Wine-Dark Sea

Alexander the Great takes a detour from his war against the Persian Empire, trekking into Egypt and becoming its new pharaoh. In search of an ancient temple of the supreme god Zeus-Ammon in the desert oasis of Siwa, Alexander receives a transformative prophecy from the god's oracle: the truth of his divine lineage from Zeus-Ammon himself.   A story from the ancient Mediterranean world (332 BC)...

Mithridates of Pontus seeks to expand his rule over Asia Minor, and rid his lands of the influence of the ascending Roman empire. In his vengeful quest for power, he orchestrates one of the bloodiest acts of terror in ancient history: the coordinated mass murder of all Romans or Italians who live within his reach.   A story from Roman history, based on Appian's Mithridatic Wars (10-23) and Aug...

Medea is a beautiful and cunning princess, versed in the arts of magic. When Jason arrives from Greece with the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece, the two fall deeply in love, and begin a new life together in the Greek city of Corinth. But fate has other plans: when Jason betrays Medea and threatens to leave their two children, her sorrow wreaks vengeance upon them all.   A story from a...

The Peloponnesian War has begun, and Athens recovers from Sparta's first attacks. As the city mourns its dead after the first year of fighting, the famed political leader Pericles is called upon to give a eulogy over the departed. Praising the valor of their fallen soldiers and inspiring the Athenians to fight on for their land, Pericles captures an enduring vision of the glory of Athens.    ...

A dispute between the young city of Rome and its neighbor, the ancient capital called Alba Longa, escalates into war. Rome's ambitious king, Tullus Hostilius, seeks a glorious victory in battle; a fateful duel to the death ensues, fought between the Horatii, a set of three brothers from Rome, and the Curiatii, three brothers from Alba. The freedom of Rome and Alba Longa hang on the outcome of...

The Greek city of Thebes was among the oldest and most storied of them all, and the heroic tales of its founder, Cadmus, remained alive in the ancient imagination. Traversing East and West, conquering fearsome beasts, and building a new homeland, Cadmus the hero was admired for his great deeds -- and haunted by a fate he could not escape.   A story from Greek mythology, based on Ovid's Metamor...

Jesus of Nazareth is born in the Roman-occupied land of Judea around 6 or 4 BC, an event that will inspire the holiday of Christmas. The world of the Nativity is a tumultuous scene of competing empires, diverse cultures, and ambitious leaders. How did Judea, homeland of Jesus and the Jewish people, become a province of the Roman Empire, and how did the infamous King Herod ascend the throne? Far fr...

A mythic showdown unfolds in the ancient land of Lydia: Arachne, a girl whose skill in weaving surpasses all, faces off against a wrathful Athena, the goddess of artisan crafts herself. The boastful but extraordinary Arachne weaves a masterpiece that shakes the glory of Olympus -- and awakens the fury of an equally proud Athena. As Arachne deftly spins her threads, will she become trapped in a web...

It is the 2nd century BC, and the land of Judea, homeland of the Jews, is ruled by the Seleucid Kingdom based in Syria. Subjected to a militant crackdown on their religious traditions, the Jews rebel against the Seleucid king Antiochus, and rally behind the leadership of Judas Maccabeus. The success of the Maccabean Revolt and Judas’ restoration of the Temple of Jerusalem bring hope to the Jewish...

The origins of Cyrus the Great (c. 600-530 BC), the first king of the Persian Empire, are shrouded in myth. The best known story, related by the Greek historian Herodotus, weaves a tale of intrigue in the lands of Media and Persia, ruled by the tyrannical king Astyages. When Astyages is visited by ominous dreams connected to the birth of his grandson Cyrus, a deadly plot is set in motion that lead...

Alexander the Great arrives at the fortified island city of Tyre, and lays siege to the impregnable stronghold before continuing his conquest of the Persian Empire. The siege of Tyre demands legendary feats of engineering and strategy as the tides of battle swing between the Macedonian army and the Tyrian defenders, lasting for seven long months and culminating in a devastating defeat.    A story...

Dido, the queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, the leader of the Trojan War's survivors, have fallen deeply in love. But Aeneas' destiny as forefather of the Roman Empire demands that he leave Africa to pursue glory in Italy; a betrayed and heartbroken Dido descends into fury, culminating in a dark curse that will lock Carthage and Rome in war forever.    A story from Roman mythology (Vergil&#39...

The fateful romance of Aeneas and Dido begins, as the prince of ancient Troy escapes his city’s destruction and sails to Africa with Trojan survivors. There he discovers the mighty new city of Carthage, and meets its leader, the capable and beautiful queen Dido. But the gods, who decree that Aeneas must lay the foundations of the Roman Empire, have other plans…    A story from Roman mythology (Ver...

Zenobia is the queen of Palmyra, an ancient city in Syria on the Roman Empire's eastern frontier. When her growing Palmyrene Kingdom is drawn into war with Rome, Zenobia fights to defend her city and her throne against a determined emperor Aurelian, with the fate of her people at stake.     A story from the Roman world (c. 260-275 AD), featuring: Zenobia, Odaenathus, Aurelian, Gallienus   ---...

The Titanomachy breaks out, and war rages between the Titans and the Olympian gods as Zeus' rise to cosmic kingship continues. Zeus fights to establish his reign against Cronus, the other Titans, and finally the fearsome monster Typhon, the very embodiment of primal chaos.     A story from Greek mythology, based on Hesiod's Theogony, featuring: Zeus, the Titans, Typhon, the Hecatonchires (...

The birth and origins of Zeus, king of the gods, is a tale of danger and deception, as he survived in secret from the Titan Cronus, his father. How did Cronus come to reign as king of the cosmos, how was Zeus born, and how did he free his brother and sister Olympians, devoured by the mad Cronus?     A story from Greek mythology, based on Hesiod's Theogony, featuring: Zeus, Cronus, Rhea, Gaia,...

Julius Caesar stands at the Rubicon river, as the Roman Republic teeters on the brink of civil war. Will he cross the Rubicon, march on Rome against his rival Pompey the Great and the Roman senate, and plunge the Republic into civil war?     A story from Roman history (Late Roman Republic, Civil Wars, 49 BC), featuring: Gaius Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great), Marcus Liciniu...

The hero Odysseus meets Circe, a powerful sorceress, on her mysterious island in this story from Homer’s epic Odyssey. Will Odysseus outwit Circe, rescue his crewmates from the sorceress, and survive to complete his journey home to Ithaca?   A story from Greek mythology, based on Homer's Odyssey (Book 10), featuring: Odysseus, Circe, Hermes, Eurylochus     --- FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now avai...

Actaeon, a young hunter, unexpectedly meets the goddess Artemis in the forests of Boeotia near the ancient city of Thebes. What will happen to Actaeon when Artemis unleashes her power, and the hunter becomes the prey?  A story from Greek mythology, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book 3), featuring: Actaeon, Artemis    --- FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! L...

The Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus creates a new law code and way of life in ancient Sparta -- revered thereafter as the Laws of Lycurgus -- that pave the way for Sparta's rise as one of the greatest city-states in Greece.    A story from Greek history (Early Sparta, Archaic Period, c. 800 BC), based on Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus     --- FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story o...

The tale of the Great Flood in Greek mythology continues, as the gods and goddesses of Olympus decide how to end human injustice...and Zeus and Poseidon unleash the great flood that destroys the world.    A story from Greek mythology, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book 1), featuring: Zeus, Poseidon   --- FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about t...

The Greek myth of the Great Flood begins, as Zeus informs the other Olympian gods of his encounter on earth with the evil king Lycaon. What were Lycaon's crimes, how was he punished, and what does this portend for the fate of humanity as Zeus and the gods sit in council?    A story from Greek mythology, adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book 1), featuring: Zeus/Jupiter, Lycaon, the Olympi...

Phaethon, a young demigod and son of Helios, the Greek god of the Sun, meets his divine father at the ends of the earth. Recklessly eager to prove himself, he takes a terrifying ride across the heavens in his father's chariot. As the earth faces total destruction by an out-of-control sun, Phaethon's fate offers a timeless lesson in knowing your limits.  A story from Greek mythology, based...