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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: 2020
Episode 80: The General Epistles 0
Oct 14, 2020

The later epistles of the New Testament show early Christian theology expanding and evolving in the ancient Mediterranean.

Episode 80 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-080

Episode 80 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-080-the-general-epistles

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 79: The Pauline Epistles 0
Sep 25, 2020

Possibly the most influential theologian in history, Paul codified and clarified Christianity as it emerged into the diverse world of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Episode 79 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-079

Episode 79 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-079-the-pauline-epistles

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 78: The Book of Acts 0
Sep 11, 2020

The story of Christianity’s first missionaries is a sweeping , intercontinental narrative, filled with danger, strange encounters, and the hope for a better future.

Episode 78 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-078

Episode 78 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-078-the-book-of-acts

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 77: The Gospels 0
Jun 30, 2020

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the heart of the New Testament. And today, historians and Biblical scholars know more about them than ever before.

Episode 77 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-077

Episode 77 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-077-the-gospels

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 76: Judea Under Herod 0
Jun 7, 2020

The Roman client king Herod (c. 73-4 BCE) ruled Judea for thirty years. Learn about his rule, and the political and religious climate of Judea just before the birth of Christ.

Episode 76 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-076

Episode 76 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-076-judea-under-herod

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 75: Dusk and Starlight 0
Apr 25, 2020

A retrospective on the material we’ve covered thus far as we head into Early Christianity and Late Antiquity, plus some announcements.

Episode 75 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-075

Episode 75 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-075-dusk-and-starlight

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 74: Marcus Aurelius (The Meditations) 0
Mar 14, 2020

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations shows an intelligent emperor coping with the realities of an empire buckling under its own weight.

Episode 74 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-074

Episode 74 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-074-marcus-aurelius

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 73: The Golden Ass (Apuleius' The Golden Ass) 0
Feb 29, 2020

Apuleius’ The Golden Ass is Ancient Rome’s only novel to survive in full – a strange, often disturbing fairytale that had a huge influence on posterity.

Episode 73 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-073

Episode 73 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-073-the-golden-ass

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 72: Bread and Circuses (Juvenal's Satires) 0
Feb 14, 2020

Juvenal’s Satires, produced some time in the decades around 100 CE, mercilessly mock some of the more colorful aspects of Roman life.

Episode 72 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-072

Episode 72 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-072-bread-and-circuses

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

Episode 71: The Gods Depart (Statius' Thebaid) 0
Jan 29, 2020

Statius’ Thebaid, Books 7-12. Six hundred years after Aeschylus, Statius once again brought the Theban epic to a thunderous conclusion.

Episode 71 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-071

Episode 71 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-071-the-gods-depart

Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

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

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