The Hellenistic Age Podcast

Arguably the most popular of the Hellenistic philosophies, the Stoic movement, with its emphasis on reason and self-control, attracted several famous figures such as the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Macedonian king Antigonus II Gonatas, and Seneca the Younger. Believing that wisdom is the highest good and can be achieved through philosophy, the Stoics encouraged the rejection of emotion and the embrace of rationality as a way to live in accordance with nature, which was granted an innate sense of orderliness and reason thanks to the embodiment of the cosmos by a rational deity. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/05/18/045-hellenistic-philosophy-stoics-stoicism/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

A quick update on the release of show merchandise and on the upcoming Q&A (question and answer) session for episode 050. Hellenistic Age Podcast Show Merchandise: Etsy Page (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Bookmark (https://etsy.me/2WmQxHE) Episode 50 Q&A Contact (send in by or before episode 048): Email (hellenisticagepodcast@gmail.com) Contact Page (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/contact/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473)

Dive into the fascinating world of Epicureanism, where pleasure and the avoidance of pain are at the forefront. Discover how Epicurus, from his humble beginnings, established a community centered on egalitarian learning. Unravel the concepts of atoms and the clinamen, and how they relate to free will. Challenge misconceptions about hedonism while exploring the Epicurean views on truth, death, and the divine, revealing a philosophy that celebrates a life of sensory experiences and kindness.

By 255 B.C., the Carthaginians were in dire straits, having faced the prospect of a Roman invasion of North Africa. However, the talented leadership of Xanthippus of Lacedaemonia and Hamilcar Barca managed to stave off defeat for another 15 years, but the unrelenting nature of the Romans in spite of military and natural disasters would bring an end to the First Punic War. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/043-the-first-punic-war-let-them-drink/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Dr. Nikolaus Overtoom joins us to discuss the Parthians and the Arsacid dynasty, a group that emerged from the Central Asian Steppes to come into conflict with the Seleucids and Hellenistic kingdoms during early-middle 3rd century B.C.  We talk about Dr. Overtoom's work regarding early Parthian history, the adaptability of a steppe society ruling over a heavily urbanized Greco-Persian one,  and his upcoming book "Reign of Arrows: The Rise of the Parthian Empire in the Hellenistic Middle East", which seeks to answer the question of how the Parthians managed to turn from small nomadic tribe to one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/04/02/interview-on-the-parthian-empire-w-dr-nikolaus-overtoom/) Reign of Arrows: The Rise of the Parthian Empire in the Hellenistic Middle East – 30% Off Discount Code [AAFLYG6] for pre-orders through Oxford University Press (release date May 1st, 2020) – Link to page on Oxford University Press Website (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/reign-of-arrows-9780190888329?cc=us&lang=en&) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The First Punic War, lasting from 264 to 241 B.C., was the longest uninterrupted war in the ancient world, fought between the Roman Republic and the Phoenician city-state of Carthage. Exploring the origins of the conflict is essential, tracing the earliest instances of Romano-Punic relations to the intervention of Rome on the behalf of the Mamertines in 264. While the Romans may be able to hold their own in land engagements, will they be able to meet the awesome nautical power of Carthage and emerge victorious in the clash off Cape Ecnomus, the  largest naval battle in the ancient world? Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/03/29/042-the-first-punic-war-the-sicilian-wrestling-ground/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Polybius of Megalopolis (~200 - 118 B.C.) was a Greek nobleman and high ranking member of the Achaean League, whose political career was prematurely ended when he was taken as a political hostage to Rome. Rather than disappearing into obscurity, Polybius took it upon himself to compose a "universal" history, so as to explain to his fellow Greeks how the Romans managed to conquer the inhabited world in only 50 years. In this episode, we are going to spend time discussing the life and works of Polybius, who provides us with not only the best written account from the Hellenistic period, but is also one of the finest historians the Greco-Roman world has ever produced. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/03/14/041-polybius-of-megalopolis-historian-of-the-hellenistic-age/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The city-state of Carthage , founded by Phoenician settlers in modern Tunisia during the 9th century B.C., was a premier power of the western Mediterranean. Stretching their reach from North Africa into Spain, Sicily and Sardinia, the Carthaginians managed to establish a formidable economic empire thanks to their nautical prowess, eventually leading to their clash for dominance with the up-and-coming Roman Republic. In this episode, we will trace Carthage from its foundation to the 1st Punic War, and look at issues such as its government, human sacrifice, and its complicated relationship with the Greco-Roman world. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/03/01/040-carthage-the-forgotten-mediterranean-empire/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Though initially a critical failure upon release, subsequent re-cuts of the 2004 "Alexander" film by director Oliver Stone has been more positively received, and it has been praised as one of the most historically accurate films to depict the ancient world thanks to the historical consultant Robin Lane Fox. In this loosely-structured episode, we are joined by Trevor Culley of the "History of Persia Podcast" to give our thoughts on the movie and analyze it from both a technical and (more importantly) a historical perspective. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/02/17/on-oliver-stones-alexander-w-trevor-culley-the-history-of-persia-podcast/) The History of Persia Podcast Website: (https://historyofpersiapodcast.com/) iTunes: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-of-persia/id1452677220) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/HistoryofPersia) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast)

In Greek Sicily, the rule of law was dominated by the tyrant, and no tyrant was more infamous than Agathocles (361 - 289 B.C.). For over three decades he ruled the city of Syracuse as both a tyrant and king, bringing it into a golden age. At the same time, Agathocles enacted political massacres and acts of brutality to ensure his control, and he waged war against the Phoenician city-state of Carthage, taking the battle to the shores of Africa in a bloody campaign that served as a precursor to the Punic Wars. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/02/13/039-agathocles-of-syracuse-tyrant-king/) Mare Nostrum Podcast iTunes: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mare-nostrum/id1486126746) Stitcher: (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mare-nostrum) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/MarePodcast) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast)