Literature and History
Literature and History is an independent podcast that explores the cultural history behind famous works of literature, starting from Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE and moving chronologically through ancient civilizations, the Old Testament, Greece, Rome, early Christianity, and the Middle Ages. Episodes average two hours and include a general introduction, a full summary for newcomers, and an analysis of historical and biographical contexts. The show features original symphonic and ambient music, and offers free illustrated transcripts and quizzes. It has no advertisements and focuses on educational content without chitchat.
Episodes
Episode 125: The Zoroastrian Bundahisn
The Bundahisn is the Zoroastrian creation story. At once an epic and encyclopedia, it's also a window into the end of Zoroastrianism's ascendancy in Iran. Episode 125 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-125/ Episode 125 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-125-the-zoroastrian-bundahisn Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https:/
Episode 124: The Last Great War of Antiquity
DOUG'S NEW BOOK - The Odyssey: An Illustrated Guide COLORING BOOK VERSION - The Odyssey Coloring Book Episode 124 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-124/ Episode 124 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-124-the-last-great-war-of-antiquity Image Credit: Alborz Fallah Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.co
Episode 123: An Introduction to the Hadiths
The hadiths are second only to the Qur'an in Islam. Short narratives about the Prophet Muhammad - the things he said and did - hadiths have been a source of wisdom and inspiration for Muslims for more than a thousand years. Episode 123 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-123/ Episode 123 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-123-an-introduction-to-the-hadiths Bonus
Episode 122: The Early Abbasid Caliphate
From 750-861, a dynasty of ten caliphs seated in modern-day Iraq ruled one of history's largest empires. The territory they lost and won, the wars they fought, and the cultural renaissance that they helped usher in all had far reaching impacts on world history. Ancient Novels Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zrUMtCpNt4 Oresteia Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK7e8WOOl4g
Episode 121: The Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate, from 661-750, became the largest empire the world had ever known, even as it suffered through two civil wars and significant internal divisions. This episode covers its overall military, political, and cultural history. Episode 121 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-121/ Episode 121 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-121-the-umayyad-caliphat
Episode 120: The Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun caliphate, from 632-661, completely changed the history of the world. Learn the story of the greatest imperial expansion of the first millennium, together with the complex political and theological history behind it. Episode 120 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-120/ Episode 120 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-120-the-rashidun-caliphate Bonus Co
Episode 119: The Qur'an, Part 3: Origins
The Qur'an has deep roots in the Bible and in the unique religious climate of Late Antique Mecca. Learn about its many references to the Bible and ancient Arabian religion in this episode. Kevin Stroud's The History of English: https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/ Episode 119 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-119/ Episode 119 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-1
Episode 118: The Qur'an, Part 2: Ordinances
Learn about the foundations of Islamic Law in the Qur'an - the 350 or so verses that tell believers what they're required to do, and what's prohibited. Episode 118 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-118/ Episode 118 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-118-the-quran-part-2 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.
Episode 117: The Qur'an, Part 1: Overview
Learn the basics of the Qur'an - its size, structure, how and when it came together, and the book's most important contents. Episode 117 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-117/ Episode 117 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-117-the-quran-part-1 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Episode 116: The Life of Muhammad, Part 3: Conquest
During the final years of the Prophet Muhammad's life and the immediate aftermath of his death, the Muslims conquered Mecca, the first caliph Abu Bakr came to power, and the stage was set for the great Islamic conquests of the seventh century. Episode 116 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-116/ Episode 116 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-116-the-life-of-muhamma
Episode 115: The Life of Muhammad, Part 2: Community
Between 622 and 628, Muhammad and the first Muslims made a home from themselves in Medina, fended off assaults from the Quraysh and others, and changed the course of history forever. New Spotify Bonus Content Channel: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/lahbonuscontent/subscribe New Patreon Store: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory/shop Episode 115 Quiz: https://literatureandh
Episode 114: The Life of Muhammad, Part 1: Cobwebs
An orphan and caravan trade agent, Muhammad (570-632) lived a fairly ordinary life up until the age of 40. Then, everything changed. New Songs Page: https://literatureandhistory.com/songs/ Episode 114 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-114/ Episode 114 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-114-the-life-of-muhammad-part-1 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistor
Episode 113: Antarah ibn Shaddad
Antarah ibn Shaddad, a killer, a lover, and an epic hero, was also one of early Arabic literature's most famous poets. Parker's Song: https://youtu.be/bTVWrxfb5wk Episode 113 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-113/ Episode 113 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-113-antarah-ibn-shaddad Antarah's Poetry: War Songs (Library of Arabic Literature) Bonus Content: ht
Episode 112: Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry
Prior to the dawn of Islam, the Arabian Peninsula had a great poetic tradition, with many genres, and many poets who are still celebrated and studied today. Episode 112 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-112/ Episode 112 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-112-pre-islamic-arabic-poetry/ Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibs86z0py04 Bonus Content: https://lite
Episode 111: Pre-Islamic Arabia
Leading up to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in about 570 CE, the Arabian Peninsula was an increasingly populous and globally interconnected region. Episode 111 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-111/ Episode 111 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-111-pre-islamic-arabia/ Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreo
Episode 110: Questions
In Episode 110, Literature and History host Doug Metzger answers dozens of listener questions about making the show, books, and how and why the podcast came to be. Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons: https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/ The Actual First Novels Bonus Series: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn Episode 110 Transcription: https://literaturean
Episode 109: Cornerstones
Episode 109 brings our long season on Late Antiquity to a close, reviews the past 24 programs on the beginnings of the Middle Ages, and introduces our new season on early Islamic History. The Actual First Novels Bonus Series: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons: https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/ Episode 109 Transcripti
Episode 108: Isidore of Seville
One of the great scholars of Late Antiquity, Isidore (c. 560-636) left behind a compendium called the Etymologies, an encyclopedia of his epoch's knowledge, a book second only to the Bible during the Middle Ages. Episode 108 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-108/ Episode 108 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-108-isidore-of-seville/ Song https://www.youtube.com/w
Episode 107: Venantius Fortunatus
The Merovingian court poet Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530-600), at work in Francia in the late 500s, shows us the world of the Middle Ages blooming from Roman ruins. Episode 107 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-107/ Episode 107 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-107-venantius-fortunatus/ Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpQP2na7oFM Bonus Content: https://li
Episode 106: Gregory of Tours, Part 2
The second half of the History of the Franks (591) is a deep dive into the grime and intrigue of the Merovingian dynasty, written in a style that's as medieval as it is classical. Episode 106 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-106/ Episode 106 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-106-gregory-of-tours-part-2/ Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekc6frwUohI Bonus
Episode 105: Gregory of Tours, Part 1
Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594) completed The History of the Franks in 591. The long book's account of Clovis and the Merovingian Dynasty has been one of our most important sources on early Medieval History, ever since. Episode 105 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-105/ Episode 105 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-105-gregory-of-tours-part-1/ Song https://www.yo
Episode 104: An Introduction to the Talmud
Second only to the Tanakh, the 63 Tractates of the Talmud are the main text of Rabbinic Judaism, containing the teachings of thousands of ancient rabbis. Upcoming Seasons: https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/ Episode 104 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-104/ Episode 104 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-104-introduction-to-the-talmud Song https
Episode 103: Boethius
In the twilight of the Western Empire, Boethius (c. 476-523) served as consul, but ended his life imprisoned by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric, writing The Consolation of Philosophy. Episode 103 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-103/ Episode 103 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-103-boethius Song https://youtu.be/ul1PUVPDAcQ Bonus Content: https://literaturean
Episode 102: An Old Man's Book (Augustine's City of God, Part 2 of 2)
Augustine's City of God, Part 2 of 2. The second half of the City of God contains some of Late Antiquity's most influential writings – most notably Augustine's take on Original Sin. Episode 102 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-102/ Episode 102 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-102-an-old-mans-book Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYwI5aM4ZP8 Bonus Content
Episode 101: Against the Pagans (Augustine's City of God, Part 1 of 2)
Augustine's City of God, Part 1 of 2. The first half of the City of God is a broadside against paganism – its culture, religion, and history, subjects about which Augustine had much to say. Episode 101 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-101/ Episode 101 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-101-against-the-pagans Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3sErObfrVc&pp=0
Episode 100: Late Have I Loved You (Augustine's Confessions, Books 9-13)
Augustine's Confessions, Part 2 of 2. The second half of Augustine's Confessions contains some of the most famous theology in Christian history. Episode 100 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-100/ Episode 100 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-100-late-have-i-loved-you Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6wJQNQqq1Q Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.
Episode 99: The Boy Who Stole Pears (Augustine's Confessions, Books 1-7)
Augustine's Confessions, Part 1 of 2. The first half of Augustine's Confessions tells of his wayward early years, his intellectual journey, and his spiritual awakening. Episode 99 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-099/ Episode 99 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-099-the-boy-who-stole-pears Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km3WeynabBI Bonus Content: https
Episode 98: The Life and Works of Saint Jerome
Polyglot Jerome (347-420) had a gigantic impact on all subsequent Christian history, leaving behind a huge body of works, including the Latin Bible. Episode 98 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-098/ Episode 98 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-098-saint-jerome Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx1qZaUHm58 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonu
Episode 97: Blood and Ivy (Nonnus' Dionysiaca, Books 25-48)
The Dionysiaca, Part 2 of 2. The last surviving Greek epic of antiquity draws to a close with Dionysus fighting wars far to the east, in India. Episode 97 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-097/ Episode 97 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-097-blood-and-ivy Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literature
Episode 96: The Last Pagan Epic (Nonnus' Dionysiaca, Books 1-24)
The last epic from Greco-Roman antiquity that survives in full, Nonnus' fifth-century Dionysiaca tells of the wine god Dionysus' journey eastward, to India. Episode 96 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-096/ Episode 96 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-096-the-last-pagan-epic Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.pat
Episode 95: Rutilius Namatianus
In 417 CE, the Roman poet Rutilius Namatianus journeyed from Rome back to his homeland of Gaul, not knowing whether there was a home to return to. Episode 95 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-095/ Episode 95 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-095-rutilius-namatianus Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcDdTfoe0dI&pp=0gcJCYsJAYcqIYzv Bonus Content: https://lit
Episode 94: Ausonius
One of the later Latin poets of the Empire, Ausonius' expansive body of work gives us a window into the changing world of fourth-century Roman culture. Episode 94 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-094/ Episode 94 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-094-ausonius Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkiw5KgkYjE&pp=0gcJCYsJAYcqIYzv Bonus Content: https://literatur
Episode 93: Severus' Life of Saint Martin
Sulpicius Severus' (c. 363-425) life of St. Martin is one of the great hagiographies – a portrait of a timeless saint, but also of a human being and working bishop. Episode 93 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-093/ Episode 93 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-093-severus-life-of-st-martin Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyNRs8hLcUM Bonus Content: https://li
Episode 92: Athanasius' Life of Antony
Athanasius (c. 297-373) wrote a wildly popular biography of the desert hermit St. Anthony, touting the ideals of asceticism and triumph over demonic temptation. Episode 92 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-092/ Episode 92 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-092-athanasius-life-of-antony Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: http
Episode 91: The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity
In Carthage, in 203 CE, a Roman noblewoman and her retinue were butchered in an amphitheater. Learn her story, and the earliest history of Christian martyrs. Episode 91 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-091/ Episode 91 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-091-the-passion-of-perpetua Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv7pZLqV5zk Bonus Content: https://literatu
Episode 90: Ante-Nicene Catholicism
Learn the documentary history behind how the Catholic Church was founded and set up as an organization, together with some of the works of the earliest church fathers. Episode 90 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-090/ Episode 90 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-090-ante-nicene-catholicism Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ai9nKRy7lc Bonus Content: https:
Episode 89: The Aethiopica of Heliodorus
Heliodorus of Emesa (3rd/4th century CE) wrote the longest novel to have survived from antiquity, an adventurous romance that reemerged into Europe in the 1500s. Episode 89 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-089/ Episode 89 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-089-the-aethiopica-of-heliodorus Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2stXERdUMhY Bonus Content: https:/
Episode 88: Ancient Greek Sci-fi
In roughly the 160s CE, the Greek satirist Lucian of Samosata wrote A True Story, one of history's earliest surviving novels, with strong tinges of what we'd call science fiction. Episode 88 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-088/ Episode 88 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-088-ancient-greek-sci-fi Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH2nNnkYICE Bonus Conten
Episode 87: Lucian of Samosata
The satirist Lucian (c. 125-180) was popular in his own time and during the Renaissance, among other things probably being the first author of science fiction. Episode 87 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-087/ Episode 87 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-087-lucian-of-samosata Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.p
Episode 86: An Introduction to Late Antiquity
Once pervasively described as a period of fall and decline, today Late Antiquity is often understood as a period of cultural flowering and economic revolution. Episode 86 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-086/ Episode 86 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-086-intro-to-late-antiquity Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnDhBOPfW-Q Bonus Content: https://litera
Episode 85: River
A primer on Biblical canon formation, retrospective on what we've covered so far, and introduction to the upcoming season. Episode 85 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-085 Episode 85 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-085-river Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory YouTube: https:/
Episode 84: Manichaeism
After 300 CE, Manichaeism spread quickly from its origins in modern day Iraq and Iran. Recent archaeological discoveries have finally allowed us to learn about it firsthand. Episode 84 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-084/ Episode 84 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-084-manichaeism Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVHB2ALuKGw Bonus Content: https://liter
Episode 83: Gnosticism
The Nag Hammadi Library, Codex Tchacos, and Berlin Codex, as they came to light in the twentieth century, radically changed our understanding of early Christianity. Episode 83 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-083/ Episode 83 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-083-gnosticism Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wj0NRDRiZk Bonus Content: https://literatureandhi
Episode 82: Zoroastrianism
Learn the basic tenets and early history of Zoroastrianism, one of the most important and widespread religions in the ancient world, and possibly earth's oldest living monotheism. Episode 82 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-082/ Episode 82 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-082-zoroastrianism Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVWusBEJv9E Bonus Content: http
Episode 81: Revelation
One of the most spectacular pieces of writing in the world's religious texts, Revelation influenced generations of writers and theologians. Episode 81 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-081/ Episode 81 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-081-revelation Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tWGEcZW_tM Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Episode 80: The General Epistles
The later epistles of the New Testament show early Christian theology expanding and evolving in the ancient Mediterranean. Episode 80 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-080/ Episode 80 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-080-the-general-epistles Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Episode 79: The Pauline Epistles
Possibly the most influential theologian in history, Paul codified and clarified Christianity as it emerged into the diverse world of the Eastern Mediterranean. Episode 79 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-079/ Episode 79 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-079-the-pauline-epistles Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DS4AQWs7lw Bonus Content: https://literatu
Episode 78: The Book of Acts
The story of Christianity's first missionaries is a sweeping , intercontinental narrative, filled with danger, strange encounters, and the hope for a better future. Episode 78 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-078/ Episode 78 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-078-the-book-of-acts Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFkAys_DsbY Bonus Content: https://literatur
Episode 77: The Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the heart of the New Testament. And today, historians and Biblical scholars know more about them than ever before. Episode 77 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-077/ Episode 77 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-077-the-gospels Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t16jixyX8zU Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-
Episode 76: Judea Under Herod
The Roman client king Herod (c. 73-4 BCE) ruled Judea for thirty years. Learn about his rule, and the political and religious climate of Judea just before the birth of Christ. Episode 76 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-076/ Episode 76 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-076-judea-under-herod Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ijfD3Qn-Vk Bonus Content: https
Episode 75: Dusk and Starlight
A retrospective on the material we've covered thus far as we head into Early Christianity and Late Antiquity, plus some announcements. Episode 75 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-075/ Episode 75 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-075-dusk-and-starlight Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandh
Episode 74: Marcus Aurelius (The Meditations)
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations shows an intelligent emperor coping with the realities of an empire buckling under its own weight. Episode 74 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-074/ Episode 74 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-074-marcus-aurelius Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y5ol6vZn7o Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreo
Episode 73: The Golden Ass (Apuleius' The Golden Ass)
Apuleius' The Golden Ass is Ancient Rome's only novel to survive in full – a strange, often disturbing fairytale that had a huge influence on posterity. Episode 73 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-073/ Episode 73 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-073-the-golden-ass Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGKpv3xws8E Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.co
Episode 72: Bread and Circuses (Juvenal's Satires)
Juvenal's Satires, produced some time in the decades around 100 CE, mercilessly mock some of the more colorful aspects of Roman life. Episode 72 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-072/ Episode 72 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-072-bread-and-circuses Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-4WYv5JIVU Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Episode 71: The Gods Depart (Statius' Thebaid)
Statius' Thebaid, Books 7-12. Six hundred years after Aeschylus, Statius once again brought the Theban epic to a thunderous conclusion. Episode 71 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-071/ Episode 71 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-071-the-gods-depart Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPrGgcJbnx8 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Episode 70: Rome's Forgotten Epic (Statius' Thebaid)
Statius' Thebaid, Books 1-6. This epic is hardly ever read or taught these days, but in 100 CE, it was as famous as anything in the Roman world. Episode 70 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-070/ Episode 70 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-070-romes-forgotten-epic Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/l
Episode 69: Rome's Comic Novel (Petronius' Satyricon)
Petronius' Satyricon is a contender for history's first novel, a picaresque filled with sex, misadventures, and details about daily life. Episode 69 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-069/ Episode 69 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-069-romes-comic-novel Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Ud_Qzye5Y Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-cont
Episode 68: Love Means Sin (Seneca's Phaedra)
Seneca's Phaedra (c 50s CE) is the story of an illicit passion, a stoic cautionary tale and simultaneously vivid character study. Episode 68 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-068/ Episode 68 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-068-love-means-sin Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-Ga9QV05g Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patre
Episode 67: Jaws Dripping Blood (Seneca's Thyestes)
Seneca's Thyestes, probably written around the 50s CE, is one of the most horrifying and influential plays ever written. Episode 67 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-067/ Episode 67 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-067-jaws-dripping-blood Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFcrJGlJbHI Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon:
Episode 66: Stoicism, Seneca, St. Paul
Stoicism, starting with Zeno in 300 BCE, was a popular philosophy by the lifetime of Seneca, perhaps even making its way into the New Testament. Episode 66 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-066/ Episode 66 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-066-stoicism-seneca-st-paul Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azc7u5st9jo Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.
Episode 65: Seneca and the Julio-Claudians (The Life of Seneca)
Seneca the Younger (c 1 BCE-65 CE) practiced the philosophy of stoicism over the course of several volatile, and very different imperial reigns. Episode 65 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-065/ Episode 65 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-065-seneca-and-the-julio-claudians Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW4K7Ij-5fE Bonus Content: https://literatureandh
Episode 64: Ovid's Exile (The Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto)
For mysterious reasons, in 8 CE, Ovid was exiled from Rome. Ovid's last works were composed an ocean away from Italy, on the western shore of the Black Sea. Episode 64 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-064/ Episode 64 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-064-ovids-exile Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj3nfzO2ZHM Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.c
Episode 63: All Is in Flux (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 11-15)
Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 11-15. The vast Metamorphoses draws to a resonant conclusion as Ovid brings his great poem to Rome itself. Episode 63 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-063/ Episode 63 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-063-all-is-in-flux Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMGX0cwIV2A Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Episode 62: A Curious Passion (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 6-10)
Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 6-10. In the middle portion of Ovid's great poem, psychological transformations become as gripping as physical ones. Episode 62 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-062/ Episode 62 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-062-a-curious-passion Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXZIl6DL-gY Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bon
Episode 61: Changes of Shape (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 1-5)
This book influenced thousands of years of later literature, and remains one of our best source texts on classical mythology. Episode 61 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-061/ Episode 61 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-061-changes-of-shape Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory Yo
Episode 60: How to Make Love to a Roman (Ovid's Art of Love and Cure for Love)
Ovid's Art of Love is ancient Rome's manual of seduction – a record of the steamier side of the Augustan Age. Episode 60 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-060/ Episode 60 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-060-how-to-make-love-to-a-roman Song https://youtu.be/kfx-sjGorVM Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://www.patre
Episode 59: Early Ovid (Amores, Heroides)
The love poetry of Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE) was standard Latin curriculum for hundreds of years, but it was also the product of a very specific historical moment. Episode 59 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-059/ Episode 59 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-059-early-ovid Song https://youtu.be/vE1jkidRthY Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-conten
Episode 58: She Caught Me with Her Eyes (Propertius' Poetry)
Propertius (c. 50-1 BCE) took the Latin elegiac form to new heights of complexity and passion, even weaving subtle satire throughout his work. Episode 58 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-058/ Episode 58 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-058-she-caught-me-with-her-eyes Song https://youtu.be/BHEYVxqdztE Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-con
Episode 57: The World Grows Dim and Black (Virgil's Aeneid, Books 10-12)
Virgil's Aeneid, Books 10-12. The end of Rome's great epic is about something Romans of Virgil's generation knew very well indeed. War. Episode 57 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-057/ Episode 57 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-057-the-world-grows-dim-and-black Song https://youtu.be/WRZbUYwdTR0 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Episode 56: I Shall Release Hell (Virgil's Aeneid, Books 7-9)
Virgil's Aeneid, Books 7-9. Aeneas' arrival in Italy begins auspiciously enough, but soon things take a turn for the worse. Episode 56 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-056/ Episode 56 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-056-i-shall-release-hell Song https://youtu.be/bjqsZbGL8oM Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Patreon: https://ww
Episode 55: Among the Shades (Virgil's Aeneid, Books 4-6)
Virgil's Aeneid, Books 4-6. The story of Dido and Aeneas, and his subsequent journey to the underworld, is the heart of Rome's most famous poem. Episode 55 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-055/ Episode 55 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-055-among-the-shades Song https://youtu.be/Uybu1B2qq9o Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content Pat
Episode 54: Out of Troy (Virgil's Aeneid, Books 1-3)
Virgil's Aeneid, Books 1-3. The Aeneid is Rome's great epic. Learn the story of its first three books, and when and why Virgil began writing it. Episode 54 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-054/ Episode 54 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-054-out-of-troy Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcJgKUMS8k8 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-con
Episode 53: Then Came Hard Iron (Virgil's Georgics)
Virgil's Georgics (c. 29 BCE), or agriculture poems, show the poet reaching his full strength as a writer, and using an old form to analyze the history around him. Episode 53 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-053/ Episode 53 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-053-then-came-hard-iron Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzNAutei6wA Bonus Content: https://literat
Episode 52: White Flowers Die (Virgil's Eclogues)
Virgil's Eclogues (c. 38 BCE) are poems about country life. Far from being innocent celebrations, though, they are often cryptic, and filled with a haunting darkness. Episode 52 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-052/ Episode 52 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-052-white-flowers-die Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZOiQL5aJAA Bonus Content: https://litera
Episode 51: Horace and Augustan Age Poetry
Horace (65-8 BCE) was a central figure in shaping Augustan Age tastes in satire and literary criticism. His bumbling, self conscious persona has been charming readers for millennia. Episode 51 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-051/ Episode 51 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-051-horace-and-augustan-poetry Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-c
Episode 50: Our Brutal Age (Horace's Poetry)
The Roman poet Horace (65-8 BCE), a contemporary of Augustus, endured wars, regime changes, and became a literary spokesman for the new principate. Episode 50 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-050/ Episode 50 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-050-our-brutal-age Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU6nk9luAm8 Bonus Content: https://literatureandhistory.com/bon
Episode 49: The Strange Roots of Love (Catullus' Poetry)
Catullus (c. 85-54 BCE) is Rome's most famous early poet. Departing from epic tradition, Catullus wrote a canon of short works that have been famous since antiquity. Episode 49 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-049/ Episode 49 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-049-the-strange-roots-of-love Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myQERneu-mQ Bonus Content: https:
Episode 48: The Right and the Expedient (Cicero's Career, 62-43 BCE)
Following his consulship, Cicero did his best to salvage the battered Republic, eventually going head to head with the powerful young general Mark Antony. Episode 48 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-048/ Episode 48 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-048-the-right-and-the-expedient Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES5WpZ1GH-A Bonus Content: https://literat
Episode 47: O Tempora, O Mores (Cicero's Career, 80-62 BCE)
The story of Cicero's career is an epic tale, filled with courtroom dramas, corruption, conspiracy, greed, and Cicero's own enduring hope for a better future. Episode 47 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-047/ Episode 47 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-047-o-tempora-o-mores Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDvjHnY6e9Q Bonus Content: https://literatureandh
Episode 46: The Republic at Twilight (Cicero's Early Life)
Cicero (106-43 BCE) was the undisputed master of the Latin language. During his first thirty years, he witnessed events that heralded the Republic's end. Episode 46 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-046/ Episode 46 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-046-the-republic-at-twilight Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgg9aMq7gs Bonus Content: https://literaturea
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