Shows
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast80- Odyssey: Don't Annoy Poseidon! (feat. the Jingle-Jangler)Odysseus. The man we accused of being a failure all throughout the Iliad and the Posthomerica. But will we like him any better during his own spin-off show? Join us for an extra long episode hosted by Vince's sister the Jingle-Jangler- who has studied the Odyssey and can help us condense it. Will Vince get increasingly frustrated at the inconsistency of Greek omens? Will Cassie have to employ increasing levels of sarcasm against Odysseus' flaws? Will the hosts become enraged at Odysseus, misogyny in the Greek world and Greek mythology in general? Find out with us!
2025-09-141h 47
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus XV- Coins and the Roman World (feat. Dean Kinzer)Autocrat sat down with Dean Kinzer, the President of Kinzer Coins, to discuss what coins from the Roman and ancient worlds can tell us about what it was like to live in those worlds. Join us for tales of devaluation in the third century, the lack of silver mines in the Byzantine period, and just whether Antoninus Pius was into bobbleheads.
2025-08-101h 02
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus XIV- In Other News: Ancient Egypt (feat. The History of Egypt)Dominic Perry from the History of Egypt podcast joins us on the show to discuss the mythology of Egypt, its early history, and the state of Egyptian history at around about the time the fall of Troy is set in the 1180s BCE. Expect tales of conspiracies against Ramesses III, Sea Peoples, strife, and a look ahead at later Egyptian history and the last hieroglyphic inscriptions...Thanks so much to Dominic for appearing on the show! Find his podcast here:YouTube: @AncientEgyptHistWebsite: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.comInstagram: @egyptpodcastTikTok: @ancientegypthisSources and further reading for this...
2025-08-031h 13
Hormones, Metabolism & You!70: Fix What Doctors Can’t – The Shocking Power of Functional Health Coaching with Vince Pitstick>>Want more information like this? Sign up for Modern Endocrine’s newsletter https://linktr.ee/modernendocrine
2025-08-031h 04
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast77- Posthomerica Part VII: The Sack of TroyIt's all a done deal once that horse gets through the gates. Let's watch Troy crumble- and a heinous crime get committed which ultimately sees the Greek fleet scattered and broken as they set off for home. Oh, and some minor Trojan prince gets away from the burning city, but I'm sure that won't be relevant.Sources for this episode:Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities (Vol. I). Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Fitton, L. and Villing, A., The British...
2025-07-2827 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast76- Posthomerica Part VI: Horsing AroundIt's finally time! As the Trojans are chased into the city, some bright spark (obviously it's Odysseus) suggests that we build a farmyard animal out of wood and push it in front of the Trojan gates! Let's shove some warriors in it and pretend to leave, then the Trojans will surely drag it into the city. But don't worry, there's no way they're foolish enough to actually go for it... Surely?Sources for this episode:Brown, S. P., West, S. A., Diggle, S. P. and Griffin, A. S. (2009), Social evolution in micro-organisms and...
2025-07-2023 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast75- Posthomerica Part V: We Won't Always Have ParisOur alternative title today is Goodbye Paris. Either way, you can probably guess how this is going to go. But before we say farewell to everyone's favourite princess-kidnapper, let's see how his ex-wife feels about saving him! I'm sure there will be no hard feelings there... Right? Please? Oenone?Sources for this episode:The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2015), Philoctetes (online) (Accessed 24/06/2025).Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Author unknown, Google Maps (online) (Accessed 06/07/2025).Author unknown, Philoctetes (date unknown...
2025-07-1316 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast74- Posthomerica Part IV: Everyone Loves Achilles Jr.Eurypylus has been killing like there's no tomorrow- and it's up to a boy from Scyros to sort it out. Let's introduce Neoptolemus son of Achilles onto the world stage and watch him wreak havoc while the gods dance in between the lines.Sources for this episode:Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.Author unknown, Google...
2025-07-0615 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast73- Posthomerica Part III: A Madman and a Mad LadPriam reaches out for help to yet another ally- this time the grandson of Heracles. Meanwhile, over in the Greek camp- or Greel if you believe Vince's mangled pronounciation- Ajax and Odysseus get into an argument over who gets Achilles' armour. I'm sure that will go swimmingly...Sources for this episode:Marks, A. and Tingay, G. (date unknown), Romans. London: Usborne Publishing.Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography...
2025-06-2214 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus XIII- The Chromosome Count of Mythical Creatures (feat. Biopedia)Here at Autocrat, we quite often cover a lot of mythical beasts. Examples would include the Lernaean Hydra which Heracles and Iolaus dealt with, the sphinx tormenting Thebes, and the sea monster Cetus which Perseus rescued Andromeda from.However, how possible would some of these creatures really be? Take, for example, the griffin and the hippogriff. We know what species create these two, so could we see whether the number of chromosomes they have make them feasible?Well, on today's episode, we re-release episode 67 of Biopedia to answer this very question!
2025-06-0105 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast72- Posthomerica Part II: R.I.P. AchillesOn today's installment of the Trojan War, Apollo lands a well-aimed shot to finally lay Achilles low. Oh, and also a debate about chariots. That, and Vince may have rediscovered the reverb function on his Audacity. Either that, or we've been graced with a visit from the Greek gods. One of these two things.Sources for this episode:Arrian (1805), Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea (etc.). Oxford: S. Collingford.Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London...
2025-05-2519 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast71- Posthomerica Part I: Allies, Allies Everywhere!Quintus Smyrnaeus may have been the least favourite child according to Autocrat lore, but he did give us a new source called the Posthomerica- a.k.a. the Fall of Troy- which takes us all the way to the end of the Trojan War! Our first two books of the Posthomerica see two different attempts by outside armies to rescue Troy- and they both go the same way...Sources for this episode:Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann...
2025-05-1814 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast70- Iliad Part XII: Let Me Bury My Son (feat. the Ghost of Patroclus)It's finally the end of the Iliad! But before we wrap up, we still have time for a few questions. For instance, are all Achilles' funeral games either problematic or rigged? Will Cassie pointing out errors in the script lead to an increasingly irate Vince? And will the Jingle-Jangler make a cameo? All that to come on the final part of the Iliad!Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.Author unknown, Theoi (date unknown), Sperkheios (online) (Accessed 03/04/2025).Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Spercheios...
2025-05-0426 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast69- Iliad Part XI: R.I.P. HectorIt's been a long time in the making, but we finally get the fight between Achilles and Hector. Tune in for Priam and Hecabe trying to make their son see reason, a surprise cameo from Eddie Redmayne and how not to be respectful to your enemy's corpse...Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
2025-04-2711 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast68- Iliad Part X: Achilles Goes Completely ManicA shorter episode today discussing book XXI of the Iliad! Achilles goes round murdering people like there's no tomorrow, and one of the rivers he keeps flinging people into objects to this. Not only that, but we get more partisanship from the gods and an honouring of a grisly promise.Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Scamander (online) (Accessed 03/04/2025).As also stated in the episode audio, there will be no episode for the next...
2025-04-1307 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast67- Iliad Part IX: Achilles Kills EverythingPatroclus is dead and Achilles is feeling seriously unhappy about it. And the Trojan army is going to know about it. But along the way, join us to give a sulking Odysseus a video game controller as a distraction and watch two grown men negotiate over a woman! Yay...Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antenor (Trojan) (online) (Accessed 22/02/2025).
2025-04-0614 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus XII- Orpheus and Eurydice (April Fools' Day Special)We're sorry.Sources for this episode:Apollonius of Rhodes (1972), The Voyage of Argo. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2018), Linus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2021), Lake Avernus summary (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.Ovid (1968), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Oeagrus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).
2025-04-0115 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus XI- Roman Influence on the USA (feat. Presidencies of the United States)The United States of America may only have been founded in the 18th century, but the influences on it stretch all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire and, before that, the Roman Republic. We sat down with Jerry Landry from the Presidencies of the United States podcast to talk about the Senate, cities called Carthage, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, and more!Sources and quick references for this episode:Borritt, G. S. (1975), The Voyage to the Colony of Linconia. The Historian 37(4): 619-632.McGinley, G. J. (1927), Roman Law and Its Influence...
2025-03-1647 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast66- Iliad Part VIII: Achilles Loses ItWe've had Hector going ballistic on the opposing side- well, now it's Achilles' turn. He's not quite in the war itself yet, but we see him terrify the Trojans with just his appearance and Thetis getting Hephaestus to make new armour for mummy's special boy...Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
2025-03-0912 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast65- Iliad Part VII: R.I.P. PatroclusYou guessed it from the title- today is going to be a great day for Patroclus where nothing bad happens. He does get to do a grim version of fishing and wreak havoc among the Trojan lines before the Nothing Bad happens to him, though.Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.Jarrett, C., BBC Science Focus (date unknown), What is the Speed of Thought? (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).Welsh, T., The Conversation (2015), It feels instantaneous, but how long does it really take to think a...
2025-03-0219 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast64- Iliad Part VI: Divine Booty CallA lot of spears getting thrown and a lot of fighting in this instalment of the Iliad. Not only that, but Zeus is preventing the other gods from taking action in the battle. But don't worry, Hera has a plan! A plan to distract Zeus. A very... hinted at... plan.Sources for this episode:The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2025), Scythian (online) (Accessed c.08/02/2025).Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.Kuzmanov, M. (2005), The horse in Thracian burial rites. Chapter in: Bouzek, J. and Domaradzka, L. (editors), The Culture of...
2025-02-2321 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus X- Pyramus and Thisbe (Valentine's Day Special)It's Valentine's Day! Let's look at some of the romantic stories in Greek mythology and... oh. Well, at least Ovid gave up a prototype version of Romeo and Juliet to work with. That's right, it's the story of Pyramus and Thisbe!Sources for this episode:Boccaccio, G. (1963), Concerning Famous Women. Translated by G. A. Guarino. Rutgers, The State University.Chaucer, G. (1889), The Legend of Good Women. Edited by W. W. Skeat. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.Dalley, S. (2005), Semiramis in History and Legend. Chapter in: Gruech, E. S. (editor), Cultural Borrowings and Ethnic Appropriations...
2025-02-1410 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast63- Iliad Part V: Hector Loses ItWe continue to watch the gods meddle in human affairs as Zeus sends confusing omens and turns Hector into a boulder throwing maniac. Oh, and yet more people getting injured in ways that make the hosts shudder.Sources for this episode:Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiphus (online) (Accessed 19/01/2025).Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Eris (mythology) (online) (Accessed 19/01/2025).Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ilus (online) (Accessed 19/01/2025).
2025-02-0915 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast62- Iliad Part IV: Fast and Furious with ChariotsExpect random acts of violence, petty squabbles and a chariot race with a twist as we journey through Books IX and X of the Iliad. Oh, and we give Odysseus more of a verbal beating that he doesn't deserve...
Sources for this episode:
Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ilus (online) (Accessed 19/01/2025).
Inspiration for the drawing from the following
https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/how-to-draw-a-horse/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Triumph_of_Achilles_in_Corfu_Achilleion.jpg
2025-02-0221 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast61- Iliad Part III: Hector and Andromache, Sitting in a TreeCovering Books VI through VIII of the Iliad today, we learn that it's dangerous to be a charioteer to Hector, as you might end up with a spear in a very tender area... We also see a pause from war as Hector has a quiet moment with his wife and son, and Odysseus gets his ego shattered.
Sources for this episode:
Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Cubit (online) (Accessed 09/12/2024 and 18/01/2025).
Inspiration for the drawing from the following:
2025-01-2625 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast60- Iliad Part II: Diomedes is the Main Character (feat. the Jingle-Jangler)As the tenth year of the Trojan War continues, Diomedes starts cutting through the Trojans like a knife through butter. Aside from a possible cameo from a primary source author himself, Diomedes is about to show the world how cool he is- including taking on the God of War himself...
Also, get ready for a cameo from the heiress presumptive who has been recording our jingles!
Sources for this episode:
Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Dares Phrygius (online) (Accessed 09/12/2024).
2025-01-1917 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast59- Iliad Part I: Achilles' Hissy FitWe've finally started one of the famous works of the ancient world! In this instalment, Achilles and Agamemnon have a falling out because of a slave girl, Aphrodite proves herself the worst and the war is nearly settled right there and then after a siege of nine years...
Sources for this episode:
Homer (2021), The Iliad & The Odyssey. Translated by S. Butler. Oviedo: Entreacacias, S. L.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated with an introduction by M...
2025-01-1223 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastUpdate- January 2025The Autocrat team is on a bit of a break before we get into the Iliad in episode 59 next week. However, we didn't want to leave you starved of content! This week includes a bit of an update on scheduling, plus some fun moments from the podcast's history- including some never seen before...
Let us know if you want to see more bloopers, and we might include some on a Patreon someday!
2025-01-0505 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus IX- Welcome to 2025! (New Years' Special)A quick update welcoming you to 2025- or the 2778th year of Rome- and a primer on what you can expect for the year ahead. For any ancient Romans listening, feel free to ignore this until your New Year in March.
Sources for this episode:
Blakemore, E., National Geographic (2023), The new year once started in March- here's why (online) (Accessed 31/12/2024).
The Editors, Encylopedia Britannica (2024), Chinese New Year (online) (Accessed 31/12/2024).
Author unknown, Uchicago (date unknown), Roman Calendar (online) (Accessed 31/12/2024).
2025-01-0102 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast58- Bring Your Daughter to Sacrifice DayAgamemnon is a family man. It's just a shame that family is also the answer to who needs to be put up on an altar. As the Greeks are loitering at Aulis before setting off for Troy, we watch the goddess Artemis announce that Iphigenia needs to sacrificed in order to placate her anger...
Sources for this episode:
Antoninus Liberalis (1992), The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis. Translated by F. Celoria. London and New York: Routledge.
Euripides (1910), The Plays of Euripides in English in 2 Volumes (Volume 1). Translated by Shelley Dean Milman, Potter and Woodhull. London a...
2024-12-2912 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus VIII- Yearly Histories (feat. Augustus History) (Christmas Special)Christmas and the Anno Domini system of counting years are very intertwined. So, what better way to celebrate than to talk to someone going through every year of the AD calendar one at a time? We sat down with Dan from Augustus History, the creator of Yearly Histories, to talk about the challenges and the joys of such an endeavour.
2024-12-2525 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast57- Choosing Miss OlympusAphrodite, Hera and Athena. These are the three goddesses now fighting over an apple. And, strange as it sounds, it's this dispute that will lead to three naked goddesses standing in front of an unsuspecting mortal called Paris...
Sources for this episode:
Brooks, F. (1896), Greek Lyric Poets. London: David Nutt.
Euripides (1967), The Bacchae and Other Plays. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
Koniaris, G. L. (1967), On Sappho, Fr. 16 (L. P.) Hermes 95(3): 257-268.
Raynor, D. J...
2024-12-2210 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast56- I'm Just a Goddess, Standing in Front of a BoyContent warning: Peleus is a terrible person, so expect a mild reference to some implied nastiness.
Peleus is one of those people who gets things he doesn't deserve. Despite all that terrible behaviour we outlined in episode 55, he gets to marry a goddess! However, it's at the wedding that the seeds of something dreadful will be sown...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books.
...
2024-12-1508 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast55- Odysseus and FriendsIn the quiet before the storm of the Trojan War and its immediate causes, we introduce two major characters today. The first is Odysseus, great-grandson of Hermes and creator of oaths that blow up in his face. The second is Achilles- descendant of Zeus and an ancient Greek example of play dress-up to run away from your problems.
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
Statius (1928), Statius. Volume II: Thebiad V- XII and Achilleid. London and...
2024-12-0814 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast54- The House of Tantalus (See Also Child Cannibalism)Content warning: the title should tell you everything you need to know here. The descendants of Tantalus are violent, and they don't mess about.
Tantalus is usually known for being the originator of the word tantalising. But how bad can his story really be? In this episode, Vince tells a progressively more horrified Cassie about the messed-up lives of his descendants- including Agamemnon and Menelaus...
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
Oldfather, C. H. (1993), Diodorus of Sicily: the Library...
2024-12-0116 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast53- Helen: The OriginsMeet the most beautiful woman in the world- who may have hatched from an egg. She's got suitors lining up to marry her which poses a problem for her stepfather Tyndareus. Maybe Odysseus will have a short term solution that will only cause problems later?
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Pausanias (1886), Pausanias Description of Greece. In Six Volumes. Volume II: Books VII to X. Translated by A. R. Shilleto. London: George Bell and Sons.
...
2024-11-2411 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast52- Aeneas: The OriginsPrince 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: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin...
2024-11-1717 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast51- Paris: The OriginsThe 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), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Ovid (1914), Heroides and Amores. Translated by G. Showerman. London and New York: William Heinemann and The Macmillan Co.
Smith; W...
2024-11-1010 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast50- Cassandra: The OriginsIt'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: William Heinemann.
Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Callimachus and Lycophron (1961). Translated by A. W. Meir. London and New York: William Heinemann and G. P...
2024-11-0312 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus VII- Six Spooky Stories (Halloween Special)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. Translated by B. Radice. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
Steel, R. W. , Gardiner, R. K. A. , McMaster, D. N. , Dickson, K. B. , Nicol, D. S. H. W. , Clarke, J. I...
2024-10-3125 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus VI- In Other News: Chinese Myths (feat. The History of China)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. (2017), The Jishi outburst flood of 1920 BCE and the great flood legend in ancient China: preliminary reflections. Journal of Chinese humanities 3.1: 23-34.
Bergman, J. (2003), Do Creation and F...
2024-10-2725 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast49- Summary of Chapter I: MythologyAfter 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 unknown), History of Portugal (online) (Accessed 17/10/2024).
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Siege of Perinthus (online) (Accessed 17/10/2024).
2024-10-2031 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast48- Heracles/Hercules Part XV: Death of a DemigodIt 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. Ovieda, Spain: King Solomon.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Plutarch (1973), The Age of Alexander. Translated by I. Scott-Kilvert. Harmonsworth: Penguin Books L...
2024-10-1323 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastUpdate- October 2024 (feat. After Alexander)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 Alexander- before it's even out on that podcast's feed...
2024-10-0622 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast47- Trouble in (Questionable) ParadiseAnother 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: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London...
2024-09-2915 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast46- Heracles/Hercules Part XIV: Go Fetch (Cerberus)!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 going down a rabbit hole about mythological chronologies!
Sources for this episode:
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Guerber...
2024-09-2212 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast45- The BasiliskBack 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 History with an English Translation in Ten Volumes. Volume III: Libri VIII-XI. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
2024-09-1507 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast44- Heracles/Hercules Part XIII: The Golden ApplesOriginally 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.
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: Their...
2024-09-0813 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast43- AtalantaA 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.
Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge.
Florio, P. I. (1983), Birth of a Lion...
2024-09-0109 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast42- Heracles/Hercules Part XII: Geryon's CattleIf 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 Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK...
2024-08-2510 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast41- Medea's RevengeYou 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, C. (1665), Various History. Translated by T. Stanley. London: Printed for Thomas Dring.
Baldauf, S. L. and Palmer, J. D. (1993), Animals and...
2024-08-1827 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast40- Heracles/Hercules Part XI: Hippolyta's BeltThe 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): 90-92.
• Euripides (1930), Euripides in Four Volumes (Volume III). Translated by Way, A. S. London and New York: William Heinemann and G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
• Guerber, H. A. (1929...
2024-08-1110 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast39- Argonauts, Assemble!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), The Argonautica. Translated by E. P. Coleridge. London: George Bell and Sons.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths...
2024-08-0416 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast38- Heracles/Hercules Part X: The Horses of DiomedesCarnivorous 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 & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts...
2024-07-2811 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast37- NarcissusYou 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 and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
Riley, H. T. (1889), The Metamorphoses (Ovid), Literally Translated Into English Prose, With Copious Notes and Explanations. London: George Bell & S...
2024-07-2112 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast36- Heracles/Hercules Part IX: The Cretan BullWe'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). London: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather...
2024-07-1405 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast35- Prequel to New RomeConstantine 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 Thirteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bernstein, N. W. (2023), The Complete Works of Claudian: Translated with an Introduction and Notes. Oxon and New York: Routledge.
Doležal, S. (2020), The Reign of C...
2024-07-0709 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast34- Heracles/Hercules Part VIII: The Stymphalian BirdsThe 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: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK...
2024-06-3007 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast33- The PhoenixSteering 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 pictus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22679355A131874282.Cooke, F., Dingle, H., Hutchison, S., McKay, G., Schodde, R., Tait, N. and Vogt, R. (2008), The Encyclopedia of Animals: A...
2024-06-2312 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast32- Heracles/Hercules Part VII: The Augean StablesThis 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: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve...
2024-06-1610 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus V- The Worst Byzantine Emperors (feat. Eastern Roman History)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 throne.
Sources used in our discussion during this collaboration:
Davis, L. D. (1990), The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787), Their History and Theology. Wilmington, Delaware: Michael...
2024-06-121h 33
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast31- PsycheSometimes we get tales of star-crossed lovers and, well... sometimes we get whatever this is. Let's explore the bizarre story of Psyche, a tale which feels as though every character needs to be sat down in a psychiatric chair and work through some issues.
Just an advance warning- there are some references to suicide in the story itself (although this is kept to an absolute minimum in our retelling).
Sources for this episode:
Apuleius (2004), The Golden Ass. Translated by E. J. Kenney. London: The Penguin Group.
Cooper, R...
2024-06-0922 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast30- Heracles/Hercules Part VI: The Erymanthian BoarAnother fetching job! Heracles might be the equivalent of an Ancient Greek delivery man, but this time he's being sent to fetch a boar...
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: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather, C. H. (1993), Diodorus of Sicily: the Library of History. Books IV.59- VIII. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
2024-06-0206 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast29- ArachneArachnaphobes, look away- this is where all your problems originate! Today's story is basically How the Spider Came to Be. And yes, we know that about 6% of the population has a fear of spiders; let's hope Arachne's presence this episode doesn't alienate that many people...
Sources for this episode:
Agnarsson, I. (2023), Grand challenges in research on arachnid diversity, conservation, and biogeography. Fontiers in Arachnid Science 2: 1101141.
Cohen, K. M., Finney, S. C., Gibbard, P. L. and Fan, J.-X. (2013, updated), The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart. Episodes 36: 199-204.
The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2024), Arachne (online) (Accessed 08/05/2024).
...
2024-05-2608 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus IV- Studying Roman History (feat. Elliot)A little break for another bonus episode today. This time, we sit around the podcast campfire with a student of Roman history and delve into the topic of the fall of the Roman Republic- as well as touching on his next realm of study in the form of the fall of the Western Roman Empire...
Sources used for our discussion this episode:
Caesar (1953), The Conquest of Gaul. Translated by S. A. Hanford. London: Penguin Books.
Cassius Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History in Nine Volumes. Volume II. Translated by E. Cary. London, United Kingdom and...
2024-05-2231 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast28- Heracles/Hercules Part V: The Ceryneian DeerTask number three! The fact that we jokingly labelled it 'deer fetch-quest' in one of our thumbnails basically tells you everything you need to know. This week, we've got a deer that runs way too fast. That, and a man who has so far been way too used to hitting problems with a club having to take on a running challenge.
Sources for this episode:
Bejan, A., Gunes, U., Charles, J. D. and Sahin, B. (2018), The fastest animals and vehicles are neither the biggest nor the fastest over lifetime. Scientific Reports 8: 12925.
Frazer, J...
2024-05-1907 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast27- Cadmus and HarmoniaThere's a strong reptilian theme on Autocrat today! It's the episode all about Cadmus- who we last dealt with properly during Typhon's days in episode 3. Get ready to discuss adultery among the gods, yet another instance of basing city locations on bovine migration, and a very high number of snakes and dragons...
Sources for this episode:
du Toit, B. M. (1960), Some Aspects of the Soul-Concept among the Bantu-Speaking Nguni-Tribes of South Africa. Anthropological Quarterly 33(3): 134-142.
Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The...
2024-05-1218 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast26- Heracles/Hercules Part IV: The Lernaean HydraNot only is this episode yet another monster for Heracles to hit really hard with his club, it's an opportunity to sneak some maths into the podcast!
Sources for this episode:
Bianconi, E., Piovesan, A., Facchin, F., Beraudi, A., Casadei, R., Frabetti, F., Vitale, L., Pelleri, M. C., Tassani, S., Piva, F., Perez-Amodio, S., Strippoli, P. and Canaider, S. (2013), An estimation of the number of cells in the human body. Annals of Human Biology 40(6): 463-471.
Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J...
2024-05-0509 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus III- Imperial Election Results!On April Fools' Day, we declared Autocrat to be the digital home of a new Roman Empire, with ourselves as co-emperors. We put up an election poll thinking it was a fun, light-hearted way to interact with the community and, well- here's the results!
2024-05-0302 min
The Leadership Void PodcastEp. 211: Army Combat Veteran to Entrepreneur with Cassie Crosby.In this podcast episode, we speak with Cassie Crosby (Founder & CEO of Iterata) about her experience in the Army and how she is Impacting Transformational Leadership. Cassie shares what she does to stay sharp as a leader, her leadership AHA moment, advice for new leaders, and details her approach to change and challenging moments in her life.
To contact Cassie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiecrosby
Website: https://www.iteratasolutions.com
This podcast is sponsored by:
Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Businesses, Inc. (FAVOB)
Website: https://www.favob.net
and
A Hero For Kids
Website: http://www.AHeroForKids.org
and
Triple Nikel
Website: https...
2024-05-0125 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast25- BellerophonAll you need is a flying horse, a false accusation and a fear of accidental immodesty in women to get a pretty interesting story... That's the tale of Bellerophon and his sidekick Pegasus! But for all his questing and Perseus-style protagonist energy, pride comes before a fall...
Sources for this episode:
Babbitt, F. C. (editor) (1931), Plutarch's Mulierum virtutes. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann, Ltd. and Harvard University Press. Accessed via Perseus Digital Library (online) (Accessed 22/04/2024).
Cavendish, R. (editor) (1998), Mythology: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Twickenham: Tiger Books International PLC.
Choniates, N. (1984), O City of...
2024-04-2818 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast24- Heracles/Hercules Part III: The Nemean LionNemea has a lion waiting for Heracles. Expect stories of fighting in caves, thirty-day deadlines and a king cowering in a jar...
Sources for this episode:
Alden, M. (2005), Lions in Paradise. The Classical Quarterly 55(2):335-342.
Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Masetti, M. and Mazza, P. P. A. (2013), Western European Quaternary lions: new working hypotheses. Biological J...
2024-04-2108 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus II- The Marble EmperorAs of episode 23, we are still right at the start of our story. However, there's an interesting story from the end of the life of the Roman Empire to consider. This is the myth of the Marble Emperor, otherwise known as Constantine XI. As it turns out, this myth is more common than it first appears...
Sources for this episode:
Mijatovich, C. (1892), Constantine: the Last Emperor of the Greeks, or the Conquest of Constantinople by the Turks (A. D. 1453). London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company Ltd.
Philippides, M. (2019), Constantine XI Dragaš Paleologus (1404-1453): The L...
2024-04-1409 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast23- Heracles/Hercules Part II: To-Do ListIn this second part of the Heracles saga, let us introduce Heracles and his very special to-do list. What sounds like a very mundane list of chores might reveal to be more dangerous than you might think. Oh, and the gods are also going to throw a huge reward into the mix as well..
Thanks to Lost Roman Heroes for collaborating with us! Find their show at the following links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6fl1eyQcV7OygaNooun66Q?si=bfb4cf303c09474b
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/lost-roman-heroes/id1702422822?l...
2024-04-0710 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastBonus I- Fourth Rome (April Fools' Day Special)A new era dawns today. We welcome a new emperor and a new empress of the Romans...
Vote on our elevation at the following links! Results will be declared on the 3rd of May after we consider the vote closed on the 1st.
Website: https://wordpress.com/page/autocratpodcast.wordpress.com/587
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5N4UZGq-Em/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0Hnh-S2FwxluFRPvOo8xA/community
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GCSTXQpilgG5NIgFcGRTm?si=ee52098276f84cd6
Sources for this episode:
2024-04-0109 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast22- Heracles/Hercules Part I: An IntroductionHeracles is here! Or Hercules... or Alcides... He's got a lot of names. His early life will involve an ancient Greek case of superfecundation, a half-brother who needs a hug, and a lesson that all babies are different. Some may act as pest control for giant snakes!
Sources for this episode:
Blickstein, I. (2003), Superfecundation and superfetation: lessons from the past on early human development. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine 14(4): 217-219.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Geoffrey of Monmouth (1904), Geoffrey of Monmouth's Histories of the Kings of...
2024-03-3115 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast21- OedipusHe thinks he has it all. A kingdom just falls into his lap with a ready-made queen. But the gods- and the playwright Sophocles- are just waiting to undo him...
Sources for this episode:
Boothe, B. (2017), Oedipus Complex. Chapter in: Ziegler-Hill, V. and Shackleford, T. K. (editors), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Sophocles (1938), Oedipus, King of Thebes (translated...
2024-03-2520 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast20- Magic Tricks Have Consequences!The world's first game show (involving a spiral shell), a Greek mythology spa treatment and ant-related hijinks all lie in store for us in the conclusion of our minotaur trilogy...
Sources for this episode:
Alvarez, L. W., Anderson, J. A., El Bedwei, F., Burkhard, J., Fakhry, A., Girgis, A., Goneid, A., Hassan, F., Iverson, D., Lynch, G., Miligy, Z., Moussa, A. H., Sharkawi, M. and Yazolino, L. (1970), Search for Hidden Chambers in the Pyramids. Science 167(3919): 832-839.
Cary, H. (1904), The Histories of Herodotus. New York: D. Appleton and Company.
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The...
2024-03-1712 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast19- TheseusOnly one man can save Athens from the Minotaur. And he's a surprisingly terrible human being. Join us for a tale of how not to treat women, bad decisions and a euphemistic prophecy about a wineskin which sees Aegeus dying of grief- all because he had a kid before he got back to Athens. Talk about not obeying oracles...
Sources for this episode:
Clough, A. H. (date unknown), Plutarch’s Lives (Volume I). Everyman’s Library.
Oldfather, C. H. (1993), Diodorus of Sicily: the Library of History. Books IV.59- VIII. London and Cambridge, Mass...
2024-03-1023 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast18- Asterius the MinotaurSometimes the foundation of a dynasty can lead to unexpected outcomes. Minos II of Crete- great-grandson of Zeus and Europa- is about to find out that a tryst between his wife Pasiphae and a bull is going to create a monster...
Sources for this episode:
The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2024), Minoan civilisation (online) (Accessed 29/02/2024).
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Graham, J. W. (1957), The Central Court as the Minoan Bull Ring. American Journal of Archaeology 61(3): 255-262.
Jones, W. H. S. (1918), Pausanias Description of Greece. In Six Volumes. Volume I...
2024-03-0316 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast17- PerseusBeing the lover of Zeus can be a difficult job. Just ask Semele or Io... However, it turns out being his son can be very, very easy. Join us for the story of Perseus- the man who, after a. bit of a rocky start, had everything pretty much handed to him on a silver plate.
Many thanks to Quest for Power for collaborating with us! You can find them at the following links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2tcN4SLk27BAvqKkvBxqz1?si=c125768fecac4f42
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/quest-for-power/id1645972223
Instagram...
2024-02-2526 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast16- Lord of TroyTroy is finally going to be introduced into the mix! To get there, we need a few ingredients- a cow won by wrestling, a statuette falling from the heavens, and of course a descendant of Zeus whose name is pronounced shockingly inconsistently throughout.
Sources for this episode:
Church, A. J. (1900), The Story of the Iliad. London: MacMillan & Co, Ltd.
Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek (Volume II). London: Printed by N. Blandford.
The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2019), Croesus (online) (Accessed 15/02/2024).
Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
...
2024-02-1813 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast15- The Greek NoahZeus has just about had enough of humanity- perhaps set off by a human sacrifice incident- and decides it's time to wipe the slate clean. With water. Lots of it. But one son of Prometheus isn't going to be swept away that easily...
Sources for this episode:
Blennow, A. (date unknown), Exiled words and lost worlds- the tale of Sappho in Sicily. Språkens magi 31.
Bye, O., YouTube (2015), History of the World: Every Year (online) (Accessed 11/02/2024).
Cellauro, L. (2003), Iconographical aspects of the Renaissance villa and garden: Mount Parnassus, Pegasus and the Muses. Studies i...
2024-02-1120 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast14- Pandora's BoxHello! In today's episode we are exploring a quite well-known myth, but some facts may surprise you.....Enjoy!
Sources for this episode:
The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), Pandora (online) (Accessed 29/01/2024).
Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Murray, A. T. (1954), Homer The Iliad, with an English Translation (Volume II). Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
Ranston, H. (1918), Ecclesiastes and Theognis. The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 34(2): 99-122.
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Anesidora (online) (Accessed 29/01/2024).
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Pandora...
2024-02-0414 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast13- 100% Off LiverWe’ve made it to the story of Prometheus! Expect trickery, fennel stalks filled with fire and a bird of uncertain taxonomy which seems to like liver a whole lot more than it should…
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 I). London: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
Oldfather, C. H. (1989), Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Volume I: Books I and II, 1-34...
2024-01-2808 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast12- A Mythological Custody BattlePersephone. Daughter of Zeus and Demeter. And the deity behind an example of of either Stockholm syndrome or a custody battle (albeit between her husband and her mother) in Greek mythology...
Sources for this episode:
Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek (Volume II). London: Printed by N. Blandford.
Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Mehdi, M., Moen, U. and Touqeer, F. (2022), Social Norms, Submission and Stockholm Syndrome Critical Analysis of Louise Gluck's Two Mythological Poems: A Myth of Innocence and a Myth...
2024-01-2112 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast11- Zeus Jr.Zeus may have dodged one usurpation, but there's another heir to the sky god's throne we need to discuss. This heir is the predecessor of a very unassuming god- Dionysus, the god of wine.
Our Dionysus, known as Lysios when he was born, can be called Dionysus II. Dionysus I, or Zagreus, has a much more violent story...
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 I). London: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths...
2024-01-1411 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast10- Roman Emperor: How Dangerous Can That Be?We've reached double digits! To celebrate, we're going to look ahead at the 159 people calling themselves Roman emperors. What was your fate likely to be?
Sources for this episode:
Bernard, J. (1693), Lives of the Roman Emperors from Suetonius to the Fall of the Empire. London: Flower de Luce.
Bury, J. B. (1889), A History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene (395 A.D. to 800 A.D.) (Vol. II). London: Macmillan and Co.
Bury, J. B. (1889), A History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene (395 A.D. to 800 A.D.) (Vol...
2023-12-3112 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast9- The Lost ContinentIn a holdover from when the gods divided the world, we're going to explore a story supposedly set in the 9600s BCE or earlier, with Poseidon's descendants ruling over the mythical island of Atlantis! A story made all the more intriguing by the fact that some people believe it to be true, despite Plato's imagining it for his Dialogues...
Slight correction- we mention Spence's work as published in 1827, but it's 1927- slip of the tongue! The 'missing' reference we allude to is Lord Arundell's 1885 work referenced below.
Also, vote...
2023-12-2426 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast8- Dodging a BulletAfter our trio of astronomy-themed episodes, we return to the squabbles and troubles of the Olympians. This week, we will see a reprehensible act from Zeus, a cameo from the poet Sappho, and Gaia getting up to her old prophecy-spouting tricks...
Sources and extra information for this episode:
Adler, E. (2008), Late Victorian and Edwardian Views of Rome and the Nature of “Defensive Imperialism”. International Journal of the Classical Tradition 15(2): 187-216.
Casson, L. (1993), Ptolemy II and the Hunting of African Elephants. Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-2014) 123: 247-260.
Cole...
2023-12-1012 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast7- Stories from the UniverseIn our final instalment of space-themed episodes, we wrap up with some other constellation stories! Orion, Draco, Callisto and the Pleiades take centre stage in the stories today. Along the way, we will have cameos from Gaia, prophecies, Artemis and our first reference to a Minos of Crete! Unfortunately, we'll also see Orion take a page out of Zeus' reprehensible book...
Sources for this episode:
Cohen, K.M., Finney, S.C., Gibbard, P.L. & Fan, J.-X. (2013; updated) The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart. Episodes 36: 199-204.
D’Huy, J. (2016), The Evolution of Myths. Scientific Am...
2023-11-1419 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast6- Inventing the HoroscopeThe zodiac is the topic of today's episode! As we make our way through the myths of the twelve familiar star signs, we will have opportunity for plenty of tangents. Get ready for intrigue, retribution, Sumer and Akkad, and far more ideas for future episodes than anyone could have thought necessary. That and a new motto for Greek mythology- don't make Aphrodite jealous...
Sources for this episode:
The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), Sumer (online) [Accessed c.03/11/2023].
Falkner, D. E. (2020), The Mythology of the Night Sky: Greek, Roman, and Other Celestial Lore (2nd edition). Blaine...
2023-11-0520 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast5- Divine WanderersWith some of the foundational myths behind us, let's go on a little tour of our Solar System and see just how Greco-Roman mythology inspired the names of our planets and moons! Along the way, we have time for plenty of tangents on planetary exploration, Planet X and Indo-Europeans!
Sources for this episode:
Bond, P. (2022), Solar Surveyors: Observing the Sun from Space. Chichester: Springer in association with Praxis Publishing.
Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek (Volume II). London: Printed by N. Blandford.
Dietz, R. S. and Holden, J. C. (1970...
2023-10-2921 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast4- Uncle Uprising, the SequelMore avuncular trouble for Zeus, and this time it's the giants causing a fuss! They'll be dealt with soon enough, but in the meantime let's watch Athena get brutal and Zeus enlist the help of another character we will talk about in future- his illegitimate son Heracles!
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 I). London: William Heinemann.
Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company...
2023-10-2211 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast3- A Typhon ApproachesAfter the downfall of her children, Gaia has a trick up her sleeve- Typhon, her monstrous child with Tartarus. Get ready for a story of lullabies, single combat and far too much impromptu surgery, plus confusion between the podcasters about which son of Zeus is actually which!
Sources for this episode:
Celoria, F. (1992), The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis: A translation with a commentary. London and New York: Routledge- Taylor and Francis Group.
Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek (Volume II). London: Printed by N. Blandford.
Doglioni, C., Innocenti, F...
2023-10-1525 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast2- The Fight Against TimeFamilies can be complicated- especially when you're a son overthrowing his divine father. It's time for the Titanomachy, and for the cosmos to be divided among a new generation of gods. Get ready for a new order in the revolving door of regimes...
Sources for this episode:
Bellows, H. A. (1923), The Poetic Edda. London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press.
Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek (Volume II). London: Printed by N. Blandford.
The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), Vanir (online) [Accessed 21/09/2023].
Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.
Fry, S. (2017, 1...
2023-10-0816 min
Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast1- How the Chaos BeganIt’s our first proper episode! As we’re starting our journey through mythology and Roman history at the very beginning, let’s talk about just that- the beginning, or the creation of the cosmos and the gods. Strap in, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride full of coups, violence and intrigue…
Sources for this episode:
Bellows, H. A. (1923), The Poetic Edda. London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press.
Chisholm, H. (ed.) (1911), The Encyclopædia Britannica (A-M): A Dictionary of Art, Sciences, Literature and General Information. New York: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.
Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of...
2023-10-0122 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastPrologueA quick introduction to who we are and what we will be covering. Look forward to tales of insanity like Caligula, dramatic stories like Aurelian and Heraclius I, the vision of Justinian I and Augustus, and many more!
Sources for this episode:
BBC, YouTube (2023), Be honest…how often do YOU think about the Roman Empire? (online) (24/09/2023).
Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Autokrator (online) (24/09/2023).
A quick note of clarification: when we mention that the U.S. president does not answer to anyone, we are not stating the presidency is not accountable to e.g...
2023-09-2408 min
Autocrat- A Roman History PodcastWelcome to Autocrat- TrailerHi! Welcome to our show. Hope you enjoy the ride!
2023-09-2100 min
Chasing The InsightsEP242 - Cassie Hanuscak on defining what branding isIn this episode of Chasing the Insights, I talk to brand strategy guru Cassie Hanuscak. Cassie talks to us about the definition of branding. Cassie Hanuscak is a brand strategist and designer with almost fifteen years of experience working with start-ups to large corporations. She is incredibly passionate about empowering thought-leading entrepreneurs with the brand clarity and consistency needed to thrive through her established 5-Step Big Brand Method™ for small businesses.
2022-08-2233 min