Digging Up The Past Podcast

Petros Koutoupis sits down with classicist and author, Alexis Hannah Prescott, to discuss witches and their Classical origins. We talk about her latest book, The First Witches: Women of Power in the Classical World , and dig into how the image of the ancient witch has changed over time. What shaped the way people started to see witches differently? And how does all of that tie into modern witchcra...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with father and son duo, hosts of the podcast Lost Roman Heroes , Matthew and Matteo Storm to discuss the near-forgotten visionaries who helped shape the Roman world. How did these forgotten Roman heroes shape the empire’s destiny, and why have their stories faded from memory? Could revisiting these unsung figures change how we understand Roman history itself? Be sure to...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with assistant professor of Classics at Michigan State University and author, Jeremy Swist, to discuss his latest research publication, Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome. Who was the last pagan emperor of the Roman empire? What was his legacy? How was he portrayed in the writings of early chroniclers and Christian writers? Was there more to thi...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with professor of Classics at Ohio University, Dr. Fred K. Drogula, to discuss Classical Studies and the renewed interests on the subject. We also talk about Drogula’s latest publication, Cato the Younger: Life and Death at the End of the Roman Republic . Who was Cato the Younger and why were the ancient writers so careful while preserving his legacy? Dr. Drogula is the...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Leslie Ivings, to discuss his latest publication: Byzantine Emperor Constantine V, 'the Dung-named': General, Patriarch, Iconoclast, Reformer . Who was Constantine V, what great things did he accomplish during his reign and why were the Byzantine chroniclers harsh with his legacy? We will answer these questions and many more. This is a public e...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Lindsay Powell, to discuss the last days of the Roman Republic and the rise of Imperial Rome. What events led to the transition? Who were the people responsible? Was Julius Caesar the father of the “knock-knock” joke? We will answer these questions and many more. Learn more about Lindsay Powell at www.lindsay-powell.com . This is a public episo...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Jess Nadeau, to discuss ancient mythologies and the role mythology played in the ancient world. What attracted us to these ancient tales? What motivated the ancient authors to compile them in the first place? Did ancient events inspire some stories? We will attempt to answer these questions and more. And be sure to visit Jess’s Substack: Mythic...

Petros Koutoupis sits down with A Podcast of Biblical Proportions host, Gil Kidron, to discuss various theories and historical events which led to the compilation of the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch (or the Torah). What inspired the authors and when did the text get written to scroll? A Podcast of Biblical Proportions: www.podcastofbiblicalproportions.com This is a public...

In this exciting episode we talk about all sorts of topics with historian, Mary Naples. We talk about her publication, Unsung Heroes: Women in the Ancient World . We also discuss the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Romans and even the Canaanite cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Bible and more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus e...

In this episode, we sit down with Egyptologist, Dr. Chris Naunton, to discuss his book, Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt . What has the archaeological evidence revealed to identify the final resting places of important historical figures such as Imhotep, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, and more? We also talk about Egyptology as a whole, the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, the end of the New Kingdom and...

We sit down with Dr. Eric H. Cline to discuss his latest publication, After 1177 B.C.: The survival of Civilizations .  He is a historian, archaeologist, professor of ancient history and archaeology at George Washington University at Washington DC. Author of numerous top selling books in the category of ancient history which includes 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed and more. We also tal...

In this exciting episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with guest historian and author, Dr. Amanda Podany to discuss her latest publication “ Weavers, Scribes and Kings ” and to also talk about the Cradle of Civilization , Mesopotamia. How and when did the earliest urban settlements form? What were the motivations for the discovery of writing? We also discuss the influence and impact these Me...

In this episode, guest author, Anthony Adolph returns to discuss his latest research and publication, In Search of Aeneas: Classical Myth or Bronze Age Hero? Who was Aeneas? What did his world look like? What is his tale and how did it evolve? What did Aeneas mean to both the Greeks and Romans? We discuss this and so much more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other...

In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis sits down with Lawrence Reed to discuss Cicero and the Fall of the Late Roman Republic. Who was Cicero and how did his actions impact both ancient Rome and the Roman Republic? What events led to the fall of the Republic? What lessons can we take away from the ancient Romans? Tune in for this and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss th...

In this episode, guest author, Marc Hyden is back to discuss his latest publication, Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder. Who is Camillus and how did his story help shape the early Republic? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net

In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with British Assyriologist and ancient Near Eastern scholar, Dr. Stephanie Dalley, to discuss the ancient Neo-Assyrians of Iron Age Mesopotamia. Who were the Neo-Assyrians and how did they influence the ancient Near Eastern world? How did they rise to power and under what circumstances did their empire fall? Also discussed is the location of the H...

In the second installment of this special feature sub-series, we will continue to explore the world of the Bible. Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he takes us on a journey to discover the location of Eden, identify the Nephilim, understand the fusing of two separate Flood stories to find parallels with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel to Neo-Assyrian sources and inspiration. This is a public episode....

In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, speaks about the latest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, the Antikythera Mechanism, Archimedes, the life and death of ancient Pompeii, he answers listener questions and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net

Is there evidence to the tales of Aeneas and the Trojan refugees migrating from Anatolia and to Italian shores? Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he explores this narrative and attempts to shed light on the archaeology of the region during the Late Bronze Age. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepas...

In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with professional genealogist and historical researcher and author, Anthony Adolph. They discuss Anthony’s book, Brutus of Troy: And the Quest for the Ancestry of the British . Who was the legendary Brutus of Troy and why was he important to the British? What did Brutus symbolize and why link him back to the Trojans (of the Trojan War)? Is there e...

Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he embarks on his latest adventure to rediscover and retell the oldest story ever written: the Epic of Gilgamesh. From when did the stories originate and from where? When were the first tablets unearthed by archaeologists? Why was this discovery so important? How has the epic tale impacted both ancient and modern audiences? Tune in to find out. This is a public epis...

In this special feature sub-series, we will explore the world of the Bible. Who wrote the Bible? More specifically, who authored the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament? Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he takes us on a journey to explore current theories and scholarship around this age-old question. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscri...

Who were the Sea Peoples wreaking havoc at the end of the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age? What was their motivation and from where did they originate? Join Petros Koutoupis as he attempts to answer these questions and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net

In this second part of digging into Homer’s epic tale, The Odyssey, Petros Koutoupis focuses on the Wanderings (books 5-12). Here we meet with witches, nymphs, Cyclopes, gods and goddess and more. Can we discover the inspirations for some of these characters and what they represent? Do we know where they existed in the ancient world? Tune in to find out. This is a public episode. If you would like...

How much of Homer’s epic tale, the Odyssey, preserves historical fact? Join Petros Koutoupis as he digs deep into the Telemachy (the first four books of the Odyssey) in an attempt to determine how much of the poem preserve Late Bronze Age events. We will discuss ancient Aegean traditions to even the Sea Peoples. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...