Have Toga, Will Travel: Exploring Greece and Rome, Ancient and Modern

Emily Jusino, PhD (Classics) and Cam Hawkins, PhD (Ancient History)
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A podcast exploring the Mediterranean world, ancient and modern, through the eyes of two former Classics professors. Join Emily and Cam as they chat about all things Ancient Greek and Roman and share their own adventures exploring the Mediterranean world through history, travel, literature, and film. Emily Jusino is a specialist in ancient Greek tragedy who also thinks deeply about how modern culture interacts with the literature and mythology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Cam Hawkins has spent years reading, teaching, and writing about ancient history—ancient Greek history, ancient Roman history, and the history of a smattering of other cultures. Both have travelled extensively in Italy and Greece and love talking about their travels. We release new episodes on or about the 1st and 15th of every month. https://havetogawilltravel.com

  1. 19h ago

    Hadrian Tours the Roman World

    The emperor Hadrian didn’t just build a wall across Britain! During a career that involved a “world tour” to pretty much every province of the Roman Empire, he rubbed elbows with provincial aristocrats; showered gifts on the cities of the empire; climbed a couple of mountains and hunted at least one big cat; hung out for years in Greece; murdered the odd senator; and loved, lost, and deified his cherished friend Antinous. (Maybe he even wore a toga while he travelled!) Listen as Emily and Cam hit the highlights of his career. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Links to other episodes we made that touch on Hadrian: Hadrian’s Wall, Part I: The Romans in Britain and the Imperial Frontier (the first of four episodes on Hadrian’s Wall)Thermae Romae: A Japanese Film about Ancient Roman Bathing—and Time Travel! Cover image adapted from a photo of a gold coin minted between 134 and 138 CE, depicting Hadrian in profile and bearing the legend “Hadrianus Augustus P(ater) P(atriae)” (Hadrian Augustus, Father of his Country). American Numismatic Society, Wikimedia Commons. ---------- 00:10 - Introduction 02:22 - Not Quite Emperor 02:28 - Hadrian’s early life03:26 - Ward of Trajan04:55 - Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan’s path to imperial power05:57 - Hadrian’s career under Trajan during the Dacian Wars, the Parthian War, and the Rebellion of the Jewish diaspora09:24 - Trajan is dead, long live Hadrian 11:23 - New Frontiers 11:24 - Hadrian’s lack of interest in expanding the Roman Empire11:37 - Earlier emperors and wars of conquest12:08 - Hadrian abandons Trajan’s conquests13:16 - Hadrian, Nigrinus, and the execution of four senators 14:53 - Hadrian’s World Tours 15:02 - An inward focus15:41 - Hadrian tours the provinces (of a really big empire!)17:45 - Hadrian the intellectual: a conversation with Apollo’s oracle at Delphi about Homer19:33 - Hadrian the adventurer: lighting, lions, and bears, oh my!21:14 - Inspecting the army and securing the frontiers23:01 - Hadrian and imperial patronage: local elites, imperial benefactions, and loyalty 26:47 - Antinous: a short digression 27:06 - Antinous’ background27:48 - Antinous’ death and speculations about its cause29:07 - Hadrian’s grief, the deification of Antinous, and Antinous at Tivoli 32:28 - The Olympian: Hadrian in Greece 32:48 - Hadrian’s early fascination with Greek culture34:28 - Hadrian’s first trip to Greece: Athenian citizen, Eponymous Archon, and friends with Epictetus and Plutarch37:55 - Hadrian Reborn: the Emperor and the Eleusinian Mysteries41:52 – Hadrian’s plan for the Panhellenion and the Sanctuary of Zeus43:17 - Hadrian among the gods: Hadrianus Olympios, Hadrianus Panhellenios 46:32 - Rebellion in Judaea 46:54 - The Bar Kokhba Rebellion47:47 - Untangling the roots of the rebellion: a messianic movement?48:50 - Imperial plans and Judaean politics 51:05 - Succession Crisis 51:22 - Imperial succession in the Roman World52:24 - Hadrian’s potential successors54:19 - Two adoptions, a death, and two murders 57:39 - Legacy 60:42 - Wrap-up

    Hadrian Tours the Roman World

  2. Sep 1

    Euripides’ Trojan Women: The Fall of Troy in Greek Tragedy

    In “Trojan Women”, the Athenian playwright Euripides highlights an aspect of the Trojan War neglected by Christopher Nolan in “The Odyssey”: the true horror of Troy’s capture and destruction. In this episode, Emily and Cam break down Euripides’ play. Produced at Athens mere months after the Athenians captured Melos (where the Athenians killed all of the men and enslaved the city’s women and children), Euripides’ play offers a powerful and moving depiction of war’s impact on its victims by exploring the suffering and heroism of three Trojan women: Hecuba, Cassandra, and Andromache. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Links to previous episodes mentioned in this show: Our episode about Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.Our episode about Sophocles’ Philoctetes. Watch Michael Cacoyannis’ film version of the Trojan Women on Daily Motion. Cover image adapted from a photo of George Romney’s “Lady Emma Hamilton as Cassandra”, taken by Jan Arkesteijn (Wikimedia Commons). ---------- 00:10 - Introduction 02:16 - Content Warning! 02:53 - Euripides’ Trojan Women 02:56 - Euripides and his work06:49 - The Play’s Context: the Peloponnesian War and the sack of Melos 11:12 - Plot Synopsis 11:14 - Poseidon and Athena hatch a scheme13:16 - Talthybius, Hecuba, and the Allotment of the Captives to Agamemnon, Neoptolemus, and Odysseus15:09 - Cassandra16:05 - Andromache17:16 - The agon: Menelaus, Helen, and Hecuba21:57 - The funeral of Astyanax and the death of Troy 23:00 - War and Suffering: Hecuba and Talthybius 23:26 - Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey and Euripides’ Trojan Women: a difference in perspective25:09 - The Pain of Hecuba, Cassandra, and Andromache (and a digression on Odysseus)29:35 - Hecuba: Leadership and Resilience33:11 - The Empathy of Talthybius 39:23 - Agency and Humanity 39:46 - The women as heroes39:54 - Cassadra’s vengeance40:42 - Andromache, Neoptolemus, and Astyanax41:57 - Hecuba43:04 - Helen and Talthybius 45:04 - Fortune is Fickle 45:51 - Greek literature and the instability of fortune48:00 - Agency again: fate and choice 50:57 - The Victors and their Comeuppance 51:20 - Nolan’s view on war and society52:12 - Euripides and the wrath of the gods54:54 - Digression: Michael Cacoyannis’ “Trojan Women”, featuring Irene Papas 55:53 - Athens and the Trojan Women 56:53 - Empathy for the victims of warfare57:32 - Euripides as Cassandra? 59:11 – Final Thoughts and Wrap-up

    Euripides’ Trojan Women: The Fall of Troy in Greek Tragedy

  3. Aug 15

    Odysseus in Greek Tragedy: Sophocles’ Philoctetes

    When modern authors and filmmakers like Christopher Nolan adapt ancient myths and characters, they are following an old and well-worn precedent. In this episode, Emily and Cam explore how the Athenian playwright Sophocles adapted a well-known story about Odysseus and used it in his play, Philoctetes, to explore questions about deception, persuasion, and intractable situations. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Links to our episodes dealing with the Odyssey: Our overview of Homer’s Odyssey.Our episode about Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.Our episode about the “The Return”, Uberto Passolini’s splendid 2024 adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. Links to our other episodes touching on ancient drama (or adaptations thereof): Aeschylus’ Persians: The OG Greek Tragedy.Something for everyone! Plautus and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”. Cover image: Lekythos depicting Philoctetes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (56.171.58); adapted from a photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia Commons. ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 02:50 - Sophocles’ Philoctetes 02:55 - The performance: 409, at the end of the Peloponnesian War03:07 - Athenian Tragedy in the late 5th century: actors and the chorus05:37 - The competitive context 07:26 - The Myth of Philoctetes 07:39 - Son of Poias07:57 - Philoctetes, the Trojan War, and Lemnos09:37 - Philoctetes and the Bow of Herakles 10:30 - Philoctetes: Plot Summary 10:43 - The opening scene: a plot is hatched13:22 - The encounter with Philoctetes15:10 - The “merchant” enters the scene18:00 - Philoctetes’ seizure and Neoptolemus’ moral crisis18:57 - Odysseus’ surprise entry20:21 - Odysseus and Neoptolemus have a spat21:35 - The epiphany 22:17 - Sophocles’ innovations 22:54 - Lemnos: a deserted island23:25 - Neoptolemus replaces Diomedes24:36 - A digression on other plays about Philoctetes: Aeschylus and Euripides 25:57 - Odysseus in Philoctetes 26:10 - Odysseus as trickster27:14 - The Homeric precedent28:23 - Sophocles’ move: Odysseus, disguise, and a destabilization of trust: are the minor characters who they say they are? 35:26 - Deception in Philoctetes 35:35 - Is Odysseus the play’s “bad guy”?38:43 - The chorus has a different view!39:10 - Philoctetes isn’t a straightforward “good guy”!40:48 - Neoptolemus: is deception good when you do it to help someone else?43:57 - Sophocles doesn’t give us easy lessons 44:43 - Intractable Problems 45:04 - The impasse46:33 - The epiphany of Heracles and what it might mean48:47 - A happy ending for Philoctetes—and for Odysseus!50:15 - The value of deception: an open question (and Sophocles’ brilliance) 51:21 - Wrap-up

    Odysseus in Greek Tragedy: Sophocles’ Philoctetes

  4. Aug 1

    The Odyssey, by Christopher Nolan: Our Take on the Movie of the Summer

    Emily and Cam take on Christopher Nolan’s film, “The Odyssey.” Everyone has an opinion on this movie, and Emily and Cam are no different. Sheep, and Cyclops, and Circe, oh my! Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Useful Links: Listen to our overview of Homer’s Odyssey.Listen to our episode about the “The Return”, Uberto Passolini’s splendid 2024 adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. Cover image: adapted from “The Wine-Dark Sea,” a photo by Alan Hughes, Wikimedia Commons. ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 01:06 - The bottom line (good and bad)02:39 - The film as a reflecting pool (or theater set) 03:52 - Synopsis 06:45 - What we loved 06:49 - Practical effects and a textured world (featuring the sheep!)10:10 - The film’s visual language: costumes, colors, props, palaces (historical accuracy is NOT the goal here)14:04 - A deep and talented bench of actors (with a shoutout to Himesh Patel and John Leguizamo)17:31 - Some choice storytelling moments20:02 - The adventure stories: Polyphemus’ cave; the sirens; the underworld; Circe27:23 - Athena and the other gods 29:14 - Approaching Nolan's Odyssey 29:21 - How we evaluate movies like this: give us a smart adaptation that does something interesting!30:32 - The story Nolan wants to tell: war damages both individuals and societies, causing trauma and social collapse33:52 - The main problem: too much telling, not enough showing 36:25 - Odysseus breaks the world? 36:38 - The setup: Zeus’ Law, the Trojan Horse, and the Sea Peoples37:09 - The horse: a gift for Athena, or a gift for Zeus?38:37 - Odysseus and his crew as the “Sea Peoples”: an unconvincing yarn44:14 - The Sea Peoples as a hollow threat? 47:17 - Odysseus traumatized? 47:36 - The nature of Odysseus’ suffering48:11 - Odysseus and his (lack of?) relationships with his crew49:29 - Odysseus and Sinon52:11 - Odysseus miraculously recovers (but doesn’t seem to learn anything?) 53:58 - Violence in Nolan’s film 54:39 - Christopher Nolan’s take on depicting violence and alienating audiences55:52 - The horrors witnessed by Odysseus at Troy57:29 - Odysseus takes on the suitors 59:49 - Unsatisfying Endings 60:08 - The problems with Penelope (and her treehouse bed!)63:02 - Rushed endings and dangling resolutions65:02 - Words of wisdom spoken at the bar 66:18 - Final takeaways: our thoughts on why this film looks the way it does 66:30 - The Adventure Stories (a.k.a. the Odyssey Trap)67:49 - Unsatisfying stakes?68:59 - Odysseus the hero 71:16 - Wrap-up

    The Odyssey, by Christopher Nolan: Our Take on the Movie of the Summer

  5. Jul 15

    Homer’s Odyssey: A Deep Dive (before Christopher Nolan’s Film!)

    Need a refresher on Homer’s Odyssey before you watch the upcoming movie by Christopher Nolan? Emily and Cam have got you covered! In this episode, they break down the poem’s plot and its major themes as they explore topics like Odysseus’ reliability as a narrator (spoiler alert: he has none whatsoever!) and Penelope’s own craftiness. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Useful Links: Listen to our episode about the “The Return”, Uberto Passolini’s splendid 2024 adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. Cover image: “Archaic or late geometric period krater depicting Odysseus and a friend stabbing the giant Polyphemus in his only eye, clay, 670 BCE, Archaeological Museum of Argos.” Photo by Mary Harrsh, Wikimedia Commons. ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 01:40 - What is the Odyssey? 01:46 - The Odyssey, the Iliad, and other epic poems02:23 - The Homer problem. Do we know who wrote the Odyssey, and when?06:54 - An overview of the Odyssey’s plot10:14 - The poem and its 24 “books” 11:00 - The Telemachy: Narrative 11:23 - Athena visits Ithaka12:08 - Athena’s plans for Odysseus’ son Telemachus13:55 - Telemachus sets sail on an adventure to visit Nestor, Menelaus, and Helen 17:50 - The Telemachy: Themes 18:01 - The vulnerability of Telemachus’ position19:39 - Hospitality: gracious hosts and happy guests 21:43 - Sailing to Ithaka: Narrative 22:06 - Odysseus escapes the Island of Calypso23:18 - Shipwrecked again! Odysseus and the Phaeacians29:28 - Odysseus tells the story of his adventures (the Cyclops, Circe, the underworld, the sirens, Scylla and Charybdis—and some other good bits)41:29 - The Phaeacians send Odysseus home 42:11 - Sailing to Ithaka: Themes 42:18 - More on hospitality: bad hosts and dodgy guests45:19 - Odysseus, the man of suffering46:30 - Odysseus, the unreliable narrator62:50 - A postscript on the poem’s mythical geography 55:37 - Ithaka at last!: Narrative 55:51 - Odysseus visits Eumaeus56:41 - Telemachus returns to Ithaka—and Odysseus hatches a plan58:42 - Odysseus among the suitors in disguise59:57 - Penelope, Odysseus, and Eurycleia62:23 - Penelope’s contest, Odysseus’ bow, and a massacre64:48 - Reunions: Odysseus and Penelope, Odysseus and Laertes65:53 - The final battle (and a deus ex machina) 66:39 - Ithaka at last!: Themes 66:43 - How much revenge is TOO much?72:33 - Penelope, that crafty girl 79:41 - Final bits and bobs 79:50 - The popularity of the Odyssey over time80:37 - Our hopes for Nolan’s film 81:45 - Wrap-up

    Homer’s Odyssey: A Deep Dive (before Christopher Nolan’s Film!)

  6. Jul 1

    Thermae Romae: A Japanese Film about Ancient Roman Bathing—and Time Travel!

    Have you ever wondered what a bath-house architect from ancient Rome would think if he found himself swept through a time warp into a modern Japanese Spa? Wonder no more! Emily and Cam discuss Thermae Romae, a 2012 Japanese Film that seeks to explore precisely this question by dramatizing the adventures of one Lucius Modestus, an engineer who becomes Emperor Hadrian’s personal bath-house designer. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Useful Links: Watch Thermae Romae (with English Subtitles) on DailymotionWatch the Thermae Romae Novae anime series on Netflix Cover art adapted from Joseph Theodor Hansen, "Tepidarium at the Forum Baths in Pompeii" ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 01:56 - Thermae Romae: the basics 02:28 - How to watch Thermae Romae03:29 - A plot summary: Lucius Modestus travels through time, learns lots about Japanese bathing culture, and applies his knowledge to Roman bath-houses in the time of Hadrian06:59 - The original Thermae Romae manga series08:13 - The film’s success and the Thermae Romae Universe 10:17 - A Fish-out-of-Water Comedy 10:24 - The basic premise and some of the movie’s quirks13:35 - Modern Japanese and Ancient Roman bathing cultures, compared19:16 - Lucius bumbles his way through modern Japan and discovers the marvels of Japanese bathing26:05 - Poking fun of Japanese onsen culture (and a digression on the challenges of translation) 29:46 - Thermae Romae and Roman Culture 29:56 - A quirky interpretation of real Roman history: the reign of Hadrian, the death of Antinous, and the question of succession (and deification!)38:54 - Lucius’ (very Japanese) critique of Roman bathing culture42:09 - Does Lucius’ critique hold water? Imperial bath-houses, neighborhood bath-houses, and bath-house sociability47:04 - The old men from the onsen teach Lucius to care less about honor and more about community spirit49:36 - Some final thoughts about the movie 51:25 - Wrap-up 51:31 - What’s up next: the Odyssey—both Homer’s Odyssey, and Nolan’s Odyssey52:26 - A plug for “The Return” (and for our episode about it!)

    Thermae Romae: A Japanese Film about Ancient Roman Bathing—and Time Travel!

  7. Jun 15

    Vacation Reminder—and a sneak peak at Season 2!

    We’re dropping a quick note in our feed to remind you that we’re on vacation and won’t be releasing a full episode on June 15, but also to tease a couple of upcoming episodes—including a couple on Homer’s Odyssey and Christopher Nolan’s film of the same name! Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com Read the first in our series of blog posts on Hadrian’s Wall here: Hiking Hadrian’s Wall, Part I If you haven’t done so already, have a listen to our episode on The Return, a 2024 film adaptation of the Odyssey starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche: Homer’s Odyssey on Film: “The Return”

    Vacation Reminder—and a sneak peak at Season 2!

  8. Jun 1

    Hadrian’s Wall, Part IV: Walking from Birdoswald to Bowness-on-Solway

    Emily and Cam wrap up their series on hiking Hadrian’s Wall Path with a discussion of the final 31 miles of the Wall. Follow along as they explore medieval monuments made of wallstone, find themselves treed by some cows, and are regaled with tales of cannibals (human and otherwise!). Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: https://havetogawilltravel.com If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee: Our Ko-Fi page Read the first post in our series of blog posts on Hadrian’s Wall here: Hiking Hadrian’s Wall, Part I If you’re interested in hiking the Wall, you’ll find the following resources helpful: Walking Hadrian’s Wall Path, by Mark Richards (Cicerone Press)Hadrian’s Wall Path, by Anthony Burton (National Trails Official Guidebook)Harvey Maps, Map of Hadrian’s Wall Path Finally, you’ll find the rest of the episodes in this series at the following links: Hadrian’s Wall, Part I: The Romans in Britain and the Imperial FrontierHadrian’s Wall, Part II: Walking from Wallsend to CarrawburghHadrian’s Wall, Part III: Hiking the Crags (Sewingshields to Birdoswald) ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 00:24 - Episode overview01:11 - Housekeeping and Summer vacation 02:41 - Birdoswald to Haytongate 03:16 - The character of the trail and the last visible elements of the Wall05:44 - Honesty Boxes and the Haytongate Hut 06:56 - Lanercost Priory 07:22 - A priory built of wallstone: the history of Lanercost10:52 - Exploring Lanercost (and our encounter with Max) 12:24 - Haytongate to Carlisle 12:46 - An unpleasant encounter with cows14:37 - “Where’s the Wall,” or the perils of starting in the west15:55 - Crosby on Eden, haggis, and black pudding17:59 - The Wall at the River Eden: Uxelodunum and Milecastle 66 18:27 - Carlisle 18:56 - Carlisle Castle: Luguvalium becomes the old Norman keep21:31 - Richard III, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Jacobites: Carlisle Castle’s long history24:52 - Another encounter with Max27:00 - Carlisle Cathedral (and more plundered wallstone)28:47 - Carlisle’s Guildhall30:06 - Misadventures in Carlisle dining 31:46 - Carlisle to Bowness on Solway 32:14 - Burgh by Sands: Aballava, Africans in Roman Britain, and Edward I’s unpleasant bout with dysentery34:53 - The Tidal Flats: Dykesfield, Drumburgh, and the dangers of high tide!37:45 - Bowness on Solway and a gathering at Fort Maia: Billy No-Mates and a man obsessed with cannibals! 43:02 - Logistics of the Hike 43:07 - Where to begin? In the west at Bowness, or in the east at Newcastle?45:38 - Resources for planning: books and maps47:10 - Lodging, adventure companies, luggage, and the AD 122 bus50:53 - Food: full English breakfasts and pub fare53:16 - Tips for the trail: rain, sunburn, and blisters, oh my! 56:56 - Final Thoughts 58:02 - Wrap-up

    Hadrian’s Wall, Part IV: Walking from Birdoswald to Bowness-on-Solway
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About

A podcast exploring the Mediterranean world, ancient and modern, through the eyes of two former Classics professors. Join Emily and Cam as they chat about all things Ancient Greek and Roman and share their own adventures exploring the Mediterranean world through history, travel, literature, and film. Emily Jusino is a specialist in ancient Greek tragedy who also thinks deeply about how modern culture interacts with the literature and mythology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Cam Hawkins has spent years reading, teaching, and writing about ancient history—ancient Greek history, ancient Roman history, and the history of a smattering of other cultures. Both have travelled extensively in Italy and Greece and love talking about their travels. We release new episodes on or about the 1st and 15th of every month. https://havetogawilltravel.com

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