,000 troops combined, ended with a Spartan victory and saw a reversal of previous trends. After the Spartan loss at the Battle of Pylos in 425 BCE many began to think of the Spartans as weak and cowardly, but Mantinea reversed that thinking very quickly. The Siege of Melos, the true subject of this episode, also took place during the Peace of Nicias. Athenian aggression against Melos began about 10 years before the Siege. Melos was a small island about 68 miles off the Eastern coast of Greece. Small islands, due to their reliance on navies, were generally allies of Athens who had uncontested control of the seas. Melos though, decided to remain neutral. They were ethnically Dorian, same as the Spartans (the Athenians were ethnically Ionian). In 425 Athens demanded that Melos pay them a 15 talents (about 390 kgs) of silver. Melos refused. They were determined to remain neutral (although there is pretty good evidence that they donated 20 minas (about 12.5 kgs) of silver to the Spartan war effort. In 216 BCE Athens once again went to Melos and demanded that Melos join the Delian League and pay tribute. Melos again refused. Thucydides wrote a dramatization of conversation between Athenian embassies and the leaders of Melos in his Histories (Book 5, Chapters 84–116). The Melian Dialogue is one of the earliest events I learned about during undergrad when I took a class on the History of Just War. I need to go off on a slight tangent here. When I took this class there was this one guy, whose name I never learned. He was jacked as hell and always showed up to class double fisting iced coffees from Starbucks. Now this class was built around a questionL “Is there such a thing as a Just War?”, but apparently this dude never read the syllabus because about 3 weeks into class he asks “When are we gonna get to the battles?” See, he thought it was History of Just War, just meaning only. He thought it was a military history class, not a class on moral philosophy seen through the context of war. I'm pretty sure he got an A though… Anyway, back to Melos. It's unlikely that the conversation Thucydides wrote out is how it played out in real life, though given the Athenian love of oration and speeches, he's probably not TOO far off the mark. I'm going to read you a part of the Melian Dialogue: Athenians. For ourselves, we shall not trouble you with specious pretences- either of how we have a right to our empire because we overthrew the Mede, or are now attacking you because of wrong that you have done us- and make a long speech which would not be believed; and in return we hope that you, instead of thinking to influence us by saying that you did not join the Lacedaemonians, although their colonists, or that you have done us no wrong, will aim at what is feasible, holding in view the real sentiments of us both; since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. Melians. As we think, at any rate, it is expedient- we speak as we are obliged, since you enjoin us to let right alone and talk only of interest- that you should not destroy what is our common protection, the privilege of being allowed in danger to invoke what is fair and right, and even to profit by arguments not strictly valid if they can be got to pass current. And you are as much interested in this as any, as your fall would be a signal for the heaviest vengeance and an example for the world to meditate upon. Athenians. The end of our empire, if end it should, does not frighten us: a rival empire like Lacedaemon, even if Lacedaemon was our real antagonist, is not so terrible to the vanquished as subjects who by themselves attack and overpower their rulers. This, however, is a risk that we are content to take. We will now proceed to show you that we are come here in the interest of our empire, and that we shall say what we are now going to say, for the preservation of your country; as we would fain exercise that empire over you without trouble, and see you preserved for the good of us both. Melians. And how, pray, could it turn out as good for us to serve as for you to rule? Athenians. Because you would have the advantage of submitting before suffering the worst, and we should gain by not destroying you. Melians. So that you would not consent to our being neutral, friends instead of enemies, but allies of neither side. Athenians. No; for your hostility cannot so much hurt us as your friendship will be an argument to our subjects of our weakness, and your enmity of our power. Melians. Is that your subjects' idea of equity, to put those who have nothing to do with you in the same category with peoples that are most of them your own colonists, and some conquered rebels? Athenians. As far as right goes they think one has as much of it as the other, and that if any maintain their independence it is because they are strong, and that if we do not molest them it is because we are afraid; so that besides extending our empire we should gain in security by your subjection; the fact that you are islanders and weaker than others rendering it all the more important that you should not succeed in baffling the masters of the sea. See, Athens refused to allow Melos to remain neutral because they believed that, if they allowed this small, weak nation to live independent of their might that they would soon find themselves overrun with rebellion as all others would see Athens let Melos go free and see Athens as weak, as if they somehow feared fighting Melos. So, pragmatically, it would be better for them to kill all the Melians to maintain their image as strong than it would be for them to simply leave Melos be. Despite their claim to democracy, Athens was very much of the opinion that might made right. The strong take what they can and the weak suffer as they must. This was, more or less the beginning of Just War theory, as it was one of the first time that justice, fairness, and rightness was discusses in the context of war. Just War Theory, by the way, is generally made up of three elements. Jus ad bellum, do you have just reasons for going to war? Jus in bello, is your conduct during war just? And a more modern addition, jus post bellum, is your conduct after the war is over also just? Melos, ultimately, refused to surrender to Athens and, indeed, tried to fight against their armies and ultimately failed. The siege lasted from summer of 416 until the winter and ended with Melos surrendering. Athens, in a very Genghis Khan esque move decided to kill every adult man on Melos and sell all of the women and children into slavery. This form of genocide where one particular gender is targeted is common in old world genocides. Very often it is the men, those who could join opposing militaries who would be targeted for the slaughter although Shaka Zulu was infamous for killing all the women and folding the men into his armed forces during his conquests. The genocide of Melos wasn't an attempt to wipe out an ethnicity, Melians being Dorian just like the Spartans. It WAS, however, intended to destroy the people of Melos, and it succeeded. The Peloponnesian War would continue until 404 BCE and would end with a Spartan victory, partially through aid gained from the Achaemenid Dynasty from Persia and some from Alcibiades of Athens, but the war isn't the important part and so we will ignore the final 12 years of it. That's it for this week. No new reviews, so let's jump right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day.    

In this episode, we speak with journalist Bashar Deeb from Lighthouse Reports about two investigations he worked on.   The first, called 'Frontex and the Pirate Ship', is a disturbing story of how the European Border and Coastguard Agency helped a notorious Libyan rebel group intercept a refugee boat in the Mediterranean.    The second, ‘Drowning in Lies', exposes how Greece tried to cover up its role in the Pylos shipwreck by tampering with witness testimony.   --Get in touch---   Twitter: @FleetCivil   Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social   Instagram: thecivilfleet   info@civilfleet.com   civilfleet.com   Support:   ko-fi.com/civilfleet ---Show Notes--- Check out Lighthouse Reports here: lighthousereports.com   And follow them on Twitter: @LHreports   Read Frontex and the Pirate Ship here: lighthousereports.com/investigation/frontex-and-the-pirate-ship/   Read Drowning in Lies here: lighthousereports.com/investigation/drowning-in-lies/   For more on Frontex, see episodes 50 and 23 of The Civil Fleet Podcast   Read The Civil Fleet's coverage of Frontex, here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Frontex/   Check out this 2021 report by Sea-Watch called ‘Crimes of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex in the Central Mediterranean Sea' here: sea-watch.org/frontex_crimes/   For more on the Tariq Ben Zeyad unit, read this Amnesty International report: amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/12/libya-hold-commanders-of-tariq-ben-zeyad-armed-group-accountable-for-catalogue-of-horrors/   For more on the campaign group Refugees in Libya, check out episode 23 of The Civil Fleet Podcast   In early 2020, The Civil Fleet exposed how the EU planned to continue to support the Libyan Coastguard despite the bloc's concerns the government was violating the human rights of migrants and profiting from their detention: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/eu-to-continue-supporting-the-libyan-coastguard-despite-its-fears-of-human-rights-abuses/   Read this interview with a Somali refugee held in a bogus ‘refugee camp' in Libya: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/they-lock-our-legs-together-with-a-chain-an-interview-with-a-slave/   For more on Libya, check out episode 15 of The Civil Fleet Podcast   Check out episode 33 of The Civil Fleet Podcast for more on the situation at the Lithuania-Belarus border   For more on Malta's floating prisons, read this: maltatoday.com.mt/comment/blogs/102694/illegal_floating_prisons__carla_camilleri   The UK is also holding people on the move on a floating prison, called the Bibby Stockholm. For more on that, see episodes 44 and 40 of The Civil Fleet Podcast.    It was the Maersk Etienne that rescued 27 people in 2020, which Malta refused to allow to come ashore. Listen to episode 18 and/or, read about it here: bit.ly/3HyJMHU   For more on Alarm Phone, listen to episodes 48, 5, and 3 of The Civil Fleet Podcast. Read about them here, too: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Alarm-Phone/    Read about the Crotone shipwreck here: msf.org/italy-over-60-people-killed-crotone-shipwreck    Read about the Pylos shipwreck, here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2023/06/16/shipwreck-survivors-say-greek-coasts-towed-their-boat-before-it-sank/    Ben was trying to paraphrase this quote by Robert Fisk at the end of the episode: Journalists rarely "move mountains or bring down regimes; instead, we just chip, chip, chip away at the rock face, hoping that someone notices — so that no one can say ‘we didn't know'."

For the first time, we have a Wine For Normal People Patron on the show to share her passion and expertise!   This week is a follow-up to last week's weedier podcast on Greece. This time, long time listener and friend, Lindsey Miller, joins as our first Patron guest, to talk about her passion for and knowledge of Greek wine. She helps bring this topic to life, giving us background on how she fell in love with Greece, got to know its wines, and developed some expertise on the subject.   Lindsey shares tips and tricks on how to get the best Greek wine, talks about the challenges for the country's wines in English-speaking markets, and makes helpful suggestions on where to start – from a grape AND region perspective – with Greece.   I had so much fun with Lindsey and she did a great job “humanizing” the topic and getting me motivated to explore even more of Greece! Let's raise a glass (of Greek wine) to her for being the first brave soul to come on the show and share her passion and smarts with us! Lindsey Miller in Pylos. Credit: Lindsey Miller As we mentioned in the last show, here is a list of places and grapes we mention:     Notable Appellations and Grapes we cover... Xinomavro PDO appellations: Naoussa, Amyndeo Agiorgitiko appellation: Nemea PDO Moschofilero: Mantinia PDO/Peloponnese Assyrtiko appellation: Santorini Liatiko, Vidiano, Vilana, Kotsifali: Crete Store shelf Lindsey mentions in the show. Greek wines with Hungarian wines thrown in. Credit: Lindsey Miller Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   _______________________________________________________________ Wine Access  is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can't find locally. Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the first quarter shipment (it's shaping up to be outstanding!).  Get 10% your first order with my special URL.    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

An eleven year-old girl goes missing during an acrimonious divorce involving restraining orders and allegations of abuse. Her disappearance is one of three NAMUS-45 disappearances along a small stretch of rural highway that runs through Tennessee.This episode was written and researched by Shana Wilensky.With production, editing, and additional research by Josh Hallmark.This is a Studio BOTH/AND production: www.truecrimebullshit.com / www.bothand.fyiFor an ad-free experience: www.patreon.com/studiobothandMusic by: Pylos and CirclesFeatured song by James ForestPatreon Producers: Adrienne Aiello, Amelia Hancock, Amy Basil, Annette L, Benjamin Cioppa-Fong, Casey Jensen-Richardson, Dana Keith, Dr. Jill Cooper, Drew Vipond, Elizabeth Weidner, Hallie Reed, Jessica Alihodzic, Jillian Natale, John O'Leary, Kendall C, Kimberly K, Lauren F, Lynnlie Tuschoff, Manolis Boulukos, Meggan Capps-Seawel, Mike Sherman, Nicole & Dennis Henry, Sarah King, SC, Shelly Brewer, Tuesdi Woodworth, Zack Ignatowicz Warren, Beth McNally, John Comrie, Jordan Taylor, Karli McNutt, Lana, Sara Cee, and Lydia FiedlerThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3588169/advertisement

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. The ancient Pelasgians mentioned by the Greek poet Homer were a mysterious and enigmatic people who played a significant role in early Greek mythology and history. Homer described them as a prehistoric civilization, often associated with the region of Thessaly and the city of Argos. However, the exact origins and characteristics of the Pelasgians remain a subject of debate among historians and scholars. According to Homer, the Pelasgians were a people who lived in the time before the Trojan War and were associated with the construction of massive structures, such as the walls of Mycenae. They were considered skilled builders and were often depicted as a semi-divine or legendary group. Some ancient Greek writers even suggested that the Pelasgians were the original inhabitants of Greece, predating other Greek-speaking tribes. The historical reality of the Pelasgians is complex and elusive, as they appear in various ancient Greek texts with different interpretations. Some scholars argue that they were a distinct ethnic group, while others propose that the term "Pelasgians" was used to refer to various indigenous populations of the Aegean region. Ultimately, the true identity and nature of the Pelasgians remain shrouded in the mists of antiquity, leaving us with fragments of mythology and historical accounts that continue to intrigue and fascinate to this day. The proto-Indo-European ancestors of the Greeks in and around the Black Sea region are generally believed to be the people known as the Proto-Greeks or the Mycenaean Greeks. The Mycenaean civilization, which flourished from around the 16th to the 12th century BCE, is considered an important precursor to classical Greek civilization. The Mycenaeans were part of a broader group of Indo-European speakers who migrated into the Balkans and Anatolia during the Bronze Age. These migrations are often associated with the expansion of the Indo-European language family, which includes Greek as one of its branches. The exact origins of the Proto-Greeks are still a subject of ongoing research and debate among historians and linguists. The Mycenaeans established a powerful civilization centered around the southern part of mainland Greece, with major centers such as Mycenae, Pylos, and Tiryns. They were skilled warriors, traders, and builders, known for their impressive palaces and fortifications. Their culture and language laid the foundation for the later development of ancient Greek civilization. It's important to note that while the Mycenaeans and their language are considered a significant part of the proto-Indo-European ancestry of the Greeks, the complex history of ancient migrations and cultural interactions in the region makes it difficult to attribute the Greek population exclusively to a single ancestral group. Civilization around the Black Sea region has a long and rich history, dating back thousands of years. The area has been inhabited by various cultures and civilizations since ancient times. The earliest evidence of human habitation in the region can be traced back to the Paleolithic era, around 45,000 to 12,000 years ago. In terms of more complex civilizations, one of the notable early cultures in the region was the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, which flourished from approximately 5500 to 2750 BCE. This Neolithic culture was known for its advanced agriculture, pottery, and sizable settlements. Moving forward in time, the Black Sea region saw the rise and fall of various ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks established numerous colonies along the coast of the Black Sea from the 8th century BCE onward, fostering trade and cultural exchange in the region. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX#gnosticinformant #oldest #documentary --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gnosticinformant/message

On the night of June 14, a fishing boat called the Adriana, packed with hundreds of migrants who had paid traffickers to get them from Libya to Italy, sank in the deep waters of the Mediterranean, about 90 kilometers southwest of the town of Pylos in the Peloponnese.It was one of the worst tragedies of its kind ever witnessed in Greece and Europe. What makes the Pylos shipwreck such a standout case, though, is that it seems this tragedy could have been avoided.A series of reports by international and local media suggest that the Greek coast guard, and possibly the EU border agency, Frontex, could have done more to prevent so many people drowning.The Agora spoke to independent journalist Lydia Emmanouilidou, who has been covering the story, to find out what survivors told her and to discuss how and why the ship sank and what questions that has raised about how the authorities responded.We also hear from Valentina Brinis, a project manager at Open Arms, which is an NGO based in Barcelona that uses its own vessel to save migrants in distress in the Mediterranean.Useful readingEveryone Knew the Migrant Ship Was Doomed. No One Helped - The New York TimesGreek shipwreck: hi-tech investigation suggests coastguard responsible for sinking - The GuardianGreek coastguard 'pressured' disaster survivors to blame Egyptian men - BBC NewsItaly warned of dead children on migrant ship hours before it capsized - PoliticoGreece to the EU: Come help stop migrant boats before they get here - PoliticoMigrant crossings in Mediterranean leave thousands dead - Reuters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willkommen zum Fleckenhörer am 17. Juli. Ich bin gerade wettergegerbt aus der Sommerfrische von Scharbeutz zurück und kredenze euch heute wieder eine halbe Stunde sog. Linksradikalismus oder das, was die AfD Hamburg dafür hält. Eines ist klar, die Zeiten bleiben herausfordernd.  Letzte Woche habe ich über die großen Bootsunglücke im Mai und Juni hier gesprochen. Mit einer Resolution hat das Europäische Parlament letzte Woche erneut die EU-Mitgliedstaaten aufgefordert, dringend ihrer Verantwortung gerecht zu werden und das Sterben von Menschen auf dem Mittelmeer zu verhindern. Dazu sagt der Schleswig-Holsteinische Abgeordnete der Grünen, Rasmus Andresen: „Der Schiffbruch von Pylos am 13. und 14. Juni, bei dem mehrere hundert Menschen ums Leben kamen, ist das jüngste Beispiel für unzählige vorhersehbare und vermeidbare Zwischenfälle im Mittelmeer. Die EU hat hier eine humanitäre Verantwortung und eine moralische Pflicht, Menschen in Gefahr zu retten. Wir brauchen dringend eine staatlich geführte EU-Such- und Rettungsmission. Wir müssen sicherstellen, dass keine Menschenleben mehr auf See verloren gehen. Zudem dürfen NGOs, die Leben retten, nicht länger kriminalisiert werden.“ Unsere Themen: - Passend zur Ferienzeit: NGG rät Beschäftigten in Neumünster zum Urlaubsgeld-Check - Für „grüne Daumen“ gibt es jetzt in Neumünster dickere Lohntüten - Der neue Stundenlohn für die Arbeit im Garten und in Parks: 18,87 Euro - ADFC fordert Verstetigung der Mittel für die Radverkehrsförderung: Radwege planen, bauen und sanieren sich nicht in einem Jahr

In this episode of The HISxHERS Podcast we talk about the tragic events surrounding the Titan submersible that was supposed to take 5 passengers including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush to go see the wreckage of The RMS Titanic that ultimately claimed the lives of everyone on board. We discuss Stockton Rush's previous stances on safety to determine how much he is to blame. We also talk about the Messenia migrant boat disaster, involved a fishing boat smuggling migrants that sank off the coast of Pylos, Messenia, Greece. An estimated 400 to 750 migrants were onboard, and while 104 survivors were rescued, 82 bodies were recovered, and hundreds more are missing and presumed dead​. Things get lighter as we recount the time David was working in a remote area and Nikki took a roadtrip to make sure David was behaving. Thoughts and prayers to all of the victims and families involved in this past weeks tragedies. Subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications! We are also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/thehisxherspodInstagram: Instagram.com/thehisxherspodNikki:Twitter: Twitter.com/thenikkiglamourInstagram: Instagram.com/nikkiglamourDavid:Twitter: Twitter.com/imdavidsisnerosFor business inquires: TheHisAndHersPod@gmail.com

Ancora tanti i punti da chiarire sul terribile naufragio di migranti avvenuto in Grecia al largo di Pylos- Nestoras nel Peloponneso. La versione della Guardia Costiera greca scricchiola sempre più di fronte ad iniziali contraddizioni e nuove prove.

A BBC investigation has cast serious doubt on the Greek coastguard's account of the sinking of a ship carrying hundreds of migrants on Wednesday. Greek authorities have not yet responded to the BBC's findings. Also on the programme; the United States has given a positive assessment of talks between its top diplomat and China's foreign minister, but Beijing says relations are at a historic low. And, we hear how Swiss voters backed ambitious plans to save melting glaciers. (Picture: A bus transporting survivors of the tragic shipwreck that occurred off the coast of Pylos on June 14th (Credit: Getty)

Un peschereccio carico di centinaia di migranti è naufragato a sud-ovest della penisola del Peloponneso, in acque internazionali, a 47 miglia nautiche da Pylos. Il bilancio delle vittime è di almeno 79 persone, mentre continuano le ricerche dei dispersi. A pochi giorni dal nuovo Patto Ue per la migrazione e l'asilo, riflettiamo sulla politica migratoria e i passi che ancora devono essere fatti per evitare tragedie di questo tipo. Lo facciamo con Matteo Villa di Ispi, Alessandro Bertani, vicedirettore di Emergency, e con gli europarlamentari Susanna Ceccardi e Brando Benifei.

Un peschereccio partito da Tobruk, in Libia, per raggiungere l'Italia aveva a bordo centinaia di migranti, forse "fino a 750” così come riferiscono i superstiti, e si è capovolto ieri nelle acque dell'Egeo, a 47 miglia nautiche da Pylos nel sud del Peloponneso, in Grecia.

Sarebbero almeno 59 le vittime del naufragio di un peschereccio avvenuto al largo delle coste della Grecia. L'ennesima tragedia del mare è avvenuta a 47 miglia nautiche a sudovest di Pylos, nel Peloponneso.

Telemachos spreekt schande over het wangedrag van de vrijers. Zonder veel resultaat. Ze geven hun slemppartijen en hofmakerij niet op, want ze zijn ervan overtuigd dat Odysseus dood is. Penelopeia moet aan een nieuw huwelijk denken. Athene vermomt zich als Telemachos en weet zo een schip te lenen, dat hem en zijn vrienden naar Pylos brengt waar koning Nestor woont. Nestor vertelt Telemachos wat er allemaal in Troje is gebeurd en heeft nieuws over Odysseus. Credits: Auteur: Homeros Regie: Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen Soundscape: Christoph Martin Acteur: Ton Lutz Vertaling: Imme Dros  Montage: Joost Brands Remix Spotify: Pepijn Stutterheim Productie: KRO-NCRV, Leonore van Prooijen & Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen Grafisch ontwerp: Peter van Loenhout Uitzenddatum: NCRV Radio september 1994, herhaling 1995, CD-uitgave 2006    De serie werd mede mogelijk gemaakt door het Stimuleringfonds Nederlandse Culturele Omroepproducties, NOS, AVRO, HUMAN, TROS en de Veronica Omroep Organisatie.

Koning Nestor van Pylos vertelt Telemachos het relaas van koning Agamemnon, die door zijn vrouw en haar minnaar wordt vermoord, maar uiteindelijk wordt gewroken door zijn zoon Orestes. Nestor stuurt Telemachos door naar koning Menelaos in Sparta voor meer nieuws over Odysseus. Helena, de vrouw van Menelaos, was immers de inzet van de Trojaanse oorlog. De ontvangst van Telemachos gaat met dikke tranen gepaard. Credits: Auteur: Homeros Regie: Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen Soundscape: Christoph Martin Acteur: Ton Lutz Vertaling: Imme Dros  Montage: Joost Brands Remix Spotify: Pepijn Stutterheim Productie: KRO-NCRV, Leonore van Prooijen & Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen Grafisch ontwerp: Peter van Loenhout Uitzenddatum: NCRV Radio september 1994, herhaling 1995, CD-uitgave 2006    De serie werd mede mogelijk gemaakt door het Stimuleringfonds Nederlandse Culturele Omroepproducties, NOS, AVRO, HUMAN, TROS en de Veronica Omroep Organisatie.

The history of the ancient Near East can seem like staring down a deep, deep well of time, so deep that it gives one vertigo. It stretches back to 3,500 BC: that is, I'll do the math for you, 5,522 years ago. In thinking about its 3,000 years of history, one begins to think not in terms of years, but in decades and centuries. Yet there were continuities amidst change, not simply within those three-plus millennia, but between then and now. For surely it would be impossible to imagine what 2022 would be like without writing, families, getting right with higher powers, kings and rulers, laws and litigation, cities and watering the garden. And all of those things can be found in the Ancient Near East With me to give a I hour overview of 3,500 years is Amanda H. Podany. She is Professor Emeritus of History at California State Polytechnic University, and author most recently of Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East. By the way, if you were listening to the conversation, you'll recognize our featured image: it's Amanda's drawing of the clay impressions of the feet one of the children sold into slavery, found in the Museum of Aleppo–which has by now experienced its own much more contemporary tragedies. For Further Investigation Amanda writes: "since we talked about brick-makers, an interesting image is of a clay brick with a cuneiform inscription. And this impression of a cylinder seal shows weaving women working at a loom..." "There are just so many books and articles and websites that might be interesting for listeners. Here's a list I wrote recently for Shepherd.com" "Another option is this website created by the British Museum about ancient Mesopotamia, though apparently it will only be available until December, after which it will be retired." Three previous podcasts have gone back to about 1000 BC, which now seems a trivial, juvenile sort of date. They were with Dimitri Nakassis, who discussed Mycenaean Greece and his excavations of the site at Pylos in Episode 33; Eric Cline on the First Dark Ages in Episode 62 (though admittedly he argued that the term "dark ages" was a base slander); and Joe Manning laid out his arguments about the ancient Mediterranean economies prior to the rise of Rome in Episode 164.

In this week's episode Dan, Adrian and Jules recap the Board Game BBQ's first time teaching games at PAX Australia. A special thanks to everyone who came out to meet us, or sat down to learn a new game, and a big warm welcome to all of the new members to our community. We also recap last week's Question of the Pod: What is your favourite Hidden Gem game? Thanks to everyone who contributed and shared their photos with us on Discord and the Facebook Community.   Question of the Pod: What upcoming indie board games are you following? Designer Interviews: Drift (27:19), Trigahex (29:41), Curses & Covens (33:13) Blood on the Clocktower (50:40) Question of the Pod Recap: (45:50)   Check out our Eventbrite page for all of our upcoming Game Days: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/board-game-bbq-32833304483 Has this episode left you with a thirst for more? Here are all of the games that we discussed: My Shelfie (2022)  Bristol 1350 (2021)  Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest (2022)  So Clover! (2021)  Pompero (2023)  Bot Factory (2023)  Quoridor (1997)  Quarto (1991)  Pylos (1993)  Dive (2021)  PARKS (2019)  Wayfarers of the South Tigris (2022)  Terracotta Army (2022)  Stoked (20??)  Drift (2020)  Trigaghex (2022)  Curses & Covens (2023)  Citrus (2013)  Spacecorp 2035-2300AD (2018)  Cult: Choose Your God Wisely (2018)  Word on the Street (2009)  Dice Command (2021)  Blood on the Clocktower (2022)  Grimwald (20??) SCRAP (2023)  Twin Realms (20??)   **SPONSORS** Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Advent Games. Advent Games (http://www.adventgames.com.au/) are an Australian online board game store based in Sydney, NSW. Their core values are integrity, customer satisfaction, and providing a wide range of products including those hard-to-find board games. **PATREON** Yes, that's right. We have a Patreon. By becoming a Patreon member you will receive exclusive content, have access to a members only section of our discord where you can contribute to the content of the show, and much more. Your Patreon support will also allow us to expand the podcast and deliver some exciting upcoming projects that we have planned for 2022. Our team at the Board Game BBQ Podcast love what we do and will continue to deliver the same shenanigans that you have come to expect from us, and we are already incredibly grateful and humbled by all of your support. Being a member of the Patreon is by no means an obligation and please do not support the Patreon if it will it cause you financial hardship in any way. But if you would like to support us from as little as USD$5 a month please click the link and head to the Patreon page. Thanks again for all of your continued support. We work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive community and you are all awesome. See you at the BBQ!! Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/BoardGameBBQ **SOCIALS** Support the podcast and join the community! https://linktr.ee/BoardGameBBQ

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With the hoards of suitors overrunning the ancestral palace, Telemachus sets off in search of his father Odysseys as the goddess Athena, in disguise, guides his way.  At the city-state of Pylos, they join the sacrifice to Poseidon and seek the next step in the journey to finding Odysseus.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Wargaming AGI Development, published by ryan b on March 19, 2022 on LessWrong. I think wargames would be a useful tool for exploring AGI development scenarios. More specifically, I mean wargames of the kind used to train military officers in strategy. I think this format would help explore things like timelines and takeoff scenarios, in a way that is both concrete and transparent. The thought cropped up because I have been popping into the AMA/Discussion post for Late 2021 MIRI Conversations over the course of the last week. Over the course of the MIRI conversations, and again in the AMA, I saw a lot of the tactic of offering or requesting concrete situations to test or illustrate some point. Wargaming feels to me like a good way to generate concrete situations. I think we could answer this question from So8res: What's a story, full of implausibly concrete details but nevertheless a member of some largish plausible-to-you cluster of possible outcomes, in which things go well? (Paying particular attention to how early AGI systems are deployed and to what purposes, or how catastrophic deployments are otherwise forestalled.) Over the same period I was reading the MIRI Conversations I was reading/re-reading a series of posts on wargaming at War on the Rocks, which I was linked to from the comments in a book-notes post about military innovation. The oldest article of the lot focuses on the usefulness of wargames for teaching and learning; the original motivation for the author was how poorly they thought teaching a course on Thucydides went. As a highlight, I would like to point out a case where they considered a decision that had historically poor outcomes, but gained awareness of good motivations: Remarkably, four of the five Athenian teams actually attacked Syracuse on Sicily's east coast! As they were all aware that such a course had led to an Athenian disaster 2,500 years before, I queried them about their decision. Their replies were the same: Each had noted that the Persians were stirring, which meant there was a growing threat to Athens' supply of wheat from the Black Sea. As there was an abundance of wheat near Syracuse, each Athenian team decided to secure it as a second food source (and simultaneously deny it to Sparta and its allies) in the event the wheat from the Black Sea was lost to them. Along the way, two of the teams secured Pylos so as to raise helot revolts that would damage the Spartan breadbasket. Two of the teams also ended revolts in Corcyra, which secured that island's fleet for Athenian purposes, and had the practical effect of blockading Corinth. So, it turns out there were a number of good strategic reasons for Athens to attack Syracuse. Who knew? Certainly not any War College graduate over the past few decades. The article also references benefits from playing the game Diplomacy, which has been mentioned around here for similar purposes for a long time. There was also a recent-history overview of wargaming in the US Defense arena, which links to a bunch of examples and extolls wargaming in a competitive format to develop the US Defense talent pool. I included it mostly for the links to real-world examples, which include but are not limited to: games about specific, current strategic problems; games about integrating AI into warfare; some historical cases from the tactical to the strategic level. The part that persuaded me we could directly lift from wargames to explore AGI development is the use of wargames for exploring future wars. The important thing is the inclusion of capabilities which don't exist yet, reasoning about which is notoriously hard. A highlight here is the kind of stuff people learn from the games: First, all games are competitive and involve teams fighting other teams. There is a big difference between fighting an algorithm...

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Wargaming AGI Development, published by ryan b on March 19, 2022 on LessWrong. I think wargames would be a useful tool for exploring AGI development scenarios. More specifically, I mean wargames of the kind used to train military officers in strategy. I think this format would help explore things like timelines and takeoff scenarios, in a way that is both concrete and transparent. The thought cropped up because I have been popping into the AMA/Discussion post for Late 2021 MIRI Conversations over the course of the last week. Over the course of the MIRI conversations, and again in the AMA, I saw a lot of the tactic of offering or requesting concrete situations to test or illustrate some point. Wargaming feels to me like a good way to generate concrete situations. I think we could answer this question from So8res: What's a story, full of implausibly concrete details but nevertheless a member of some largish plausible-to-you cluster of possible outcomes, in which things go well? (Paying particular attention to how early AGI systems are deployed and to what purposes, or how catastrophic deployments are otherwise forestalled.) Over the same period I was reading the MIRI Conversations I was reading/re-reading a series of posts on wargaming at War on the Rocks, which I was linked to from the comments in a book-notes post about military innovation. The oldest article of the lot focuses on the usefulness of wargames for teaching and learning; the original motivation for the author was how poorly they thought teaching a course on Thucydides went. As a highlight, I would like to point out a case where they considered a decision that had historically poor outcomes, but gained awareness of good motivations: Remarkably, four of the five Athenian teams actually attacked Syracuse on Sicily's east coast! As they were all aware that such a course had led to an Athenian disaster 2,500 years before, I queried them about their decision. Their replies were the same: Each had noted that the Persians were stirring, which meant there was a growing threat to Athens' supply of wheat from the Black Sea. As there was an abundance of wheat near Syracuse, each Athenian team decided to secure it as a second food source (and simultaneously deny it to Sparta and its allies) in the event the wheat from the Black Sea was lost to them. Along the way, two of the teams secured Pylos so as to raise helot revolts that would damage the Spartan breadbasket. Two of the teams also ended revolts in Corcyra, which secured that island's fleet for Athenian purposes, and had the practical effect of blockading Corinth. So, it turns out there were a number of good strategic reasons for Athens to attack Syracuse. Who knew? Certainly not any War College graduate over the past few decades. The article also references benefits from playing the game Diplomacy, which has been mentioned around here for similar purposes for a long time. There was also a recent-history overview of wargaming in the US Defense arena, which links to a bunch of examples and extolls wargaming in a competitive format to develop the US Defense talent pool. I included it mostly for the links to real-world examples, which include but are not limited to: games about specific, current strategic problems; games about integrating AI into warfare; some historical cases from the tactical to the strategic level. The part that persuaded me we could directly lift from wargames to explore AGI development is the use of wargames for exploring future wars. The important thing is the inclusion of capabilities which don't exist yet, reasoning about which is notoriously hard. A highlight here is the kind of stuff people learn from the games: First, all games are competitive and involve teams fighting other teams. There is a big difference between fighting an algorithm...

Homer - The Odyssey - Episode 3 - Odysseus And The Cyclops Don't See Eye To Eye!   I'm Christy Shriver, and we're here to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us.      And I'm Garry Shriver and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast.  This is our third episode covering Homer's Odyssey, and Christy, are we finally getting to Odysseus this week?     Yes- We finally meet our title character- it was an odyssey. Pun pun-     Oh my- here we go….    I know, and we get to see wordplay this week as well- although word play through translation is not exactly the same but the Greeks did a lot of it, and not just in the Odyssey, so it's nice to get just a little taste.    How interesting.    I know, it really is.  Homer, even though writing in verse that has meter, does not rhyme, but he does use word play- which may or may not be called a pun- but it does play around with the meaning and sounds of different words.      In episode 1 we discussed a lot of the historical context both of the period in which the story is set, but also of the mysterious writer, the supposed blind bard, we have always called Homer.   I did notice we do finally get to mee the blind bard of the Odyssey, the one the ancients think might be based on our poet, but I'm not sure I would have even paid much attention to that character if we hadn't talked about Demodocus being the model for Homer, previously.      No, I agree.  I wouldn't have either.  It's kind of an interesting literary concept, at one point there is a bard telling a story about a bard telling a story and then there's the story- so a story within a story within a story- talk about complicated.      Yeah- let's just move on.  In episode 2, we discussed Telemachus and his coming of age story that we call the Telemachy- or books 1-4.  In that portion of the story, we learned that swarms of suitors have overrun the family home back in Ithaca while Odysseus is away.  Telemachus' mother, Odysseus's wife, Penelope is being pressured to pick one of these suitors to be her husband, an act which would give the selected suitor a claim to be king or chieftain of Ithaca, perhaps even a contested heir to her fortune, leaving Telemachus' life in extreme danger.  We saw that Penelope tricked the suitors by claiming she would marry one of them after she weaved a funeral shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes.  During the day she would weave, but at night she would unravel her work.  For three years this worked until one of her ladies' maids gave her up.  It is at this point that we enter the story of Telemachus.  Athena visits him, first in the shape of an old friend of Odyssseus', Mentes,  but then into another man named Mentor.  She encourages Telemachus to take charge of his own future- to go out in the world and try to find out what has happened to his father by visiting his father's old war buddies.  Telemachus listens to Athena and visits two places: Pylos and Sparta.  Here he learns very little, honestly, about what happened to his father, but what we do see is Telemachus coming into his own.  We see his confidence and sense of self develop to the point that he seems quite a different person as he journeys back home ready to confront the very dangerous challenge of taking control over his own home or really retaking a kingdom that has been taken away from him.    Yes- and today we will see where Odysseus has been this whole time.  The goal today is to get through book 9, maybe start book ten, which is kind of a chronological boomerang really.  We start book 5 twenty years after Odysseus has left home.  Calypso is forced to release him which she does.   Poseidon is outraged and reacts.  Garry let's read Poseidon's response.    “I'll give that man his swamping fill of trouble!” With that he rammed the clouds together- both hands clutching his trident- churned the waves into chaos, whipping all the gales from every quarter, shrouding over in thunderheads the earth and sea at once- and night swept down from the sky- East and South Winds clashed and the raging West and North, spring from the heavens, roiled heaving breakers up- and Odysseus' knees quaked, his spirit too; numb with fear he spoke to his own great heart: “Wretched man- what becomes of me now, at last?     And of course the answer is- you're not to die yet.  The gods will see to it.   He is shipwrecked and then found naked on the beach by Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alcinous ruler of the incredibly gracious and skilled Phaeacian's.    And of course, it is through these people, we see an incredible example of what the Greeks call Xenia and basically how Homer defines what it means in this world to be a good person. In the Homeric world, or perhaps the ancient Greek world, if we can generalize, what makes a person good or bad is not the same as we think of today. So, Garry, just to get us started, as a concept, what is Xenia.    Well, it's a concept of hospitality that is an extremely complex and developed social  institution in the ancient Greek world.  If we break the word down- the word xenos- that word means both guest-friend or guest-stranger.  If you think of the word xenophobia- it means you have fear or hatred of strangers.  So xenia is how you receive or treat strangers in your community, your oikos, your household.   Well executed xenia solidified relationships between peoples; it created alliances, and could often be the difference between life and death.  It was also religious- one of Zeus' names is Zeus Xenios because he was the god that embodied a moral obligation to be hospitable to foreigners or strangers.       And it's that moral element that is so central to so much of what we should understand about why things happen the way they do in the Homeric world.  In Homer's world, hospitality drives morality.  It is in the hosting, receiving, gift-giving and relationship building that is pushing forward the movement in the world.  It's what gets you in favor or in trouble with the gods.  If you are a good host and/or good guest, you are a good person.  If you are a bad host/ bad guest, you are a bad person.  To me it really seems to be that simple.  The moral code that determines your place is life is not based on the ten commandments or something like that- it is not based on lying, or stealing or even murdering- things that we use to define morality. If you think about it, all three of those things Odysseus does all the time and is even admired for how well he does them.  The gods are proud that he is cunning.  He brags about sacking villages.  The climax of the book involves broadscale murder (there's a slight spoiler, if you are 3000 years behind the times and don't know the ending).  There is definitely no morality around sex at all.  The definition of who you are as a person is very dependent on something else and that something else is what the ancient's called xenia- this concept of being a good host and being a good guest.  Garry, from our standpoint today, that seems weird.  We don't value hospitality in this way at all, and on the other side, we look poorly on people who are pirates, liars, thieves, or adulterers.     True- and it is a very interesting way of thinking about things- and something we should think about.  Of course, obviously and I know you weren't being exclusionary, but there are other values emphasized in Homer's epics- respect for the gods, being a wise and moderate person, not to mention, you are supposed to avenge the death of family members, that is also part of the moral code, but your point cannot be overstated more- the importance of hospitality is essential to success in life, and there are very good and obviously practical reasons for this.      Just to clarify what we're talking about- even before we get to book five, we've seen examples of this in every chapter of the epic already.  Telemachus was a good host to Mentes. Nestor and Menelaus were amazing hosts to Telemachus ,and now Alcinious is even more gracious then the other two and in fact brings Odysseus home, even though it will cost him dearly, as we'll see at the end.      True, but the concept of Xenia is not just inherent in Greek culture.  It was important in other cultures in other parts of the ancient world as well.  If you want an example that you might be familiar with from this time period and if you familiar with Biblical text we see similar things in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Abraham is very concerned about being a good host as well as a good guest and we see various interactions of him being a guest when he wanders around Canaan.  And just as the gods in the Odyssey punish and murder those who do not respect the rules of hospitality, there is a perspective to suggest that the Hebrew God of the Bible also punishes those who do not respect the rules of hospitality- just look at Sodom and Gomorrah and how the destruction of that town is set up by the abuse of guests in the community.  How you receive strangers very much defines your humanity in many cultures and has for a long time.  This idea of morality being connected to hospitality is very ancient and deeply embedded in various ancient cultures.      Well, in the Odyssey there are at least 12 hospitality scenes of all kinds. We see examples of bad hospitality as well as examples of good hospitality- In book five, we see both juxtaposed against each other almost back to back.  In Polyphemus the Cyclopes- we see almost a perfect example of a bad host.   But he isn't the first character in the book to violate the rules of Xenia- for that we don't need to look further than book one and the suitors.  Those guys are clearly terrible guests, terrible humans and we don't feel a bit sorry for them when they get what's coming in the end.  But before we get t here, let's start with the concept of xenia itself.  What is this idea of being a host which is so central to the story?  How should we understand it in terms of culture so we can then extrapolate cross-culturally?  Why is hospitality important to the degree that it is a motif in almost every book of this epic.  In fact, it's a type scene.     A type-scene.  That's a new term.  Christy, what's a type scene?    A type scene is a scene that you see over and over again.  It's kind of like a pattern.  But you become familiar with it to the point that you can recognize differences in how different people practice the same pattern or the same type, so to speak. For example, in the Iliad, how a person puts on his armour is a type scene- it happens over and over and you can see the pattern with the differences.  Holding sacrifices is another type-scene- it happens all the time.  There are many kinds of type-scenes at the disposal of the bard, he uses them to set up the story. We don't have time to feature all of them, obviously, but I want to talk about hospitality because it's so relevant to what the Odyssey is all about, in my view.   Like I said before, in the Odyssey there are at least 12 hospitality scenes.  So, that's a lot of emphasis- it sets off the plot in chapter 1, it creates complications throughout, and in some ways how we can watch Odysseus evolve as a character.  We watch him develop as we watch him reveal who his is in these various interactions with his different hosts.  So back to this idea of gift-giving and hospitality.  What are your thoughts- just in general?    Well, first of all, let's recognize that we are in an ancient world consisting of mostly isolated islands.  There are no hotels, no restaurants, and not even any money.  The Chinese are given credit in being the first to come up with money, but that wasn't until around 770 BCE.  So, just in that regard, you can see how important relationships would be just on a survival level.  Bartering, obviously did exist. But, in general, if a person is going to travel, he will have to rely on mercy from other people to survive, and of course that's how ancient societies worked.  Again, a parallel example of ancient text would be the stories of the Old Testament in the Bible, if you recall.  People went into the lands of others and threw themselves at the mercies of those rulers.  So in some sense, the idea of emphasizing hospitality on a macro-scale makes sense- I'll host you if you'll host me.  But that doesn't answer the second question, why all these gifts?  You would think that the one giving the gift would be the one being hosted.  He/or she after all is the one being fed, being clothed.  You would also think that if you were a rat of a human, and so many of us are rats, you could just go around and exploit person after person.  And notice, and you can see this through the many scenes of hospitality, you are supposed to feed and bathe a guest BEFORE you even ask their name or their business.  THAT was the ethics of the tradition.  So, the question, is why give gifts?      Well, of course, I don't know, but the obvious first pass guess, again, maybe is the idea of reciprocity.  I am going to host you today knowing that one day that balance of power may shift and I may need your hospitality.  I'll give you a good gift, so that one day you will give me a good gift- that sort of thing.  Except, as I say that out loud, it does fail the say out loud test.  After going through the Christmas season, if you are a person who practices gift-giving, you know there are always those people that shaft you.  How many of us have been in situations where we drew names, and you're supposed to buy a gift for the person that you get their name and spend a certain dollar amount.  Well, we all know that person or persons who will shaft whoever they draw.  They will justify it by saying to themselves, “Well, the original price was the money limit, I just got it on sale and they'll never know.”- which of course is bogus because we always know.   But sometimes people don't bother even doing that.  They may just shaft you because there is nothing anyone is going to do about it at a holiday party.  That sort of thing.  I can't imagine the Greeks not having those schumcks- well, we know they have those schmucks- they've moved into Penelope's house in book one.  So, I guess I'll ask you- why give gifts?  I can see how it would make a society a better and kinder place, but I can't see how and why it works.  It seems to go against human nature.    True- Of course the first reason is it makes you a good person and it pleases the gods- and we want to be good people and we all want to please the gods.  We just do.  Even those of us who unfortunately find ourselves incarcerated for terrible things we've done to other people, will likely NOT EVER want to give up the idea that we are good people.  We want others to see that in us, and we want the gods to see that in us.  And of course, we see that idea here- the gods will reward generosity and hospitality.      Which brings us to Alcinous' daughter- she truly is depicted at being a wonderful human being.  She's brave and she's generous.  Let's read where Odysseus approaches her and begs for mercy.    Page 174    But of course, as we can clearly see here.  Naussicaa, the princess, is an exceptional person.  Not very many of us are as wonderful as this girl, so I don't think reciprocity fully explains the concept of gift giving.  Of course, I don't know for sure, but one perspective  to consider here is in watching the balance of power.  Remember, primitive societies didn't have InterPol, or the United Nations, or anything like that, but that doesn't mean they didn't still have complex systems of interacting. When you show up on someone's shore, the smart thing for the person on the shore to do is to kill you at the get go- and in fact, that's what happened a lot.   Man, after all is a warring being, and societies historically war. And that is where I see the value of gifts.  The currency of today and the currency of the ancient world in one sense is the same- fame, reputation, power, glory, status- isn't that what people buy with their money- a higher place on the hierarchy?   Today, we literally BUY it with money.  We can and do buy VIP seating, VIP lounges, private planes, exclusive clubs, name brands and for what?  These things showcase that we are more important than other people- our social rank- no matter how egalitarian we claim to be.  In the ancient world just as today, greatness is defined by reputation, fame, glory- and how that happens is by giving and getting.  It's builds reputation.  If we look at what actually happens in this particular story what I notice is that for one- These tokens matter economically.  And this particular family, which is described as being a cunning family, are good at amassing wealthy by being recipients of great gifts.  We certainly see it in Odysseus.  But we also see it in Telemachus who actually negotiates his gifts, but and even Penelope is very smart in collecting gifts and building her own wealth.   But let's look at it from the other side of things.  What the giver gets in exchange is also of great value.  The giver of each gift is sending with the recipient a signal to everyone who sees the gift a message of his great reputation.  Everyone is reminded that King Menelaus is great every time he sees an artifact that came from his kingdom.  Everyone is reminded not to mess with a man as grand as can afford to give away something as great as this gifr or that gift.  But the giver is also building personal indebtedness that can extend multi-generationally.  We saw that when Telemachus visited his fathers' friends.  This networking extends reputation and gift exchange is also a tool with  which hierarchy is established.      Well, in the case of King Alcinous, he had a tremendous reputation for greatness and was, and I quote, “obeyed like a god”.   We could talk quite a bit about this banquet  King Alcinous and Queen Arete threw in honor of their guest:  the recognition scene, the games, etc.  but I want to jump ahead to the cyclopes- which is just fun to read.  And of course, it brings up one of the reasons why this book is so popular.  It's readable at every level.  We can read it for some psychological or anthropological understanding of humanity, but it's also just as fun and worthy to read the gory description of a dude poking out another dude's only eye.  So, jumping straight to book 9, the bard, in book eight, has been telling Odysseus' story but now Alcinous is making Odysseus tell his own story and finally Odysseus confesses his identity.      I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world for every kind of craft- my fame has reached the skies.  Sunny Ithaca is my home.  Atop her stands our seamark, Mount Neriton's leafy ridges shimmering in the wind.      And on he goes describing his homeland.  The first story he tells is about him sacking and plundering Cicones- sacking the city, killing the men.  By our standards, its sheer pirating, but it's not a shameful story in this context.  The shame came at the end when his stupid men got drunk and allowed the Cicones to get them back.  He says “out of each ship, six men-at-arms were killed.”  So, there's the example of how a lot of these interactions between peoples go- people warring against invaders.  But after the Cicones, he gets to the Lotus eaters.    The Lotus eaters' story is famous too, and I love how the Percy Jackson movie portrayed the Lotus eaters as being a casino in Las Vegas, and the men just kind of losing track of time as so many have in those corridors that connect the Pallazzo to the Venetian or Bally's to Paris.      I agree- Las Vegas is perfect.  The passage about the lotus eaters is a short passage especially for how well known it is, let's remember those famous Lotus Eaters.    Page 214    You know, I've heard this passage described as people high on drugs, but we may be too quick to go the route of mental incapacity.  When the men go back to their boat, they are aware that they are being forced to leave, and they even cry about it.  It's not their perceptions that are impaired; it's their will that's impaired.  The bedazzling experience of the present has totally obliterated any sense of time as well as any concern about other experiences in the future.  It's a metaphor for a lot of things beyond drugs that have this effect- although drugs definitely unfortunately do this in the extreme.      Ha!  I would say so- can we say tik tok!!  You know, our good friend, Cristiana, the other day got on tiktok, and let me say she's my age, so we're not talking about a child.  Anyway, her complaint about it was that she spent an hour drifting through video after video.  She was entertained for sure, but after an hour she looked up and realized could not tell you one thing that she had seen.  The videos were too short to even stick in her short term memory.  She was annoyed because she couldn't account for the time- she remarked that she literally had nothing to show for it- it went the way of the lotus eaters.    Ha!  So true- I guess Instagram and Facebook aren't much better,  but let me ask you this- is that an example of good xenia or bad xenia?     HA!  Well, I think of it as just a little sidebar until we get to the big xenia story-  the story of the Cyclopes-     A couple of things to notice as we compare the story of Polyphemus as host to the story about King Alcinous and Queen Arete and their reception of Odysseus.  With the Phaeacians, we see a positive example of what it means to be a good person.  We see a great and confident leader who has built a good community.  Homer is going to juxtapose that with this community that does not work well.  We are going to see what it means to be bad- a bad person, a bad leader and live in a bad society.  Remember when I said that a type-scene is a scene where you recognize a pattern.  Well, the pattern to receive a guest has been established a bunch of times already starting in book one now through book 8.  And Polyphemus does everything absolutely wrong.  He's the very opposite of a good person, and the Cyclopes society is the opposite of a good society.  Besides the hospitality type-scene- we also have an assembly which is another type-scene.  We've had a bunch of assemblies already as well- remember when Telemachus called an assembly, they met and passed around the scepter and all that, well Polyphemus is going to try to call an assembly, but it doesn't go well either because nothing these barbaric people do is worth anything.  They are awful in all ways.    So, in a traditional hospitality scene- you're supposed approach the visitor, welcome the visitor, seat and feed the visitor, offer the visitor a drink, then ask the visitor's name, exchange information, entertain the visitor, allow the visitor to bath, then sleep, try to detain the visitor give the visitor a gift, make a sacrifice  to the gods and finally escort him to the next destination.  That's exactly what we've already seen over and over again up to this point.  With that in mind, let's look at how Polyphemus treats civilized life.  First of all, Polyphemus isn't there at first, but when he gets there, before anything else, he asks them who they are.      Let's read it.     Page 219    Stop after other men then read his response    And of course they answer him, not by stating who they are but by saying who've they've been with and asking for a guest-guest.      Which  didn't go well.    No- let's read how it goes.     P 220      Instead of feeding the guests, he eats them.  It can't get worse than that, but there are more oppositions, instead of the host offering the guests wine, Odysseus offers Polyphemus wine.  And instead of Odysseus revealing his identity, he conceals it- He tells Polyphemus his name is Nobody or No man depending how your book translate it- And of course Polyphemus  likes the wine so much he decides to give Odysseus or Nobody a guest gift, but the gift is terrible.    Page 222    The scholars tell us that this scene actually has four examples of word play in the Greek, but the translation only comes across as one.  It's kind of fun that it works.  But it is this word play that has interested so many and sets the primary complication for the ten years of Odysseus' life.    Odysseus manages to get Polyphemus drunk and he and his crew stab him in the eye, very infeasibly with a piece of wood they made out of embers (don't try to explain that scientifically).  Let's read it.    Page 223    And of course, Odysseus gets away by being smart, patient, more cunning- the things that the gods reward.  Polyphemus is left to cry out to his father Poseidon- which of course in some ways is the correct idea, you are supposed to pray to the gods before your guests leave, but not like this.  And of course, finally Odyssey leaves not being escorted but by fleeing with his life as Polyphemus throws boulders at him.  Ironically, however,  Odysseus would have gotten away, and we wouldn't have had a story except for the lines that Odysseus blurts out once he's safely far enough away where he thinks he's escaped.    Page 227  .  He just can't be a nobody.  He had to tell him who he was.  He wanted him to know.  And isn't that what takes all of us on so many personal Odysseys.  We just can't be a nobody.  We would lose something in our humanity like that.  It's about identity.  That's what we're looking for in some sense.  It's what the whole of life experience is about in many ways.  Who are we?  We are NOT a nobody- at least we hope we're not- we hope to be a somebody to somebody.  How well Homer knows us.     Indeed.  It's an idea that we see Homer taking with us for the rest of the books.  Odysseus will reclaim his name.  He will define it. It's what defines your home- the place where you are somebody.  But another point to make, and I don't want to leave this discussion of uncivilized people without making mention of one other thing.  There is something very interesting to notice in Poseidon's prayer.  You know, if I had been blinded, and I had a magical father with powers, I might pray for my eyesight back.  That would be the most helpful thing moving forward, at least you'd think.  But that's not what Polyphemus does.  Let's read it.    Page 228    He'd rather have revenge than his own eyesight.      Indeed- it's fascinating to me- that when Homer wants to finish his description of what a pitiful example of a living breathing low-life is, what a totally uncivilized society looks like- he starts by saying it's a group of people who do no work, produce nothing, have no assemblies, do not live well in community, but he ends it with a prayer to seek vengeance in a final breath.      Ha!  I guess so. The worst of in us all played out- a bad person would rather hurt another person that move forward.   Well, off Odysseus goes.  He thinks he's caught a break at the beginning of book 10.  He reaches the home of the god Aeolus- a giant floating island.  And this god receives him well- another hospitality scene.  They go through all the things, and he gets a great parting gift.  He gives him a sack of wind.  Aeolus binds the winds from all the corners of the earth except the West Wind that blows Odysseus all the way to Ithaca.  For Nine days he sails non stop.  He can see men tending fires on the beaches of his hometown.  He's made it.  He can rest, but his men are greedy.  Right before they get there, while Odysseus is asleep, the shipmates open the bag wanting to sneak out treasure while Odysseus isn't watching.  When they open the bag all the winds come out at once, and they get blown all the way back to King Aeolus.  Oops.  Odysseus asks him to put the winds back in the bag.  This time, Aeolus says, sorry but no.  Instead this is what he said- let's read King Aeolus lines.    , “Away from my island- fast- most cursed man alive! It's a crime to host a man or speed him on his when the blessed deathless gods despise him so.  Crawling back like this-it proves the immortals hate you! Out- get out!'    And so off he goes- and I guess it's time for us to head out as well.  Next episode we'll pick up with Circe, and go through the rest of Odysseus' wanderings.  I also want to talk a little bit about the role of women in the books, as we'll meet a couple more.      Sounds good.  So, we'll call it a wrap for today.  Thanks for listening.  WE hope you're enjoying our discussions as we work our way through this influential classic.  As always, we hope you will honor us by sharing an episode with a friend either by text email or word of mouth.  Please leave us a five star rating on your podcast app and of course visit us at howtolovelitpodcast.com, where we have plenty of instructional materials if you are a teacher or student.  Also, follow us on any or all of our social media: Instagram, facebook, linked in, and if you'd like to receive our monthly newsletter, please email Christy at christy@howtolovelitpodcast.com.                       

Homer - The Odyssey - Episode 2 - Telemachus Begins The Journey To Manhood And Finding Odysseus!   Hi, I'm Christy Shriver and we're her to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us.    And I'm Garry Shriver, and this is the How to love lit podcast.  Today is our second episode covering the first and perhaps foremost author in what is often described as the Western Canon- Homer and his famous epic, The Odyssey.  Last week, we discussed a little of the historical context surrounding the mysterious origins of the story- the Bronze age, the Myceneans and the Trojan war.    But besides the origins of the stories, we also discussed the origins of Homer himself, if there was such a man.  It is thought that Homer lived 400 years after the timeframe of the settings of the stories he tells in his epics.  His version of The Odyssey was solidified in or around 750 BCE.  Tradition claims he was a blind bard who began this famous tale invoking the muse who had shared it with him, and within his stories the religion and cultural heritage of the Greeks has not only been preserved and passed down, but the tales have influenced the writing, thinking and worldviews of innumerable cultures around the world. Like most first book episodes, however, in episode 1 we didn't get far into the story itself, we stayed in the opening of book 1.  At the beginning of book 1, we meet Homer himself invoking the Muse to tell us Odysseus' story.  But then, the skies are opened before us and we are swiftly taken upward to the mighty Mt Olympus where we are privileged with a glimpse  inside a discussion between the gods where Zeus brings up Agamemnon's son, Orestes, avenging his father's murder by killing his own mother and her lover after they plotted and killed him on his return from Troy.  We are reminded by Zeus himself that men tend to blame the gods for everything that happens to them, but that there are many things that happen to us that are indeed our own fault.   Zeus talks about the case of Agamemnon's son avenging his death as an example.  Following this, Athena brings up the case of Odysseus, the mortal she likes.  She requests Zeus' permission and help to help bring Odysseus home, even though he has foolishly angered Zeus' brother, Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding one of his sons, the cyclops, Polyphemus.      The Odyssey really has quite a complicated set up in some ways, and this week's episode which will cover the Telemachy is really more set up before we even meet the namesake main character, Odysseus in book 5.      There is a lot going on, there are a lot of Greek characters, a lot of backstory to explain why things are the way they are. Certainly a lot of intrigue and treachery has already taken place before we meet Odysseus on Ogygia's island, and we learn a lot of this context in the Telemachy.        True- the Telemachy or the first four books in the epic centers around Telemachus- and that is the name of Odysseus' son.  Odysseus' wife is named Penelope, and they had a son right before he had to leave against his will for the Trojan War.   The Odyssey opens with the story of Odysseus' son, but here in the Telemachy we also meet Penelope.  We meet Eurycleia.  She's a slave who has been a nurse for both Odysseus.  We meet Mentor.  It starts about a month before Odysseus arrives back in his homeland after his absences of 20 years.  In these first four books, we learn that Ithaca is in total chaos.  There is no leadership, no code of morality, no enforcer of the rules.   There has not been a assembly of the community in twenty years.  After the first four books of the Telemachy , the story switches over to Odysseus' captivity in book 5, where Hermes arrives at Ogygia and tells Calypso she must let Odysseus get home explaining to the reluctant nympyh that it is not his fate to stay with her forever.  The story of Odysseus' difficult journey from Calypso's island is from books 5-9- the stories about his journey over the last 10 years are told in the context of a flashback.  In chapter 15, we resume the Telemachy, with Telemachus arriving back home, and then in Book 16 Telemachus and Odysseus reunite and from there the story takes a totally different direction as these two seek to restore order and justice to Ithaca.  So, yes, it's slightly complicated.  But what do we expect from an epic!!!       I think it's likely that if you were Greek listening to this story being sung by Homer, himself, you already knew the stories at least in part, so the complicated plot line and characters weren't confusing like they can be for us today. But even today, so many of us are familiar with many of these story lines from different places.  For example, just the name mentor- I've heard that word used all my life, but I didn't know Mentor was the name of a man in the Odyssey who mentored Telemachus.  There's a lot of references in pop culture to a lot that we're reading- from the various gods that show up in movies, or monsters that have found their way in video games, or even just portions of the stories that have been told in things like cartoons.   Things like cyclops and sirens are a part of the culture of the world, and it seems I've always known what they were not necessarily knowing they came from The Odyssey.  For me, the best way to read this book, is not to try to keep track of all the names and characters.  It's easy to get  lost in the details of the different digressions. I found that just reading through is the best plan- and if I forget who Mentes is or Eurymachus, I can still understand what's happening in the story.  It doesn't hurt the overall understanding if we don't understand every detail of every story Menelaus, Nestor or Helen want to share with Telemachus.      No, I agree, the main ideas are easy to follow.  For one reason and this was also one thing we talked about last week is how Homer pares down the complicated Greek pantheon of gods to a number small enough for us to manage, so the pantheon of gods isn't what is going to confuse us.  Once you know who Athena, Zeus, Poseidon and Hermes are, you are pretty much good to go, and these we will learn in context. But another reason is because the focus isn't on the gods it's on the family- and even that is pared down.  We are concerned about Odysseus' family.  The value and the place of the family is very important to Homer and to Greek culture.  Odysseus, as well as the other characters, but let's focus on Odysseus, always identifies himself in relation to his family- his father, Laertes, his son, Telemachus,  and/ or his wife, Penelope.  Understanding what these basic family relationships mean is of great interest to Homer.  What does it mean to be a father, a son, a wife?  What do we do with these roles?  How do they form our identity?     So,the Telemachy which is the first four books of the Odyssey focuses on Telemachus as the starting point of the story, which is a little unusual.  Telemachus is not the protagonist of the Odyssey.  He's also not very heroic, at least not as we think of Greek heroes.  In fact, a lot of literary critics absolutely reject Telemachus as anything but drain on Odysseus.  I am not going to see him like that.  I see Telemachus' role as unique, for sure.  And, he definitely is not a returning hero like his future, but he is still the future- but it is a different future.  He is the future for Odysseus, the future for Ithaca and will have to be defined differently.  Whatever Odysseus is to be in this world after he returns from Troy, he will be it in the context of his family relationships- and when we see Odysseus on the island with Calypso, we see him understanding himself just in that way.  Calypso has offered him immortality, but it's not what he wants.  As great as he is, as a hero, as a warrior, as a pirate, he is nothing alone, and so before we meet Odysseus in chapter five crying and groaning for home, we start by looking at Telemachus- the personification of Odysseus' home.  One thing to notice about Telemachus as a character, and this is something I didn't know until I researched him for this podcast, is that Telemachus is the ONLY character in Greek literature that is not a static character.      Just as a refresher, let me remind everyone that Static characters are characters that don't change in stories. The character traits that define them at the end of the story are the same as the ones in the beginning and usually the one that creates the tragedy.  We saw this in both Oedipus and Antigone.  No one in those stories is willing to change- hence the problem.  Dynamic characters are characters that are changed by the experiences of the story- either for the better or for the worse, so you're saying that NO other characters besides Telemachus experience change over time or grow up?    I'm not saying it.  Greek scholars CMH Millar and JWS Carmichael made that claim in the journal Greece and Rome, but yes- that's it exactly.  Greeks are famous for their tragedies, but how the stories are set up with those chorus' and all, it's not designed for characters to develop inside the story- maybe between stories- Oedipus certainly changes between stories, but not within a story.  Telemachus is the only character where, the point of him is to see him change over time. So, whatever this change is, is obviously something very important to Homer.  And for Homer, the change is explicitly stated- it is not implied- it is absolutely stated through the various characters who will talk to Telemachus.  Homer is interested in showing us how a boy becomes a man.  Now, let me make the one obvious disclaimer, I am going to use gendered language because this is the way the ancient Greeks thought of this idea today we call coming of age- but please understand that this journey of self-discovery is not exclusively male – it's not even exclusively a path from childhood to adulthood, although that's always the language we employ and a good way of understanding this.    No- I think psychologically speaking, we could say that many adults never arrive to this sense of  manhood if you want to use the gendered language of the Greeks.  What Homer is clearly talking about is that place in a life's journey where any individual takes up the burden of personal responsibility- the transition from passive agent in one's life to active agent.  This is something that we think of as being nurtured by parenting because role models are how we learn in this world.  But parenting is a luxury not everyone experiences.  What do you do if you have no healthy role models in your world for whatever reason?   And what if you do- is a privileged birth a guarantee of future success? What we can see clearly in the life of Telemachus, especially if you compare him with the suitors and other sons in the Telemachy is that nothing is guaranteed- regardless of your advantages or disadvantages.  This acceptance of personal responsibility that the Greeks are representing through this language of becoming a man is something that no one can do for anyone else-  either a person takes on the burden of responsibility for his or herself and the others who are in their orbit or a person doesn't.  The suitors certainly think there is a shortcut to success, and so did the man who killed Agamemnon.       But, the gods don't allow these kinds of people to succeed ultimately- in the cases you just mentioned  both of these groups experience  the same fate- death.  Homer's gods absolutely make sure everyone gets hit with something- not even King Menelaus himself, married to the most beautiful woman in the world escapes the twists and turns of fate thrown at them by the gods.  But as we are told in the first lines of the story- what we do with the circumstances we are given are in large part what will seal the outcome of our existences.      And so the challenge of facing one individual's particular fate is broken down by looking at the particular circumstances facing Telemachus at this particular age.  Most scholars suggest he is probably 20, but that's not explicitly stated anywhere.  I think it's also interesting to note that the things he has to deal with are tremendously difficult problems and they are also not his fault.  Telemachus knows this and does what most people at least want to do when we are faced with tremendously large and difficult problems that are not our fault.  We meet Telemachus in the beginning  casting blame and sulking.  He's angry, but honestly it's easy life.  He gets pushed around by people who have literally injected themselves into his world, and he just sits in a corner.      I find it interesting that at one point Telemachus even claims that he's not even sure who his father is- even though- no one else seems to question this at all.  It's that kind of ‘who am I' that seems to be casting blame.  None of what we see in Telemachus here is very admirable or helpful.   Homer clearly illustrates the cost of doing nothing- regardless of the reason- and there are lots of good reasons to do nothing-  Telemachus has reasons to be intimidated.   He's young, he's outnumbered by men who are better trained, larger and older than he is.   He doesn't have any personal strength of mind, but maybe not of body either. At least at this point in the story, we can't be sure of how strong or smart he is.  He hasn't done anything to show us one way or the other.      Yes- and I'm glad you brought up strength of mind-  you have brought us exactly back to Athena- the goddess of wisdom.  That's who Telemachus needs and that who comes to intervene on his behalf.  The best of us are the ones who are good at listening to Athena, and thinking of wisdom as a Greek goddess speaking in our ear- is a very lovely way to conceptualize this.  In this case, he will hear a little voice speaking to him from outside of himself.  It will be on him to decide whether or not to listen to the voice.  Let us jump into the story and see how Athena meets Telemachus in book 1.  One magical element of the story is that Athena is a shape-shifter.  She can appear to people as anything or anyone she wants and that is what she does.  She is going to approach Telemachus as an old family friend, a neighboring king, a man by the name of Mentes.  As Mentes, she enters his house.      Page 81    Telemachus receives her/him well.  He gives him a seat of honor and tries to take care of the stranger.  It doesn't appear that he knows him.      No, and Athena, as Mentes, prophecies that his father will come home.  But Telemachus is despondent.  He's bitter at what has happened.  He's angry people have moved in and are taking over his home, siphoning off his wealth, and that his mother can't seem to do anything about it.  But it never occurs to him that HE can do anything himself.  He dreams of the day when his father will come back, he also longs to be famous in his own right. He dreams, but he cannot conceive of taking initiative himself.  Athena, the voice of wisdom must awaken him.  Let's read what she says in the person of Mentes    Page 86-87    First of all, he must remember who he is.  He is a son- a member of a family, he has responsibility to himself, but also to his father dead or alive as well as his mother.  Athena charges him to take up that banner of responsibility, but then she gives him a very practical plan.  Do this 1) get a boat, 2) find some associates 3) go get some advice from older successful men.  Find out the status of your family.  After you have information as to your actual status, come back and take hold of your own life.      It's also interesting that she compares him to this other prince we've heard about from Zeus, Prince Orestes who killed Aegisthus, a different lord who had made a play on his birthright and had taken him down.  There is this idea that gods will help you, but it's on you to take down your rivals.  Over the next three books, Telemachus kind of wakes up to this idea that nobody is coming- although in his case, someone IS coming, but Athena doesn't let him know that.      He wakes up to his own independence- his separateness from his mother, his nurse, his mentor, even this father- he is going to become comfortable with his own personhood.  Leaving home was Athena's strategy to enable this to happen in him.  He wakes up to a sense of responsibility- that it's on him to make something happen but lastly, he also wakes up to the difficulties of his mother's position.  He doesn't come across as empathetic at first, but this changes as he himself matures and we see this in book 15- he moves to viewing his mother as a woman with complicated choices and respects what she's managed to do and I, as a mom, appreciated this change in attitude, for sure. When Telemachus talks to his mom in book 1, and I know this is my own cultural understanding of a text of a different culture, but I was offended at how rude he appeared to me- more offended than Penelope was.  He bosses her around.  I want to read this, “So mother, go back to your quarters.  Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well.  As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house.”  I would have wanted to say, young man, don't talk to your mother like that.  But, her reaction is not one of offense, but the word the Fagles uses is “astonished”.  And she obeys him almost happy.  It says she took to heart “the clear good sense in what her son had said.”              Well, I think she was astonished.  Here is this young man who has never taken agency in his life, and now he's going to try to stand up to her and to the suitors.  She seems to be glad he's at least owning the fact that he has responsibility in this household.  This is new.  In some ways, especially if you compare him to Orestes who is likely the same age as he is- that Telemachus might even be an embarrassment to her.  The suitors certainly have no respect for him.  In the very next paragraph it says they and I quote, “broke into uproar through the shadowed halls, all of them lifting prayers to lie beside her, share her bed.”  Penelope has been and IS  in real danger with no protection at all.  Now Telemachus tells the suitors to leave; they are amazed that he is willing to talk to them like that, even if they don't show any signs of actually moving or conceding space.  Antinous says this, “I pray that Zeus will never make YOU king of Ithaca, though your father's crown is no doubt yours by birth.”  In other words, I know this is your birth right but if you cannot claim it, you cannot have it.  The idea being, even if something is yours by birthright, it's not really yours until you can claim it.    Leadership as we all know, is more than a position, there must be an element of person charisma that creates respect.  When someone is supposed to be charge who does have personal charisma and who cannot garner respect, someone else who does will snatch it regardless of who holds the official position.      And that's where we are in the story here in Book 1.  Telemachus should be a king, but he is trapped in a place where he can't get anyone to respect him even if he wanted them to.     According to Aristotle, albeit years later, one essential part of being a king or leader is the ability to dispense justice.  That is what kings do in the ancient world, and really that's what good leadership is supposed to do to this day.  Telemachus has not done that up to this point; he has not been able to do that in any way for various reasons- and the reasons are understandable.  But that doesn't matter.  He has not administered his properties; he is not administering justice in his realm of influence, and so Telemachus has no authority and his world has no harmony.  Until he can figure that piece out, he is not in charge, he is not a king.  And so the question the text brings up, is how can he do this?  And of course the first step is that he must realize it's on him to do it.  Telemachus is going to have to construct his own authority in the eyes of those suitors.    Well, that's true, and honestly, he has to construct authority in the eyes of the reader of the text as well.  WE have to decide he's worthy, especially after we see everything that Odysseus is and has been.  If Homer can convince us that Telemachus is worthy, then we can accept and even feel glee when we see what happens to the suitors at the end of the story.  It will feel like a king dispensing justice and not just vengeance.  That's an important distinction.  Justice is for everyone; vengeance is personal.  And of course, at no time either in book 1 or in book 2 are we convinced that Telemachus is capable of of being a king.  In book 2, he calls an assembly together of all the Acheans.  This is a big deal.  No assembly has been called since Odysseus left twenty years before.   Everyone crowds around, the elders come in, Telemachus takes his father's seat.  Nine speeches are given by various people, but on first pass nothing good comes out of any of this.  Telemachus is filled with anger, he complains about what they have done but ultimately he dashes the speaker's scepter and bursts into tears.  None of that is great, but it IS a start.  The text says that everyone felt pity, but what does that do.  They just sat there in silence.  One of the suitors, Antinous, speaks up and basically says, well, it's really your mother's fault.  She won't pick a new husband, but instead has tricked us.  She told us she would marry someone when she finished making this shroud for her father-in-law Laertes, but every day she weaved it and every night she unraveled her work, so that the shroud was never done.  This went on for three years. Antinous calls Penelope “matchless queen of cunning” which is quite the backhanded compliment, but ultimately, he is taking the focus away from Telemachus.  Telemachus appears to be a nothing here.  On the other hand, and let me ask this question, from a historical perspective,  I never really have understood why Penelope had to get married.  Why couldn't she just be the queen?      Well, I'm not totally sure, remember this culture is mysterious.  One idea might be that warring and pirating is such a key component of the culture, so as not have a warrior as the head would leave a kingdom vulnerable to invaders- that may be one idea.  But, I will say, just in general, that it's important to understand that every single character in this story is an aristocrat.  These are not common people.  They are rulers, and in the world of aristocrats, and this is not just in Greek culture, but all cultures to this day, if we're honest, people put a lot of effort in planning and selecting marriages.  Social interchange between families creates links of union and interdependence that are the hallmark of the history of humanity as a whole.  So, in that sense, marriage is a political and economic game that can be won or lost.  Men compete- and this is no more obvious than with this actual game we will see being played by these suitors.  I think it's important to note that all of these suitors come from good aristocratic families.  These are not beggars or miscreants that are moving in on her.  They are Greece's finest, so to speak, men who feel like they can compete and deserve to be a king.  What is a little difficult to understand here is who is supposed to be responsible for the choice of Penelope's next husband, and we see different answers depending on who's talking here. Athena tells Telemachus to send his mother back to her father and to let her father make this choice.   Antinous says something similar, but if Antinous sends Penelope back, the he's the one in charge, not Telemachus.  If she goes back because Antinous told her to, basically the suitors have already seized authority over Penelope in making this decision for her and taking it away from Telemachus.  What we can say for sure, is there is a power vacuum in Ithaca- Telemachus may have the position of leadership because of his birthright, but he doesn't possess the charisma or the moral authority at this point to exercise any leadership and be listened to.  He is ignored and irrelevant.      That is the point of his own Odyssey.  And I think that's the whole idea that people have intuitively understood.  The first step in manhood and I'll use the gendered language of the Greeks, the first step to growing up is understanding that you have to do something and if you don't- others will swoop in and make those decisions for you, but the decisions others make likely will not be in your best interest.   Even if you start out disadvantaged, just as Telemachus is starting here, there are things you can do to help yourself.  For Telemachus, that's what he gets from listening to the goddess Athena and discerning her words of wisdom.  He gets up, calls an assembly, announces his plan.  He heard Mentes and figured out that those were words he should be listening to- they were the words of the goddess Athena.  But after listening, he still has to make a choice, he has to actually pick up and do what Athena told him to.  And he does.  He goes to the storehouse, collects goods for the trip, he talks to his nanny and tells her to not tell his mom for at least 10 maybe 12 days,  and he even faces down the suitors, clearly establishing to their faces that he views them as enemies.  He calls out the game.  And let me further note, as soon as he starts moving, Athena also engaged the world and pushed others to help him.  She also drugs the suitors so he can get out without being challenged.      Page 105        And off he goes first in book 3 and then in book 4 to older wiser men- King Nestor at Pylos and then King Menelaus at Sparta.  One interesting little side-bar is that scholars really do not agree  as to what he gets out of this trip if anything.  For sure, he doesn't get what he sets out to get.  He doesn't find his father.  They also don't agree on how long he was gone.  Homer in a couple of places implies he's only there a couple of days, but in other places, and if you match up Telemachus leaving Ithaca with Odysseus leasing Ogygia, he would need to have been gone about a month.      I think the month idea makes more sense especially if you think about the changes that occur in Telemachus while he's gone.    Well, I agree.  Also there's that detail that the nurse was told not to tell her for 10-12 days, so that's another hint, that Homer understands and expects his audience to understand Telemachus is gone longer than a couple of days.  Anyway, I'm not sure it matters a whole lot- the transformation is the transformation and the reunion on the other side will be the reunion on the other side.  In Pylos, he meets Nestor's son, Peisistratus, who has had a much more normal upbringing than Telemachus had. Pylos is kind of the example of family that has gone right.  Nestor, even in the Iliad is kind of portrayed as a wise counselor who gives speeches and advice.  Although it has been pointed out that at no time does Telemachus ask their opinion on what he should do.  He seems to be interested just in learning about the past, who his father way, how things have worked.    And he learns a lot about that.   Nestor talks  a lot about what happened at Troy- things I didn't know.  He talks about Achilles and Patroclus, about Ajax, King Priam and the role Odysseus played in the war.  He also tells Telemachus about his own journey home, and we revisit again this story about Agamemnon being murdered by his friend and Orestes murdering his father's murderer as well as his own mother.      To which I notice Telemachus said, “If only the gods would arm me in such power I'd take revenge on the lawless, brazen suitors.”  Basically, saying, I wish I were like that guy.   It's very obvious that Telemachus doesn't know how to act in this world and that is exactly why Athena sent him out.  Ithaca is not the world of Pylos or Sparta.  In fact, it's very different, but there are things to learn.  He learns by listening to how other men act and how he they interact with each other.  He learns how to conduct himself religiously, too.  How do I stay out of trouble with the gods.  The day after the big banquet Nestor throws, Nestor sends his youngest daughter Polyoaste to give Telemachus a bath.  There are those who suggest this detail of the bath is designed to express some sort of a baptism, if you want to see it that way.  Telemachus emerges and I quote, “looking like a god”.  I don't know if that's a stretch- sometimes literary people can stretch stuff.      Maybe a bath is just a bath,    yes or maybe it IS a baptism.  Who knows.  What we do know for sure is that Nestor sees something great in Telemachus, something the suitors haven't seen.  Nestor sees leadership, something, we as readers haven't seen either and Telemachus responds to this.  Nestor gives him horses, a chariot and sends him off with his own son to Sparta.  In Sparta, we are going to assume he stays for about a month, he will see and experience the life of the most successful man in Greece, Menelaus, husband to Queen Helen, the woman who started the Trojan war.  Telemachus is overwhelmed by the amazing opulence of this environment.  He's never seen anything like this before.  In terms of wealth, this is the ultimate.      The main takeaway from my perspective for Telemachus is comparing how Menelaus conducts affairs successfully and we can compare this to how things are going in Ithaca.  If we think about the last conversation Telemachus had about his mother not getting married, how interesting that we see Menelaus conducting not one but two marriages- and not even his child through his wife.  Menelaus is creating that most political of arrangements- marriages- two of them.  WE can already see that Telemachus is less awkward meeting Menelaus than he was meeting Nestor, even though this stage is even bigger.  He's speaking is more controlled and more confident to the point that when Menelaus offers him three horses, and he actually declines because horses are impractical in Ithaca.  In other words, this version of Telemachus can engage a great man like Menelaus as an equal.      Or man to man- to use a gendered expression- and this really impresses Menelaus.  WE don't know what all happens in Sparta really.  We do get to hear Helen's side of the Trojan war story, which I found really interesting, but we don't really have time to get into that- suffice it to say, it's not her fault.  The main takeaway is that by the time Telemachus leaves Menelaus which isn't until book 15, he's ready to go home.  The Telamachy won't pick up again until book 15 when Athena sends him home.  But by book 15, Telemachus is aware of his responsibilities, and we see this new Telemachus- Telemachus 2.0 as a man of action.  I know it's getting a head in the story if we look by chapters, but by book 15, Telemachus is going to offer political asylum to a wanted murderer in Ithaca.  This is stepping out in the realm of administering justice.  The man's name is Theoclymenus.   Theoclymenus is a prophet and interprets for Telemachus and omen of a hawk who is appearing on the right with a dove in its talons.  He correctly predicts that “no family in Ithaca is kinglier than yours; you will have power forever.”  That's always a nice thing to say.      And so, there we go, now Telemachus is set up for the confrontation, now we just need to get Odysseus home.      Yes- and that is what books 5-8 are about as well.  Odysseus also must find his way to those sandy shores- but before he does, he's going to tell the King who will take him how he ever got himself in the mess he did.  And next episode, we'll listen in and find out why you should never expect a Christmas party invite from a cyclops.  There's the tip for the day.      Ha!  Well, I'll keep my hopes down on that score.  Thank you for listening.  If you are enjoying this series on Homer and the Odyssey, please remember to give us a rating on your podcast ap.  And of course, share an episode with a friend.  Also, don't hesitate to connect with us via email, our website www.howtolovelitpodcast.com, Instagram, Facebook, linked in or any other social media ap you use.   And if you are listening to this in real time, we hope you are getting off to a great start in this year 2022.             

Homer - The Odyssey - Episode 1 - Greek Gods, Greek Heroes And One of The Oldest Epic Poems Of All Time!   Hi, I'm Christy Shriver and we're here to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us.    And I'm Garry Shriver and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast.  This week we embark on a seafaring adventure across the seas and through time to the ancient world of the Greeks to meet  someone who some have said is the greatest poet to have ever lived- Homer- and his second epic- The Odyssey.      To be honest, I think I agree with that assessment.      That's high praise. How does one get to that level?    I know.  It really is.  I guess, one way of looking at it may be attrition- how many poets do we still read from 3000 years ago.  That's not a large club.   We certainly don't have anyone in the English language canon that is competitive, but it's more than Homer basically invented the coming of age novel with the Telemachaie; he invented the flawed hero, as I choose to understand Odysseus.  In many ways, his epics, although they are poems, are pre-runners to modern day novels.   They are pre-cursors to fantasy.  Heck, even the success of the Marvel movies to me suggest a thinly veiled nod to Homer.  What is Superman or Wonder Woman if not demi-gods?    Well, if I may weigh in, although I don't feel even remotely qualified to suggest someone is the greatest poet to have ever lived, but what impresses me the most is the level of psychological and archetypal insights into the nature of man that crosses through culture.  Of course, I've heard of a lot of the characters and several of the stories, but I was impressed by how relatable Odysseus is.  And although so many of his adventures at sea are fantastical- they feel like hyperbolic expressions of what I go through- For example, what is Scylla and Charybdis if not being caught between a rock and a hard place?  Another thing that fascinates me is the order he wrote them in- at least the order as we think them- the first one, The Iliad, and then some years later, as an older man, The Odyssey.  That's also psychologically interesting- The Iliad has its version of a hero- Achilles is idealistic, proud in large and obvious way, self-righteous, vindictive even.         It's young man's idea of heroism versus The Odyssey and its version of heroism- a much more nuanced.  He also gets revenge, but it's slow and not very reactionary- he plots, he lies, he bides his time- things we learn by life beating the hound out of us.      I think that is well said.  Studying Homer for me is also very intimidating historically.  There is so much history and culture- beyond just the language differences just between my world and Homer's- 2600 years- give or take.  The language is different.  The culture is different. The geography and the religion are literally worlds and worlds away, and I'm not very confident I can understand the context.  And if that weren't scary enough, when you realize that Homer may have been describing events that may have preceded him by perhaps another 400- 1000 years or so, depending on who you believe- I just get lost in the math.  I might as well be saying, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”.   It's foreign and mysterious.  Lizzy asked me today as I was sitting on my computer reading some research on the Mycenaens what book I was working on and I said, “Research for ‘Homer's The Odyssey'” – to which she replied, “Sounds boring.”  And Lizzy listens to our podcasts!!  But on the screen of my computer were broken pieces of pottery and archeological data, not super-man and wonderwoman.    Ha!  Well, if you can't guilt-trip your family members into listening to you, even if you are boring, what hope do you have?  But, I totally understand where she's coming from, over the years, I've taught a lot of history from US to Europe to World, and the Ancient World, and I love it.  I will admit, though, even though a lot can be fascinating with the ancients, there's no doubt the farther back in time you go, it can be very difficult to conceptualize.  It is also a lot more guesswork.  Ancient Greece feels far away because it IS far away, and often we don't know what we're looking at when we see it. I hate to keep coming back to the arrogance of the present, but we really have to guard against looking at ancient peoples as primitive thinkers just because their technologies were not advanced.  I mean, honestly, which of us could survive one week on an island?  I think Survivor has proven that that's not happening.    Ha!  Those people always lose so much weight! Survivor also proves that the most cunning and deceptive you are- Odysseus style, the more likely you are to survive, but getting back to the historical side of it.  Did the Trojan war really happen?  And if it did, what was it?      That's a great question.  For years and years, even centuries- the greatest minds said no.  If Troy existed, we would know it.  And just for context, in case you are unfamiliar with the story, the story goes that there was a woman, today we call her Helen of Troy, but she wasn't Trojan, she was Greek, and she ran away with a young lover- named Paris- to a city called Troy across the ocean.  Her sister's husband, King Agamemnon, launched 1000 ships and all the Greek kings and heroes to get her back for her husband Menelaus.   The war to get Helen back took ten years before the Greeks were finally able to penetrate the wall, theoretically using a gigantic horse and a gimmick devised by Odysseus.  The story goes that Odysseus and a few others hid inside this gigantic horse.  Everyone else hid and pretended to return to Greece.  They left the horse there claiming that it was a gift to the god, Poseidon.  The Trojans brought the horse inside the gate, Odesseus came out, unlocked the gate and the Greeks sacked the city.    For forever, no one thought this place even existed with any real certainty.  We couldn't find it.   Until an outrageous and bombastic but exceedingly wealthy amateur self-proclaimed archeologist by the name of Heinrich Schliemann set out to find it in the 1860s and actually did.      Outrageous and bombastic sounds kind of like code for a schmuck?    Well, he did have a few personal issues as well as professional ones.  For one thing, he wasn't trained in archeology, so he just went around blasting everything he saw – to the point that- Historian Kenneth Harl has said that Schliemann's excavations did to Troy what the Greeks couldn't do, destroy and level the city walls to the ground.    Oh no, that's terrible.       Well, it really is and he destroyed a lot of history.  He wanted so badly to get to the jewels belonging to Helen of Troy that he actually blasted through the actual walls of the city.  But, that being said, there is something to the fact, that he actually found the walls of the city and was something no one had done before him.  He found tons of gold and all kinds of very important things- he claimed his loot belonged to people like King Priam and Agamemnon including a very important solid gold.  One of the most famous is still called The Mask of Agamennon.  This, of course, has mostly been debunked by actual archeologists who know how to properly date archeological finds, but that being said, he found stuff that is real and validated many of the events referenced by Homer, albeit in myth form.   And if you ever  have the opportunity to visit Athens, you can see the mask of Agamennon in the National Archeological Museum.  Anyway, The best historical sources we have suggest that the Trojan war actually happened and took place around 1183 BC.  Not everyone is willing to say it lasted ten years or that was fought on the scale the Homer describes with thousands of ships, but we now believe it did happen.    Well, we are less likely to believe it was sparked by petty gods and goddesses and fought by demi-gods fathered by goddesses who dip their children in magical rivers that make them mostly immortal.  But I will say, I wish they would find a mask of Helen.  I would love to see what the uncontested most beautiful woman in human history, daughter of Zeus.      True, Christy, there is so much I don't know about all the myths of the gods and goddesses, and before I started researching for this podcast seris, honestly, I thought the story of the Illiad was the story of the Greeks sacking Troy.  I have to admit I got my information from the movie Brad Pitt made called Troy.  There are so many gods and goddesses and furies and nymphs and creatures and shapeshifters.  It's overwhelming.      True, the Illiad ends with the death and funeral of the Trojan hero, Hector,  and his father very sadly begging for his body and returning it home- not the sack of Troy.  In other words, the Greeks haven't won.  That's a story you get from other places.  The Odyssey references the Trojan horse when Telemachus goes to visit his father's old war buddies, but there is not a Homeric version of the Brad Pitt movie.  I was disappointed to find that out myself.     Speaking of things that have proven disappointing about Homer, One of those things is that we don't know him or even if there IS a him.    I know this is controversial and not universally accepted, but I will say from the get-go, that I am of the persuasion that Homer was an actual person who actually composed both pieces.  Although I'm sure there was a collection of traditional myths, like we saw with the Iroquois confederacy that were passed down orally from generation to generation, I believe that there was a man named Homer who drew from the myths kind of like Shakespeare did in our English tradition from popular stories he knew people recognized, and he composed his own pieces- one being the Iliad- where he doesn't retell the entire story of the war, but focuses on one hero and one aspect of it- and the other being the Odyssey- where he again focuses on one person.  Obviously I'm not an archeologist or a university professor with a degree in classical studies and I'm not prepared or qualified to argue with anyone who is.  But, I've read enough from those who are to convince me of that.    Do we know anything about Homer at all, assuming as you do, that he existed?    Not really- to be honest.  Most traditions claim that he was blind, although I can't find any real compelling reason for that belief except there's a blind poet named Demodacus in the Odyssey that sings at the court of the Phaeacian king- which I wouldn't think means anything at all, except that the ancients themselves took it for something- so if they believed it, maybe it was so.  Oh, This is interesting, there is one tradition that believes Homer was a woman- based in large part to the prominence Homer gives women in the text- that's my favorite theory, but a minority view for sure.  No ancient scholars were making that claim.  Tradition, and by tradition, we're talking about a couple thousand of years- so that's a long time for a tradition to develop- but traditional views consider him to have been  a male bard, or what today we call a professional singer/songwriter.  No one really knows where he's from.  Although, at least seven different places claim him; the most convincing arguments, at least for me, suggest he came from islands that are actually closer to Turkey then mainland Greece- more specifically the island Chios which is in the Aegean sea but close to Smyrna, modern day Izmir.  But maybe he came from Ios or Cyme.        If you are not all that well acquainted with the geography of the Mediterranean Sea or the Aegean ocean, I'll try to create a mini-map in your mind's eye.  Think of the big Mediterranean sea being a like a giant lake, and mainland Greece jets kind of halfway between Turkey and Italy with all of these scattered islands everywhere that go with it.  So, the part of the water that is between Greece and Turkey we call the Aegean Sea.  I don't want to oversimplify to people who know their maps, but, I've learned over the last couple of years, it's harder for those of us who use GPS  all the time to see the world in terms of maps, the way we old-schoolers used to have to do all the time- no disrespect. I definitely love my GPS over a paper map- but there's the trade-off.   I guess a good linked-in question might be, do we need maps anymore?      Anyway, Ancient Troy or modern day Hissarlik is on the north side of this inlet.  If you go down about 120 towards the Mediterranean you run into Chios and Smyrna.  Both of these places are about 158 miles across the ocean from Athens.  So, today, by modern standards they don't take long to get from one to the other, but obviously if you make the gods make, like Odysseus did, it can take up to 10 years.  But, Garry, beyond the geography of Greece being so different from other parts of the world because it's so based around a culture of the sea, I have trouble understanding the different periods- the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, all that stuff.  Can you give us a two minute crash course?    Sure, well we usually call what you're talking about this age of the early Greek glory years where they built the big palaces with the gigantic walls with the gods and heroes that were larger than life- the Mycenaean civilization- and the dates for that, generally speaking, are between 1650-1200 BC.  We really don't think of the Myceans as having a writing system like we think of today-  they likely had some ways of using script perhaps to mark things for business, but the culture and stories were passed down by an oral tradition.  The most important city-states, at least this is what we think today, were some of the ones we see in the Odyssey for example Mycenae was home to the legendary King Agamemnon and Pylos was the home of King Nestor.  All of these city states worshiped the same gods and spoke the same language, but politically, they had different kings.  Kings had to be strong.  Piracy was a way of life and not even considered immoral.  We think today that these people were highly aggressive and warlike amongst themselves as well as against outsiders.  They also made their armor out of Bronze- hence the Bronze Age.  So, back to the Iliad, Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, was the queen of Sparta.  If we referring back to your little mental map- Sparta, Mycenae and Pylos are on the other side of mainland Greece- the side closer to Italy.  The ruins from those cities show big walls and lots of wealth. Sparta is about 300 or so miles across the sea, pass the mainland and into the Aegean Ocean.  This would have been the warpath to Troy but honestly, we really don't know what happened and that is not even just about this particular war.  We don't know for sure what happened to any of these towns.  What we do know is something devastasted all of these beautiful city states.  They were burned to the ground and whatever happened caused this area to fall into a period called the Dark Age- because we know nothing about it.  Almost the only thing we really know is that during the Dark Age, there was a transition from Bronze weapons to the much stronger Iron ones.    The big changes and the big cultural movement that shaped the world- at least the Western world- like we think of today comes out of the next period- the one following the Dark Age. We call this one the Archaic period which we consider to be from 800-500BC.  This era as well as the next are where we get things we're familiar with like the Olympics, the new sophisticated writing system- the Greek alphabet- democracy- like we associate with Athens.  And to make things even more confusing, the big Greek guys that we think of- like Plato and Aristotle and the “Golden Age” do not coincide with Homer- they come much later.  So, it's a lot of history- for us on the American continent who are mostly immigrants from other parts of the world- be it Europe, Africa or Asia, it's more than we can really even conceptualize- our entire nation as we understand it as a nation is less than 250 years old.  If we add what we know of the Indigenous people like the Iroquois confederacy into our timeline -we still fall short by thousands of years- Dekcadeakoah wasn't born til 1200 AD, at least that's our best guess.  So- there's your historical context in the two minute nutshell.  Does that work?    Well of course, so- to summarize even more Homer, a man who comes this Archaic period 8th century BC,  was writing about people who claimed lived during the Mycenaean civilization a full 400 before his life time- so if we want to give Odysseus, the man, an age- he's like 3000 plus years old-  Like I said before- for me it is basically “A long time ago in an galaxy far far away”...and yet…it's not… I want to start out by reading the first page of Fagle's translation- and then let's jump into the story itself- because for me-and I mean to disrespect to history- you know I love history- but I think you will agree with me- that it's not the history of this story that has kept it around for 3000 years.  It's not the religion; it's not the culture.  Homer writes the story of our lives- all of our lives- and we keep coming back to it generation after generation for that reason.      Read page 77    Okay- Christy- I think there's one more thing I think we need to clarify- there are so many translations.  Does it matter?    Well, I think the answer to that is the same if you ask that question about translations of the Bible- whichever you like personally-- which I may add- if you want to compare when Odysseus lived with Biblical characters, Moses arguably lived about 200 years before Odysseus-my best guess from my looking at the most respected timelines for each of these guys – but I stand to be corrected -if you have an article that parallels the two histories, I'd love to see it- email it over.  The more important point- and in some sense this is true for any text- but it is especially true for ancient texts- it's not the nuance of the language that matters really at all.  It's the essence of the ideas of the stories- the universal truths.  Most of the millions who read these stories every year can't read the original Greek. And although those that can really talk about the beauty of  all that- that part is lost on us.   It's not the translation that is going to make or break the story.  The Rouse translation, which, by the way, is the one we used when I taught this text to freshmen in Wynne Arkansas, was the first one I knew and the only one I knew for a really long time.  I really like it because I know it.  But, the knock on it is that it's prose and the Odyssey was not written in prose.  It's by far one of the lesser respected ones today. A lot of people today prefer Robert Fagle's translation because his book is really easy to read but he tries to make it sound like poetry.     Well, for the record, I am using Rouse's translation. I picked up Fagles, but I ended up preferring Rouse's because I wanted to read the story in prose instead of verse, for me that's easier.  But just so I know, Christy, assuming we were Greek and could understand this as it was originally composed what would it be like.    Good question- not that anyone knows for sure- but the general understanding is that it was written in meter- dactylic hexameter to be exact.  DAH -duh-duh- One accented syllable with two unaccented syllables in a row and then each line would have six of these.  Now, this is just me, but I really compare these ancient bards to modern day rap artists.  The Bards that would go around singing these stories- would improvise- but would use the beat to kind of keep them on course- obviously it didn't sound like rap, but it's the same skill that we see rap artists do when they improvise and you wonder- how can they think of all those rhymes?  Well, the trick is to already have little phrases in your mind that you know will make your lines work.  In the case of the Greek bards, they would have these epithets, or phrases they would use to describe the names of different gods- these lines that keep repeating throughout- would help them keep up with the demands of the meter.  So what does that mean- that means when you hear them say, as we will “Bright-eyed Athena”- he's adding syllables to make the meter work.  If that makes sense.      So, the descriptions don't necessarily mean that her eyes are the most important thing about her- it's just to make the music work?     That's it exactly.  The thinking is we aren't supposed to read too much into those kinds of things.  Also, the bards themselves used a very specialized vocabulary which was a mixture of different Greek dialects in order to make it all work.   This is a tangent, but it's kind of interesting, there was a classical linguist named Milman Parry who really wanted to figure out how in the world Homer could memorize so many lines.  You know the Odyssey has over 12,000 lines.  Well, Parry, by studying modern day illiterate singer/songwriters in Bosnia.  He came to believe that Homer didn't memorize anything- he had these patterns, these phrases and names of the gods that he knew rhymed well and fit the pattern and he would just tell the story and improvise the language for every different audience- he'd end the lines with the phrases and patterns that rhymed.  Maybe like professional comedians who do comedy improv in “Who's line is it anyway?”  So, in my mind, a Greek bard is something between a cross between a rap artist and modern day improv comedian.     HA!  Well, there's some creative analogies, but I get it.  Honestly, the idea of improvising makes it cooler than if Homer just wrote a piece of writing and then just read/chanted/sang the same thing over and over again.  As a musician, it reminds me of what Jazz musicians do or even bands in general.  You know, and this is really going to sound nerdy, but every once in a while, I have some buddies that I've known from years ago- we all went to the same church at one time- but many have moved out of Memphis- but we get together about once a year and do something like this. We'll go to a friend's house with our instruments, bring up some good ole' rock and roll music that we like and just improvise.  We all know the songs, but the specific variations, solos- that sort of thing- will be just be stuff that we make up.    Parry thought a Homer show was exactly that- every time he performed The Odyssey it was totally new.  But again, this is all total speculation- no one knows.  It's just too long ago.  So- having said that, back to the question you asked, for most of our purposes none of this stuff really matters- the translation doesn't matter, that Homer may or may not even have been a person, or a male or a person with vision who wrote with letters at all- or that the text itself may not even have been a fixed text or a story with improvised performances- all of those things- all though interesting- are really not the reason we love these stories and teach them in the ninth grade- at least around here.  It's this Homeric universe- this fantastical story- this hyperbolic creation  that has magnified the human experience.  Homer gave us a  new way to conceptualize our world- and a way to feel about the events- both controllable and uncontrollable that plague our lives.  Every once in a while, someone shows up in the world that can produce such a space.  In some ways we could say that Tolkien did this with Middle Earth, that JK Rowling did it, that CS Lewis did it, even George Lucas did it- each of those artists conceptualize entirely new and different universes- and when we spend time in their work- whatever medium we use- can inhabit that universe.  We can understand our world better through their world- it's fantasy.  So, Homer was the first that we know of to do this at the scale in which he did.  This is not to say that there are not legends and stories that predate him- there most certainly are- but they don't exist, that I know of, in this full length single unit form- not like what we have with Homer.  But yet, there is more to it than even that, although that is quite a feat.    Homer defined reality for a large number of people for centuries- maybe even still- and I'm not sure those other writers that I just listed out can say that.  The Greeks for hundreds of years, were able to ground their reality on the backs of the principles, morals, the world view that was laid out in his work- The Illiad and The Odyssey.  It helped people answer basic questions like- how do I conduct myself in the world.        Let's look at those first lines again and go through them-    “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.”    Christy, is Homer telling us his entire story in the first lines.    Yes- of course he is- first of all, I do want to point out that Homer does not take credit for his story.  He is going to say it was given to him from a Muse.  That's interesting and really Jungian- so, I'll let you speak to that since that's your cup of tea-    Ha!  Well, he's basically saying, it's not that he made up the story- but he found the story or the story found him-the Muse is the originator- the idea being that the story existed before him in some larger context- that there is something here greater than he is.    And of course, all religious traditions speak to this reality, but since you referenced Jung, so does psychology.  There is something greater… and that is his starting point.    Exactly, and then he brings up why we love Odysseus- he was a man of twist and turns.  You know James Joyce who wrote that incredibly complicated masterpiece Ulysses was asked why he wrote his masterpiece about Odysseus- Ulysses is the Roman way to say Odysseus- and he famously responded that he was the only complete man in literature.  Odysseus, as we are going to see is a different kind of hero.  In the Iliad which is the book that came first, the Achilles is a demi-god. He's perfect.  He is totally beautiful, totally powerful, totally honest- that is something he took pride in. He never had to lie, he never had to back down- he was bigger and stronger and could overpower anyone.  That's not Odysseus- he was amazing- for sure.  But he wasn't the absolute biggest- he had to rely on lies- he sacked cities but he also got sacked himself- he had twist and turns- and for two reasons- on the one hand, the gods had agendas that had nothing to do with him that affected his world, but also he, himself,  made choices that steered him way off course.      Odysseus is a hero- for sure-   he definitely gets all the women- haha- if you want to look at it that way- but he's the kind of hero- we as mere mortals might aspire to be.  His life didn't turn out the way he wanted it, but he still wins at life- and actually he gets to make choices that allow him to live the kind of life he ultimately figures out he wants for himself.    Exactly- and Homer shows us how to make that happen.  In this Homeric universe that is safely far away- full of monsters and goddesses and magic- we can test drive some of the things we'd like to do if we could.  In this magical place we see consequences for things like running your mouth when maybe you shouldn't. But we can get some good ideas at how to get back when we're being exploited- ways that are smarter than just running our mouth.   Maybe by watching Odysseus we can get ideas about how to correct the course of our personal odyssey, we can figure out success that looks like for ourselves in our mundane realities. At least, that's the idea.    And yet, Christy, it is magical and otherworldly with characters we don't know.  I'll just be honest, as a person who doesn't know a lot about mythology, am I going to get confused the farther into this I read?  So far, so good, but I'll admit I haven't finished the whole thing yet.    Again, back to Homer's brilliance- the answer is NO.  Homer is going to build a pantheon of gods that is manageable and knowable.  And this is brilliant.  Just like other polytheistic faiths there are hundreds of gods in the Greek pantheon- but how do you wrap your brain around 600 or so? Homer is going to reduce it to a few- the Olympians.  He's going to create a hierarchy we can understand and he's going to personalize the gods so that we can know them.  As we read the story, we meet them little by little.  We learn who they are, what they value, how they operate- and of course- how we appease them and stay out of trouble. First and foremost- we meet Zeus- he's the chief, the god of the sky- protector and father of all the other gods and humans.      We're also going to learn an important principle, that will explain a lot about life- both to us and the ancients- there are things that are in the hands of the gods, but there are also things that are in our control.  We can control what we can control but then there are times we can strive hard and still meet disaster.  Sometimes, we have offended the gods; sometimes they just like us- sometimes we are just victims of happenstance.      Yes- exactly- and how do we account for that?  Let's keep reading…    Page 78    So, we met Zeus- he's the god of the sky- now we get to meet Poseidon- he's the god of the sea- he's Zeus' brother, but he is way more unpredictable and volatile- hence the behavior of the sea.  The big three are Zeus, Poseidon and Hades- God of the Sky, God of the Sea and God of the underworld.  We meet all three in the Odyssey- and in some sense, this brings order to a universe.      There are powers out there- things we can't see but that determine our fate- but are also arbiters of justice.  There is also a spiritual battlefield- spirits- invisible forces, however you want to understand the world- energy forces larger than our own humanity can see through our natural senses- there is a story that is larger than our story, but we play a part.   Sometimes we are just a speck in humanity, but other times we are not invisible, even to these larger forces.    Of course, as we think through this, although, not many of us adopt Greek mythology as our spiritual worldview, there is a lot there, that most of the world still accepts as truth- even if you're a monotheist.    Exactly- those are the major big boys- but there are a few others that we're going to meet.  We meet Hermes pretty quickly and we quickly understand his role in the role- he is a messenger.  He's Zeus' son, but not with his wife, Hera.  Zeus is always getting in trouble with his wife because he has fidelity issues.  But Hermes, as we will quickly learn is in charge of messages.        After we meet the men, we will slowly meet some of the important women of Olympus.  The first one here is probably my favorite goddess- Athena, she might be everyone's favorite goddess. She's a virgin, not controlled by a man, ha- but a goddess of both wisdom and war.  She's awesome.    I don't know that she's everybodies- Aphrodite has fans.      Yeah- you're right- but she's a trouble-maker.  Aphrodite makes you like fall madly in love with someone you know is no good for you- or be sexually compelled to do behave improperly.    Some would say that's low impulse control.      Yes- but those would not be the ancient Greeks.  They would say it's Aphrodite's fault- you are listening to her- that was Helen of Troy's problem.  But back to Athena    Athena seems she likes Odysseus.      She DOES!!  And that's how Odysseus wins.  Someone is watching over him and he is sensitive to her leading.  Athena is the goddess of wisdom, and Odysseus is attuned to this sense of wisdom in the universe.  She speaks to him, guides him, and most importantly, Athena enables Odysseus to always keep his cool. Odysseus, we will see, with a few exceptions, is led by wisdom- not by lust,  not by uncontrollable rage- by god-given wisdom.  Seeing people as being visited by outside forces that inspire them one way or the other is not a bad way of understanding why people are the way they are- even if you don't believe in gods and goddesses- which for the record, I don't personally, but this is my understanding of the ancient Greek worldview.  In the Homeric Universe, men and women are led by one god or goddess for the most part- not by a variety of different ones.  We mentioned that Helen of Troy is attune to Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love- that's who's giving her direction.  But Odysseus is attuned and sensitive to Athena.  Athena takes credit not for Odysseus' strength, although he is strong, not for his ability with a bow and arrow, which we'll see he's pretty good at that too, but she takes credit for his wisdom.  The Odyssey is a story of this collaboration- there are things that we can't control, but there are things we can, and if we control the things we can, the universe, a goddess or someone outside of ourselves can and will intervene on our behalf with grace and kindness.  It's a way to organize our thinking about how the universe works- a very old way of thinking about how the universe works.     Let's quote Zeus here- again from the Fagles translation- as he explains the responsibility of humans- at this point in the story- Poseidon is out of town, so to speak- he's off in Ethiopia receiving offerings by the hundreds.  And with him away, Athena will make her play to save Odysseus' life, but we also see this philosophy of the Greeks explained here in the beginning of how and why things work out the way they do.    Page 78      But now let me read what Athena says back to her father= here she demonstrates the role the gods play in the destinies of man    page 79-       And so we have our narrative hook.  The gods will intervene in the destinies of men.  Calypso has been holding Odysseus hostage.  Hermes is being sent with a message from the gods forcing Calypso to release Odysseus.  At the same time this is happening,  Athena will visit Telemachus' Odysseus' son back in their hometown, Ithaca.  Telemachus was a newborn when Odysseus' left.  He is now 20 years old.  For ten years Odysseus fought in Troy.  Then after angering Poseidon, he spent the next ten years wandering lost at sea.  Telemachus has been left to be raised by his mother and a man named Mentor (guess where got that word).  Anyway, there is trouble in Ithaca which we'll find out about next episode, but more importantly than that, it is time for Telemachus to take his own journey and go out into the world on his own.        The Odyssey can easily be divided into three parts- the first four books are about Telemachus' journey to visit all of his father's war buddies.  The second part is Odysseus wandering around the magical seas, and the third is what he finds when he gets back to Ithaca, how he finds his beautiful and faithful wife and what he sees in his palace estate.  The first part, which we'll tackle. Next episode is about the coming of age from a boy to a man. After that we'll look at what all these seas trials are all about and then finally, we'll discuss some ideas about the famous finale in our finale.    Well, it sounds like we have a plan.  You know, the Iliad is a pretty straight forward narrative- a linear timeline and a kind of tragic ending.  The Odyssey is written in circles.  It's winding with endless setbacks but it has a happy ending.      I think that's exactly the right way to look at it.  They are both charming and enduring books but for different reasons, my book club recently just finished reading the latest take on the Iliad.  Madeline Miller wrote a novel called The Song of Achilles from the perspective of Patroclus that we read and really liked, but it was sad too.   If we ever analyze the Iliad, we'll get into the appeal of that book- it certainly is there- but if we just look at what's appealing the Odyssey – I think the ending is definitely a factor- many of us know what it's like to offend the gods, experience the wrath of Poseidon, maybe even the lures of Aphrodite or Circe – we've also likely been jilted by suitors or friend-enemies- as we call them nowadays- we can live vicariously through this steady under pressure goddess led hero- and maybe be inspired to face down our monsters- maybe we can even do a little listening for Athena and learn to bide our time and wreck havoc on our foes if we need to.  But mostly, we all want that heart-warming reunion after a long absence with our loved-ones and own home- we want to rest in the prophecy that old Greek prophet Tiresias gave Odysseus during his visit to the underworld- that when our time comes death will steal upon us a gentle painless death, far from the seas it comes to take you down, borne down with the years in ripe old age with all your people there in blessed peace around you.”                                      

Telemachus finds that there is more to becoming a man than being a warrior. The Odyssey is a peacetime epic, and during his visits to Nestor in Pylos and Menelaus and Helen in Lakedaimon that it is necessary to learn the skills of social interaction. He is also given a lesson on the complexities of marriage. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michael-dolzani/support

Benvenuto su Ti racconto le cronache, il podcast che porta direttamente alle tue orecchie gli articoli di Fustella Rotante il network indipendente di giochi da tavolo e dintorni.Io sono la Sab e oggi ti racconto di:10 giochi da portare in spiaggiahttps://www.fustellarotante.it/10-giochi-da-portare-in-spiaggia/Vi consigliamo 10 giochi da portare in vacanza al mare o in montagna. 10 giochi da tavolo facilmente infilabili in valigia e lavabili.Se acquisti su DungeonDice, puoi aiutare Fustella Rotante cliccando sul link riportato di seguito. Non ti verrà addebitato nessun extra per il tuo eventuale acquisto, mentre Fustella Rotante potrà contare su una piccola (ma importante) commissione. Grazie!http://fustellarotante.it/dungeondiceMusic content on this podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Neste Gambiarra Board Games Gustavo Lopes e Carolina Gusmão falam sobre o jogo de tabuleiro Kanban, lançado no Brasil pela Sherlock S.A. em sua versão Driver's Edition e agora na versão Kanban EV pela Mosaico Jogos, mais uma obra prima do designer Vital Lacerda e que inclusive tem uma conexão mais profunda com um de nossos interlocutores desse podcast. Vamos falar das nossas jogatinas com a Sandra em seus diferentes modos, nossas preferências, um pouquinho sobre o Kanban EV e muito mais! Nos destaques da semana: Pylos, Quem foi, The Castles of Burgundy. Review Retrô#042 - Mexica - Formulário dos ouvintes: https://forms.gle/bdTcY7pCoP1shcuv5Edição - Gustavo Lopes. Capa - Gustavo Lopes . Quer comprar jogos por um precinho bacana e ainda contribuir com o Gambiarra Board Games, acessa aqui nosso link de parceiro com a Bravo Jogos:https://olhar.site/bravojogos-gustavosouzalopes-ihuq3 Confira as fotos dos jogos em nosso instagram instagram.com/gambiarraboardgames E-mail para sugestões: contato@papodelouco.com papodelouco.com Apoio Acessórios BG: https://www.acessoriosbg.com.br BGSP: https://boardgamessp.com.br/ Bravo Jogos: https://olhar.site/bravojogos-gustavosouzalopes-ihuq3 Canal Boards&Burgers: https://youtube.com/boards&burgersAbertura: Free Transition Music - Upbeat 80s Music - 'Euro Pop 80s' (Intro A - 4 seconds)Jay Man - OurMusicBoxhttps://www.our-music-box.com​https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicboxIntrodução: Go Bossa - Lounge Jazz - Royalty Free Music by Danya Vodovoz Prod. by Danya Vodovoz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR6TDLT5Jk0Review retrô: Takeover of the 8-bit Synths by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4459-takeover-of-the-8-bit-synthsLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Trilha: Acid Trumpet by Kevin MacLeod - Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3340-acid-trumpet - License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Joe Slowik examines the roles of offense and defense in information security.  You can read more of Joe's work at Pylos.  The book that serves as good background material for this conversation is Matthew Monte's Network Attacks and Exploitation: A Framework. The interview today was conducted by Sina Kashefipour and show is produced by Chelsea Daymon and Sina Kashefipour. If you have enjoyed listening to The Loopcast please consider making a donation to the show through our Patreon. We greatly appreciate it.

As an archaeologist and professor, for more than thirty years, he’s explored the ancient world of the Greeks. Anthropologically trained, and with a resume too long to read you during an intro, today, he’s not only an Endowed Professor and the Chair of the  Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, but he directs the interdisciplinary excavation of the Mycenaean palace at Iklaina, in Pylos, Greece.He has a long list of papers, publications, awards, and personal appearances, which you can read about in the show notes and on his website, not to mention his services to academia where he focuses his interests on the social, political, and cultural history of ancient Greece, with a special focus on social memory, origins of states and complex societies, and mystery cults. He’s a Fellow of the National Academies of Arts and Sciences of Canada, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts; a Corresponding Member of the Greek Academy of Arts and Sciences; an honorary member of the Archaeological Society at Athens; and a National Geographic Society Explorer.Links for you to explore!Michael's Website: michaelcosmopoulos.orgIklaina Website: The Iklaina Archaeological Project WebsiteIklaina Facebook: The Iklaina Archaeological Project FacebookUMSL Greek Studies: www.umsl.edu/~greekstudies/If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here.To sign up for the Moonbird email newsletter, click here!Follow Daniel and the Memories of a Moonbird Podcast: Twitter: https://twitter.com/moonbirdpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memoriesofamoonbird/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MemoriesofaMoonBird/ YouTube: http://bit.ly/MoonbirdYouTube Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/memoriesofamoonbird/#moonbird #podcast #podcasting #Entertainment #entertainer #EntertainmentIndustry #movies #tv #DanielScherl #memoriesofamoonbird #archaeology #archaeologist #history #historian #Cosmopoulos #MichaelCosmopoulosSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/moonbird)

Diane Kochilas, TV cooking show host, consulting chef, cookbook author, and cooking school owner, has been at the forefront of bringing healthy, delicious Greek cuisine to a wide international audience for many years. Diane is one of the leading experts on Greek and Mediterranean cooking, a passionate communicator who delves deeply into her subject matter and engages her audience with informative entertainment delivered with liveliness and characteristic immediacy. A born teacher, Diane runs the Glorious Greek Cooking School on her father's native island, Ikaria, a "Blue Zone", renowned for the longevity of its inhabitants. The New York Times described Ikaria as the place "where people forget to die". Diane prefers to call it the "place where people remember how to live -- eat and enjoy." She is the author of more than a dozen cookbooks, an IACP book award winner and the recipient of numerous other book awards. As the award-winning host, creator, and co-producer of the popular PBS Greek cooking-travel series My Greek Table, she has been on a mission to teach the world about all things good and Greek. My Greek Table, airs in 95% of the United States, as well as in Canada and Australia. The fourth season of the show will premiere next year. Diane has also been a consulting chef at some of America's top Greek restaurants, including: Molyvos, Pylos, and Committee Boston, and has worked with Harvard, Yale and the University of Massachusetts to deliver health-giving Mediterranean recipes to their respective student dining services. Diane has made guest appearances on many major network shows, including CBS Sunday Morning, Beat Bobby Flay (as a judge) and The Dish. On this episode, Diane shares her one way ticket to Ikaria and highlights why the island is considered a “Blue Zone”. Diane also celebrates the joys of Greek cuisine as featured in her cookbooks and on her hit PBS series My Greek Table. Diane is just one of the dynamic personalities featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind. Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former Senator, Joe Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals and more.  

On this week’s show Patrick Gray and Adam Boileau discuss the week’s security news, including: The latest on the attempted Florida water poisoning incident How to abuse Google Sync services for great victory Why Signal’s TLS proxies for Iranians are probably a bad idea OG username brokers targeted by social media legal army Much, much more This week’s sponsor interview is with Dan Guido of Trail of Bits. They’ve released an enterprise version of their iVerify tool. It’s a security tool for iOS (an Android version is in beta) that lets organisations monitor things like patch levels and passcode compliance without actually requiring the installation of MDM profiles. It’s an enterprise mobile security tool for orgs that don’t need or want full MDM. Links to everything that we discussed are below and you can follow Patrick or Adam on Twitter if that’s your thing. Show notes Hackers try to contaminate Florida town's water supply through computer breach | Reuters Water, Water Everywhere – But Nary a Hacker to Blame – Stranded on Pylos 'Cyberpunk 2077' Maker Was Hit With Ransomware—and Won't Pay Up | WIRED FBI leaned on Dutch cops' hacking in Emotet disruption Researchers find financial ties between notorious ransomware gangs Blockchain transactions confirm murky and interconnected ransomware scene | ZDNet Two Iranian hacking groups appear to be actively snooping on critics around the globe Signal issues workaround for Iran's ban of messaging app Can The FBI Hack Into Private Signal Messages On A Locked iPhone? Evidence Indicates Yes Here's the Cease and Desist Facebook Sent to 'OG' Account Thieves A Coordinated Takedown Targets 'OGUser' Account Thieves | WIRED Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter Target Resellers of Hacked Accounts — Krebs on Security Security firm Stormshield discloses data breach, theft of source code | ZDNet Lawsuit filed against California firm over Washington state auditor data breach | The Seattle Times Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell named in $US2.7 billion libel suit by Smartmatic voting company Chrome users have faced 3 security concerns over the past 24 hours | Ars Technica InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog CacheFlow: Malware hidden in popular browser extensions went undetected for years | The Daily Swig Google: Proper patching would have prevented 25% of all zero-days found in 2020 | ZDNet Project Zero: Déjà vu-lnerability SonicWall issues patch for firmware zero-day used to attack the company and its customers ‘Severe’ SolarWinds Vulnerabilities Allow Hackers To Take Over Servers Skype ‘spoofing vulnerabilities’ are a haven for social engineering attacks, security researcher claims | The Daily Swig Android devices ensnared in DDoS botnet | ZDNet A Spyware Vendor Seemingly Made a Fake WhatsApp to Hack Targets Clearview AI ruled ‘illegal’ by Canadian privacy authorities | TechCrunch Arrest, Raids Tied to ‘U-Admin’ Phishing Kit — Krebs on Security Serbian man extradited to US over cryptocurrency mining fraud scheme Hack against older Nespresso vending machines facilitates endless free beverage exploit | The Daily Swig There Are Spying Eyes Everywhere—and Now They Share a Brain | WIRED Patrick Gray on Twitter: "I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if MDM is still a necessary enterprise software category? iPhone/Android data at rest is fairly secure (assuming passcode is set) and widespread commodity device ownage isn't really an issue. Is MDM still actually useful?" / Twitter iVerify for Organizations | iPhone and Android Security for Your Team

Liv reads Book III of Homer's Odyssey, translated into prose by Samuel Butler. Telemachus travels to Pylos to hear what news Nestor has about Odysseus.This is not a standard narrative story episode, it's simply a bonus reading of Homer. For regular episodes look for any that don't have "Liv Reads..." in the title!For a list of Roman/Latin names and who they were in the Greek, visit: mythsbaby.com/names Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode covers lines 3.1 - 3.242 of Homer's Odyssey, translated and performed by Anna Katarina.   Music: Alagyaz & Khnki Tsar, performed by Zach Thomas. This podcast uses these sounds from freesound: https://freesound.org/people/Glaneur%20de%20sons/sounds/104952/ https://freesound.org/people/straget/sounds/412308/

Was habe ich gespielt?– Set & Match Mit den Kinder– LAMA– Pylos– Die Kinder von Carcassonne – Draftosauarus– Funkelschatz – Das Drachenei– Flippi Flatter– Code Cracker Apps und Onlinespiele ————————————————————————————————————– Yucata.de: Sankt Petersburg mit fjelfras, ode. und dem Schmiddi– Yucata.de: Hadara mit dem Brettagogen, Ingo, Daniel und dem Pöppelschieber– Yucata.de: Zooloretto Würfelspiel mit dem brettagogen, … Folge 73 – Challenger weiterlesen

  I sat down with CEO Maria Luna from BRAVO Tip or Pay soon to be BRAVO Pay. We finally reconnected after meeting each other in 2016 when she was very kind and supported a venture I was working on here in Phoenix, AZ. The BRAVO app falls in the payment technologies category and is available as both an iPhone and Android app. Initially, the app was created for hard working people and creatives to get tipped for their services and it has now grown into a payment powerhouse. The new version adds so many more features including social media, social connection, fan pages, store fronts and has literally morphed into an all-inclusive app for anyone who works for themselves or has the ability to make money on their directly with their clients and followers. Unlike the competitors who share your information inside their apps like your name, email, phone # and have deep marketing pockets and charge large fees, BRAVO stands out as caring for all who work hard and deliver great service without giving up your identity and taking money out of your pockets with unfair fees. Maria is so sincere and you can tell that her goal is uplifting everyone and that sole purpose is more important to her than making a single dime. I hope you enjoy our conversation and more importantly, I hope you download the BRAVO app and start using it for all your payments, tipping and social interactions when it comes to promoting your goods and services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIY2hkhIiZs Maria Luna: BRAVO Pay: https://trybravo.com/ Connect with Maria: LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlunaceobravopay/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trybravopay/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqzMQ63Znk4H4wKwO496F9A Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bravopay Instagram: https://www.instagrm.com/bravo_pay Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bravo ********** Podcast Music By: Andy Galore, Album: "Out and About", Song: "Chicken & Scotch" 2014 Andy's Links: http://andygalore.com/ https://www.facebook.com/andygalorebass ********** If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. For show notes and past guests, please visit: https://joecostelloglobal.com/#thejoecostelloshow Subscribe, Rate & Review:I would love if you could subscribe to the podcast and leave an honest rating & review. This will encourage other people to listen and allow us to grow as a community. The bigger we get as a community, the bigger the impact we can have on the world. Sign up for Joe's email newsletter at: https://joecostelloglobal.com/#signup For transcripts of episodes, go to: https://joecostelloglobal.com/#thejoecostelloshow Follow Joe: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcostelloglobal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcostelloglobal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcostelloglobal/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUZsrJsf8-1dS6ddAa9Sr1Q?view_as=subscriber Transcript Maria Luna: Joe: Hey, everybody, welcome. I'm excited for my guest today. I have Maria Luna from Bravo. She is going to explain the app and everything about it. Maria and I met, I think, back in twenty sixteen, and I haven't talked to her in quite some time, but they have definitely done a ton of stuff since then. And we're going to get into all that. I'm not going to spoil it. But Maria, welcome and thank you so much for being here. Maria: Thank you. The pleasure is all mine. Joe: There's plenty of interviews with your history and all of your growing up stories about your mother, how she made money and how this is so dear to your heart. The concept of what you built and then your own education, a bachelor's degree, masters degree. So there's plenty of places people can see all that. I really. For me. I love the app so much. And you were so gracious to be a part of my life in 2016. We had opened up a small performance school. And I really want to use this time mostly to get the word out about Bravo and allow you to explain where you've come from and where it's going. I know that there's a new iteration of it since 2016. I didn't even notice in 2016 or actually I didn't even know if this had happened since then. But we're going to talk about Shark Tank, which is cool. I don't know how much you can talk about it, but so you can just say, I can't talk about that. But I just I have some questions about all of that. But again, let's let's start with just the basic concept of what the app does and then we'll get into I know all these other questions will come up. Maria: Awesome, we'll thank you for the opportunity. So with an honor and a pleasure, whenever I invited to speak about our company, it's it's really a team effort. Unfortunately, I'm the majority of the cases on the face of the company, but there's so many amazing people in the team. I want to recognize their work and I'll be happy to answer anything about Bravo and our history and where we're going. More than anything. Joe: Great. Well, again, I think the best place to start is I think there's everyone's going to have some initial confusion when they hear about the app and they then go. But what about and I'm not going to mention any of the other apps that are on that same sort of platform or potentially do somewhat of the same thing, because I know there's a very distinct difference with Bravo. So I need you to explain what Bravo brings to the table where it's different than the the other apps air quotes Maria: Well. Joe: That are happening or what other people might use. Maria: Ok. More than happy. So starting with our journey and our purpose. When we started Bravo, the main purpose is to financially empower anybody that depends on cash payments, tips or content creators and freelancers to make a living. And you say, well, there's many ways of doing that. Yes. But what we bring different to the table. Number one, with Bravo, you your data is not the product. So we do not monetize on our users data. And that has massive implications in your security and the security of your data. And the money. So starting with that, we are super different based on how private, how protective and secure we are for our users. But beyond that, and the purpose to financially empower that takes me to the next version of Bravo. We create first a minimum viable product. And then a beta where we wanted to prove, OK. There is this perfect way. We're two perfect strangers can meet each other, page other and not exchange a single point of data. And that was to take Bravo to the market and prove that there was a need for a super private way for two strangers to connect each other and continue with their lives while taking bravo to the market. And we have listened unlocked to our users and we started to see a lot of verticals popping up beyond the typical tipping situation where you're tipping your valet or anybody that gives you great service. And then we started to see a lot of increase use age in musicians. Broadcasters can benefit from brow. We're seeing some very important podcasts and podcasters using Bravo. Maria: Any type of freelancers, photographers, yoga instructors, trainers. And then we listen to their pain points. And what are those pain points? OK. Whenever they go and put their content out to monetize, to to make a living. All of the platforms out there start either taking a lot from certain income. So they're costly to use their platforms and they start having tiers that make it super complicated. So, for example, if I have ten thousand users, I have access to these tools. But if I don't, I, I do not make the money or I depend on ads. And then they start hiding your content so that you have to pay to be visible and will listen to all of those pain points. And then we did focus groups. We tested things. We went back to them and we made sure that all of the tools to monetize combining that social aspect of it. Let me bring your my content out and let me be financially empowered by my fans or my supporters are in one platform and in a fair price, not hiding anybody's content. So you work hard for your followers or your supporters. I'm not going to hide your content. I'm going to provide those tools and democratize the tools. Why do you need to wait until your super big to have access to to the tools? And that's what we're bringing to the market in our next item nation, which is a perfect combination of sharing who you are monetizing directly from your fan base and providing a store item where you can sell pretty much anything. Joe: Yeah, that's really cool. And along with this new version, is that part of the name change that I saw or did that happen a while ago? Maria: Well, as a company, we because we went very focus on one side of the market. One one niche inside the market, which was tipping. Joe: Mm hmm. Maria: We first position bravo there because we knew that there is a pawn. Right. Tipping was the tip of the iceberg. So we knew that the first thing we could solve right away was that interaction of two strangers. But the vision is way bigger. And it was to eventually become this platform that around the world, anybody can be financially empowered directly from somebody that wants to either pay them for one time. And now we're adding recurring revenue. And we're also opening tools so that you can have your own store inside Bravo, if you will, to to sell anything like experiences. One use case would be I'm a musician and I'm going to say on this concert, I am going to open 10 spaces for people to buy a backstage experience and they can go and buy it on Bravo presented and have their picture taken with their favorite artist. Things like that. So the sky's the limit. Your imagination is the limit. Joe: Right. So is it now called Bravo Pay? Is that official, the Maria: We Joe: Official? Maria: Are evolving now. The Joe: Ok. Maria: Name to the final purpose, which is way bigger than just sending Joe: Tipping. Maria: One time gratuity. So we're evolving the name to Bravo pay. Joe: Awesome. OK, so can I give you some scenarios so that I again, I want this to be I think the marketplace in the sort of pay apps is a little clouded. Or people get used to something and it's a habit forming type thing and they don't they don't want to change and they might not understand that they might be paying fees that they don't need to pay or they're sharing information that they don't need. That's probably the most important thing that Bravo brings to the table unless I've missed something. But that's the thing that I keep hearing, is that it's an anonymous exchange of money, in a sense. Maria: On this version, on our next restoration, on top of that, which is great for your safety and security, what we're adding is that intersection of of social finance of you happen, that direct support from your customer and and your fan base and expanding the tools, democratizing the tools that in any other platform are costly or dependent ads, or they hide your content so that you have to then pay more. Joe: Great. So, again, for clarity, I want to. I want to say that before the new version comes out, though, the huge part of Bravo was not having to exchange any personal information in order for someone to pay you or for you to get paid. Is that correct? Maria: Correct. The security Joe: Ok. Maria: Of being a total. Joe: Right. And so now the new version is you're stacking on the social layer that has been missing because it's just basically was a tipping paying app. But now you're adding in. If you have Bravo, you have all you're capturing all the social tribe that follows you. You're allowed to interact with them. So you're adding other layers that could be more helpful to everybody, but definitely artistic types and creatives for sure. Maria: Correct. And let let me paint the picture for different use cases. Let's Joe: Ok. Maria: Say I'm a yoga instructor and I am on the app and now my my students can not only premium Bravo, but then I can offer it experiences to them through the app that I can sell in my store. So I create a store item for everything that I am going to offer. And like a super private class or an advanced class or anything that I want to offer, I can do it inside the app. I can also grow my my user base or my followers by sharing what I do on the app so I can then also put videos and pictures and content that can be featured on the app and can be also shared to anyone that it's on the app. So we're doing that intersection of social content and payments. Joe: Wow. So it's not just social connection and payments. It's actually you're allowing content. And are you allowing. Are you saying you're allowing even like a store front situation? Maria: Yes, you can create a store on the only thing it's like because of the different regulations of the different platforms, the store items have to be for something physical or something that is not an app purchase. So I can buy things like I like I mentioned the experience of a backstage meeting or I can buy a special class, something that it's not digital. I can buy it on the app, merch, a t shirt, anything that I want to create on a store item for. Joe: That's great. That's really. So it's really come like much different than what I knew. Maria: Oh, yes. The division, it's big and again, because the purpose is to financially empower everyone on all of these tools are offered in a very democratized way. If you use the recurring tools or the additional tools to monetize, Brummell will keep a five percent, but you keep a ninety five percent of the income. And for the gratuity payments, you keep a hundred percent of. Joe: Right, sorry, member. The the actual formula is it's a two percent fee going to the person that's actually making the payment. Right. So it's a Maria: Which which is another differentiator, because Joe: Right. Maria: Let's say if you're going to make a payment with other platforms, you in order for that transaction to be free, and then when I say, quote unquote, free, it's because you are the product most of the time. But let's say if you're going to pay with those platforms, you can only pay with a debit card or retrieving the money directly from your bank account. Bravo allows credit card payments at a two percent fee, which is Joe: Yeah. Unheard of. Maria: Unheard of in the market. Well, yes. Joe: Yeah, it doesn't happen. And it's funny because the listeners and eventually I take this and I put it on my You Tube channel because some people just don't. I don't want the content to be lost for people who don't listen to podcast. But you and I are both in Arizona. And I first saw Bravo when I would pull up to various restaurants and the valet would have a sign and I would look at it and would say, bravo, you know, tipping and whatever the sign said or used to say or still says, I'm not sure. But again, for the users, I want them to understand that what has to happen is both parties have to have the app on their phone, which is a free app. It's downloadable on either Android or iPhone. Right. And the initial way that the payment occurs is by the Jeep finding that person via G.P.S.. Maria: There's Joe: Right. Maria: Two ways if I am near you. I can you find you by proximity because of the G.P.S. capabilities. But we also have a search tab that I can find you by your username. And that's another way we protect your privacy, because my name is Murray. I will not. But on the app, if bananas is not taken, I can be bananas. So that gives another layer of security. Obviously we're in the payments industry in the back end. We need to know who you are because there are laws and regulations. Joe: Mm hmm. Maria: We need to know our customers there so KYC know your customer regulations. So in the back end, we know who you are, but the person that it's paying you doesn't need to know, you know, your real information if you don't want to. Joe: Right. Maria: Your handle is customizable. Joe: Sure. And I think that, again, money. I don't want to say this in the wrong way. Money is great. But money. Physical money is really dirty. Like Maria: It's Joe: The handle. Maria: 30 Joe: It's nasty. Maria: Now, the call, the make makes us realize they're doing more. Joe: Right. So this is a very cool thing because the timing of it where I now have a fairly sizable booking agency in Arizona. And then we expanded into Colorado last summer. So now we're in two states and we have over 500 forms of entertainment on our roster, everything from literally a instrumental guitarist to synchronize swimmers in a pool all the way up to A-list entertainment. And so for us and our entertainers were in that time right now where they are very you know, they all need to go back to work because that's how they make their living. Most of ours are full time entertainers, but they don't want people coming up to them to necessarily request songs because they get right on top of you there, or sometimes they'll even come up. I've seen people come up and they're right in your ear while you're playing a song you're trying to set. It's just ridiculous. Maria: Yeah. Joe: But on top of it, having people come close to put in a tip and put that money in a tip jar, and then you have to handle all that money later on at the end of the night. So this is a huge way to get rid of that whole they don't have to get out of their seat, that you don't have to handle dirty money. And it's just another great reason why, you know, not only the entertainers should all have the app, but consumers should start to look to put it on their phone and they're going to see more more opportunities pop up where they don't have to go, pat their pockets and go, oh, I don't have any cash. It's just right. It's all done. Maria: Correct. Joe: Yeah. Maria: And that is the general purpose. We want everybody to work hard for their money. That has something to bring to the world. Either service or your art, your talent to be to have a decent way of living. So we want to facilitate that interaction where I can. I see. I love what you do and I just tip you or pay you. But now, on top of a one time gratuity, we're adding the ability for me to subscribe to you as a fan and then on a monthly basis support what you do. So do us a podcast or I can subscribe on a monthly basis, you know, support what you do. But I also we're offering and bringing to the table partnerships like right now. We partnered with so many virtual concerts. There's a group, Facebook, that does a blues night every single night, and they're accepting the tips via Bravo. And a lot of people tell me, you know. What is next? So what is next is all of these tools that we are providing to put even more money on the hands of the creators, the artists and the service workers. And then we are going to be rolling out a marketing campaign state by state, to bring the word out in a disciplined way. I'm very proud to say that we we took problem from a bootstrap organic movement to now a movement that is going not only in the USA, but we're going to expanding to Europe, we're going to expanding to Latin America eventually. So Canada will say so. Yeah, you're going to hear more about us. Joe: Yeah, and I want the listeners to know that I knew you when. Because it's true. It's and and the fact that you and your husband, Hector, the both of you are real people like you've come from understanding that this is a situation where you're you're you're making money at something. But more of it is that you're helping people like it's a very sincere movement. This is not a gouging situation. Maria: Well, I would say it's a team effort, like the idea was conceived in a trip that hit there I was we were we wanted to tip our tour guide. We couldn't we didn't have cash. And that's where the idea was born. It took me back to the days of my mother living Joe: Yeah. Maria: On tips and all of that. And then we wanted to create an easy way for people to connect and pay. And then the vision was eventually this could help not only in the ticketing situations, but people that depend on other people to pay at a distance or take a bigger level. But we wanted to go very disciplined. It was the two of us at the very beginning. Joe: Mm hmm. Maria: I mean, Elmer joined us. Hector is a self-taught coder, although he's a physician. So he did the initial wire frames. Then Elmer joined us as a chief technology officer. And now we have six engineers of of world class quality. Joe: Wow. Maria: We have a team. We have Adam that then joined us in the marketing side and sales side. Travis Kohlberg, that it's he is super young, but probably one of the most creative social content creators in the world that he's working with big names. I can I don't dare to say it because, I mean, I don't know how private these projects are, but as big as it gets and we're so fortunate that he is part of the team as well. So super talented, passionate people. And we started with twenty five users by invitation. I think I knew you a little bit after that. Joe: Sure. Maria: And we have been told everything. We have been told that brand is going to crush you. They have, you know, millions and millions and billions of dollars. And unlike we're driven by a purpose, we're not here to take anybody out of market. We are creating our own opportunities. And the more the merrier, the more tools that people have to make money. And let's all competing. In fairness, I'm not afraid of big money or big pockets because we are driven by that purpose. We created a grass roots with twenty five users now. Now we're over two hundred and fifty thousand people all over USA and growing. And that is because of a true excited people talking to their customers and their fan base. Joe: Yeah, that's great. I'm really happy for you. I want to. Can we talk about the subscription piece of it just Maria: Because. Joe: So that I so that I understand? I want to make sure that the users, both the person getting the money and the person paying, understand that the app is free and they just put in whatever their information and then they can create, like you say, create their handle, which basically makes them somewhat anonymous or hidden. But then you offer a subscription based. Maria: And that it's coming. It's not available to Joe: Ok. Maria: Everyone yet. However, Joe: Ok. Maria: All of our brand ambassadors are testing it and very soon we're going to open it for a number of thousands of people. General public that that one, too, tested. We're going to open it for testing before releasing it to the whole wide world. And then it's a beautiful thing. Now we're allowing people to first check us out. So you don't even need to create an account to see. And that's we are changing also our tag name to explore, pay, earn, because that describes better what you can do on the app. Joe: Mm hmm. Maria: So you can explore different profiles. So you create your profile. I'm going to be able to see your profile even before I decide, OK, I'm going to actually sign up to sign up. You provide very little information, your name, your last name, your email. You enter and you can even enter with your credentials with Facebook twitch, many Apple. We're allowing people just boom. I entered with my own credentials and then you can explore the content, whatever you are offering on the app. Your videos, your pictures, all of that, it's free. I don't need to pay for all that to the content creators. What we allow them to do is create a subscription model. So let's say your diehard fans or customers can then subscribe to support you and you can offer them physical experiences or things or merch or anything that it's not an in app purchase. You can offer them on the app by creating sport items. So more to come. We are going to start releasing little by little. We already started a teaser campaign of what's coming on Joe: Mm hmm. Maria: Social media Bravo page. But we're going to very soon open it for people to test themselves. Joe: Yeah, that's great. So one of the things that I saw was Richard Sherman. Is he a spokesperson for Bravo? Maria: I am so fortunate, again, that we started with so many passionate users, but then they brought Richard Sherman is one of the kindest, nicest human beings ever. And he he shared with me that even though he's very conscientious of the importance of of empowering, financially empowering people, he dedicates time to educate his fellow friends on players, on the importance of finance and good education on your own finances. So he loved the idea and he joined us. He's part of our advisory team to better understand that world of athletes, because that's another thing. You create content. You can be a problem. Not only you have to be on service. I'm an athlete. Think about all of the athletes right now sitting at home waiting to be called to work. And now they can have this opportunity that on the app they share who they are, they share the routines, they can share everything, and then they can have that special connection with their fans. Something else we're adding on. It's the ability to chat with your favorite person, but it's at will. So let's say you can say to my customers, I'm going to chat with them Fridays at 1:00 p.m. and then you can turn it off as well. Joe: Yeah, that's great. And I just before we get away from Richard Sherman, I want to make sure that the listeners, because not everyone's going to know him if they don't watch football. But he's a he's an amazing NFL football player. Maria: With the San Francisco 49ers. Joe: That's it. All right. Maria: Yes, yes, he's a cornerback for Joe: Yeah. Maria: The San Francisco 49ers. Joe: To Maria: And Joe: Try. Maria: But again, beyond the big figure that he is inside of the NFL. He is a way bigger human being. He has his own charity. He's he's an amazing person. Joe: That's great. It's great to hear I was really when I saw that, I was like, wow, this is man, Murray is blowing it up and I just. It's crazy. Maria: Really, it's the whole the whole team and the passion behind it. Joe: Yeah, it's really, really exciting. I'm glad. Oh, so when is the new version? I think you said you're starting to kind of send it out here and there to different Maria: Well, Joe: People. Maria: Right now, all of our brand ambassadors have it in their hands. So they're they're testing it for us. And we gathered all of their feedback to make it even stronger on the next phase. Very soon we're going to release it to their fan base. So they're going to be able to provide a code to their fan base to test it. And we are going to also do a campaign so people can request to test it before we release it to the general public. Joe: And is there a release date? Maria: We're not going to announce it yet because Joe: Ok. Maria: There's many factors, and once you are in technology, you know that there are many factors around the launch. And we wanted to make it again, like everything we have done in a lack of grassroots. So we want to bring both our ambassadors, the ambassadors, Zoom, bowling their fan base. We're going to open it to people that are curious when tested and we want to use their voices. So if I talk to you, I can talk for many hours. But if a friend of yours or somebody you admire tells you this is a secure, perfect way for us to have this connection, then it's a more personalized thing. Joe: So you've mentioned a couple of times about a brand ambassador. Can you explain to me what that is and how someone would find out about it and how to become one? Maria: Well, we call them Jubran Ambassadors, but they're so gracious. They're just people that that love our kirp really much Joe: So Maria: Up. Joe: I can be a brand ambassador. Maria: Yes. You're hired. No. Yes. It's people that are passionate enough to join our movement and we call them Bravo family. And they just they just tested with their with their fan base because ultimately it's a tool to be empowered financially, directly by their supporters in the future as we grow. We will open opportunities for. To be paid to be a brand ambassador. But so far, it's a very grassroots. We have famous people like Madonna's guitarist. This woman want to give money Joe: Yes. Maria: Is one Joe: I saw Monty Maria: Rapper. Joe: And on the Shark Tank episode. Maria: Yes. Joe: Yeah. Maria: And he's still he's like a like a brother. I love him so much. I would have a richer. We have Mike Studd, which is a platinum recording artist, and he also has a podcast called Y and Kay. We have John Kilmer's that does a podcast with him. We have Alice Cooper, Solid Rock. We Joe: Oh, Maria: Have Joe: Awesome. Maria: Lee Jansen that it's a professional golf player. Jarrett under Meehl, which is a band that it's amazing. If you haven't heard your music, find you a band. I can't keep going on and on. There's there's many and comedian Brad Bryant Toffler, so many that I am I will be unfair if I leave somebody out. Joe: Right. Maria: But. Joe: No, I get it, I get it. Yeah. It's so funny. I know for Ruka and I know Jared Jared in the middle. Just because, you know, they're Arizona based, but. Yeah. That's awesome. I have a question that I don't want to forget to ask. How does somebody know that that person has Bravo? And I know that at one point when we know you and I met and in 2016 and we had it, there were stickers and there were signage. And so does that all of that still happen? Is that still available to someone? Maria: We can, but court called it temporarily changed the scene. And Joe: Ok. Maria: I'm very proud to say that the spy, that many restaurants have been affected and we have been partnering with some like Helio Raisin. It's a local restaurant that we partnered with two to help as much as we can. But all of that market dried up very soon. And then we started then to see a lot of growth in the virtual world, like like the blues artist that I mentioned and the musicians and whatnot. So we have been growing despite all of this tragedy. And my heart goes out to everybody that it's suffering from from this cold it. But the main point to be said is that that changed the arena. So now the physical interaction doesn't happen as much, though, paid by proximity. So most of the things are virtual. And the way people let them know was talking about it, like you can find no. Awful. Joe: Ok. Yeah. So if a performer let's so I already have people back at work at a local resort here called the Phoenician. So it would be a matter of them getting into the habit of saying, Maria: You Joe: Hey, Maria: Can remember Joe: You know, Maria: The. Joe: Yeah, just if you like what you hear, please hit me up on Bravo. Just something simple like that. Yeah, Maria: Now Joe: Well, that's Maria: It Joe: Great. Maria: Is, but I guess I can mention it is a movement. And normally the person that it's the receiving side has the power to to to bring the message to the people. They. Joe: Yeah, yeah, and it's funny because you mentioned the virtual stuff. And obviously I have a lot of entertainers locally in town that I know that I see up on any of the various platforms doing their live sessions with the hope of making any amount of tips whatsoever to just keep their head above water. So it more than ever, it's important to a have an app like Bravo to be able to receive those tips. And the fact that you're not gouging them with these huge fees. And so everything that a fan or a customer pays, they have it all goes to them. And it's just it's a great thing. So I just I can't stress it enough because I just think that you're in a different realm and I know that you're sincere and it's very much comes from the heart, which is in the business world. That's a hard mixture of having a heart and still wanting to be successful. Maria: I Joe: But. Maria: Don't know what they have to fight, like Joe: I. Maria: Henry Ford said once, a business that only makes money, it's a poor business. And I totally live by that. Joe: Yeah. Maria: You can. I have to be responsible with my stakeholders. And obviously, we're adding now more ways to monetize forever. The receiving side gets the one time gratuities for free and then the recurring revenue because we need to provide other tools. They keep running five percent. But beyond making money, why not be that responsible partner in society where everybody is uplifted with you? That that's Joe: Yeah, Maria: What actually. Joe: Yeah. And you are that person, so thank you for that. I appreciate it for sure. OK, so Maria: But Joe: Now. Maria: Now you're hired as an ambassador Joe: Ok. Maria: To Joe: All right. I'm holding Maria: The. Joe: You to it. All right. So I want to talk about Shark Tank because Maria: Of course. Joe: I didn't know it totally caught me by surprise. And I'm a huge shark tank fan. I follow all of them on social media. I comment all the time on a lot of stuff, on Laurie Laurie stuff and on Damon's stuff. They seem to really be up there a lot. Those are the two that I and you know, the likes. I mean, I don't know if it's them in the background doing it, but it seems sincere, like they they seem like they might be the ones answering the comments or are liking them or not. But who knows. But I have the date of November 5th. Twenty seventeen. Is that correct? Maria: That's correct. Joe: Ok. And I understand the way it happened was you had won a tech award at some other. Maria: Right through San Francisco, Joe: What was it again? Maria: Techcrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, the audience speak. Bravo was their favorite startup. Joe: Yeah. And so from there, my understanding was one of the producers from Shark Tank saw that, heard heard about it, whatever, and invited you on. Maria: Yes, they invited us to to to start the process. But after that, you just like anybody else, so you don't have any special privilege. You still have to submit your versions and everything. And then you go through a very lengthy process all the way until they select the final people presenting. And we were in that group. It was a great experience. And they're they're good people. They're fun. They're they're they're good human beings. Joe: So when you say a lengthy process, what what is that? Maria: I mean, I cannot share because I would I have a confidentiality Joe: Yep, Maria: Agreement, I can there's things that I can not share. Joe: Yep. Maria: But let me. It is not that you just submitted one audition and you're in. That's as much as I can say there. It's a process. Joe: Sure. Maria: It's an Joe: Ok. Maria: Ongoing process where they filter different. The offers are are real. All the conversations are real. And like in any business situation after the show, then there's the conversation continues. Joe: Yes. Maria: And then some companies move on with the offers and some companies are not necessarily depending on on additional discussions. Joe: Mm hmm. Maria: But I have to say they were very fair throughout the process. Everybody makes their own decisions based on what is best for the future. Joe: So Laurie said, and I quote. You were Maria: Lori. Joe: Here. You were one of the most impressive people she has ever seen on the carpet. Maria: She was very generous to say that. And I have to say this about her. I always say that whenever you say something good about a person or bad. Unfortunately. But I tend not to say or try not to say anything bad about anybody. But whenever somebody says something good is because they see that doubting themselves. And Laurita is a good person. So she is all about women empowerment. And I think she was super kind and generous of saying that. And I thank her for that. Joe: How nervous were you? Maria: I have to say the truth at the moment that you're pitching, there's this all adrenaline that it's in you that you're going to an automatic mode. And I'm the kind of person that I don't take no for an answer easily at least. Oh, I went there to bring it before that. I was extremely nervous, like any other human being, because there's many things. I mean, obviously, I saw other chapters where they pretty much crush the Joe: Right. Maria: Spinners. But my team and this is we're having a great team behind you. It's so important. Heck, they're out on Karoline, everybody. My team kept me focused on one thing. The people that do poorly on the show, it's because they don't know their business for a reason or they don't prepare well. But we built this from the ground up. I deal with the finances when the accounting, everything. So from day one. So I knew the numbers. I knew my stuff. And I knew my purpose and the purpose of everybody in the team. So that that took care of of the, you know, having the confidence. I mean, in life, what what can happen is not going to kill you. It's going to make you stronger if it goes by. Joe: It's a. Maria: Fortunately, when. Well, and it opened great doors for us. Joe: I have to tell you, I could be an amazing entrepreneur. I think if I only had the financial side of things together and I think that's probably my biggest downfall. And I'm trying. It's just so hard for me. But the fact that, like everyone that goes on Shark Tank, you go in with. We want this amount of money for this percentage of the company or whatever type of deal. But Muzi, it's that, right? It's we want X for X and you after the end. So the first thing happened is Barbara sort of interrupted you as you were about to explain some stuff and just said, I'm out. Whatever she said it was. And then Kevin thought the space was complicated. So he was out. Alex very cordial. He was just like, if it's not on the back of a napkin, I can't understand that. But me, the back of an envelope, I forget. Maria: Oh, my God. Do you remember it better than I Joe: Yeah, Maria: Do? Joe: Well, I just I had to watch it because I wanted to make sure that I really understood what happened. And then I could see Lori and Mark whispering and ultimately they made you the offer. But the thing that impressed me the most was you were so calm. And when they gave you the offer, it wasn't even like you turned to Hector and did one of those Pylos that everyone doesn't share. You were like you knew the numbers so well that you knew what you could give up and what you couldn't give up. And you counter offered, like, so quickly and so precisely. Damn, I want to know how to do that. Maria: Well, I think it's, um, it's a combination of you have other people that that were with us, friends and family that believed in us and invested also in the company. So you have to have them also in mind and have a bare minimum that will bring value to the people that believed in your first. Right. So that that was part of it. And. And having a, you know, a plan for what was acceptable and what wasn't. Joe: Yeah, it was amazing. I was just like, wow, I would have crumbled when when Barbara first Centera, I would have been like, oh, it threw me off and I would have just been all over the place. But you were just right right there. I say, go, go, Maria. It's like. Maria: They're very gracious. It's just like, oh, well, obviously it's a show, so they baby to make it super endearing, like there were places where I saw policies and I'm like, they make it, you know, super exciting. And that's that's why they're successful. They're they're very good at anything. Joe: Yeah, it was great. OK. So let me recap. So what is the Web site for the app Maria: Look, Joe: At? Maria: You can go to try. Bravo dot com right now, because we started this campaign, you're going to see a video. Is an upgraded experience coming soon? But I tried Bravo dot com. If they want to contact us, they can write to support. I try like when you try something new. I try bravo dot com support. I tried Robillard. Com and and contact us. And also we're very responsive on Instagram. Well you can find us. That's Bromwell underscore pay. And Facebook and Twitter. Joe: Yeah, and I'll. Maria: We're on TCW. Joe: Perfect. So and I'll go and put all the links in the show notes so that it'll be easily accessible by everyone. So again, to make it super, super clear for everyone so they don't go and go. What about. I hate to use this to use that word again. The selling point for Bravo is that it's a very safe, secure, practically or basically anonymous way to pay and accept money from from anyone. So. Maria: Yes. And then in all of those payment applications, which Bravo, that's a small part of Bravo were more than just payments. But those payment applications are are designed for friends and family to pay each other because you need to trust the person. If if I don't trust you, I better not receive the money because once I pay or I it's it's a done deal. And then. But with Bravo, more robust way to pay a stranger, for starters. But then the next version of Bravo, which is super robust, where you can share who you are. Share your content directly. Contact your fan base or your fan base. Contact you and then offer exclusive experiences or merch on the same. Joe: It's really exciting. I am, Maria: The majority of the money, it's a recurring Joe: Yes. Maria: And keep a hundred percent if it's a one time thing. Joe: That's a big, big plus. So I'm really excited for you and Hector and the whole team. I feel like we're family because we go back so far. And I felt like it was the beginning. Even though I know you start I think it was 2014 was the inception of. Maria: Well, we've we formed the company in 2014, but our minimum viable product. We brought it to the market in 2015. Joe: So a year later, I met you. So and here we are, 20, 20. And you guys are just crushing it. And I'm really happy for you. Maria: Thank you. Thank Joe: So Maria: You. Joe: I'll put in all the links in the show notes. And this way everyone can find you and reach out and I'll make sure this gets on all the various platforms that I push this out to. I'm almost at 5000 friends on my Facebook. Me musician page. So they will see this and hopefully we can convert them over and have them start using Bravo. And keep. Maria: Let them join Joe: Yeah. Maria: The movement. Joe: Let them join the movement. I love it. Well, I can't thank you enough for your time. I know you're super busy, but stay healthy. Much success to you. I'm really excited for you both. And the team. Maria: Thank you. Let's continue the conversation. I don't want to lose contact with you. Joe: I know it's been too long. Right. Maria: Yes. Yes. Joe: All right. Maria: It's really Joe: Well, Maria: A pleasure Joe: Thank Maria: To see Joe: You Maria: You. Joe: So much. Maria: All right. Take care.

In Book III of Homer’s Odyssey, Telemachus and Minerva sail onto the shores of Pylos, who Nestor reigns. Feasts and offerings to the gods follow and Nestor shows Telemachus the respect he would have given his father, Ulysses.

We’ve been friends for years, but really became close when we took a leap of faith and adventure and traveled to Greece with 6 other women, only half of whom we knew. It was an incredible adventure. As we’re quarantining and yearning for adventure, we reminisce on one perfect day we had on our 14 day trip. Every day was exceptional if we’re honest, but THIS day was perfection. The perfect beach is Rossos at the Davari White Beach. Pylos is the town where we had lunch that day, it’s a dream.  Want to take this amazing trip to Greece yourself? Or just follow Michelle and get great travel tips? Connect with her here: https://www.facebook.com/travelleadersoshkosh/  Check out pics from this perfect day on our other social channels: Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGoodLifeGirlsPodcast  Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodlifegirlspodcast/  #podcast #adventure #thegoodlifegirls #travel #blog #fun #friends #lifebydesign #lifeiswhatyoumakeofit #sayyes

In this lecture we discuss Homer's "Odyssey" Books 3 and 4. First (a) Telemachos visits Pylos and learn of the fates of several Achaians, including poor Agamemnon, but receives no word on Odysseus; (b) Telemachos and Peisistratos then visit Sparta, and observe (1) Menelaos and Helen's tense interactions, (2) hear Menelaos' epic story of catching a god, Proteus, and (3) finally news that Odysseus is still alive, though captive and far from home! (c) The lecture concludes with a look back to Ithaka and the machinations of the suitors and sorrow of Penelope. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alexander-schmid9/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alexander-schmid9/support

Auf der Suche nach seinem Vater Odysseus kommt Telemachos nach Pylos, um Rat bei dem Herrscher Nestor zu suchen. Anschließend besucht er König Menelaos und dessen Frau Helena in Sparta. // Von Christoph Martin / Mit Dieter Mann / Komposition und Regie: Christoph Martin / hr/BR/Eichborn Verlag 1996 // Mehr Hörspiele unter www.hörspielpool.de

Auf der Suche nach seinem Vater Odysseus kommt Telemachos nach Pylos, um Rat bei dem Herrscher Nestor zu suchen. Anschließend besucht er König Menelaos und dessen Frau Helena in Sparta. // Von Christoph Martin / Mit Dieter Mann / Komposition und Regie: Christoph Martin / hr/BR/Eichborn Verlag 1996 // Mehr Hörspiele unter www.hörspielpool.de

In this episode, we discuss the years 426 and 425 BC of the Peloponnesian War, including the current nature of Athenian politics as dominated by Kleon the anti-aristocratic demagogue, his feud with Aristophanes as seen in the comedic plays "The Acharnians" and "The Knights", the Battles of Pylos and Sphacteria that turned the Greek world upside down, and the brutal conclusion to the Corcyraean civil war Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2019/08/095-greek-world-turned-upside-down.html   Intro by David Cot of the History of Spain Podcast Website: https://thehistoryofspain.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehistoryofspain/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/podcast_spain

History Uncensored  The Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Inc. (CAMWS)   Ancient Greece (slavery)   Overview, philosophers examples, and life of slaves The Perfect Machine:   To live this life your best life, a purpose you need For at home a perfect machine, plowing seed   You can call it by name, you can call it family. At the end of the day, it knows the game.   This machine… Its burdened life your desire, your wants feel free   But:   What if I told you though this machine has a voice? What if I told you. this machine…   It sleeps, it loves, it laughs,   it fears… the voice, its voice to have a voice!   History of Trialed trails of shaking hands grown old and frail. Yet, You can sell it; you can buy it, hate it, feed it, make greed from it But in the end, they need it.   To live this your best life, it’s this, a slave you need At home a perfect machine, plowing seed   The collar heavy, burden great, its shoulders weighed It ends like all end, of earth and stone decayed A Brief History Of Ancient Greece   Greek history can be said to have started around 1600 BC, when the Indo-Europeans invaded the Greek mainland. The so-called Indo-Europeans were the group of people sharing the same language but not necessarily of the same ethnic race, who lived in the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. They started migrating beginning around 4000 BC. Some migrated toward Europe and some toward Iran and India. A branch of the migrants moved into Greece around 1600 BC. People had lived in Greece for a long time before that event and an advanced Minoan culture had flourished in the Aegean islands, centering in Crete. These indigenous people are believed to have been of a different race from the Indo-Europeans, both culturally and linguistically. The palace of Knossos in the northern part of Crete, excavated by Arthur Evans in 1899, was the center of the Minoan civilization.   The title Kamaeu, occurs in the Pylos and Knossos tablets. It refers probably to specific persons and not to titles. The persons that bore this title belonged to the lower social classes and included a "slave of the god" and a baker. The words doero and doera of the palace texts mean the slaves or the slaves who worked in the service of different individuals or the palace.   Ancient Greek Class system male citizens - three groups: landed aristocrats (aristoi), poorer farmers (periokoi) and the middle class (artisans and traders). semi-free labourers (e.g the helots of Sparta). women - belonging to all of the above male groups but without citizen rights. children - categorised as below 18 years generally. slaves - the douloi who had civil or military duties. foreigners -  non-residents (xenoi) or foreign residents (metoikoi) who were below male citizens in status.     Conversely, there are no records of a large-scale Greek slave revolt comparable to that of Spartacus in Rome.[145] It can probably be explained by the relative dispersion of Greek slaves, which would have prevented any large-scale planning.[146] Slave revolts were rare, even in Rome. Individual acts of rebellion of slaves against their master, though scarce, are not unheard of; a judicial speech mentions the attempted murder of his master by a boy slave, not 12 years old.[147]   From      Unlike Christian ethics, labor itself was not regarded as a virtue in classical Greece. There were two reasons for this. First, it was believed that citizens should   have as much free time as possible so that they could devote their time to participa- tion in government. (Note that a Greek word for labor is ascholia, a negation of   scholè, leisure.) Second, it was believed that it was not good for a free man to work for others.   Labourers Greek society included a significantly larger proportion of labourers than slaves. These were semi-free workers, wholly dependent on their employer. The most famous example is the helot class of Sparta. These dependents were not the property of a parti --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/seth-michels66/support

This week's phone call is with David Tolzmann. David is the founder of The Labyrinth Company, which designs and builds walkable labyrinths in all media. He’s designed and crafted labyrinths in churches, medical centers, hospices, friaries, retreat centers, and schools, and for spiritual counselors, businesses, and individual homeowners all over the world.He made his first labyrinth nearly 25 years ago because a church group asked him to recreate a version of the world’s best-known labyrinth. “They thought I was an engineer and they were trying to recreate the labyrinth from Chartres Cathedral which is very complex. But it happened that I knew the labyrinth and I was able to help them because I am mathematically inclined. I'm not an engineer, but I must have given that impression.” he said. I have a friend who calls a labyrinth a left-brain jamming device. Your left brain gets involved in solving a puzzle that doesn’t exist. — David TolzmannA labyrinth is a single path to the center of a pattern. There is no puzzle. But when you walk the path, the logical side of your brain gets busy, leaving the other side of your brain to explore spirituality, creativity, and nonlinear thinking. That’s the “pop psychology” version of what’s going on, as David puts it, but it captures the process well enough. He believes walking a labyrinth is a superior form of meditation for Westerners. The first labyrinth design, the Seed Design, was discovered in Pylos, Greece. It dates to around 1200 BCE. “There was a transaction about goats, and on the back of the tablet is a labyrinth doodle.” This simple starting pattern has been transmitted to our time. It's in every culture. It's in the American Southwest. It's in China. It's in India. It's in South Africa. The same design all over the place.Thanks for listening,Lee Get full access to 500 Words at 500words.substack.com/subscribe

The Peloponnesian War pitted Athens and its allies against a league of city-states headed by Sparta. The ancient Greek historian Thucydides captured this drama with matchless insight in his classic eyewitness account of what was arguably the greatest war in the history of the world up to that time. These 36 half-hour lectures draw on Thucydides' classic account as well as other ancient sources to give you a full picture of the Greek world in uneasy peace and then all-out war in the late 5th century B.C. Professor Harl plunges you into the thick of politics, military strategy, economics, and technology. You will feel the ancient Greek world come alive as you explore the war debates at Athens and Sparta, the devastating plagues that swept through Athens, the Revolt of Mytilene, the Battle of Pylos, the disastrous Athenian and Spartan expedition to Sicily against Spartan allies. You'll experience the thick of action and consider lively scholarly debates that continue to this day. Unlike earlier great wars, the Peloponnesian War was not a conflict between kings, but between citizens from different city-states who shared the same language, gods, and festivals. Citizen assemblies decided questions of war - voting on their own fates, since they were the ones who had to do the fighting. One of the most remarkable aspects of this era is that culture flourished side-by-side with the politics of war - that, even as Athenian citizens were honoring Aristophanes' mocking antiwar play, The Acharnians, by giving it first prize in a drama competition, they were debating with equal ardor whether to continue the war, and deciding overwhelmingly to do so.

The Peloponnesian War pitted Athens and its allies against a league of city-states headed by Sparta. The ancient Greek historian Thucydides captured this drama with matchless insight in his classic eyewitness account of what was arguably the greatest war in the history of the world up to that time. These 36 half-hour lectures draw on Thucydides' classic account as well as other ancient sources to give you a full picture of the Greek world in uneasy peace and then all-out war in the late 5th century B.C. Professor Harl plunges you into the thick of politics, military strategy, economics, and technology. You will feel the ancient Greek world come alive as you explore the war debates at Athens and Sparta, the devastating plagues that swept through Athens, the Revolt of Mytilene, the Battle of Pylos, the disastrous Athenian and Spartan expedition to Sicily against Spartan allies. You'll experience the thick of action and consider lively scholarly debates that continue to this day. Unlike earlier great wars, the Peloponnesian War was not a conflict between kings, but between citizens from different city-states who shared the same language, gods, and festivals. Citizen assemblies decided questions of war - voting on their own fates, since they were the ones who had to do the fighting. One of the most remarkable aspects of this era is that culture flourished side-by-side with the politics of war - that, even as Athenian citizens were honoring Aristophanes' mocking antiwar play, The Acharnians, by giving it first prize in a drama competition, they were debating with equal ardor whether to continue the war, and deciding overwhelmingly to do so.

STORY  0:00 – 53:45 Athena sends Telemachus off on his first ever “road trip” – to Pylos and to Sparta – in the hopes that it might help the milquetoast young man to “grow a pair”.  Telemachus meets some familiar characters from Iliad:  windy old king Nestor, blustery Menelaus, and the “enigmatic-as-ever” Helen of Troy... The post EPISODE 9 TELEMACHUS, MENELAUS, and HELEN OF TROY appeared first on ODYSSEY: THE PODCAST.

Was habe ich gespielt?– Shiftago (Express / Expert) zu zweit und zu dritt Mit den Kindern– Shiftago (Express)– Barragoon– Pylos– Der verzauberte Turm– Geisterfalle– Pixelstücke (Kreativmodus

Neste episódio nós conversamos sobre Esparta e fomos muito além dos 300 que enfrentaram os persas em Termópilas. O assunto de hoje foi pedido pelo ouvinte e amigo Alexandre Bonfá há alguns meses e, finalmente, conseguimos elaborar com calma e gravar essa conversa. Mas, no fim das contas, qual o conteúdo desse episódio? - Origem de Esparta e de sua tradição militar; - Esparta contra Argos, o primeiro atrito decisivo; - Leônidas contra Xerxes em Termópilas e Plateias; - Esparta e Atenas disputam Pylos e Esfactéria durante a Guerra do Peloponeso; - Esparta contra Tebas e a genialidade de Epaminondas. . Biblioteca do Bunker . Estudo Histórico sobre a Guerra Antiga https://amzn.to/2WSuWoJ . Uma Guerra Sem Igual https://amzn.to/2N1RBdm . História da Guerra do Peloponeso https://amzn.to/2WYGhDN . The Plague of War https://amzn.to/2WWgcoJ . The Peloponnesian War https://amzn.to/2N0YXOt . Understanding Greek Warfare https://amzn.to/2TKyVRY . Portões de Fogo (romance histórico sobre os 300) https://amzn.to/2N56jkc . Ouça Podcasts - conteúdo interessante onde, como e quando você quiser! Assine o Clube dos Generais pelo seu aplicativo de podcasts favorito ou pelo Spotify. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3egdSUwV9xmG5M4Gg7gibZ . Acompanhe o Clube dos Generais Web: www.clubedosgenerais.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/clubedosgenerais/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/clubedosgenerais Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clubedosgenerais/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClubeGenerais Email: contato@clubedosgenerais.org . O CG é um participante do Programa Associados da Amazon.com.br Compre usando nosso link e ajude o CG sem pagar nem um centavo a mais! Link Geral: http://amzn.to/2wIzQrF --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/clubedosgenerais/message

With Jeff still recovering from GABF, our hosts start off with some banter before getting into some recently played games. Jeff stacked balls in Pylos, Zach cursed out some AI in the Stockpile App, and Adrian got a bunch of hooch in Speakeasy Blues. In News, Tabletopia for android and the Onitama App are released and GMT goes Fantasy. In Kickstarters, Lockup, Homebrewers, Set a Watch, Artemis Project, and a duo of game tables are discussed. A youtube comment finishes out the episode.   00:00:33 - Intro Banter! Featuring: Post GABF, Housewarming, GABF, Pawnee Grasslands, 00:13:22 - What have we been playing?: Pylos, Stockpile App, Speakeasy Blues 00:30:33 - Bloody Minute! 00:31:48 - News: Tabletopia live on Android 00:33:31 - News: Onitama App 00:34:51 - News: Men at Work 00:36:20 - News: Mystery Wizard 00:38:45 - News: Betrayal at House on the Hill was almost Stephen king based 00:42:05 - KS: Lockup 00:45:41 - KS: Homebrewers 00:51:13 - KS: Set a Watch 00:57:37 - KS: The Artemis Project 01:02:24 - KS: The Jasper and Game Changer Tables 01:09:51 - Paulo's Youtube Corner 01:12:55 - Get ready for Reavers of Midgard Slack Channel Patreon Guild

This week is the first of two episodes in which the boys are joined by the Eponymous Bez of Stuff By Bez! Bez shares some of the highlights of Essen Spiel 2017, including but not limited to Bez's very own Yogi and Wibbell++, and also Burgle Bros., and Pylos. Josh shares another near death experience from his Pathfinder campaign, whilst Ben discusses his recent foray into Warhammer Underworlds. Write to us: unluckyfroggaming@gmail.com Website: www.unluckyfrog.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UnluckyFrog PodBean: http://unluckyfrog.podbean.com/ iTunes: http://ow.ly/qHQL30gFJ5o Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheUnluckyfrog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unluckyfroggaming/ Boardgame Geek: http://ow.ly/NF7n30gFJ2P

Telemachos vaart naar Pylos, niet ver van Sparta, op zoek naar nieuws over zijn vader Odysseus. Met de hulp van de godin Athena wordt hij ontvangen door de oude Nestor. Die was een van de krijgsmakkers van Odysseus tijdens de Trojaanse Oorlog. Maar weet Nestor meer over Odysseus? Met Bartel Jespers en Tim Bogaerts

In this episode, we discuss the archaeological evidence of the Mycenaean Greeks of the late Bronze Age (ca. 1650-1250 BC); particularly from the major palace centers in the Argolid at Mycenae and Tiryns, Athens in Attica, the island of Salamis, Thebes and Orchomenos in Boeotia, Iolcos in Thessaly, Amyclae (which is Sparta) in Laconia, and Pylos in Messenia; what the Linear B tablets can tell us about their society, economy, and religion; and their extensive trade network that spanned the entire Mediterranean Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2016/04/006-mycenaean-greece.html

It's not often that we're anywhere near the cutting edge of the news at Historically Thinking (our name kind of indicates that we're interested in things that have already happened), but every once in a while the blind pig finds a truffle...if that's the right peasant metaphor. Last month, we scheduled a conversation with Dimitri Nakassis, associate professor of classics at the University of Toronto, who was visiting Augustana College to give our annual American Institute of Archaeology Lecture. Lo and behold! the day  Dimitri arrived in Rock Island, Illinois, the John D. and Catharine T. Macarthur Foundation named him a 2015 Macarthur Fellow. But even before we learned about this honour, we were very much looking forward to our conversation. He knows a lot of languages, including an uncanny familiarity with Linear B, and he's done a lot of fieldwork in Greece–particularly in the Mycenaean center of Pylos. This work he has combined into a new and controversial theory: that Mycenaean Greece, far from a stratified and centralised oligarchy, was instead a more open and dynamic economic system. In this conversation, he helps us understand just how far removed and remote the Mycenaean Age is; what separates Mycenaean Greece from Ancient Greece; how Mycenaean Greece was structured; and–perhaps most interesting of all–what evidence we have for these things, where it it is found, and how to interpret it. Enjoy! For Further Reading John Chadwick, The Mycenaean World (Cambridge, 1976) Eric H. Cline, 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed  (Princeton, 2015) Dimitri Nakassis, Individuals and Society in Mycenaean Pylos (Leiden, 2013)

In 1939, University of Cincinnati archaeologist Carl Blegen was on the verge of one of the greatest discoveries of his esteemed career. The excavations he was leading in western Greece, on the Ano Englianos Ridge in the municipality of Pylos, had uncovered not only Homer’s Palace of Nestor, but also a huge deposit of clay record tablets that led to the decipherment of a prehistoric system of writing. A few short months into excavations, however, on September 1, 1939, German Forces invaded Poland. The Second World War had begun, and the astounding discoveries at Pylos had to be momentarily set aside. Drawing from Blegen’s correspondence and papers from archives on two continents, this podcast looks at his life “from the sidelines” in America between 1939 and 1942, as well as his time serving the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency. Written by Andrew Connor; featuring Andrew Connor and Taylor Coughlan; produced by Christian Cloke and Sarah Lima; featuring Vivaldi's Gloria; recording and editing by R. Aaron Allen Productions.

I wonder how long it will be until I feel like I know what I'm doing?! Seems like every podcast I learn a little something new. This time it's as simple as making the podcast and blog post title with the games listed NOT in the order we played them. Otherwise, Tonga Bonga leads every audio SR this month, and at first glance it looks like I'm podcasting about the same thing. In a way, I guess I am