The Homeric Epic Podcast

Anthony
  • 4.8 (8)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

If you've ever heard of or read the Iliad or the Odyssey, you may have thought 'ehh, what's all the hype about?'. Why is Achilles so mad, and why is Odysseus such an a*****e!? In this podcast I will be answering this, and many, many more such questions about the twin epics from the blind bard in audio format. So join me on this literary / historical / mythological adventure into the wine dark depths of Homers literary sea. homericepicpodcast.substack.com

  1. FEB 1

    Musing on Homer - Ep. 1

    Hi everyone! Thought I’d try going off the cuff for an episode and answering a question posed on the substack chat! This might be a good way for me to produce more stuff for you to listen to between the main episodes. I think it could be fun to get some dialogue and questions going back and forth online, so if you have any questions feel free to ask! In this first episode I answer a question on whether the seduction of Zeus episode is an interpolation to Homer, I also talk about horses in the Iliad, and finish off with some of my thoughts on the trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. Enjoy! Also here are some sources used for the episode, and some interesting articles I found: * Dué, C. (2009). Recapturing a Homeric legacy. Center for Hellenic Studies ; Distributed by Harvard University Press. * Chevaux et cavaliers dans l’Iliade “Horses and Riders in the Iliad” Michel Woronoff. https://books.openedition.org/pur/25517 * Franko, G. F. (2005). The Trojan Horse at the Close of the “Iliad.” The Classical Journal, 101(2), 121–123. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30038644 * Davison, J. A. (1952). The Homeric Horse [Review of Le Cheval dans l’Iliade, by É. Delebecque]. The Classical Review, 2(3/4), 149–151. http://www.jstor.org/stable/701882 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    24 min
  2. H.E.P - Episode 15: Iliad Book 14

    12/31/2025

    H.E.P - Episode 15: Iliad Book 14

    The fighting reaches a new pitch, and things look dire for the Achaean leaders. They do what they can, and so does Hera. Book 14 and its famous ‘Dios Apate’ appear strange nestled between bouts of gruesome fighting, but like many things that seem out of place in the Iliad, it serves a wider purpose. In this episode I explain why this strange event belongs where it does, and how it explores on of the Iliad’s more prominent themes: the gulf between the gods and mortals. Sources used for this episode: * Golden, L. (1989). ΔιἘς ἀπάτη and the Unity of “Iliad” 14. Mnemosyne, 42(1/2), 1–11. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4431774 * Griffin, J. (1980). Homer on life and death. Oxford University Press. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    40 min

  3. 10/13/2025

    H.E.P - Episode 14: Iliad Book 13

    The Trojans have broken through the wall, and the fighting is fierce! Zeus takes a brief reprieve from supervising the battle, and Poseidon has a chance to step in and aid the Achaeans. He empowers the Aiantes, and the Cretans Idomeneus and Meriones, the former of which excels in battle this book. There is some humorous banter between the two Cretan heroes, but after putting jokes aside the two enter the fray. While not much appears to occur, this book connects with larger themes in the Iliad like the continuous cycle of violence that the heroes are caught in, as well as the pervading wrath of Achilles that drives the Iliad. Achilles wrath is reflected ‘mise en abyme’ style to us through the clever use of Trojans characters and traditions. Sources used in this episode: * Kirk GS. Book 13. In: Janko R, ed. The Iliad: A Commentary. Cambridge University Press; 1991:39-148. * The Best of the Achaeans: Concepts of the Hero in Archaic Greek Poetry, by Gregory Nagy. Accessed online from The Center for Hellenic Studies, http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_NagyG.The_Best_of_the_Achaeans.1999. * Fenno, Jonathan. “THE WRATH AND VENGEANCE OF SWIFT-FOOTED AENEAS IN ILIAD 13.” Phoenix, vol. 62, no. 1/2, 2008, pp. 145–61. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25651702. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    47 min

  4. 06/25/2025

    H.E.P - Episode 13: Iliad Book 12

    In this episode we cover the teichomachia, or the battle around the walls of the Greeks. This book contains some great similes and we also hear a great speech from Sarpedon on why the heroes fight, which connects both Hector and Achilles. Hector is on display this book, and it all points to his moment of triumph when he picks up a big rock. His breach of the wall is contrasted with the beginning of the book when we are told how the gods destroyed the wall after the war. I touch on why this happens, and why we are privy to its destruction in the first place. Sources for this episode: * Maitland, Judith. “Poseidon, Walls, and Narrative Complexity in the Homeric Iliad.” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 49, no. 1, 1999, pp. 1–13. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/639485. Accessed 25 June 2025. * PORTER, JAMES I. “Making and Unmaking: The Achaean Wall and the Limits of Fictionality in Homeric Criticism.” Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), vol. 141, no. 1, 2011, pp. 1–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41289734. Accessed 25 June 2025. * Scholia quote came from the blog SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE, here: https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2017/09/11/tension-and-precarity-the-iliads-simile-of-the-weaving-woman/ * (if you like Homer go check out Joel’s blog and also substack, he’s really good) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    46 min
  5. H.E.P - Episode 12: Iliad Book 11

    03/31/2025

    H.E.P - Episode 12: Iliad Book 11

    In this episode we return to proper Iliadic form: battle. After the night raid both sides are ready to go. We cover the Aristeia of Agamemnon, and also that of Hector. I also go over why Diomedes features so prominently in this book. Lastly, I touch on the connections between book 11 and the last two, which we’re surprising to me! Just goes to show that there is always something new to learn about this tale. Sources: * Rabel, Robert. “The Theme of Need in ‘Iliad’ 9-11.” Phoenix, vol. 45, no. 4, 1991, pp. 283–95. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1088100. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    40 min

  6. 01/06/2025

    H.E.P - Episode 11: Iliad Book 10

    In this episode I cover the black sheep of the Iliad, one of the strangest books in the poem: the night raid of Diomedes and Odysseus, or the Doloneia. We cover Diomedes and Odysseus brave expedition to spy on the Trojans, and meet the colorful character Dolon, if only for a brief while. I also discuss some ways that scholars have criticized this book for its awkwardness of place and subject, but also show some modern evidence that Book 10 is part of a larger theme of ‘Ambush’ and that computers think it is actually very ‘Iliadic’. Sources: * Dué, Casey, and Mary Ebbott. 2010. Iliad 10 and the Poetics of Ambush: A Multitext Edition with Essays and Commentary. Hellenic Studies Series 39. Washington, DC: Center for Hellenic Studies. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Due_Ebbott.Iliad_10_and_the_Poetics_of_Ambush.2010. * Pavlopoulos, J., Konstantinidou, M. Computational authorship analysis of the homeric poems. Int J Digit Humanities 5, 45–64 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42803-022-00046-7 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    45 min

  7. 10/11/2024

    H.E.P - Episode 10.5: Iliad Book 9 Part 2

    Continuing from the last episode, we cover the 2nd half of Iliad book 9. Having already heard from Odysseus and Achilles, we hear from a new character: Phoenix. He delivers the longest speech in the entire poem, detailing 3 paradeigmatic stories on why Achilles should return to battle. Achilles replies, and lastly we hear from straight-talking Ajax. Achilles position is beginning to look a bit unreasonable by the end of the book, which closes with very little accomplished on the embassies part. Lastly, I dive into the key changes that occur within Achilles to close out this amazing chapter! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    47 min

  8. 08/29/2024

    H.E.P - Episode 10: Iliad Book 9 Part 1

    In this 10th episode of the Homeric Epic Podcast, we cover the first half of book 9, the start to the pivotal ‘Embassy to Achilles’. The tension between Achilles and Agamemnon has reached a critical point, and Agamemnon, desperate to save the Greek forces, sends an embassy to Achilles with lavish gifts, hoping to persuade him back into the fight. Achilles’ response is a powerful, emotional speech that lays bare his disillusionment with the heroic code and reinforces his wrath. This book is so densely packed with theme and characterization, that I was forced to split it into two parts! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit homericepicpodcast.substack.com

    48 min
See All (17)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

If you've ever heard of or read the Iliad or the Odyssey, you may have thought 'ehh, what's all the hype about?'. Why is Achilles so mad, and why is Odysseus such an a*****e!? In this podcast I will be answering this, and many, many more such questions about the twin epics from the blind bard in audio format. So join me on this literary / historical / mythological adventure into the wine dark depths of Homers literary sea. homericepicpodcast.substack.com

Information