Digging Up The Past Podcast

Petros Koutoupis sits down with Dr. Eric H. Cline to discuss his latest book, Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters & the Bronze Age World They Revealed.

Dr. Cline is a historian, archaeologist, and professor of ancient history and archaeology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Together, they explore how the Amarna Letters were discovered, the drama surrounding the race to acquire and translate these ancient tablets, and what the letters actually reveal about the Bronze Age world.

How were the letters discovered? Who fought to get their hands on them? What did they say? We dig into these questions and more.

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Petros Koutoupis sits down with author Marc Hyden, author of Emperor Titus: The Right Hand of Vespasian, to take a closer look at one of Rome’s most fascinating and often misunderstood emperors. We talk about Titus’ rise to power, his military career, his relationship with Vespasian, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the challenges he faced as emperor. Marc also shares the story behind his book and why Titus deserves a closer look beyond the traditional image of the man remembered for Pompeii and the Colosseum.

Be sure to visit Marc Hyden’s website: https://www.marchyden.com.

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Petros Koutoupis sits down with Boston-based freelance journalist, writer, blogger, and child of Olympus, Katy Kostakis, to discuss the recently released Christopher Nolan adaptation of The Odyssey. Warning: there will be spoilers. Just how faithful is Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey to Homer's original epic? Which changes work, which ones don't, and were those artistic liberties worth taking? Join us as we break down the similarities, the differences, and whether Nolan stayed true to the spirit of one of history's greatest stories.

Be sure to visit Katy Kostakis’s blog: https://www.katykostakis.com and her Substack: http://noquietontheset.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with classicist and author, Alexis Hannah Prescott, to discuss witches and their Classical origins. We talk about her latest book, The First Witches: Women of Power in the Classical World, and dig into how the image of the ancient witch has changed over time. What shaped the way people started to see witches differently? And how does all of that tie into modern witchcraft today?

See more of Alexis Prescott’s research on this topic:

* Pen & Sword: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/blog/the-romans-and-the-halloween-style-witch

* And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7KYoMYP5q4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itzBwrR9xvg

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with father and son duo, hosts of the podcast Lost Roman Heroes, Matthew and Matteo Storm to discuss the near-forgotten visionaries who helped shape the Roman world. How did these forgotten Roman heroes shape the empire’s destiny, and why have their stories faded from memory? Could revisiting these unsung figures change how we understand Roman history itself?

Be sure to check out their podcast here: https://www.lostromanheroes.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with assistant professor of Classics at Michigan State University and author, Jeremy Swist, to discuss his latest research publication, Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome. Who was the last pagan emperor of the Roman empire? What was his legacy? How was he portrayed in the writings of early chroniclers and Christian writers? Was there more to this complex ruler? We answer these questions and more!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with professor of Classics at Ohio University, Dr. Fred K. Drogula, to discuss Classical Studies and the renewed interests on the subject. We also talk about Drogula’s latest publication, Cato the Younger: Life and Death at the End of the Roman Republic. Who was Cato the Younger and why were the ancient writers so careful while preserving his legacy?

Dr. Drogula is the author of the wonderful Substack, A Life in the Classics. Be sure to subscribe!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Leslie Ivings, to discuss his latest publication: Byzantine Emperor Constantine V, 'the Dung-named': General, Patriarch, Iconoclast, Reformer. Who was Constantine V, what great things did he accomplish during his reign and why were the Byzantine chroniclers harsh with his legacy? We will answer these questions and many more.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Lindsay Powell, to discuss the last days of the Roman Republic and the rise of Imperial Rome. What events led to the transition? Who were the people responsible? Was Julius Caesar the father of the “knock-knock” joke? We will answer these questions and many more.

Learn more about Lindsay Powell at www.lindsay-powell.com.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Jess Nadeau, to discuss ancient mythologies and the role mythology played in the ancient world. What attracted us to these ancient tales? What motivated the ancient authors to compile them in the first place? Did ancient events inspire some stories? We will attempt to answer these questions and more. And be sure to visit Jess’s Substack: Mythical Ancients.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe