Books of Titans Podcast Erik Rostad

It’s been an incredible year of reading so far. I’ve been utterly shocked at the beauty and relevancy of Greek Literature. In this episode, I share what I’ve read so far for 2024, what I have coming up during my Summer Break, and the most important thing I’ve learned in Greek Literature.


Get full access to Books of Titans at www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

In the introduction to Ajax by Peter Meineck & Paul Woodruff, they highlight the main idea of the tragedy play:
Ajax shows the aftermath of an altercation over the honors that warriors feel are due to them after battle.
I love that this is a theme that shows up strongly in the Iliad as well. In fact, Ajax has so many connection point to the Iliad that it’s almost required reading before this play.
Sophocles highlights so many themes that were perhaps birthed in Homer and have started percolating deeper with the tragedy writers. Some of these include:
* Force vs Persuasion (Ares vs the Areopagus)
* The will of the gods
* Fate
* Honor
* Glory
In this episode, I talk about some of these themes, how they relate to other Greek literature, and what we learn about them in Sophocles’ Ajax.


Get full access to Books of Titans at www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

In his introduction to The Theban Plays, Charles Segal highlights the question Sophocles asks in his plays:
“Why should a man or woman of noble character and good intentions have to bear a life of suffering?”
If Antigone is the woman of nobel character and Creon the man of, arguably, good intentions, why must they suffer? Why must bad things happen to good people?
Sophocles uses character, circumstances, and divine agency to address this question.
In this episode of the podcast, I highlight the themes, important ideas, and the one image I still have in my head after having read Antigone by Sophocles.
Books of Titans is a listener-supported podcast. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.




Get full access to Books of Titans at www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

Sophocles was a friend of Herodotus and a contemporary of the other Greek tragedy playwrights Aeschylus and Euripides. He wrote over 120 plays and seven of those survive. The Theban Plays (Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone) cover major events in the life of the mythical king Oedipus of Thebes and of his children.
In this podcast episode, I talk about the two Sophoclean plays about Oedipus and share what I learned about Sophocles’ discussion of prophecy, the Greek concept of a curse, and the little tiny light at the end of this disastrous tunnel of tragedy.
I read translations by David Grene, Paul Woodruff, and Robert Fagles.



Get full access to Books of Titans at www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

Seven plays survive out of more than 70 written by Aeschylus during his lifetime. Last week, I covered The Oresteia, his famous trilogy, and this week I cover his four other surviving tragedy plays.
I highlight the following three contrasts I’ve found throughout Greek Literature and share what we learn within these Aeschylean plays:
* Fate vs The Will of Zeus
* Ares (force) vs the Areopagus (debate/civilization)
* Family Curse vs Human Agency


Get full access to Books of Titans at www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

In this episode, Erik Rostad discusses book 13 from his 2024 Reading List - The Oresteia by Aeschylus.
Show Notes
* Aeschylus
* Purchase The Oresteia
* Support the Podcast - Hire EPR Creations for Online Consulting
* The Books of Titans Book Subscription with Landmark Booksellers
* The Great Books Reading List
* 2024 Reading List
* Reading Resources
* Books of Titans Website


Get full access to Books of Titans at www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe