Letters from the End of the World – Pliny in Pompeii with Ancient History Fangirl

Letters from the End of the World – Pliny in Pompeii with Ancient History Fangirl

Author: It's All Greek (and Latin) To Me May 20, 2025 Duration: 25:13
Armand and Jimmy plunge into the smoke and ash of one of Ancient Rome’s most haunting eyewitness accounts: Pliny the Younger’s letters describing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. With ash raining from the sky and the sea vanishing before their eyes, the Roman world seemed to collapse in real time. But beyond the drama lies a deeper story – of science, courage, superstition, and family. Why did Pliny the Elder sail toward the disaster? What made these letters survive two thousand years? And how did a volcano help shape both the mythology of Roman nature writing and our understanding of imperial control? Expect crumbling cities, singing dolphins, volcanic gods, and one of the most vivid ancient accounts of catastrophe ever written.

Thank you to Genn and Jenny from the Ancient History Fangirl podcast for their suggestion of this week’s topic and the main text explored: Pliny the Younger’s Epistulae

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 Aeneid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:28
Armand and Jimmy delve into one of the greatest masterpieces of Roman literature, The Aeneid, shedding light on its historical significance and the political motivations behind its creation by the poet Virgil. They explo…
Plato [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:26
Join Armand and Jimmy as they delve into Plato’s Symposium, unraveling the diverse perspectives on love shared by Plato, Socrates, and their fellow guests. Armand reveals the intriguing figure he believes was instrumenta…
Juvenal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:48
Armand and Jimmy discuss Juvenal, one of the earliest and most influential satirists, emphasising how every aspect of his work was crafted for comedic effect—from the absurd content, such as the foolish desires his fello…
Narcissus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:23
Armand and Jimmy delve into the myth of Narcissus and Echo, revealing how it has left its mark on modern psychology by prompting the ideas of 'Narcissism' and more recently 'Echoism.' They also shed light on the poet Ovi…
The Iliad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:33
Armand and Jimmy discuss Homer's epic poem The Iliad and in particular the moment where the Greek warrior Diomedes and the Trojan Glaucus meet on the battlefield... Main text explored: The Iliad by HomerPresented by Arma…
Catullus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:01
Odi et amo - 'I hate and I Iove'Armand and Jimmy chat about the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus and the trials and tribulations of his love affair with a young woman whom he calls Lesbia—who, Armand explains, may have…
Eureka [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:11
A multidisciplinary approach to this episode, as Jimmy and Armand explore the exclamation ‘Eureka!’ uttered by Archimedes, known from a story told by architectural historian Vitruvius about how the inventor discovered ho…
Oedipus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:40
In this episode we take the oft quoted idea of the Oedipus Complex and find out its origins in Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Rex.Armand and Jimmy first present a handy guide to the key points of the story, then explore how…
Carpe Diem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:44
We kick off the series with an expression that is often heard; but what do we know about who wrote it and from which literary work it is plucked?Armand and Jimmy discuss possible translations of the phrase, what the writ…
Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:53
Join Armand D'Angour (Professor of Classics at Oxford University) and Jimmy Mulville (Comedy Producer, Chairman of charity 'Classics For All' and lifelong classics devotee) as they explore the ancient world through expre…