According to the historical evidence, the first stirrings of philosophical inquiry began 2600 years ago in ancient Greece with a group of thinkers known as the Presocratics (or pre-Socratics). In this episode we try to shed light on these early pioneers of philosophy. Our guest is André Laks, professor of ancient philosophy at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. Laks is the co-editor of the recent 9-volume Harvard <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674996542/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0674996542&linkId=d758b678527894eff6db10ea6d0b2aec"> Loeb edition</a> of the early Greek philosophical fragments – the first comprehensive edition to be made in over a hundred years. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a chance to win an autographed, hard-cover edition of Laks' book <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691191484/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0691191484&linkId=6ffe9f7a6edf9620d61c5c1d581df715">The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy</a>. ------------------ The intro to this episode was provided by host Drew Vahrencamp of <a href="http://wonderspodcast.com">Wonders of the World</a>, a podcast that explores the most amazing historical sites around the world and the stories behind them (plus travel & food tips for visiting them). Check it out on your favorite app or at: <a href="http://wonderspodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl= "https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wonderspodcast.com&source=gmail&ust=1564530844860000&usg=AFQjCNH-eT2cilG3lNgy5Z0N89DE2EdiyQ">wonderspodcast.com</a> ------------------ Support us on Patreon: <a href= "http://patreon.com/greecepodcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl= "https://www.google.com/url?q=http://patreon.com/greecepodcast&source=gmail&ust=1564530844860000&usg=AFQjCNGmlnEBJQMJl5tPAji_TZWxTcnBOw">patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> Or make a one-time donation: <a href= "http://paypal.me/greecepodcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl= "https://www.google.com/url?q=http://paypal.me/greecepodcast&source=gmail&ust=1564530844860000&usg=AFQjCNHnylTy2wjin5WwzUUdjrCcFyPIzg">paypal.me/greecepodcast</a>

According to the historical evidence, the first stirrings of philosophical inquiry began 2600 years ago in ancient Greece with a group of thinkers known as the Presocratics (or pre-Socratics). In this episode we try to shed light on these early pioneers of philosophy. Our guest is André Laks, professor of ancient philosophy at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. Laks is the co-editor of the recent 9-volume Harvard Loeb edition of the early Greek philosophical fragments – the first comprehensive edition to be made in over a hundred years. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a chance to win an autographed, hard-cover edition of Laks' book The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy. ------------------ The intro to this episode was provided by host Drew Vahrencamp of Wonders of the World, a podcast that explores the most amazing historical sites around the world and the stories behind them (plus travel & food tips for visiting them). Check it out on your favorite app or at: wonderspodcast.com ------------------ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast

According to the historical evidence, the first stirrings of philosophical inquiry began 2600 years ago in ancient Greece with a group of thinkers known as the Presocratics (or pre-Socratics). In this episode we try to shed light on these early pioneers of philosophy. Our guest is André Laks, professor of ancient philosophy at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. Laks is the co-editor of the recent 9-volume Harvard <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674996542/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0674996542&amp;linkId=d758b678527894eff6db10ea6d0b2aec" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Loeb edition</a> of the early Greek philosophical fragments – the first comprehensive edition to be made in over a hundred years. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a chance to win an autographed, hard-cover edition of Laks' book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691191484/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0691191484&amp;linkId=6ffe9f7a6edf9620d61c5c1d581df715" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy</a>. ------------------ The intro to this episode was provided by host Drew Vahrencamp of <a href="http://wonderspodcast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wonders of the World</a>, a podcast that explores the most amazing historical sites around the world and the stories behind them (plus travel &amp; food tips for visiting them). Check it out on your favorite app or at: <a href="http://wonderspodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">wonderspodcast.com</a> ------------------ Support us on Patreon: <a href="http://patreon.com/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> Or make a one-time donation: <a href="http://paypal.me/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">paypal.me/greecepodcast</a>

25 The Origins of Philosophy w/ André Laks (Presocratics, Parmenides, Heraclitus)

Aeschylus' "Oresteia" is one of the most extraordinary works of literature to have come from Ancient Greece. It's a story about murder, revenge, and the birth of justice itself. We are joined by Doug Metzger, host of the "<a href= "https://literatureandhistory.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Literature and History</a>" podcast to explore how the ancient Athenian tragedian Aeschylus turned a bloody family feud into a vision of civilization, and offered the Athenians a new foundation myth for their democracy. *** Recommended translations of the Oresteia: For readability and beautiful language, you can't go wrong with <a href="https://amzn.to/4q5rSBP" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Fagles</a>. For accuracy and faithfulness to the original Greek syntax, go with <a href="https://amzn.to/45AtX1q" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Sommerstein</a>. *** To support this show and our mission to bring the classics to the general public, please visit <a href= "https://patreon.com/greecepodcast" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">https://patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> *** You can find Doug's incredible podcast on all major platforms and at <a href= "https://literatureandhistory.com">https://literatureandhistory.com</a> *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the "Oresteia" 05:22 Agamemnon in the Iliad and Odyssey 12:17 Life of Aeschylus 14:00 The 1st Play: "Agamemnon" 20:03 Sacrifice of Iphigenia 26:58 Agamemnon's Arrival 34:56 The 2nd Play: "Libation Bearers" 41:35 Orestes kills Clytemnestra 51:40 The 3rd Play: "Eumenides" 59:12 The Trial 1:06:58 The Areopagus and Ephialtes's Reforms 1:10:24 Main Takeaways

Aeschylus' "Oresteia" is one of the most extraordinary works of literature to have come from Ancient Greece. It's a story about murder, revenge, and the birth of justice itself. We are joined by Doug Metzger, host of the "Literature and History" podcast to explore how the ancient Athenian tragedian Aeschylus turned a bloody family feud into a vision of civilization, and offered the Athenians a new foundation myth for their democracy. *** Recommended translations of the Oresteia: For readability and beautiful language, you can't go wrong with Fagles. For accuracy and faithfulness to the original Greek syntax, go with Sommerstein. *** To support this show and our mission to bring the classics to the general public, please visit https://patreon.com/greecepodcast *** You can find Doug's incredible podcast on all major platforms and at https://literatureandhistory.com *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the "Oresteia" 05:22 Agamemnon in the Iliad and Odyssey 12:17 Life of Aeschylus 14:00 The 1st Play: "Agamemnon" 20:03 Sacrifice of Iphigenia 26:58 Agamemnon's Arrival 34:56 The 2nd Play: "Libation Bearers" 41:35 Orestes kills Clytemnestra 51:40 The 3rd Play: "Eumenides" 59:12 The Trial 1:06:58 The Areopagus and Ephialtes's Reforms 1:10:24 Main Takeaways

Aeschylus' "Oresteia" is one of the most extraordinary works of literature to have come from Ancient Greece. It's a story about murder, revenge, and the birth of justice itself. We are joined by Doug Metzger, host of the "<a href="https://literatureandhistory.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Literature and History</a>" podcast to explore how the ancient Athenian tragedian Aeschylus turned a bloody family feud into a vision of civilization, and offered the Athenians a new foundation myth for their democracy. *** Recommended translations of the Oresteia: For readability and beautiful language, you can't go wrong with <a href="https://amzn.to/4q5rSBP" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fagles</a>. For accuracy and faithfulness to the original Greek syntax, go with <a href="https://amzn.to/45AtX1q" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sommerstein</a>. *** To support this show and our mission to bring the classics to the general public, please visit <a href="https://patreon.com/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> *** You can find Doug's incredible podcast on all major platforms and at <a href="https://literatureandhistory.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://literatureandhistory.com</a> *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the "Oresteia" 05:22 Agamemnon in the Iliad and Odyssey 12:17 Life of Aeschylus 14:00 The 1st Play: "Agamemnon" 20:03 Sacrifice of Iphigenia 26:58 Agamemnon's Arrival 34:56 The 2nd Play: "Libation Bearers" 41:35 Orestes kills Clytemnestra 51:40 The 3rd Play: "Eumenides" 59:12 The Trial 1:06:58 The Areopagus and Ephialtes's Reforms 1:10:24 Main Takeaways

65 From Vengeance to Justice: The Genius of Aeschylus' ORESTEIA w/ Doug Metzger

Was Homer was influenced by the stories of civilizations to the east of Greece? Joining us to discuss the Hittites and their potential (direct and indirect) influences on the Greek epic tradition is Mary Bachvarova, professor of classics at Willamette University and author of <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1108994105/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1108994105&linkId=5895502b9b4013a24ccc7d0216b3d2ee"> From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic</a> ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: <a href= "https://patreon.com/greecepodcast">patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> Or make a one-time donation: <a href= "https://paypal.me/greecepodcast">paypal.me/greecepodcast</a>

Was Homer was influenced by the stories of civilizations to the east of Greece? Joining us to discuss the Hittites and their potential (direct and indirect) influences on the Greek epic tradition is Mary Bachvarova, professor of classics at Willamette University and author of From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast

Was Homer was influenced by the stories of civilizations to the east of Greece? Joining us to discuss the Hittites and their potential (direct and indirect) influences on the Greek epic tradition is Mary Bachvarova, professor of classics at Willamette University and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1108994105/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1108994105&amp;linkId=5895502b9b4013a24ccc7d0216b3d2ee" rel="noopener noreferrer"> From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic</a> ------------------ Support Ancient Greece Declassified on Patreon: <a href="https://patreon.com/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> Or make a one-time donation: <a href="https://paypal.me/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">paypal.me/greecepodcast</a>

42 The Hittite-Homer Connection? w/ Mary Bachvarova

What methods and institutions do oligarchic regimes use to maintain their power? How do they fend off the threat of democratic revolution? What happened to the many oligarchies of the ancient Mediterranean? All of these questions and more are explored in this second part of our conversation with historian Matt Simonton, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691174970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0691174970&linkId=cfe696aeae74a041c7a3c35d85387a9d"> Classical Greek Oligarchy</a>. ------------------ Support us on Patreon: <a href= "https://patreon.com/greecepodcast">patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> Or make a one-time donation: <a href= "https://paypal.me/greecepodcast">paypal.me/greecepodcast</a> ------------------ Scholarly works mentioned during the conversation: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0190866276/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0190866276&linkId=4025bb4f38a24fae95a6365760485cc3"> Democracy: A Life</a>, by Paul Cartledge

What methods and institutions do oligarchic regimes use to maintain their power? How do they fend off the threat of democratic revolution? What happened to the many oligarchies of the ancient Mediterranean? All of these questions and more are explored in this second part of our conversation with historian Matt Simonton, author of Classical Greek Oligarchy. ------------------ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast ------------------ Scholarly works mentioned during the conversation: Democracy: A Life, by Paul Cartledge

What methods and institutions do oligarchic regimes use to maintain their power? How do they fend off the threat of democratic revolution? What happened to the many oligarchies of the ancient Mediterranean? All of these questions and more are explored in this second part of our conversation with historian Matt Simonton, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691174970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0691174970&amp;linkId=cfe696aeae74a041c7a3c35d85387a9d" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Classical Greek Oligarchy</a>. ------------------ Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://patreon.com/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">patreon.com/greecepodcast</a> Or make a one-time donation: <a href="https://paypal.me/greecepodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer">paypal.me/greecepodcast</a> ------------------ Scholarly works mentioned during the conversation: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0190866276/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0190866276&amp;linkId=4025bb4f38a24fae95a6365760485cc3" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Democracy: A Life</a>, by Paul Cartledge

27 Oligarchy, Part 2: Nemesis w/ Matt Simonton

How do ancient oligarchies compare with modern authoritarian regimes? How did civil war in oligarchies differ from civil war in democracies? What does the age-old ideological struggle between democracy and oligarchy imply about our future? These are just a few of the questions we discuss on this and the next episode. This episode covers: what oligarchy actually is, and how this political form arose in the first place. The next episode – Oligarchy, Part 2: Nemesis – is going to be about the institutions of oligarchic regimes, how they maintained their power, and how they tended to break down in the end. Joining us is ancient historian Matt Simonton of Arizona State University, author of the book <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691174970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0691174970&linkId=b0c39f8a8cff85105addde4f3f7507cd"> Classical Greek Oligarchy</a>, which won the Runciman Award in 2018. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a chance to win an autographed, hard-cover edition of <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691174970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0691174970&linkId=b0c39f8a8cff85105addde4f3f7507cd">Classical Greek Oligarchy</a>. ------------------ The intro to this episode was provided by host Kate Armstrong of <a href="https://www.theexploresspodcast.com/">The Exploress Podcast</a>, which time-travels through women's history, era by era, to explore their lives and their world. Check it out on your favorite app or at: <a href= "https://www.theexploresspodcast.com">theexploresspodcast.com</a> ------------------ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast ------------------ Scholarly works mentioned during the conversation: <a href= "https://books.google.com/books/about/The_First_Democracies.html?id=T1kfcobFRSMC"> The First Democracies: Early Popular Government Outside Athens</a>, by Eric W. Robinson <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OYKDXG/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=greecepodcast-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B005OYKDXG&linkId=c4244da80e66968ce9ab51dc03baf95b"> Democracy Beyond Athens: Popular Government in the Greek Classical Age</a>, by Eric W. Robinson

How do ancient oligarchies compare with modern authoritarian regimes? How did civil war in oligarchies differ from civil war in democracies? What does the age-old ideological struggle between democracy and oligarchy imply about our future? These are just a few of the questions we discuss on this and the next episode. This episode covers: what oligarchy actually is, and how this political form arose in the first place. The next episode – Oligarchy, Part 2: Nemesis – is going to be about the institutions of oligarchic regimes, how they maintained their power, and how they tended to break down in the end. Joining us is ancient historian Matt Simonton of Arizona State University, author of the book Classical Greek Oligarchy, which won the Runciman Award in 2018. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a chance to win an autographed, hard-cover edition of Classical Greek Oligarchy. ------------------ The intro to this episode was provided by host Kate Armstrong of The Exploress Podcast, which time-travels through women's history, era by era, to explore their lives and their world. Check it out on your favorite app or at: theexploresspodcast.com ------------------ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast ------------------ Scholarly works mentioned during the conversation: The First Democracies: Early Popular Government Outside Athens, by Eric W. Robinson Democracy Beyond Athens: Popular Government in the Greek Classical Age, by Eric W. Robinson

How do ancient oligarchies compare with modern authoritarian regimes? How did civil war in oligarchies differ from civil war in democracies? What does the age-old ideological struggle between democracy and oligarchy imply about our future? These are just a few of the questions we discuss on this and the next episode. This episode covers: what oligarchy actually is, and how this political form arose in the first place. The next episode – Oligarchy, Part 2: Nemesis – is going to be about the institutions of oligarchic regimes, how they maintained their power, and how they tended to break down in the end. Joining us is ancient historian Matt Simonton of Arizona State University, author of the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691174970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0691174970&amp;linkId=b0c39f8a8cff85105addde4f3f7507cd" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Classical Greek Oligarchy</a>, which won the Runciman Award in 2018. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a chance to win an autographed, hard-cover edition of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691174970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0691174970&amp;linkId=b0c39f8a8cff85105addde4f3f7507cd" rel="noopener noreferrer">Classical Greek Oligarchy</a>. ------------------ The intro to this episode was provided by host Kate Armstrong of <a href="https://www.theexploresspodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Exploress Podcast</a>, which time-travels through women's history, era by era, to explore their lives and their world. Check it out on your favorite app or at: <a href="https://www.theexploresspodcast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">theexploresspodcast.com</a> ------------------ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/greecepodcast Or make a one-time donation: paypal.me/greecepodcast ------------------ Scholarly works mentioned during the conversation: <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_First_Democracies.html?id=T1kfcobFRSMC" rel="noopener noreferrer"> The First Democracies: Early Popular Government Outside Athens</a>, by Eric W. Robinson <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OYKDXG/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=greecepodcast-20&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B005OYKDXG&amp;linkId=c4244da80e66968ce9ab51dc03baf95b" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Democracy Beyond Athens: Popular Government in the Greek Classical Age</a>, by Eric W. Robinson

26 Oligarchy, Part 1: Genesis w/ Matt Simonton

Andrew Ford of Princeton University joins us for a conversation about the Iliad. What makes it so...epic? And what kind of vision of the world does Homer provide his audiences?

Andrew Ford of Princeton University joins us for a conversation about the Iliad. What makes it so...epic? And what kind of vision of the world does Homer provide his audiences?

03 Dying For Immortality in Homer's Iliad w/ Andrew Ford

Archaeologist Eric Cline on what caused the simultaneous collapse of the Mycenaeans, Hittites, and most other major civilizations at the end of the second millennium BC, thus ushering in the world's first dark ages. Hint: it wasn't just the Sea Peoples.

Archaeologist Eric Cline on what caused the simultaneous collapse of the Mycenaeans, Hittites, and most other major civilizations at the end of the second millennium BC, thus ushering in the world's first dark ages. Hint: it wasn't just the Sea Peoples.

02 Bronze Age Apocalypse 1177BC w/ Eric Cline

Four astonishing archaeological discoveries that extended our knowledge of history back into the mythical past: Champollion and the Rosetta Stone, Grotefend's cuneiform breakthrough, Schliemann digging for Troy, and Michael Ventris' deciphering of Linear B.

Four astonishing archaeological discoveries that extended our knowledge of history back into the mythical past: Champollion and the Rosetta Stone, Grotefend's cuneiform breakthrough, Schliemann digging for Troy, and Michael Ventris' deciphering of Linear B.

01 Tomb Raiders, Codebreakers, and the Discovery of Antiquity (Rosetta Stone, Cuneiform, Linear B)

00 Introduction

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.

Education

History

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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