Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast

Agamemnon is a family man. It's just a shame that family is also the answer to who needs to be put up on an altar. As the Greeks are loitering at Aulis before setting off for Troy, we watch the goddess Artemis announce that Iphigenia needs to sacrificed in order to placate her anger... Sources for this episode:  Antoninus Liberalis (1992), The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis. Translated by F. Celoria. London and New York: Routledge. Euripides (1910), The Plays of Euripides in English in 2 Volumes (Volume 1). Translated by Shelley Dean Milman, Potter and Woodhull. London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. and E. P. Dutton & Co. Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft. Lucretius (1921), On the Nature of Things. Translated by W. E. Leonard. London, Toronto and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. and E. P. Dutton & Co. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Myrmidons (online) (Accessed 07/12/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Snake Island (Ukraine) (online) (Accessed 07/12/2024).

Christmas and the Anno Domini system of counting years are very intertwined. So, what better way to celebrate than to talk to someone going through every year of the AD calendar one at a time? We sat down with Dan from Augustus History, the creator of Yearly Histories, to talk about the challenges and the joys of such an endeavour.

Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. These are the three goddesses now fighting over an apple. And, strange as it sounds, it's this dispute that will lead to three naked goddesses standing in front of an unsuspecting mortal called Paris... Sources for this episode: Brooks, F. (1896), Greek Lyric Poets. London: David Nutt. Euripides (1967), The Bacchae and Other Plays. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft. Koniaris, G. L. (1967), On Sappho, Fr. 16 (L. P.) Hermes 95(3): 257-268. Raynor, D. J. and Lardinois, A. (2014), Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works. New York: Cambridge University Press. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.

Content warning: Peleus is a terrible person, so expect a mild reference to some implied nastiness. Peleus is one of those people who gets things he doesn't deserve. Despite all that terrible behaviour we outlined in episode 55, he gets to marry a goddess! However, it's at the wedding that the seeds of something dreadful will be sown... Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft. Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books. Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Judgement of Paris (online) (Accessed 01/12/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Thetis (online) (Accessed 01/12/2024).