Dogs, Birds and… Eels? – Pets in the Ancient World

Dogs, Birds and… Eels? – Pets in the Ancient World

Author: It's All Greek (and Latin) To Me May 27, 2025 Duration: 27:59
Armand and Jimmy follow the pawprints of history to uncover the deeply emotional – and sometimes bizarre – relationships the ancients had with their animals. From the heartbreaking moment Odysseus returns home to find his loyal dog Argos dying, to a Roman epitaph that mourns a beloved pup named Patrikhi, they reveal a world where grief and love for pets were immortalized in verse. Along the way, they explore a Roman orator who dressed his pet eel in jewellery, Virgil’s possible tax-dodging fly funeral, and Julius Caesar’s short-lived affection for a giraffe…

The main texts explored (in order) were: Homer’s Odyssey, Roman Epitaph for Patrikhi, Catullus Poems 2 & 3, Martial Epigrams 1.109, Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, Herodotus’ Histories and Euripides’ Orestes. 

Presented by Armand D’Angour and Jimmy Mulville
 Produced by Diggory Waite
 A Hat Trick Production

For more on the charity Classics For All, who support state schools to introduce or develop the teaching of classical subjects sustainably on the curriculum or as an after school activity, visit www.classicsforall.org.uk

Ever wonder why a "mortgage" feels like a "death pledge" or how a "decimated" army lost exactly one in ten soldiers? It's All Greek (and Latin) To Me digs into the ancient roots of the words and ideas we use every day, revealing the stories buried in our language. This isn't a dry grammar lesson; it's a series of deep dives into how Greek and Latin have shaped modern thought, law, science, and culture. Each episode focuses on a specific term or concept, tracing its journey from antiquity to the present, and in the process, we explore surprising connections across history and society. You'll hear how philosophical debates from Athens influence contemporary ethics, or how Roman engineering terms are still embedded in our infrastructure. The goal is to make the classical world feel immediate and relevant, showing that these ancient languages are far from dead-they're actively whispering in our ears. Tune in to this podcast for a blend of etymology, history, and cultural analysis that transforms the way you listen to the news, read a book, or even have a casual conversation. It’s for the curious, for those who love a good story behind a word, and for anyone who’s ever suspected there’s more to our modern vocabulary than meets the eye.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 21

It's All Greek (and Latin) To Me
Podcast Episodes
“The Old Lie” – The Roman Ode that Haunted the Trenches [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:44
“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” – “It is sweet and glorious to die for one’s country.”This week, Jimmy and Armand dive into the conflicted world of Horace, the Roman poet who famously threw away his own shield, sw…
“They Make a Desert and Call It Peace” – Tacitus' Agricola [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:55
“They make a desert and call it peace.” It’s one of the most brutal lines in ancient history – but was it ever actually spoken? Jimmy and Armand unpack the sharp, unsettling world of Roman historian Tacitus, who often sl…
Is Love Worth the Risk? – The Songs of Sappho with Martha Kearney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:55
Armand and Jimmy dive into the passionate, mysterious world of Sappho – the iconic lyric poet of archaic Greece, whose fragments of song have echoed across millennia. From fiery expressions of desire to haunting lines of…
Julius Caesar’s Gamble – "The Die is Cast" with Mary Beard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:12
Armand and Jimmy follow Julius Caesar to the banks of the Rubicon - and the moment that changed Roman history forever. With the help of Britain’s best-known classicist, Mary Beard, they unravel the famous phrase "The die…
Naked Heroes, Angry Gods – 'The Odyssey' with Alex Horne [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:03
Armand and Jimmy set sail through the timeless tale of The Odyssey, Homer’s epic poem that follows the long and perilous journey of Odysseus as he fights monsters, resists temptresses, and outwits gods to return home. Al…
Lysistrata [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:53
Armand and Jimmy explore the hilarious and bold story of Lysistrata, the comedic tale of Ancient Greek women who devise an unexpected strategy to end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex from their men. They also div…