Myth Madness: Recent Episodes
Nathan Rutherford
This episode (84) will cover the myth of Seyavash, a large part of the Shahnameh epic poem. Seyavash is presented as a perfect prince – strong, capable, wise, and handsome. But, these qualities are a double-edged sword for Seyavash. Sudabeh, Kay Kavus, and Persia’s enemy Afrasyab are all brought into his story, with tragic results.
This episode (83) features two more stories of the legendary Persian king Kay Kavus’s foolishness as recorded in the Shahnameh. The first involves a woman named Sudabeh, and the second again involves the mischief of divs.
This episode (82) will cover another of the Iranian hero Rostam’s adventures from the Shahnameh, an epic poem composed in Persian around 1010 AD. With the tragic story of Sohrab we begin to see Rostam’s flaws, his actions that come from them, and his despair that results.
The Persian ruler Kay Kavus is an utter fool. So when he falls into some serious trouble it becomes the hero Rostam's job to save him. To do so, in this episode, Rostam completes a series of trials. Due to the trials, Rostam is often superficially described as an Iranian Heracles.
Up to now the Shahnameh largely focused on conflicts between the forces of good and evil with evil being represented by monsters and strange otherworldly creatures. But now, the Shahnameh switches its approach, and the Iranian heroes will struggle against foreign human enemies.
This episode (80) introduces the feud between the neighbouring kingdoms of Iran (Persia) and Turan, and the destruction wrought by the wars between them.
In this episode (79) I introduce Rostam, one of the most significant heroes in Persian legends and who is often compared to the Greek Heracles. The Shahnameh covers the story of his birth but for other stories of his youth, we have to look at other epic poems. While sharing from these, I also introduce the close association between Rostam's family and that of another Persian hero named Gudarz.
This episode (78) covers the romance of the Persian hero Zal (Zaal) and the beautiful princess Rudabeh. While a foreigner, Rudabeh represents the ideal Persian woman - virtuous, beautiful, dutiful, and intelligent. Their romance as presented in the Shahnameh, in the original language, is considered one of the best examples of Persian poetry. Its also just a great story, a bit like Romeo and Juliet if everyone was a good communicator.
The first part of the Shahnameh focuses on several generations of legendary kings and their conflict with the forces of evil. But during the reign of the king Manuchehr, its heroes - the king’s various commanders - leave the background, begin to play a larger role, and are the stars of their own stories.
This episode (77) focuses on Sam, loyal ruler of the region of Sistan and a powerful warrior. I use other sources, like the Samnameh, to introduce Sam and share some of his exploits. Then I move to the Shahnameh to share the story of his son Zal’s birth.
Fereydun’s rule ushered in another Golden Age but trouble brewed when his three sons were well into adulthood. The two eldest, Salm and Tur, coveted what Ferdydun granted the youngest, Iraj, to rule. They murdered him and Fereydun hoped his great grandson, Manuchehr, would one day avenge Iraj.
King Fereydun was mentioned a few times in previous episodes. The first half of this episode recaps Fereydun’s birth and how he grew up to save the world from the monstrous tyrant Zahhak. The second half focuses on Fereydun’s sons, how they found their wives, and the trouble they got up to. I also quickly compare the Shahnameh’s Fereydun to his Avestan/Zoroastrian equivalent.
Throughout the Garshaspnama, the tyrant Zahhak repeatedly sends Garshasp on various adventures. But its a new world, Zahhak is gone and Fereydun is now king. Naturally, Garshasp embarks on a new quest, to go east and affirm Fereydun’s rule in China.
Over last few episodes, I covered parts of the Garshaspnama, a Persian epic poem composed around 1066 AD. In those episodes Garshasp fought a dragon and went to India to defeat a rebellious prince. He performed these deeds following the orders of Zahhak, the semi-monstrous king of the world. In this episode (73), Zahhak has another quest for Garshasp to embark upon, and once again its going to take Garshasp to faraway lands and face dangerous enemies.
This episode (72) continues my retelling of the Garshaspnama epic poem. After returning home from India, Garshasp visits his overlord, the tyrant Zahhak, to present the numerous riches he acquired on his journey East. He then travels west to the land of Rum, a mythological version of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, where he hopes to marry a beautiful princess. Finally, Garshasp comes to the rescue of his father Athrat and faces the enemy army of Kabul.
In this section of the Garshaspnama, Garshasp and his Iranian troops embark on a naval voyage of “India”. This India is an exotic magical place. A place of strange people, marvellous sights, and miracles as imagined by the medieval Persians.
This episode (70) continues with the next part of the Garshaspnama. Previously, Garshasp faced a dragon which blocked passage to India. With the dragon slain, and the path to India clear, it is only natural that Garshasp’s next adventures will be in India as he battles against warlords and embarks on conquest.
This episode (69) introduces my retelling of the Garshaspnama, a Persian epic poem completed around 1066 AD. This work was likely inspired by the earlier Shahnameh but focuses on a completely different story. The Garshaspnama covers the exploits of a hero named Garshasp who is almost completely absent from the Shahnameh but who is very important in the even more ancient Zoroastrian Avesta. In this part, Garshasp faces a monstrous dragon and I discuss his Avestan counterpart.
The last two episodes featured Jamshid, a legendary king of the world in Persian mythology. According to the Shahnameh, for many years Jamshid enjoyed the favour of the Creator and invented many aspects of civilization for the first people. However, hubris brought Jamshid’s downfall and he was eventually deposed by the monstrous tyrant Zahhak. After his overthrow, Jamshid disappeared for 100 years but was eventually found and executed by Zahhak. The Shahnameh does not say what Jamshid did for those 100 years. For that we have to look to another epic poem called the Garshaspnama...
After Jamshid was pushed from the throne, the monstrous Zahhak rose to power and the accursed tyrant ushered in a Dark Age. It was a backwards world where virtue was shunned and cruelty celebrated. However, hope was never far away. This episode (67) details the story of Zahhak as presented in the Shahnameh and the rise of the hero Fereydun.
One of the best sources for Persian myths is the Shahnameh or “Book of Kings”. This epic poem was composed in 1010 AD and is one of the most important examples of Iranian literature. It tells a legendary history of Persia, starting with creation and the doings of the first kings, and then covers stories of successive generations of kings and their heroic champions.
This episode (66) covers one of the most significant kings – Jamshid, and his rise and ultimate fall after he succumbs to hubris.
The struggle between Good and Evil is a central theme of Persian mythology. This is not just a human struggle. Persian myths and legends often feature divs, creatures who work mischief on behalf of the evil spirit Ahriman. In this episode (65) I talk about divs, how they made trouble for the early humans and how two legendary Persian kings – Hushang and Tahmuras – fought against the divs and defeated them.
In this episode (64) I cover the creation of humans according to ancient Zoroastrian religious texts. I talk about the role of Gayomart (aka Keyumars), the prototypical First Man, and how he fought against the supreme evil spirit Ahriman. To understand how these myths changed over time, I compare the Zoroastrian version to what is written in the Shahnameh, a medieval Persian epic poem. I also discuss the first couple Mashya and Mashyana and how their descendants spread over the Earth.
Welcome back to Myth Madness! This season of the podcast covers Persian mythology. The Persian or Iranian civilization’s roots go back over 3000 years ago, and this episode (63) gives a summary of that history from antiquity to the middle ages. For most of that time, the dominant religion in Persia was Zoroastrianism, and this means its stories have a very distinct Zoroastrian flavour. This episode covers the Zoroastrian creation myth and explains how the forces of Good and Evil battle for control of the universe.
(62) Greek mythology is full of terrible tales, and the story of the brothers Atreus and Thyestes includes murder, adultery, incest and cannibalism. These two cursed sons of Pelops were exiled from their homeland. Later, they fought against each other for control of Mycenae. Tragedy and nastiness ensued.
(61) When the Seven Against Thebes were killed, they left behind children - Epigoni/Epigonoi. Athena assigned these Sons of the Seven the task of destroying Thebes and avenging their fathers.
Some, like Thersander, Aegialeus, and Diomedes were enthusiastic in building an army. Alcmaeon, the son of the champion Amphiaraus, was not. Alcmaeon also blamed his mother Eriphyle for the death of his father and was at first torn between two conflicting duties.
After the war was over, the Sons of the Seven had more adventures. Some rose to kingship. Alcmaeon struggled with the wrath of the gods.
The battle between Eteocles and Polynices is over and the sons of Oedipus are dead. The fate of Oedipus’s daughters – Antigone and Ismene – is a less epic more personal tragedy story and is told in a handful of plays by the Greek playwright Sophocles. One of those tells how the willful Antigone felt she was duty-bound to ensure her brother Polynices got a proper burial. This brought her into tragic conflict with Thebes’ new regent, the powerful nobleman Creon.
This episode (60) retells stories from two plays by Sophocles
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Oedipus at Colonus
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Antigone
(59) Eteocles and Polynices were the sons of Oedipus and like their father they were cursed. In their case, they were doomed to kill each other. Eteocles and Polynices fought over their father’s throne and Polynices was eventually exiled from Thebes. He gained the support of Adrastus, the king of Argos; and a collection of un-heroic scoundrels, including the unpredictable Tydeus. Together, they led a great army against Thebes with the intent of making Polynices king.
Oedipus is probably the one Greek hero who has broken free from Greek mythology and become something else entirely. That of course is all thanks to psychologist Sigmund Freud. Many people today are familiar with the hero, who is cursed with killing his father and sleeping with his mother. But the wider tradition of Greek myth about Oedipus is much more complex. Stretching at least as far back as the 8th century BC, Oedipus is another of the famous beast-slayers of Greek mythology. Additionally, the story of Oedipus’s curse actually concerns 4 different generations of the Theban royal family. Taken together, it is called the Theban Cycle. This episode focuses (58) on Oedipus and his father Laius.
(57) The great hero twins Castor and Polydeukes (Roman Pollux) were known as the Dioscuri / Dioskouroi ‘ which means Sons of Zeus”. Considered by the ancient Greeks to be two of the greatest heroes, there are surprisingly not a whole lot of stories starring them that survive to today, but there are a few important incidents, which are covered in this episode. Beyond the Dioscuri, Greek mythology features several examples of other hero twins with interesting similarities to the Dioscuri.
In Greek mythology, centaurs were dangerous. Numerous heroes got into fights with them and there was even a centaur war. In it, the half-horse creatures fought against an equally fierce human tribe called the Lapiths, led by a hero named Pirithous. Pirithous is an interesting character in Greek mythology. He is not well known today, but its clear he was important to the ancient Greeks. This episode covers:
- The mythical origins of the centaurs and Lapiths
- How trouble at Pirithous’s wedding led to a war between the two groups
- Pirithous’ ill-fated friendship with Theseus
(55) Theseus was one of the heroic monster-slayers of ancient Greece. This episode covers his most famous deed – the slaying of the Minotaur. As a punishment for the Athenian king’s involvement in the murder of his son, Minos of Crete demanded a tribute of 7 young men and 7 young women every nine years to feed the Minotaur. Theseus was one of these youths. He went to Crete, and with help from the princess Ariadne, killed the Minotaur. After returning to Athens, Theseus ascended the throne and went on to have other adventures.
(54) Theseus was one of the heroic monster-slayers of ancient Greece. This episode covers his beginnings. The Athenian king Aegeus was childless and worried about his hold on the throne. The fairly unhelpful advice he got from the Oracle of Delphi brought him to the palace of his friend Pittheus. What followed was the pregnancy of Pittheus’ daughter Aethra, and the birth of Theseus. When Theseus grew up, he set out to meet his father, and met some dangerous characters along the way.
(53) Peleus is a Greek hero who is not well known today but was important during ancient times. He was an Argonaut searching for the Golden Fleece, and a hunter for the Calydonian Boar. Peleus enjoyed a special relationship with the centaur Chiron, and the fondness of the Olympian gods. His most important myth was his marriage to the goddess Thetis.
(52) A few special events in Greek mythology have multiple heroes from different parts of Greece all come together to get a certain job done. One of these was the Hunt for the Calydonian Boar. The boar was sent by an angry Artemis, and the hero Meleager organized a party of heroes to stop the beast’s rampage through his homeland. Another central figure was the female hunter Atalanta, and this episode covers her role in the Hunt and what she did afterwards.
(51) Orpheus was a hero from the Greek region of Thrace. The the ancient Greeks considered Thrace a wild and barbarous place full of warring tribes. Surprisingly though, Orpheus was not warlike. He was a talented musician and a keeper of strange sacred knowledge. The best-known myth about Orpheus involves his wife Eurydice and his descent to the underworld to rescue her. This episode also explores the Orphic Argonautica, which tells the story of the Golden Fleece from Orpheus’ perspective.
In the last four episodes, I covered the story of Jason and the Argonauts. In the poem the Argonautika, which was the basis of my retelling, the success of their adventure mostly revolved around the actions of the young woman Medea. In this episode (50), I continue on from last time and tell what happened to Medea after she returned with Jason to Greece. I also go into more detail on the figure of Medea herself. She had a very well-developed body of mythic material going back to the earliest days of ancient Greece.
With the Golden Fleece secured, Jason and his crew of heroes made the long voyage back home to Greece. Along the way, they were chased by fleets of angry and vindictive enemies, and made their way through a series of dangerous trials. The anger of gods made the voyage dangerous and only the aid of goddesses made their return possible.
Some topic covered:
- The Pursuit of the Argo
- The Murder of Absyrtus
- The Marriage of Jason and Medea
- Talos, the Bronze Giant
- Hints of lost versions
The Golden Fleece was possessed by Aeetes, king of the faraway land of Colchis. This episode will cover Jason and the Argonaut’s arrival in Colchis, what happened there with Aeetes, and their departure. Find out if the actions of goddesses and a love-struck daughter would be enough to ensure Jason’s success.
Last episode began a retelling of the Greek hero Jason’s quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. This task was given to him by his cruel half-uncle Pelias who hoped the dangerous quest would kill his nephew. Fortunately for Jason, the gods were fond of him, and he had the support of various Greek heroes. The group set out in a ship for where the Golden Fleece was located. This episode covers the adventures they had on the way.
The next few episodes will cover the myths surrounding not just one hero but a whole crew of them. This group – called the Argonauts – are lead by a man named Jason. They all go on a quest to retrieve a fabulous treasure called the Golden Fleece. This is a very special adventure. It is one of a few events in Greek myth where a large group of heroes from the same generation come together for a specific reason. This episode details what the Golden Fleece is, why Jason needed to retrieve it, and who were the heroes who joined him on the adventure.
Chiron is a hero not like other Greek heroes. First, he isn’t human. He’s a centaur. But unlike, most Greek centaurs who are wild, unpredictable, and dangerous; Chiron is wise and patient. Second, Chiron doesn’t go on his own adventures. Instead, he trains other heroes and makes them ready for their own. Many of Greek mythology’s most famous heroes were Chiron’s students. This episode covers Chiron, some of his less well-known students, and what he taught them.
The end of the famous 12 Labours was not the end of Heracles’s heroic career. He went on plenty of other exploits afterwards. The event that triggered the Labours was when Heracles went into an insane rage – sometimes according to the will of the goddess Hera – and killed his newly formed family. The Labours allowed him to gain forgiveness in the eyes of gods and men. With his tasks complete, you might think Heracles had learned a lesson, matured, and changed for the better. HE DID NOT. Heracles continued to make many of the same mistakes. He completed many more glorious quests, but those mistakes eventually lead to his demise.
Continuing on with the Labours of Heracles, Eurystheus was determined to ensure the hero failed. Previous Labours occurred in the regions of Greece near Mycenae, but it was time to send Heracles further away and hope he never returned. These next Labours took Heracles to places on the fringes of the ancient Greek civilization, to the ends of the earth, and even beyond. The hero would face off against fabulous creatures and powerful enemies.
This episode covers the last 6 of the Labours of Heracles.
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Capturing the Cretan Bull
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Seizing the man-eating Mares of Diomedes
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Acquiring the Belt of the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta
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Cattle-rustling the herds of the giant Geryon
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Going on a treasure hunt for the Golden Apples of the Hesperides
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Fetching Cerberos, the guard dog of the underworld
What do you do when you accidentally murder your entire family? Well, when Heracles went to the Oracle of Delphi to ask that very same question, he was instructed to go to his relative, King Eurystheus of Mycenae, and complete a series of terrible tasks. This episode covers the first 6 Labours of Heracles.
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Slaying the Nemean Lion
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Killing the multi-headed Hydra
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Capturing the Cerynitian Hind, a large magical deer
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Trapping the Erymanthian Boar
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Scaring away the Stymphalian Birds
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Cleaning the poop-filled Stables of Augeus
Amphitryon, Alkmene, Alcaeus & Iphikles
This episode begins a multi-parter on the Greek hero Herakles, and this first part deals with the hero's legendary origins. First, I cover the adventures of the less well-known hero Amphitryon, his exile from his homeland, and the series of quests he goes on to marry his love. That ends with Zeus’s seduction of the beautiful Alkmene and the birth of two hero twins. In Herakles’ early years, his exploits hint at a dangerous rage hiding below the surface, and a divine enemy in the form of Hera. Both of those came together in Heracles’s tragic murder of his own family.
Minos of Crete was a powerful king in Greek mythology. He was sometimes considered the first king to build a navy, and used this fleet to make himself master of the sea. Minos ruled according to the will of Zeus and listened to him when making laws, meaning he was a favourite of Zeus and a man who honoured the gods. But maybe, perhaps just like the king of the universe, the king of Crete was sometimes viewed as a tyrant. Some of his myths – such as the most famous one involving the Minotaur – show him in that way.
Bellerophon or Bellerophontes as he was also known, was one of the most celebrated heroes in Greek myth. He was a son of the god Poseidon and a human woman named Eurynome. He is the famous Greek hero who rides the winged horse Pegasus. On first glance, he is a classic hero – he rides a magic horse and is most famous for slaying a monster. But there are some deeper darker layers to Bellerophon that hint at a more nuanced heroism.
The focus of this episode is the Gorgon Perseus killed two episodes back. In that story, the Gorgon Medusa was presented as a threatening monster. In this episode I drill down a bit more into the mythology of Medusa and how conceptions of the Gorgons changed over time, discussing what’s said in different literary sources and how the they appear in art.
Andromeda and Other Adventures
Last episode the hero Perseus travelled to a faraway land to kill the Gorgon Medusa. With that complete, he wasn’t ready to return to Greece just yet. With Hermes’ winged sandals still in his possession, Perseus was free to go on some more adventures. The most important of these was when he travelled to Aethiopia and rescued the princess Andromeda from a sea serpent. I also cover how Perseus was considered a legendary founding figure and how he fulfilled a deadly prophecy.
The Quest for the Gorgon’s Head
One mark of a hero is being born under mysterious circumstances. One of the strangest examples is Perseus who is born when a drops of liquid gold fall on his imprisoned mother Danae. Several years later, Perseus was grown up, and a cruel king tricked him into undertaking an impossible task – to bring back the severed head of a terrible monster living in an unknown land. To be successful, Perseus would need a little help from the gods Hermes and Athena, and some divine treasures.
This episode covers the dark and chilling tales of the Greek hero Pelops. First, I cover his father Tantalus, how he dared to challenge the gods and how a father’s embrace turned deadly. Afterwards, I explore an adult Pelops' challenges as a suitor for the beautiful Hippodamia, and the thrilling chariot race that determined her fate. But did the cunning hero use only his skill, or did some trickery grant him the upper hand?
What happens when two cunning Greek tricksters cross paths and become entwined in each other's tales? In this episode I cover Sisyphus and Autolycus (and also a third troublemaker named Erysichthon). These two are considered heroes due to their descent from gods. But they sure aren’t “good guys”, often relying on lies and tricks to get what they want. Even if that means trying to cheat death itself.
In this episode I continue the discussion on the city-state of Thebes in Greek mythology, focusing on the kings who succeeded Cadmus. The most dramatic story is about the princess Antiope and her twin sons, Amphion and Zethus. These heroes were credited with building the magnificent walls and seven gates of Thebes. But their triumphs were also ruined by the gods' wrath, which led to the tragic end of their families.
Throughout, I provide historical and cultural context for Thebes, including its significance as a powerful kingdom in ancient times. The episode includes a lot of names and genealogy, so I’ve made a family tree available on the podcast website.
Many Greek heroes are responsible for founding a city or being the ancestral head of some powerful dynasty of later heroes. This episode focuses on Cadmus, who arrives in Greece while searching for his missing sister. He goes on to found the city of Thebes after killing a serpent dragon and marries Harmonia, an immortal daughter of the gods Ares and Aphrodite. I also discuss how their children went through a series of tragedies, most of which were due to offending the gods.
Welcome to Season 3 of the Myth Madness Podcast!
Most people are familiar with the names of the more important Greek heroes – ones like Achilles, Oedipus, Hercules, and Theseus. But the Greeks had myths telling the adventures of many different heroes, all living in an Age of Heroes. This episode is an introduction to the Age of Heroes as a whole. The following episodes will each focus on the individual heroes. In this episode, I also cover how the ancient Greeks explored their own past with their myths and how the legendary Age of Heroes can be treated as a fantasy version of Mycenaean Greece.
This is the final episode in the latest series on Hittite myths. Careful listeners of the past seven episodes were perhaps reminded of things I talked about in the previous Greek myth episodes. In this episode, I go back and discuss a few of those similarities between the different Mediterranean mythologies.
This episode covers yet another attempt by Kumarbi to remove Teshub from power. Kumarbi orchestrates the birth of a son named Ullikummi, a monster made of stone who continually grows larger. This myth is considered the last instalment of the Kumarbi Cycle.
This episode continues with myths from the Kumarbi Cycle. While the storm god Teshub is now king in heaven, Kumarbi is still around, and instigates fighting between Teshub and several rivals. Some of these include LAMMA, an arrogant god; Kiase, the sea god and close ally of Kumarbi; and Hedammu, a monstrous sea serpent.
This episode kicks off a three-part retelling of a wacky series of myths called the Kumarbi Cycle. These myths, while important to the Hittites, were originally Hurrian. The stories revolve around two groups of gods fighting for power over the universe. The first part tells how Kumarbi took the throne and fathered a younger generation of gods.
Like with the storm gods, the Hittites worshipped multiple solar deities too. This episode covers them, two sun goddesses and one sun god. I also explore the Hittite’s ideas on the underworld. The different traditions for solar deities and underworld likely come from the different population layers of the Hittite world.
The Hittites worshipped multiple storm gods, all with power over weather and living atop mountains, and several of them are arranged in a family relationship. This episode explores this family of storm gods. But, the Hittites also had a main storm god, called Tarhunna, who was considered a protector of the entire kingdom. His most important myths featured his conflicts with Illuyanka, a monstrous serpent creature. For fun, I also talk about a myth from Ireland.
This episode covers how the Hittites imagined their gods, and how they worshipped them. The Hittites took special care in keeping their gods’ attention, and if they failed, disaster struck! The Hittites had myths about the disappearance of certain gods. The best preserved tells how the god Telipinu left in a rage and how the other gods tried to find him.
This episode begins an eight-part series on Hittite mythology. The Hittite civilization existed throughout the 2nd millennium BC and was a great power in the ancient Middle East. The Hittites worshipped A LOT of gods. In this episode, I introduce the Hittite civilization, briefly describe its origins and constituent groups, and discuss how they got so many gods.
Following last episode on the Gigantomachy, this episode discusses another threat to the Olympians: the monster Typhon. This humanoid serpentine enemy of Zeus was lurking in the background of a few of the past episodes. I discuss different versions for his birth, physical description, and his battles with Zeus for control of the universe.
Even though Zeus ruled over the universe, his position was not entirely secure. Today I’m going to talk about a collection of different threats to the Olympian divine order. Many of them are giants – superhuman beings, of a very large size that fight the gods. This episode mostly focuses on the war between the Olympians and the Gigantes, a group of arrogant giants descended from Gaia.
The most important god in Greek mythology is Zeus, who is both “King” and “Father of Gods and Men”. In this episode I cover how Zeus became king of the universe and how he consolidated his power, plus give details on some of his numerous children and his cults.
Today’s episode is a little different and will cover a few different goddesses who inhabit Mount Olympos and pop up occasionally in the Greek myths. The most important is probably Hestia, who presided over a Greek home’s sacrificial fireplace, making her receive a portion of every sacrifice. Other goddesses covered are Hebe, Eileithyia, Iris, Nike, Nemesis, Tyche, the Horae, the Muses, the Charites, and Eris.
Dionysus is commonly known as the Greek god of wine and imagined spending time in forest groves, drinking and partying with his worshippers. But there is also a more complicated, and even darker side to Dionysus. He is responsible for madness and frenzy, and apparently also world travel. Many Dionysus myths show an antagonistic relationship with humans, yet his cult was incredibly important in the ancient Greek religion.
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of desire, sex, and love. She causes desire in others, and takes a great joy in using this power, even on the other gods. There are two very different accounts of Aphrodite’s birth and some Greek philosophers attempted to rationalize this. Aphrodite had two important mortal lovers – Anchises and Adonis - and I discuss both of their myths here.
This episode serves as a geography lesson of the ancient Greek underworld, and covers its ruler Hades and its other inhabitants. Hades largely remains within the underworld and there are not a lot of myths involving him. I also tie the discussion together with the previous two episodes dealing with Persephone.
Demeter is one of the original six Olympians. She is closely associated with agriculture and fertility and is the mother of the goddess Persephone. After Persephone went missing, Demeter unsuccessfully searched for her and then wandered the Earth. This episode covers what she did in Eleusis and also discusses the Greek mystery cults Demeter was a central figure in.
Persephone is a goddess associated with nature and death. She was worshipped throughout Greece and had distinct local cults on the mainland, Greek islands, and what is now Turkey and Italy. Persephone or Kore "Maiden" as she is also called, was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. The myth of her abduction by Hades explains how she became Queen of the Underworld.
Ares was responsible for the chaotic elements of war and a lust for battle. He did not have many temples but was naturally very important to Greek soldiers when they were on military campaigns. Ares does not feature in many surviving Greek myths – his affair with Aphrodite is the most well-known. I also discuss what is strange about his Homeric Hymn and the Roman’s conception of him.
Poseidon is known as the Greek god who ruled over the seas. But he was also the Earthshaker and the god of horses. Poseidon was very important in the general Greek religion. Greek colonists who travelled across the sea praised Poseidon for allowing them to reach their destinations safely. But there is also evidence Poseidon was much more important in the earlier days of ancient Greece, and this may be reflected in some of his myths.
Hephaestus was a god of craftsmen, responsible for blacksmiths, metal working, carpenters, and sculptors. In Greek myth, Hephaestus is often more of a supporting character, he stays in his workshop and creates things – typically armour – that are used by other people. This episode focuses on Hephaestus’ fall from the heavens, return to Mount Olympos, failed marriage to Aphrodite, and his fabulous creations.
This episode will focus on the Greek god Hermes. In Greek mythology, Hermes is shown as a clever god. He is a trickster and also a thief. But he also serves as a humble messenger boy, bringing the will of the gods to human beings. I retell the story of how Hermes stole Apollo's cattle when he was only a baby, and also discuss how Hermes was repackaged during the Medieval Era and even survived to today.
Athena is the Greek goddess associated with wisdom and war. Athena is one of the most important of the Olympians and be viewed as Zeus lieutenant. In terms of strength and power, she is even said to be Zeus’ equal and often bears his “Aegis”. In this episode I discuss some of the main myths of Athena, what the Aegis is, and what it may actually refer to.
Artemis, the "Mistress of Animals", is associated with hunting and the wilderness. The poet Callimachus wrote a long hymn detailing how a young Artemis acquired her responsibilities. Famously, Artemis does not take kindly to mortal men and I retell a few of those stories. The ones involving Orion are the most interesting and show a more complicated side to Artemis.
Apollo is one of the most complicated of all the Greek gods. He was a god who had many different responsibilities, and gained more over time. In this episode, I go over the myths of Apollo’s birth and more convoluted stories of how he founded his temple and oracle at Delphi.
In this episode, I enter what can be loosely called the ancient Greeks’ mythic Bronze Age. This episode focuses on the goddess Hera, the Queen of Heaven. In myth, Hera is typically portrayed as an angry wife, constantly dealing with the affairs of her husband Zeus. But those stories do not capture how important Hera was in ancient Greek religion. I also introduce the poet Homer, the Iliad, and the Homeric Hymns.
With the universe now under the control of Zeus and the Olympians, the uninhabited world now had to peopled with humans. In this episode, I discuss several different ideas on the creation of humans held by the ancient Greeks. But regardless of how humans came to be, Hesiod says the Titan Prometheus took it upon himself to look after them. Prometheus ended up going against the will of Zeus and was punished accordingly.
Now the king, Zeus picks up the pieces following the defeat of Kronos. And he does that in the most “Zeus” way possible - by taking several lovers and having children. He assigns responsibilities to each of the gods and even keeps around those Titans who did not side with Kronos. The Titan Helios is kept responsible for the Sun. But, the world is almost destroyed by his son, Phaeton. I also introduce Hekate, another Titan ally of Zeus.
In this episode, Kronos deals with the aftermath of his decision to eat his own children. His youngest son, Zeus, is raised in secret and returns to lead the Olympian gods against the older generation of Titans; with a little help from Gaia, the Cyclopes and the Hekatonchieres. To the victor will go control of the universe. I also discuss different versions and what we know about a lost epic poem likely about the war.
In this episode, I go to the very beginning with Greek myths on the origins of the universe and the immortal beings who first inhabited it. Things get dramatic fairly quickly when one of these beings - Kronos - decides to kill his own father. I also explore what it means to be a "god" in Greek mythology.
Welcome to the Pod!
In my first episode, I introduce Greek mythology. First, there's a brief overview of the history of ancient Greece. Today's myth is the "Ages of Man" which details the gods' different attempts to create humans and how life gets more difficult in each successive age. I compare two versions of this myth - one by the Greek poet Hesiod and the other by the Roman poet Ovid, and also compare them to a similar story from India.