You may not think of sports when considering the Iliad. Homer’s great work centres on the infighting and fighting at Troy. However, even back then there was time for some sporting drama. It started during the funeral games for Patroclus. Here Achilles organised a chariot race with five prizes and five charioteers step forward. First …
I always relish coming across a new artist who is creating scenes from antiquity. I’ve got a wardrobe of tshirts to evidence this and have been adding prints on the walls in my pseudo office. Well, here’s another artist I’ve stumbled upon and just so you know I’m not earning commission or getting any freebies …
My guest – Helen McVeigh. You can find Helen on her website H.M. Classics Academy or on twitter (@ClassicsAcademy). If you fancy giving this a go then feel free to contact me (email on this site or via my twitter). Book recommendations (possible spoilers). Country by Michael Hughes Here, The World Entire by Anwen …
Fantasy Dinner Guests with Helen McVeigh – episode notes. Read More »
The Golden Fleece – where? For many of a certain age the myth of the Golden Fleece invokes a bunch of skeletons fighting soldiers (I’m talking about the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts). The fleece-stealing part of the film didn’t register as much as as result of these bony warriors and a host of …
As promised in my podcast here are some supporting notes on the mountains I discussed in the podcast. Links, photos and even podcasts – hope you enjoy! Parnassus. Firstly, here’s the location (you can see Mount Cithaeron on this map as well). A great photo of the temple of Delphi with Parnassus looming in the …
Love on the rocks. Lefkada (or to use its earlier name Leucas) is located in the Ionian Sea. It was here that Aphrodite grieved for the loss of her lover Adonis and where she found a cure for her heartbreak (Aphrodite wasn’t the only deity to have a mixed record when it came to dating …
Falling for you. The dangers of unrequited love in Ancient Greece. Read More »
As a kid I remember hearing the tale of Theseus for the first time and being quite scared, a half man half bull creature lurking in winding corridors will spook most kids. Add to that the predilection for young human flesh and you have the ultimate monster hiding under the bed. That is until a …
Roman cinema before Hercules. The link between Italy and Hercules may not seem obvious. Yet there was a relationship between the two. The myth of Geryon’s cattle and the defeat of Cacus both involve Hercules in and around Rome, although it’s worth pointing out that Rome hadn’t yet been founded. Roll forward to 1951 and …
