Should We Like the Ancient Greek Goddesses? Divine Might With Natalie Haynes

Should We Like the Ancient Greek Goddesses? Divine Might With Natalie Haynes

Author: Classical Wisdom August 24, 2024 Duration: 44:52
What do the ancient Greek goddesses reveal about ancient Greek culture? Why did people craft such immoral and often unlikeable gods? And what should we really think about Hera? Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with NATALIE HAYNES, author of several books, including Pandora’s Jar, Stone Blind and A Thousand Ships, which was a national bestseller and shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Natalie is a comedian— as well as a broadcaster for the BBC, and she h...

There's a quiet conversation happening across the centuries, and tuning into Classical Wisdom Speaks lets you overhear it. This isn't a dry lecture series, but a place where the vivid stories, enduring philosophies, and complex lives of the ancient world are examined for what they can tell us today. Each episode, brought to you by Classical Wisdom, feels like a thoughtful discussion with experts who are passionate about making these ideas accessible and relevant. You'll hear about the strategic dilemmas faced by Athenian generals, the poetic insights of Sappho, or the ethical questions posed by Stoic thinkers, all framed in a way that connects directly to contemporary life. The goal is to listen to these foundational voices not as historical artifacts, but as active participants in our own modern dilemmas. This history podcast thrives on the belief that the struggles for meaning, justice, and a good life are timeless, and that the ancients still have a lot to say if we know how to listen. The dialogue between past and present is surprisingly lively, and each episode invites you to join in, finding unexpected guidance and perspective from some of history's most profound minds.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Classical Wisdom Speaks
Podcast Episodes
Does Ancient History Have A Future? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:51
What Is the Future of Ancient History? In this deep, thought-provoking discussion, leading historians and philosophers explore what “ancient history” really means, how it’s taught today, and why it matters more than ever…
The Ancients and the Afterlife: Mythology, Mourning, and Mummies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:22
What Did Ancient People Believe About Death and the Afterlife? Robert Garland explores how Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and other ancient cultures understood death, grief, burial, and the afterlife. This episode is for any…
The Man Who Tried to Save Athenian Democracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:15
This episode is for anyone interested in ancient Greece, democracy, political history, and rhetoric, especially if you want to understand how the past connects to modern political challenges. You’ll learn who Demosthenes…
The Misunderstood Myth: Persephone, Hades & Demeter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:20
What does the story of Demeter really tell us about loss, power, and the human experience? In this episode, renowned translator and classicist Diane Rayor unpacks the Homeric Hymn to Demeter: one of the most powerful and…
Mary Beard: Why You Should Argue With the Ancients [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:15
What is the point of studying Classics today? Mary Beard explains why the ancient world still shocks, challenges, and reshapes how we think. Discover how Greek and Roman history can change your perspective, without offer…
Rebellions Against Rome: The Jewish Revolts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:59
An age of apocalyptic thinking, a clash of empires, and a legacy that still shapes the world today... Today Anya is joined by Professor Barry Strauss to discuss the Jewish Revolts against the Roman Empire. Discover what…
Natalie Haynes on Medea: Greek Tragedy's Most Shocking Heroine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:03
Barbarian, witch, murderer… and mother. Today Anya is joined by author and broadcaster Natalie Haynes to discuss one of Greek mythology’s most famous and dramatic characters, Medea. Discover the complex legends and legac…
The Roman Guide to War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:21
What were the secrets of Roman warfare? What is the best way to defeat an enemy… and what does all this have to do with aqueducts? Today Anya is joined by George Thomas to discuss the life of Frontinus, an ancient Roman…
What Can Ancient History Tell Us About Revolutions? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:38
Long before crowds stormed Bastille or Winter Palace, Greek thinkers treated revolution as the ultimate civic nightmare. So how did an existential danger morph into a promise of liberation—and what happens when that prom…
Slave of God: Should We Rethink St. Augustine? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:34
Existing at the very edge of the Classical world, in both time and geography, Saint Augustine has proven to be immensely influential on the modern world… but not always in a good way. Today Anya is joined by Tony Alimi t…