Ancient Greece Declassified

Delve into Plato's profound questions on justice, beauty, love, and truth in a discussion with Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. Explore the enduring influence of Socrates and Plato on Western philosophy. Reflect on the historical context of existential questions and the validation-seeking tendencies of modern society. Uncover the philosophical evolution of Socrates and Plato through their dialogues and ideas.

Archaeologist and professor of Classics at Stanford University, Ian Morris, discusses the Persian expeditions against Greece in 490-479 BC. He explains the latest research on economies, technologies, and demographics of both civilizations and how they may have affected the outcome of the conflict. The episode touches on some main ideas from Morris' book 'War: What is it good for?' which counters the belief that warfare has made human societies progressively less violent. The podcast explores the concept of productive vs unproductive war, the differences between the Persian Empire and the ancient Greek world, the role of democracies and republics in going to war, and the geographical significance of Maelidus in history.

Rush Rehm, professor of classics and of theater and performing studies at Stanford University, joins us for a discussion about Greek tragedy. The origins of tragedy (and theater in general) can be traced back in time to one city in the late 6th century BC: Athens. Theater in Athens seems to emerge at the same time that democracy is born. Is that a coincidence? Or is there some deeper connection between the invention of theater and democracy? Scholars have been debating this for a long time. Furthermore, Greek tragedies are famous for their depiction of human suffering. What are we to make of these wrenching stories? Is this just horror for the sake of horror? Is it just shock-value? Is it extreme pessimism? Or, as some philosophers have argued, is there something cathartic, or even elevating, about these plays? Our discussion today will take us back to the dawn of theater in 5th century BC Athens. We're going to talk about what going to the theater was like for the ancient Athenians, and then we're going to get into some of the deeper issues these plays bring up. If you would like to learn more about the individual Greek tragedies mentioned in this episode (like Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Medea etc), check out the awesome podcast called “Literature and History.” Not only will you hear these classic stories told in a witty, dramatic way, but you'll also find an exploration of the deeper meanings and historical background of these plays.  

Explore democracy and demagogues in ancient Athens with historian Josiah Ober. Learn about the unique political developments, economic prosperity, and citizen participation in the Athenian system. Discover the challenges in controlling demagogues like Cleon and the fragility of democracy. Reflect on the lessons from ancient Greece for modern democratic societies.

Sappho is one of the first song-writers we know of in history, partly because she was one of the first singers to write down her songs, in around 600BC. We still know about her because she was considered the best song-writer for about a thousand years after her death. While best known as a singer of female desire, her lyrics were so powerfully felt by men and women across the centuries that she became known as the tenth muse, joining the ranks of the 9 divine muses – the goddesses of art and inspiration. But after a millennium of celebrity status, Sappho's works were almost completely lost. Of the nine volumes of her songs that once graced the shelves of libraries at Alexandria and elsewhere, only a few pages survive today – most of it scattered bits and fragments of different songs. Andromache Karanika, professor of classics at the University of California Irvine has written extensively on Sappho and early Greek poetry. She joins us to talk about the tenth muse, her life, and works, and why they were lost.

Andrew Ford of Princeton University joins us for a conversation about the Iliad. What makes it so...epic? And what kind of vision of the world does Homer provide his audiences?

Archaeologist Eric Cline discusses the mysterious collapse of major civilizations at the end of the second millennium BC, exploring the role of the Sea Peoples and comparing it to the fall of the Roman Empire. The perfectly preserved Uluburun Shipwreck provides insights into late Bronze Age trade. The collapse of the Mycenaean civilization is analyzed, considering the impact of the Santorini volcano eruption and possible causes such as the Sea Peoples, earthquakes, drought, and famine. Parallels are drawn between the late Bronze Age crises and present-day events like ISIS and the refugee crisis.

Four astonishing archaeological discoveries that extended our knowledge of history back into the mythical past: Champollion and the Rosetta Stone, Grotefend's cuneiform breakthrough, Schliemann digging for Troy, and Michael Ventris' deciphering of Linear B.