063 - The Lord of the Sea

In this episode, we discuss the myths, iconography, and cultic worship of Poseidon, the violent and unpredictable god who ruled over the sea

062 - Agricultural Festivals

In this episode, we discuss the Attic calendar year with a focus on the agricultural festivals; starting in the fall at the time of sowing we work our way around the year, month-by-month; particular focus is given to the Thesmophoria and the Eleusinian Mysteries but a dozen or so other festivals are described

061 - The "Two Goddesses"

In this episode, we discuss the defining myth of Demeter and Persephone (that being her abduction by Hades), as well as the various ways in which these two were worshipped in the Peloponnese and in Magna Graecia (not including Eleusis and Athens)

Primary Sources:

Text/Homeric Hymn to Demeter

060 - Hades and the Underworld

In this episode, we discuss the mysterious, shadowy figure of Hades (king of the Underworld), necromancy (the summoning of the dead), and Homer's description of the abode of Hades in Book Eleven of the Odyssey and then comparing and contrasting that with the description found in Virgil's Aeneid Book Six, all while taking a tour of the Underworld, its major features, and its inhabitants.

Primary Sources:

Text/Homer's Odyssey (Book 11)

Text/Virgil's Aeneid (Book 6)