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With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, the birth of Christianity, and the early Middle Ages. The show's curren ...
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The podcast that transports you to the ancient world and back, with some good conversation along the way. It's not just about ancient Greece. It's about a huge chunk of human history that the Greek texts give us access to: from Egypt and Babylon, to Persia, to Carthage and Rome, we'll sail the wine-dark sea of history with some expert guides at the helm. Topics will include archaeology, literature, and philosophy. New episode every month.
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Comic Keren Margolis and homosexual Tommy O'Malley are both power tops who co-host Unhireable, the biological child of the podcast Race Wars. Every week, Keren and Tommy talk to fellow smart attention seekers about the culture. You're welcome.
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Announcements: Next Tour, Seeking Video Editor, Connect on Social Media, Patreon update
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Some announcements for those of you who care about what's happening at AGD behind the scenes...
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61 Who is Lantern Jack? (Doug Interviews Me)
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1:04:24
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I chat with friend and fellow podcaster Doug Metzger about how I first became fascinated with the ancient world and share some of the adventures I had on the way to getting a PhD in Classical Philosophy. ------------------ Support AGD on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast ------------------ Timestamps [01:25] Why I started AGD [05:15] Why Stoicism …
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Episode 112: Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry
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2:19:43
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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…
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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.co…
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60 The Rise of Athens (Themistocles and the Persian Wars, Part 3)
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During the Persian Wars, the city of Athens was completely razed to the ground by the Persian army. And yet, from its ashes, a new Athens was born, more powerful and magnificent than any other city in the Mediterranean. How did the Athenians pull that off? In this finale to our Persian Wars saga, we explore the final battles of the conflict and the…
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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 Ep…
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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.…
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59 The Ancient Novels w/ Doug Metzger (Apuleius, Lucian, Chariton, Heliodorus, Petronius, Achilles Tatius)
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Unveiling the wild world of ancient Greek and Roman novels with Doug Metzger, host of the "Literature and History Podcast." ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast ------------------ Contents of the episode, with timestamps: 04:22 When did novels first arise? 09:12 The four genres of ancient nove…
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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-isido…
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58 What Did the World's First Pop Star Sound like? | Euripides and Ancient Music w/ Claire Catenaccio
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What did ancient music sound like? In this episode, you will hear three songs that are over 2000 years old! Few people in the world today know more about ancient music than our guest in this episode. Claire Catenaccio is an assistant professor of classics at Georgetown University who specializes in the study of ancient drama and its modern receptio…
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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/wat…
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Even after thousands of years of supposed progress in philosophy, there are still some who maintain that the entire history of western philosophy consists of footnotes to Plato. But who was Plato the man? If there is anyone who can answer that question, it's our guest in this episode. Robin Waterfield is a renowned scholar of antiquity who has writ…
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Episode 106: Gregory of Tours, Part 2
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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://…
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56 The Man Who Defeated the Persian Empire (Themistocles and the Persian Wars, Part 2)
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In 480BC the Persian Empire invaded Greece with the largest military force the world had ever seen. Meanwhile in Athens, a man named Themistocles had spent the last ten years preparing for this moment. He had come up with a plan to defeat Persia, but it would require a mix of strategy, intrigue, deception, and plain old good luck... Contents of the…
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Episode 105: Gregory of Tours, Part 1
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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-…
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55 Fire in the Cradle of Democracy (The Persian Wars, Part 1)
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The three decades from 508-478BC were possibly the most consequential in all of ancient history. In this episode and the next, we tell the story of the Greco-Persian Wars through the eyes of Themistocles, the Athenian mastermind who guided the Greeks to victory. Contents of the episode, with timestamps: [04:50] Themistocles' Childhood and the Athen…
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AGD "Persian Wars" Tour in Greece! Jan. 3-11, 2025
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AGD is going back to Greece this January 3-11 for another epic adventure! This time we'll be exploring the Persian Wars and the profound effect they had on Greek civilization. We will visit all the major focal points of the Greco-Persian showdown (Marathon, the Acropolis, Eretria, Salamis, Thermopylae, Plataea, and Delphi) as well as a wide variety…
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Episode 104: An Introduction to the Talmud
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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…
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54 Were the Spartans Proto-Fascist Losers? w/ Bret Devereaux
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Bret Devereux is a military historian at North Carolina State University and author of the recent viral article "Spartans Were Losers: The US Military's Admiration of a Proto-Fascist City-State is Based on Bad History." He joins us to explain why he thinks that the traditional image of Sparta as an egalitarian society of warrior badasses is a lie. …
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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/ul1P…
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53 Why Platonism and Stoicism Are Going Viral w/ John Vervaeke
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As our world becomes increasingly hi-tech, more and more people have been turning to ancient wisdom traditions in search of meaning. There are two schools of ancient philosophy in particular that have seen a meteoric revival in recent years: Platonism and Stoicism. Cognitive scientist John Vervaeke joins us to explore why this is happening. -------…
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"Enemies of Athens" Tour Announcement Oct. 11-19, 2023
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AGD is going back to Greece this fall (Oct. 11-19) for another epic adventure! This time we'll be exploring areas that in ancient times lay in the shadow of – or in direct conflict with – the Athenian hegemony. Check out our video from the first tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-w7u6aQz0 To reserve your spot, email us at greecepodcast@gmail.…
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Episode 102: An Old Man's Book (Augustine's City of God, Part 2 of 2)
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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.yo…
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Episode 101: Against the Pagans (Augustine's City of God, Part 1 of 2)
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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 http…
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Episode 100: Late Have I Loved You (Augustine's Confessions, Books 9-13)
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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 Bo…
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