Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold – Details, episodes & analysis

A reading from Liv's new piece on Medusa, from the collection Medusa, New & Ancient Greek Tales, available now from Flame Tree Press.

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv speaks with Stephanie McCarter, whose was last on the show to talk about her recent translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, this time it's all about ancient women in power, both the historical, the mythical, and the details somewhere in between.

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv teams up with Genn and Jenny of Ancient History Fangirl to tell the first half of Lucian's True History. Sign up for the newsletter here.

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Sources: Lucian's True History, translated by HW Fowler and FG Fowler; Lucian of Samosata Project.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv speaks with Katharine Beutner, author of the newly re-released novel, Alcestis. They discuss writing a queer retelling pre-Song of Achilles, the wonders of Alcestis, and more. Learn more about Katharine's work here and follow her on instagram here. (Liv really didn't plan how close this would come to those re-airs, Alcestis is just begging to be heard.) Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To cap off our re-listen to the series on Euripides' Helen and Alcestis, here are the two conversations Liv had about these plays. Helen, with CW Marshall, and Alcestis, with Ellie Mackin Roberts. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on a role talking about unique and fascinating Euripidean women, so following Iphigenia Among the Taurians and revisiting the Helen, we're left with the most bizarre story of them all, the Alcestis, a woman who agrees to die for her husband, an absolute [insert very specific British curse word here], only to be saved by Heracles once he's wrestled death. The perfect tragicomedy to end the year. This is all three parts of the episodes covering Euripides' Alcestis.

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Sources: Euripides' Alcestis, found in The Greek Plays, introduction and translation by Rachel Kitzinger.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Iphigenia Among the Taurians so fresh in our minds, I want to revisit another odd, foreign, mistaken identity, escape plan play... What if Helen of Sparta was never taken by Paris, never brought to Troy at all? Euripides' Helen explores a "ghost theory" of Helen, an eidolon theory. This is all four parts of the Helen series in one episode.

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Sources: The Greek Plays, new translations edited by Mary Lefkowitz and James Romm: Euripides' Helen translated by Emily Wilson; Early Greek Myths by Timothy Gantz. Thanks to Ash Strain for researching the play.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv reads the final section, Book 15, of Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Brookes More. Mythology melds with the history of, weirdly, Pythagoras?, and Rome with Caesar being deified and other such Latin nonsense. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!

This is not a standard narrative story episode, it's a reading of an ancient source, audiobook style. For regular episodes look for any that don't have "Liv Reads..." in the title! For a list of Roman/Latin names and who they were in the Greek, visit: mythsbaby.com/names

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this holiday special episode, Liv speaks to Alexandra Sills about gladiators on screen... From Spartacus to Gladiator to (Starz) Spartacus, there's a history of good and bad gladiator portrayals (and lots of half-naked Australians). Read more from Alexandra at Bad Ancient and Working Classicists. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv is joined by Dr Nadhira Hill to talk about boozing it up in ancient world, which basically just meant... Drinking a lot of wine, all the time, in many different ways. Praise Dionysus! Read more from Nadhira on Notes from the Apotheke and follow Nadhira on Instagram. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!

CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.

Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.