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Literature and History

With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, and the birth of Christianity. The show's current season is on Late Antiquity (or 200-700 CE) and the dawn of the Middle Ages. A typical episode (they average about two hours) features a general introduction to a work of literature, then a full summary of that work that expects no prior knowledge, and finally, an analysis of the cultural, biographical, and historical forces that gave rise to the work in question. Original symphonic and ambient background music is woven throughout each show, and all episodes offer free full, illustrated, footnoted transcriptions as well as quizzes for purposes of review. The show has no advertisements, and its host takes pride in a professional approach that avoids chitchat and ephemera and gets straight to the educational content. You can listen to the episodes in any order, although most listeners begin at the beginning and proceed from there, as the podcast itself is chronologically organized. Doug Metzger finished his Ph.D. in literature in 2011. His chief scholarly interest, following his dissertation work, continues to be 19th-century realism and postbellum American philosophy.
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Now displaying: 2019
Episode 70: Rome's Forgotten Epic (Statius' Thebaid) 0
Sep 9, 2019

Statius’ Thebaid, Books 1-6. This epic is hardly ever read or taught these days, but in 100 CE, it was as famous as anything in the Roman world.

Episode 70 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-70-quiz

Episode 70 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-070-romes-forgotten-epic

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 69: Rome's Comic Novel (Petronius' Satyricon) 0
Aug 26, 2019

Petronius’ Satyricon is a contender for history’s first novel, a picaresque filled with sex, misadventures, and details about daily life.

Episode 69 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-69-quiz

Episode 69 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-069-romes-comic-novel

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 68: Love Means Sin (Seneca's Phaedra) 0
Aug 5, 2019

Seneca’s Phaedra (c. 50s CE) is the story of an illicit passion, a stoic cautionary tale and simultaneously vivid character study.

Episode 68 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-68-quiz

Episode 68 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-068-love-means-sin

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 67: Jaws Dripping Blood (Seneca's Thyestes) 0
Jul 17, 2019

Seneca’s Thyestes, probably written around the 50s CE, is one of the most horrifying and influential plays ever written.

Episode 67 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-67-quiz

Episode 67 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-067-jaws-dripping-blood

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 66: Stoicism, Seneca, St. Paul 0
Jun 26, 2019

Stoicism, starting with Zeno in 300 BCE, was a popular philosophy by the lifetime of Seneca, perhaps even making its way into the New Testament.

Episode 66 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-66-quiz

Episode 66 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-066-seneca-stoicism-st-paul

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 65: Seneca and the Julio-Claudians (The Life of Seneca) 0
Mar 30, 2019

Seneca the Younger (c 1 BCE-65 CE) practiced the philosophy of stoicism over the course of several volatile, and very different imperial reigns.

Episode 65 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-65-quiz

Episode 65 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-065-seneca-and-the-julio-claudians

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 64: Ovid's Exile (The Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto) 0
Feb 23, 2019

For mysterious reasons, in 8 CE, Ovid was exiled from Rome. Ovid’s last works were composed an ocean away from  Italy, on the western shore of the Black Sea.

Episode 64 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-64-quiz

Episode 64 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-064-ovids-exile

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 63: All Is in Flux (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 11-15) 0
Feb 8, 2019

Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Books 11-15. The vast Metamorphoses draws to a resonant conclusion as Ovid brings his great poem to Rome itself.

Episode 63 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-63-quiz

Episode 63 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-063-all-is-in-flux

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 62: A Curious Passion (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 6-10) 0
Jan 27, 2019

Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Books 6-10. In the middle portion of Ovid’s great poem, psychological transformations become as gripping as physical ones.

Episode 62 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-62-quiz

Episode 62 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-062-a-curious-passion

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

Episode 61: Changes of Shape (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 1-5) 0
Jan 14, 2019

Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Books 1-5. This book influenced thousands of years of later literature, and remains one of our best source texts on classical mythology.

Episode 61 Quiz:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-61-quiz

Episode 61 Transcription:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-061-changes-of-shape

Bonus Content:
http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/bonus-content

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory

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