Podcast Episodes

Plato and the Tyrant: What Inspired Philosophy's Greatest Masterpiece?

Bridging the ancient and the urgent, historian James Romm and acclaimed author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn dive into the dramatic story behind Plato and the Tyrant. 

This is not the Plato of abst…

Published on 10 hours ago

The Life of Stories

Sometimes stories have a life of their own... literally.

Today Anya is joined by Joel Christensen to discuss how mythology acts as a living being in itself. 

Discover how stories shape the world around…

Published on 2 weeks ago

The Ancient Secrets to a Healthy Diet

From specific dietary instructions to detailed systems to categorize foods and their health effects, ancient Greeks and Romans tried to optimize their health and well being through their diet. 

But wh…

Published on 4 weeks ago

They Contain Multitudes: The Contradictions of the Ancient Greeks

Tell me about a complicated culture…

From the Peloponnesian War to the women of ancient mythology, today Anya is joined by Jennifer T. Roberts to talk about the rich, complex, and contradictory nature…

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

The Meaning of Monsters in Greek Mythology

Centaurs, Snake-kings, Griffins, and Gorgons... ancient Greek mythology is filled with haunting hybrids. But how did these horrific monsters evolve? What is their purpose? And most intriguing of all.…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

Rome's Greatest Rivalry?

They were two of Rome's most famous and powerful men.

Both were respected statesmen and feared generals. Both were crucial figures in the final years of the Roman Republic.

But you might not have heard…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

Aristotle and the Good Life

What can Aristotle tell us about how we should live today? What are the ancient secrets to a flourishing life? 

And what is 'the art of the interesting?' 

Today Anya is joined by Lorraine Besser to dis…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Ancient Assyria's Forgotten Queen

She was one of the most powerful women of the ancient world…

Once mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy. 

Yet today she is largely forgotten. Why did this happen?  

To…

Published on 3 months ago

Stoicism and the Secret to Happiness

What is the key to happiness? It turns out, the Stoics might just have the answer… 

Today Anya is joined by Christopher Gill to discuss ancient Stoic understandings of happiness, how some modern inter…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

How the Classics Inspired America's Founders

It’s no secret that the American Founding Fathers were deeply inspired by the Classics. The words of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers suffuse the original documents and ideas that built Ameri…

Published on 4 months ago