Wine-Dark Sea

It is the year 64 AD, and Nero rules the Roman Empire. In the wake of a Great Fire that blazes through the city, Nero finds an unwitting scapegoat to draw the blame of angry Romans: a mysterious, distrusted religious minority known as the Christians. A legendary tale of cruelty unfolds as Nero unleashes a violent purge of the Christians upon the city.  

A story from ancient Rome (64 AD), based on Tacitus' Annals (Book 15) and Suetonius' Life of Nero, featuring: Nero, St. Peter, St. Paul   

Special thanks to Anchises for contributing this story!   

Hear about another of Nero's infamous crimes in the story, "How Nero  Killed His Mother: The Death of Agrippina." 

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Scott Buckley 

Episode Thumbnail Image: The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer (Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1883) 

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation (c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum)

Jesus of Nazareth is born in the Roman-occupied land of Judea around 6 or 4 BC, an event that will inspire the holiday of Christmas. The world of the Nativity is a tumultuous scene of competing empires, diverse cultures, and ambitious leaders. How did Judea, homeland of Jesus and the Jewish people, become a province of the Roman Empire, and how did the infamous King Herod ascend the throne? Far from the capital of Rome, the wondrous birth of a child in rural Judea would one decide the fate of a mighty empire. 

A story from the Roman world (c. 67 BC - 4 BC), featuring: Jesus of Nazareth, Mary, Joseph, Herod the Great, Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II, Antipater the Idumean, Pompey the Great, Mark Antony, Octavian/Augustus, Antigonus II, Herod Archelaus, Herod Antipas   

For more on Judea's earlier history, including the life of Judas Maccabeus and the beginnings of the Hasmonean dynasty, check out our story “The Wars of the Maccabees”!  

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Scott Buckley  

Episode Thumbnail Image: Mosaic depicting the Nativity of Christ (1296-1300 AD, Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome, by Pietro Cavallini)   

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation (c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum)

A mythic showdown unfolds in the ancient land of Lydia: Arachne, a girl whose skill in weaving surpasses all, faces off against a wrathful Athena, the goddess of artisan crafts herself. The boastful but extraordinary Arachne weaves a masterpiece that shakes the glory of Olympus -- and awakens the fury of an equally proud Athena. As Arachne deftly spins her threads, will she become trapped in a web of her own making?   

A story from Greek mythology, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book 6), featuring: Arachne, Athena   

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Kevin MacLeod 

Episode Thumbnail Image: Oil flask depicting women preparing wool, weaving, and folding finished cloth (c. 540 BC, from Attica)  

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

It is the 2nd century BC, and the land of Judea, homeland of the Jews, is ruled by the Seleucid Kingdom based in Syria. Subjected to a militant crackdown on their religious traditions, the Jews rebel against the Seleucid king Antiochus, and rally behind the leadership of Judas Maccabeus. The success of the Maccabean Revolt and Judas’ restoration of the Temple of Jerusalem bring hope to the Jewish people, a legacy celebrated with the sacred festival of Hanukkah that endures to this day.   

A story from the ancient Mediterranean world, based on 1 and 2 Maccabees, featuring: Judas Maccabeus, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Mattathias, Simon Thassi, Jason, Menelaus   

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Scott Buckley 

Episode Thumbnail Image: Scene of Judas and the Maccabees facing a Seleucid army (Or Torah Synagogue, Acre, Israel) 

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

The origins of Cyrus the Great (c. 600-530 BC), the first king of the Persian Empire, are shrouded in myth. The best known story, related by the Greek historian Herodotus, weaves a tale of intrigue in the lands of Media and Persia, ruled by the tyrannical king Astyages. When Astyages is visited by ominous dreams connected to the birth of his grandson Cyrus, a deadly plot is set in motion that leads ultimately to Cyrus’ rise as the leader of the vastest empire yet seen.   

A story from the ancient Mediterranean world, adapted from Herodotus' Histories (Book 1, 107-130) featuring: Cyrus the Great, Astyages, Harpagus, Mithridates, Spaco, Mandane, Cambyses 

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Kevin MacLeod and Dan-O 

Episode Thumbnail Images: Portrait of Cyrus the Great, inspired by a relief sculpture at Pasargad, Iran  / The Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargad, Iran 

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

Decebalus, king of the Dacians, gains power in the lands of eastern Europe now called Romania, and draws the attention of the Roman Empire commanded by the dynamic emperor Trajan. The two hard-fought Dacian Wars ensue, as Trajan and Decebalus engage in a battle of weapons and wits. A new imperial province will emerge from Dacia's conquest, sowing the seeds of a modern nation whose name bears witness to its Roman past.   

Very special thanks to Alba Wolf, who contributed this story for the channel!   

A story from the Roman Empire, adapted from Cassius Dio's Roman History (Book 68), featuring: Trajan, emperor of Rome, and Decebalus, king of the Dacians   

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Scott Buckley  

Episode Thumbnail Images: Bust of a captive Dacian nobleman, once part of a statue in Trajan's Forum (2nd century AD)  / Bust of Trajan (108 AD) / Scene from Trajan's Column celebrating the Dacian victories (113 AD) 

WDS Logo Image:  Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

The Roman Civil War between Caesar and Pompey is raging, and the armies gather for a decisive battle at Pharsalus. In this dark tale from the Roman epic poem on the Civil War by Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (Lucan), the young Sextus Pompey, son of the great commander, seeks out a horrific necromancer as the showdown looms, desperate to learn of his family’s fate. The witch Erichtho revives the corpse of a fallen soldier, who brings report from the underworld and reveals a grim destiny for Rome.   

A story from Roman literature, adapted from Lucan’s Civil War, Book 6 (translated in Pharsalia: Dramatic Episodes from the Civil Wars) featuring: Sextus Pompey, Erichtho, Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great   

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Kevin MacLeod and Dan-O 

Episode Thumbnail Images: Sextus Pompey's portrait on a gold coin (aureus) from Sicily, 37-36 BC / "Design for a frieze with Roman trophies" Roman "Memento Mori" mosaic, Naples Archeological Museum, Italy    

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

Echo and Narcissus meet in the mysterious woods of Mount Helicon, an encounter that begins with curiosity, and ends in a shocking twist of fate. Echo is a carefree nymph, who suffers the curse of an angry goddess; Narcissus is a mortal famed for his astonishing good looks, but cold-hearted demeanor. A tragic story of voicelessness, irresistible love, and unexpected transformations ensues, deep in the forests of Greece. 

A story from Greek mythology, adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book 3), featuring: Echo, Narcissus, Hera, Zeus 

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Kevin MacLeod 

Episode Thumbnail Image: Echo and Narcissus (J. W. Waterhouse, 1903)  

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

Alexander the Great arrives at the fortified island city of Tyre, and lays siege to the impregnable stronghold before continuing his conquest of the Persian Empire. The siege of Tyre demands legendary feats of engineering and strategy as the tides of battle swing between the Macedonian army and the Tyrian defenders, lasting for seven long months and culminating in a devastating defeat.   

A story from the ancient Mediterranean world (332 BC), featuring: Alexander the Great   

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Kevin MacLeod  

Episode Thumbnail Images: Bronze statue of Alexander the Great on horseback (1st c. BC Roman copy of a Greek original by Lysippus, 4th c. BC) / "A naval action during the siege of Tyre" (A. Castaigne, 1898/99)  

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum

Dido, the queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, the leader of the Trojan War's survivors, have fallen deeply in love. But Aeneas' destiny as forefather of the Roman Empire demands that he leave Africa to pursue glory in Italy; a betrayed and heartbroken Dido descends into fury, culminating in a dark curse that will lock Carthage and Rome in war forever.   

A story from Roman mythology (Vergil's Aeneid, Books 1 and 4 ), featuring: Aeneas, Dido, Anna, Sychaeus, Mercury, Jupiter, Juno, Iris, Venus   

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FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

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CREDITS: Music by Kevin MacLeod  

Episode Thumbnail Images: Roman fresco of Dido and Aeneas (Pompeii, 1st century AD) / "Burning Fire Background Texture" 

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation: c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum