Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast

Prince Aeneas of Troy has a bit of an unusual parentage- he's the son of minor prince Anchises by Human Woman. Who is definitely human. And not Aphrodite. Sources for this episode: Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: I...

The secondborn son of Priam and Hecabe was already making a big splash before he was born- and well before he swooped on a woman called Helen. There's not many of us who get a prophecy about our destructive legacy- or who get confused with a major European city... Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann. Graves, R. (1981), Gre...

It's the start of Chapter II, so we're off to the Trojan War! Except... Not just yet. We need some background first. You might have heard of our subject today- she shares a name with one of the co-hosts... Sources for this episode: Euripides (1981), Medea and Other Plays. Translated by P. Vellacott. London: The Penguin Classics. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: W...

All Hallows' Eve is upon us... and that means spooky stories! Join us for two longer-form Greco-Roman stories and four tales from around the world. Plus, the Autocrat palace may or may not be haunted. So there's that. Sources for this episode (to be updated tomorrow): Marks, A. and Tingay, G. (date unknown), Romans. London: Usborne Publishing. Pliny (1969), The Letters of the Younger Pliny. Transl...

Back in episode 15, we discussed the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha in their experience of the great flood sent by Zeus to destroy humanity. However, there are other flood myths we didn't get to cover because of our focus. So, we welcomed Chris Stewart from the History of China to go through Chinese creation stories, flood myths, scientific controversy, and more! Sources for this episode: Allan, S....

After 48 episodes, it's time to move on to the Trojan War. Before we do, let's look back at everything we've covered, watch the co-hosts quiz each other and answer your questions and comments! All while we struggle to pronounce words and feel pain over the fall of Constantinople. Plus, a voice from somewhere beyond the microphone... Some sources for this episode: Author unknown, Wikipedia (date un...

It is time to say an emotional goodbye to Heracles- but not before he sacks Troy before it becomes cool, does some light target practice on a centaur and builds himself a funeral pyre. Sources for this episode: Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L. and Stryer, L. (2007), Biochemistry (6th edition). New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. Homer (2021), The Iliad & The Odyssey. Translated by S. Butler. Ovie...

Just to let you know that there won't be a new episode this week due to one of the co-hosts not feeling great. However, stick with us! In this filler episode, we discuss the direction the podcast is going to take over the next few weeks and go through a bit of housekeeping. Not only that, but if you are lacking your history podcasting fix this week, there's an exclusive clip of episode 69 of After...

Another instance of a cursed family tree- this time in two stories. The first is one of a man who just wants to find a nice statue and settle down. In the second, a series of cursed events lead to someone Aphrodite can fall in love with! A handy precedent to set as we wind our way towards the Trojan War... Sources for this episode; Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translate...

Quick correction- we call Orthus the father of Cerberus in the episode, but it's actually Typhon! Just swap 'father' for 'brother' and everything still works. The final and most dangerous task is here, and we've got to go down into the underworld... We've got the whole package: Heracles solving fighting-based problems; Harry Potter connections from Cassie, and Vince goi...

Back in episode 33, we examined what the ancient authors had to say about the phoenix. Well, this time the basilisk is under scrutiny! Also, find out which snake we think it probably sprung from! That and Part II of Harry Potter references... Sources for this episode: Alexander, R. McN. (1963), The Evolution of the Basilisk. Greece & Rome 10(2): 170-181. Rackham, H. (1967), Pliny Natural Histo...

Originally meant as a wedding gift for either Zeus or Hera, the Golden Apples lie in a garden far in some direction- either north or west, the sources disagree. Look forward to a cameo from a sly Atlas! He may have already become a mountain due to Perseus' shenanigans in episode 17 if you believe Ovid but hey, who's really keeping score... Plus sky giraffes. We can't forget about those...

A heroine in Greek mythology! Her story involves the stories of many other heroes, including Peleus, the fallout from Oedipus and Jason and the Argo. We also see that if you want to get ahead in life, all you need is some divine golden fruit and you'd be... well... golden. Sources for this episode: Aelianus, C. (1665), Various History. Translated by T. Stanley. London: Printed for Thomas Dring...

If there's one thing Heracles is good at... It's gratuitously killing things. Oh good, here's another chance to do that while fetching some cows from the remnants of Atlantis! That and horrify Cassie by committing crimes against doggos... Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of G...

You either die a hero... or you're Jason. Let's watch the wheels come off the wagon off Jason's cart as he angers a powerful sorceress by marrying princess Glauce behind her back. Expect violence, murder and a wild life the hosts were very excited to tell each other about! Content warning: It's Medea, so we're going to get a lot of violence. Sources for this episode: Aelianus,...

The Amazons feature for the first time in a major way, as Heracles is tasked with fetching a belt from their queen! All in order to please the first recorded instance of both a spoiled princess and a daddy's girl... Content warning: An apparent Amazon practice of mutilation gets mentioned very briefly. Sources for this episode: • Beverly, B. I. (1947), Spoiled Children. Postgraduate Medicine 2(2):...

A rightful heir who's been defrauded of his inheritance, a king with a fetch-quest and a talking boat. Just the right ingredients to summon together an Avengers-style all-star cast of Greek heroes. All while our hero barely seems relevant in his own story... Content warning: It's a story containing Medea, so it gets a bit brutal at times. Sources for this episode: Apollonius Rhodius (1889)...

Carnivorous horses! Speculation about Alexander the Great! A cameo from the jar! This episode has it all. Expect Heracles to have to clean up someone else's mess, as well as deal with a bunch of his groupies and an unexpected funeral... Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece &amp...

You might think you've seen a few vain people in your life, but this one gets an entire psychological trait named after him. He's quite the heart-breaker, but is he prepared to have his own heart broken? Sources for this episode: Chadburn, H. (2014),  Narcissus poeticus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e. T193504A2239955. Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns...

We've come back for one last look at the Theseus saga, as in this week's task we sort of deal with the consequences of Minos II annoying Poseidon that time! Not that we're sure how this fits with the timeline of Minos dying on Sicily but hey- at least there's a big bull for Heracles to deal with. Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). L...

Constantine the Great founded New Rome, or Constantinople, in the 4th century. However, there was already a city there centuries earlier. For the mythical roots of Byzantium, we have to go back to yet another man with dubious parentage- this time called Byzas... Sources for this episode: Angelov, D. (2019), The Byzantine Hellene: The Life of Emperor Theodore Laskaris and Byzantium in the Thirteent...

The shareholders have agreed that the Heracles Cleaning Company is branching out today, because we're going to deal with a pest species running riot in Stymphalus! How many birds? A million, you say? Well, maybe or maybe not... Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: T...

Steering away from the standard format of stories for a bit, this episode we will be talking all about the phoenix! Is it what you were expecting? Is it like in Harry Potter? Eh... Not quite. Sources for this episode: Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge. BirdLife International (2018),  Chrysololophus pictu...

This next task has hired the Heracles Cleaning Company, because it's time to muck out some stables! Not just any stables, though- the famously impossible stables of King Augeas... Plus, we get to hear the hosts speculating about rice paper for a sizeable fraction of run time! What's not to love? Sources for this episode: Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: Wi...

In today's episode, we are delighted to be joined by Daniel from the YouTube channel Eastern Roman History! This is a collaboration where we discuss the best and the west that the Byzantine portion of Roman history has to offer us. We discussed our candidates for the greatest Byzantine emperors over on his channel- now let's turn to the worst rulers who have ever sat atop the imperial thro...