The Hellenistic Age Podcast

The Seleucid realm experienced twelve unusual years of peace during the reign of Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175), but his alleged murder by a corrupt court official paved the way for Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“God Manifest”) to usurp the throne of Syria from his nephew. An incredibly polarizing figure, Antiochus was renowned for his generous donations towards cities and temples, often in honor of his new patron deity Zeus Olympios, but his behavior earned him the scorn of those like Polybius, who nicknamed him Epimanes (“The Madman”). Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/02/06/104-the-seleucid-empire-madness-and-the-divine/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/104-the-seleucid-empire-madness-and-the-divine-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

After Rome’s declaration of war in 171, Perseus desperately attempts to stand his ground. When the “Third Macedonian War” drags on longer than anticipated, the consul Lucius Aemilius Paulus is called in and destroys the royal army at Pydna in 168, leading to the end of the Antigonid dynasty and the Macedonian kingdom. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/01/13/103-antigonid-macedon-the-first-domino-falls/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/103-antigonid-macedon-the-first-domino-falls-transcript.pdf) Family Tree - Reign of Perseus: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/reign-of-perseus-1.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Despite a controversial rise to the throne, King Perseus showed himself to be an able ruler. Continuing his father’s policies of restoring the strength of Macedonia, he earned a positive reputation across the Greek world through his philanthropy and general good behavior. His rising popularity earned the enmity of those like Eumenes II of Pergamon, who accused Perseus of secretly carrying out plans for a war against the Roman Republic, inheriting his father's schemes. Tensions would soon boil over, and the king would find himself in the crosshairs of the Senate, leading to the Third Macedonian War. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/11/21/102-antigonid-macedon-sins-of-the-father/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/102-antigonid-macedon-sins-of-the-father-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The long reign of Philip V comes to an end after nearly 42 years on the throne. Following the defeat at Cynoscephalae, the Antigonid ruler spends the next two decades restoring his kingdom through economic and military reforms. By 179, Macedonia was once again a powerhouse to be reckoned with. However, infighting between the two princes Perseus and Demetrius would threaten to undermine the dynasty's unity, as an appropriately Greek tragedy stains the final days of Philip's career. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/10/16/101-antigonid-macedon-a-house-divided/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/101-antigonid-macedon-a-house-divided-transcript.pdf) Family Tree (Reign of Philip V): (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/reign-of-philip-v.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Six and a half years since we first started this journey, we finally have reached episode 100. Taking the least original approach possible, I decided to host another question and answer session to celebrate. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/10/05/100-qa-2-electric-boogaloo/) Bad Ancient - "Are the Homeric Epics an Accurate Source for the Bronze Age Aegean?" (https://www.badancient.com/claims/homeric-epics-source-bronze-age-aegean/) Natty Lifting - "Why Did Bronze Age Lifters Have Flat Chests?" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIcbKGilhME&pp=ygUXYnJvbnplIGFnZSBib2R5YnVpbGRpbmc%3D) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Our understanding the cosmos and our place in it has perplexed humanity for untold generations. The astronomers and geographers of the Hellenistic period were no different, looking to explain celestial phenomena and the nature of the Earth. Eratosthenes of Cyrene managed to calculate the circumference of the Earth to an astonishingly close value, Hipparchus did the same with the distance of the Moon, and Aristarchus of Samos proposed the earliest known model of heliocentrism 1800 years before Copernicus. The pinnacle of these theories came together was the incredible Antikythera Mechanism, the world's oldest analog computer, which will bring our series on science and technology to an end. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/08/30/099-hellenistic-science-geography-and-astronomy/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/099-hellenistic-science-astronomy-and-geography-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

It's never easy coming up with your own origin story, and the ascendant Hellenistic dynasties tried their best to justify their legitimacy in an age of shifting alliances. PhD candidate Angus Jacobson joins the show to discuss the "Flight of Seleucus" story presented to us by Libanius of Antioch (314-392 A.D.), offering insights as to how the Successors used (or manipulated) events in their royal propaganda, and the challenges of separating fact from fiction. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/07/30/interview-the-flight-of-seleucus-and-dynastic-propaganda-with-angus-jacobson/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Discover the practical applications of theoretical mathematics in the Hellenistic period, from new war weapons like catapults to enormous ships. Learn about the Colossus of Rhodes, the earliest known robots, and the precursor of the steam engine by Alexandrian inventors. Explore innovative technologies that continue to fascinate viewers today.

Delve into the world of Hellenistic mathematics with a focus on Euclid's 'Elements' and the intriguing life of Archimedes. Explore the legacy of key figures like Pythagoras and Thales, and their contributions to mathematical innovation. Learn about conic sections, Cartesian geometry, and the enduring impact of Hellenistic mathematicians on modern scholars.

As the first episode in our series on science and technology, we begin by looking at the advancements in medicine during the Hellenistic Age. In Alexandria, Herophilus and Erasistratus became the first doctors to practice human dissections in any significant capacity until the Middle Ages, greatly improving our understanding of anatomy and physiology. Developments in pharmacology followed the botanical work of Theophrastus, while Mithridates VI of Pontus performed diabolical experiments with poisons and antidotes. From OBGYN to trepanation, there is bound to be something in here that will make you squeamish. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/096-hellenistic-science-medicine-and-the-healing-arts/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/096-hellenistic-sciences-medicine-and-the-healing-arts-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)