The Herodotus Podcast

Episodi

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  Episode 16: The Unseen King (1.95-101) 17.08.2026 23min

  We begin the Median logos by considering how to go from being a judge to a god-king. Also: what color is your ziggurat?
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  Episode 15: A Look at Lydia (1.93-94) 12.08.2025 22min

  Herodotus plays tour guide/ethnographer and gives us a glimpse of the land of Lydia and its people. But should we believe him?
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  Episode 14: Croesus Considered 28.06.2025 17min

  One last look at our favorite Lydian before moving on: why does Herodotus spend so much time talking about him, and why put his story at the start of the entire Histories?   Please consider supporting my work at www.patreon.com/herodotuspodcast. The first bonus episode is in the pipeline!
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  Episode 13: Croesus on the Pyre (1.85-92) 28.05.2024 15min

  Staring death in the face, Croesus channels his inner sage, and saves his own life.
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  Episode 12: The Fall of Sardis (1.79-84) 21.02.2024 19min

  Cyrus uses the power of camels to defeat Croesus, and a botched prophecy allows him to capture Sardis. Plus, Spartan hair styles!
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  Episode 11: Crossing the Halys (1.71-78) 29.06.2023 30min

  Croesus makes his opening move against the Persians—guess how well that goes? Plus cannibalism, a solar eclipse, and ancient hydraulics.
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  Episode 10: Grave Concerns at Sparta (1.65-70) 22.02.2023 20min

  We get a look at how Sparta became the militarized city-state that we know and love(??), and Croesus picks his Greek ally.
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  Episode 9: The Tyrant of Athens (1.56-64) 17.10.2022 26min

  As Croesus chooses between the Athenians and the Spartans as allies against the Persians, Herodotus introduces us to Pisistratus, the tyrant of Athens, who used trickery to conquer Athens on three separate occasions. We also explore what it meant to be a tyrant and what Herodotus actually thought of the whole tyranny thing.
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  Episode 8: Turtle Soup (1.46-56) 18.07.2022 25min

  Croesus decides to play Bachelor with some Greek oracles to figure out which is the True One, and so we take a long look at the Delphic Oracle. Plus, the voice of Apollo!
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  Episode 7: Unfortunate Son (1.34-45) 11.05.2022 20min

  Croesus meets with tragedy.
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  Episode 6: A Fool, and His Money (1.26-35) 23.03.2022 26min

  In this episode, we finally meet Croesus, hear about his domination of Anatolia, and witness his schooling by the sage Solon of Athens. We'll also learn more about Lydia, and take some time to talk about the origin of money.
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  Episode 5: War on Land and Music at Sea (1.15-25) 23.02.2022 24min

  We look at King Alyattes of Lydia's novel war tactics and Arion's magic dolphin ride. Also: what really happened to Gyges?
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  Episode 4: Naked Ambition (1.6-14) 18.11.2021 15min

  We delve into the family history of King Croesus of Lydia, whom Herodotus identifies as the first Easterner to wage war on Greeks. Croesus' great-great-grandfather, Gyges, takes the Lydian throne in an unexpected way, setting the stage for tragedy five generations in the future.
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  Episode 3: Myth Understandings (1.1-5) 06.10.2021 19min

  We start digging into the text of the Histories: in a shocking twist, Herodotus opens his text in the realm of myth, not history, and begins by turning to Persian, not Greek, sources. With this surprising beginning, the historian gives us a taste of his methods and his historical philosophy—and a reminder to expect the unexpected!  You can find the map illustrating the myths in this episode here. This episode's artwork is a detail from a Roman mosaic of the abduction of Europa from Byblos, today found in the National Museum of Beirut, Lebanon.
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  Episode 2: First Principles - The Prologue 27.08.2021 14min

  Beginnings are important, and in this episode, we delve deep into the first sentence of the Histories. In it, Herodotus identifies himself, gives his reasons for writing, and lays out his topic. A close reading, however, brings out some important nuance.
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  Episode 1: Introduction 08.08.2021 13min

  Welcome to the Herodotus Podcast! This episode is a brief introduction about who Herodotus was, what The Histories is all about, and what makes it so special (and so fun).