Garner's Greek Mythology

Novel 4 of The Naxos Quartet sums up the most important things in life — love and belonging. In this episode Garner reads a brief selection from the book, focusing on a dramatic moment in the return of Inanna, Gaia, Timessa and Dionysos. The Naxos Quartet includes The Winnowing, Cycladic Girls, Homo Divinitas and All That Lasts . All the novels are available on Amazon.        If you love this podc...

In 1976 an obscure psychologist from Princeton University published a book titled, “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.” It was a sensation, not in small part because Jaynes postulated that before modern consciousness occurred, the voices humans heard in their head were considered those of the gods.  He pinpointed the date of this shift to around 1200 B.C.  After th...

EP 45:  Interview with Greek AF Radio In this episode we join hosts Ari and Foti of Greek AF Radio as they interview Patrick Garner on a wide-ranging array of mythology topics. Garner discusses his creative background, his novels and the inspiration for the podcast itself. Greek AF Radio is the world’s largest platform for all thing Greek. Check them out at www.greekafradio.com ... If you love thi...

When Greece became part of the Roman empire in 146 B.C., the Olympic gods were still dominant. But the gods had begun to drift away even then. This episode tracks their willful retreat from the lives of mankind. Narrated by mythologist and best-selling author, Patrick Garner, Garner's Greek Mythology is unlike any other Greek history series.  Here these divine beings are viewed as if they wer...

In Episode 43 we analyze the impact of violence on the ancient Greeks. It was everywhere — the product of men constantly warring with each other and the result of gods randomly exerting their power. Far too often the gods precipitated war solely for their own enjoyment … Men waged war to replenish slaves. The Olympic gods fought with each other. Mortals who thought too highly of themselves were pu...

Episode 42: The Divine Voice Welcome to Episode 42 where we hear a divine voice — or rather, we hear about how Socrates was guided throughout his life by a spiritual voice called a daimon . This daimon accompanied him from his cradle to his death. Socrates was hardly alone in hearing a divine voice. The pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus makes reference to his own daimon. And centuries later, the...

Welcome to Episode 41 where we meet the ancient King of Cyprus, Pygmalion. The sculpture he creates of a beautiful woman changes his life — and provides inspiration for artists for another 3,000 years. King Pygmalion falls madly in love with the statue. Praying to Aphrodite to find him a woman as beautiful, the king is shocked to find that instead, the goddess breathes life into the statue itself....

Welcome to Episode 40. Now we leave ancient Greece and shift to contemporary America. The old gods have come to the suburbs of Pennsylvania to play — and to save the world. The three Fates, plus Artemis, Athene, Aphrodite and the ancient goddess Nyx — all appear in order to thwart scientists who are on the verge of discovering immortality. This startling tale weaves morality, sensuality and seduct...

Welcome to Episode 39. In this episode we enter the city of Thebes with the god Dionysus, who returns to his mother’s home seeking revenge. There he converts the city’s women and girls to Bacchae, or followers of Bacchus, another name for Dionysus. He is arrested by the young King Pentheus and events goes downhill from there … Narrated by mythologist and best-selling author, Patrick Garner, Garner...

Welcome to Episode 38. In this episode we follow six cursed generations known as the House of Atreus. A classic Greek tragedy, the story involves gods and men, wives and daughters, and spans 800 miles of geography from Troy to Athens. Like so many of these tales, it begins with Zeus, who has a son who has a son. What follows? Murder, deceit, incest, matricide and suicide … Narrated by mythologist...

Welcome to Episode 37. Imagine beasts that are half-horse and half-man. They’re crude. Their weapons are broken branches and rocks. The ancient Greeks called them Centaurs . But among them was a unique and sophisticated being. A centaur named Kheiron (pronounced Sheer-roan ) was so wise and wily that gods and men asked him to teach their children. He raised Asklepios, Peleus, Jason and Achilles. H...

Welcome to Episode 36. Today we examine the difficult topic of sacrifice. The discussion of killing animals upsets many people. If you’re one of them, this may be an episode to avoid. Sacrifice was so common in the ancient world that no one thought twice about the practice. On the contrary, sacrifice was an essential means of communication between mortals and divinities. Every ceremony, every cele...

Welcome to Episode 35. In this show we identify the most exalted and powerful mortal women in Greece. Who were they? ... Priestesses, serving goddesses, and in some cases, gods. These women were the equivalent of today’s superstars. Their names were known by everyone, they conducted sacrifices, and they led festivals and celebrations throughout the year. But their most important function was to ac...

Welcome to Episode 34! Here we take our inspiration from the Muses, nine goddesses and daughters of the mighty Zeus. 3,000 years ago they lit the fire behind every masterpiece. Many of us say they play the identical role today, inspiring songwriters, poets, playwrights and writers. They inspired artists and scientists alike. Pythagoras, the father of mathematics, was also a mystic and credited the...

Welcome to Episode 33 where we meet Pythagoras, a 6th century B.C. genius. Was he man or god? Not even his contemporaries were sure. Pythagoras himself once said, “There are gods … and there are men … and there is Pythagoras.” Avowedly the son of Apollo , he is known today as the father of mathematics. All modern science and logic sprung from his original insights. Yet he was also a mystic and the...

Welcome to Episode 32 . In this episode we hang with the mighty Spartans. Where did they come from? How did they grow to dominate the Greek world in all things relating to war?  Their society was founded by a man named Lycurgus. Or was it…? Some say it was Apollo — others claimed their bloodline ran directly from the sons of Heracles. They rose and fell like all great heroes, their glory lasting a...

Welcome to Episode 31 . In this episode we drill down into the world of ancient Greek healing. Was Hippocrates the father of medicine? Hardly. He was preceded by a demi-god, a son of Apollo named Asklepios.   Asklepios, who flourished 800 years before Hippocrates, specialized in cures that reset a patient’s age. They were akin to today’s breakthroughs in anti-aging, which are typified by researche...

Welcome to Episode 30 where we survey ancient war and how it formed the Greek notion of the ideal hero. Thousands of years ago heroes were, without exception, brave young men. They expected to die young, valiantly and with the bodies of those they’d slain lying at their feet. In this episode we contrast ancient war involving the gods to modern, secular war. Millennium ago, more frequently than not...

Welcome to Episode 29 … Listen as we learn about the real Heracles, Greece’s indisputable superhero. A semi-divine being and the son of Zeus, Heracles experienced tragedies and triumphs. He never refused a challenge. In this episode we look at his 12 labors, his loves and his transformation from mortal to immortal god  … Narrated by mythologist and best-selling author, Patrick Garner, Garner'...

Welcome to EPISODE 28 -- The Proud, Audacious Amazons The Amazons were sired by the war god, Ares. They reflected their parentage well.  As fighting machines they were almost unstoppable. That is, until they confronted Greece's greatest heroes. In this episode we look at their life style -- and their grandest conflicts. Over the course of almost a thousand years they opposed Heracles, Theseus...

Welcome to EPISODE 27 -- The Dishonored Sky Gods Zeus did not have the sky to himself, and shared it with the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and others. This arrangement worked well until an even greater force than Zeus came on the scene. This episode tells the story of the sky gods who were bested by science . That was a new way to explain the workings of the world—one without the flour...

Welcome to Episode 26, THE THREE HELENS This episode features the story of Helen of Troy , also known as the woman whose "face  launched a thousand ships.”  She was beautiful, but ended up being a pawn of the gods in the Trojan War. The effort to rescue her actually changed Greek history by being the impetus to unite the Greek city-states.    As often happens in these tales, nothing is as it...

EP 25: You Tell Apollo He’s A Myth … Welcome to Episode 25. This episode explores whether the gods are real or -- as scholars state -- myths. In this unique podcast we take a different approach, daring to examine whether we’ve all been misled. What if the Greek gods simply walked? What if they tired of the affairs and the squabbling that was a constant background on beautiful Mt. Olympus? After al...

… Welcome to Podcast 24. This episode excavates the story of Medusa. I say ‘excavate’ because today we think of Medusa as a monster whose glance could turn men to stone.  But there’s much more to her story. It’s been buried. So first we shovel aside the stones and debris. What do we find? Before she was a monster, she was a beautiful girl. While a temple attendant, she was seduced by one of the go...

... Welcome to Episode 23, DEMETER -  BEST GIFT EVER The Greek gods do everything humans can do, but on a grander scale. When Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, gives bountiful harvests, all rejoice. How do you top that? When her kidnapped daughter is returned, the grateful goddess gives Greeks the promise of a happy afterlife. Talk about the BEST GIFT EVER... This episode is narrated by mytholo...