The Patriarchy: Whodunnit?

Marianne Moore

The Patriarchy:Whodunnit? is a historical quest to find the origin of The Patriarchy. Starting with the Romans in the classical era, Marianne takes us around the world, from society to society, and gradually back in time, to find the point when sexual equality was eclipsed by patriarchy, and ask what on earth happened? The Patriarchy: Whodunnit is, supported by, and only available to Marianne’s Patreon subscribers. Each episode has an accompanying written article with sources and images.

Episodes

  1. [PREVIEW] 9. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Buddha?

    Season 1, Episode 9 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 9. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Buddha?

    In Episode 9 of the Patriarchy: Whodunnit? we ask: WAS IT THE BUDDHA?  In 6th Century BCE there emerged on the scene in North India a man called Siddhartha Gautama who would come to be called “The Buddha”. His religion professed to end human suffering, but did it actually end the suffering of women, or did it make things worse? In this episode we ask:   - Who are the bhikkhu and the bhikkhuni? - Why were eight rules imposed on Buddhist nuns? - Are women more or less detestable than the dead snake and the dog? All this and more as we uncover how The Buddha failed to follow his radical message to its conclusion thereby entrenching patriarchy within the countries who would take up Buddhism until the present day. 👁️  Links  Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    1 min
  2. [PREVIEW] 8. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Brahmins?

    Season 1, Episode 8 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 8. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Brahmins?

    In Episode 8 of the Patriarchy:Whodunnit? we ask: WAS IT THE BRAHMINS?  Between 800 BCE and the beginning of the first millennium, the Brahmin priests in India used five tactics to destroy the status of women. We uncover in detail how they did it. In this episode we ask:   - What is Manu’s problem and why is he so vitriolic against women and outcastes? - For what crime was a mature woman to have her head shaved, two fingers chopped off, or forced to ride on a donkey? - What more can the Kamasütra offer us than sexual positions? All this and more as we uncover how the Brahmins set up a social hierarchy and subordination of women that would last until the present day. 👁️  Links  Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    1 min
  3. [PREVIEW] 7. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Mauryans?

    Season 1, Episode 7 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 7. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Mauryans?

    In Episode 7 of the Patriarchy:Whodunnit? we ask: WAS IT THE MAURYANS?  Chandragupta Maurya emerged as Raja to found the Mauryan dynasty which spread from the Ganges Pain to cover the whole of what is today North India between 320 to 185 BCE. What impact did his dynasty have on the women in India? In this episode we ask:   - Why did the chief wife of the Raja have to simulate sex with a stallion? - How much does Sita have to put up with from Rama before she gets angry? - When did the tragic custom of Sati (the immolation of widows) arise? All this and more as we uncover how the Mauryan dynasty shaped North India with patriarchal ideals of male rule that are still influencing us today. 👁️

    1 min
  4. [PREVIEW] 6. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Persians?

    Season 1, Episode 6 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 6. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Persians?

    In Episode 6 of the Patriarchy:Whodunnit? we ask: WAS IT THE PERSIANS?  The Persian Achaemenid empire was the largest empire the world had ever seen. In this episode we unpick the culture of these nomadic warriors who became emperors and see if they were patriarchal. We ask:   - How many of his own sisters and daughters is it appropriate for a Persian king to marry? - What is a harmamaxae and how far did it travel behind the king? - How did Darius I get his horse to proclaim him the legitimate ruler of Persia? All this and more as we uncover how ancient Persian lives and religion are still influencing us today. 👁️  Links  Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    1 min
  5. [PREVIEW] 5. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it Alexander of Macedon?

    Season 1, Episode 5 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 5. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it Alexander of Macedon?

    In Episode 5 of the Patriarchy: Whodunnit we ask: WAS IT ALEXANDER OF MACEDON?  We look deeply at the story of this man in order to understand why Alexander became, and remains, a archetype of patriarchal masculinity. In this episode we explore:  - How severe were Alexander’s daddy issues? - Was he a God or a Devil?  - What did the Amazon Queen want from Alexander and did she get it? All this and more as we uncover why Alexander is still such a talked about and celebrated figure today. Links  For this period in popular culture watch: Alexander (2004) Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    1 min
  6. [PREVIEW] 4. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Athenians?

    Season 1, Episode 4 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 4. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Athenians?

    In Episode 4 of the Patriarchy: Whodunnit we ask: WAS IT THE ATHENIANS?  We are delving into their culture during 4th to 6th centuries BCE to understand how they have underpinned all subsequent western thought with their particular brand of intellectual patriarchy. We ask: - Were women excluded from the democracy because they voted for the goddess Athena? - How many phallus statutes should a town have?  - and just what was Aristotle’s problem with women? All this and more, as we uncover this ancient Greek culture that still has such a profound influence on our political philosophy today. It is the Athenians, from the perspective of their too-long secluded women 👁️  Links  Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    2 min
  7. [PREVIEW] 3. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it Peter, was it Paul?

    Season 1, Episode 3 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 3. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it Peter, was it Paul?

    In Episode 3 of the Patriarchy: Whodunnit we ask: WAS IT PETER, WAS IT PAUL?  We will be finding all about who these two gents were and how they influenced the emerging religion of Christianity. - Why were Mary Magdalen and Peter arguing all the time? - Who were the sects deemed heretical and how different could Christianity been? - How did empires and rulers shape the religions they patronise such as Christianity and Islam? All this and more as we understand the founding blocks that built the religions we still practice today and how they were painted patriarchal. Links  For this period in popular culture watch: Ben-Hur (1959) Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    1 min
  8. [PREVIEW] 2. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Romans?

    Season 1, Episode 2 Trailer

    [PREVIEW] 2. The Patriarchy Whodunnit: Was it the Romans?

    In Episode 2 of the Patriarchy: Whodunnit we ask: WAS IT THE ROMANS? We are delving into their 1000 year period to understand why they represent an archetypical patriarchal culture. - Who was pater familias and why was he in everyone’s business? - Who were the Vestal Virgjns and were they really buried alive? - Who does the god Mithra share his birthday with? All this and more as we uncover Roman history and understand how they still influence us today. It really is the Romans from a perspective they are not usually seen 👁️ Links Follow Marianne on Instagram and TikTok Visit Marianne's website to find out more about her work Music and artwork by Marianne

    1 min

Trailers

About

The Patriarchy:Whodunnit? is a historical quest to find the origin of The Patriarchy. Starting with the Romans in the classical era, Marianne takes us around the world, from society to society, and gradually back in time, to find the point when sexual equality was eclipsed by patriarchy, and ask what on earth happened? The Patriarchy: Whodunnit is, supported by, and only available to Marianne’s Patreon subscribers. Each episode has an accompanying written article with sources and images.

Information

  • Creator
    Marianne Moore
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Marianne Moore 2025
  • Show Website
    The Patriarchy: Whodunnit?