Greek myths as audio drama, hosted by Hermes
66 episodes indexed · 19 hours
Presented by André De Shields
Created and produced by Julie Burstein
Periods · The Bronze Age, Archaic Greece, The Persian Wars, Classical Greece, Philip and Alexander, The Hellenistic world, Greece under Rome
Themes · Religion War
A dramatic adventure that weaves timeless Greek myths with the artistry of foremost contemporary theater-makers, hosted by Hermes, god of storytellers, travelers and thieves (Tony Award-winner André De Shields); 66 of 75 episodes are here, 2 eras, 19 hours.
Where to start. Start with the mythlet 'Don't Drop Your Shield!' (2021); the seasons run in order and 66 episodes are in the section.
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when it happens
Minoans and Mycenaeans c. 3000 - 1100 BC · 59
With Ato Blankson-Wood
A forest encounter grants the satyr Marsyas divine musical powers and dangerous hubris, while Midas, King of Phrygia, learns his lust for gold can destroy what he loves.
Pursued by the dragon Python, Zeus's twins' mother Leto searches for a safe place to give birth, and four days later Apollo hunts down Python to avenge her, enraging the Furies.
Eris crashes the wedding of mortal Peleus and sea goddess Thetis, tossing in a golden apple inscribed for the fairest, sparking a rivalry between Athena, Hera and Aphrodite that transforms the world.
Sailing with the tributes toward Athens, Ariadne and Theseus dream of their future together, until a stop on the island of Naxos reveals how fast the Fates can alter fate for humans and gods alike.
With Christina Liberus, Ato Blankson-Wood
Skeptical at first, Artemis welcomes the giant Orion as a hunting companion and delightful friend, until a jealous Apollo plays a terrible trick that threatens their bond forever.
When twin giants storm Olympus, a prophecy warns that no god nor man can kill them, and Artemis has to find room to forgive Apollo before they set out to save the gods.
With Ato Blankson-Wood, Christina Liberus
Shining Apollo, god of music, healing and the sun, is definitely no god of love, and his sister Artemis urges him to learn from his mistakes.
Surrounded by a gaggle of adorable granddaughters who want to know whether their grandmother really caused all the misfortune in the world, only Pandora can tell the real story.
Despite different gods, countries and customs, the young heroes discover how much they share when Theseus tells Ariadne how he uncovered his true origins.
After Prometheus steals fire, Zeus commands Hephaestus to shape a woman of clay, and Hermes names her Pandora and escorts her to earth as a gift for the mudmen.
Blown off course far from Argos, Perseus, Andromeda and Danae find games underway nearby, and Perseus enters the discus competition despite never having thrown one, sealing his fate.
Even Apollo had a music teacher, and the satyr Pan shows him how to feel the beat before leading him into a mysterious dream world.
Arriving in Calydon, Atalanta and Meleager face jeers and rude jokes from the heroes at King Oeneus' table, until Atalanta astonishes everyone hunting the enormous wild boar ravaging the kingdom.
Persephone is terrified when an enormous being rises from the depths of a rushing river, yet the River Styx may hold just the wit and wisdom she needs.
In the central square of Knossos, the city gathers to watch Athenian tributes dance with a dangerous bull, and bloodthirsty cheers erupt whenever horns and hooves threaten them, though not everyone roots for the bull.
Young Meleager's quiet forest birthday with his father King Oeneus leads to a palace festival of first fruits, until a terrible mistake places their whole kingdom in dire peril.
Venturing deeper into the misty underworld, Persephone meets a grieving soul with a fuzzy memory, and helping this lost shade gives the young goddess new purpose despite her deepest fears.
On his way home to Seriphos, Perseus spots a terrifying sea monster heading toward a cliff, where he glimpses a solitary figure who turns out to be a girl.
Perseus meets two powerful half-siblings he never knew existed, then confronts his mother Danae about the secrets she has kept his whole life.
A brilliant second bull dance by the Athenian tributes infuriates King Minos of Crete, leaving his daughter Ariadne facing a fateful choice about defying her father to help Theseus.
Newly-crowned prince Theseus and thirteen young Athenians sail the wine-dark sea to Crete as tributes bound for the monstrous Minotaur, and Eros, mischievous god of love, has other plans for them.
When king of the gods Kronos throws a party that spins out of control, Prometheus tries to convince his fellow Titans to avoid war, with disastrous results.
Meleager and Atalanta flee into the forest, and whether there is anywhere left where they can find safety is the question this episode leaves open.
Furious at Zeus and done with Olympus, Demeter disguises herself as an old woman among mortals, helping a family while struggling to keep her power hidden.
Hearing Persephone's cry, Demeter rushes to the meadow where Artemis and Athena search in vain, then turns to Hecate, and together they stop Helios until he tells what he knows.
Fisherman Dictys pulls a wooden crate from his nets holding a mother and her baby, raises them as his own, and years later Perseus vows to save his mother from an evil king.
With the Olympians now ruling the world, Zeus molds primitive men out of mud in his own image, Prometheus is eager to teach them, and the two gods disagree about their capabilities.
Demeter is overjoyed when Persephone returns, horrified to learn she has eaten the food of the underworld, and when the two goddesses finally agree to meet Zeus, all three face lives forever changed.
Under a full moon, Minos's guards march Theseus deep into the labyrinth to finally face the monstrous Minotaur.
Zeus and Prometheus brave the depths of Tartarus to free monstrous allies, and the liberated Cyclops forge Zeus a shocking new weapon he must learn to wield carefully.
When Iris returns to Olympus with bad news, Zeus tries a new approach, asking silver-tongued Hermes to convince Hades, the powerful king of the underworld, to do something unimaginable.
Wrenched from the sunlit meadow, Persephone confronts Hades and his three-headed dog Cerberus, then flees his gloomy palace only to learn there is no way home.
Tired of being tied to her mother's side, Persephone runs off to a picnic with friends Athena and Artemis, and her curiosity leads to a terrifying fall.
Perseus and Andromeda arrive in Seriphos to find the island in chaos, leaving Perseus racing to fulfill his quest and set his mother free.
Hermes and Athena enjoy scaring little brother Perseus with tales of warriors and monsters, then help him prepare to face Medusa alone and save his mother.
Atalanta dares her bear cub siblings to leave the forest, and while gorging on grapes in a vineyard they overhear gossipy birds who know more about her life than she does.
Abandoned with only a scrap of cloth bearing her name, a baby is nursed by a grieving mother bear as the goddesses Artemis and Athena watch, while the Fates predict a terrible end for a newborn prince.
Having vanquished a sea monster together, Perseus and Andromeda face a harder test: whether their new love survives her introducing him to her parents, King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia.
Hermes flies Perseus to the Island of Cisthene to find the Gray Sisters, three very old ladies who make getting what he needs far harder than expected.
Barely out of his cradle, Hermes hatches a tricky plan to join the other gods on Mount Olympus, starting by annoying his big brother Apollo.
Princess Danae, locked in a stone tower by her father the king, hides a secret whose revelation forces her to face his rage.
With Christina Liberus
Artemis sings to her friend Orion, releasing him to the stars, with the listener invited to look for his constellation in the night sky.
With Nehemiah Luckett, Eric Berryman
With Gaia angry at him yet again, Apollo begs his sister Artemis for help, she appeals to Gaia in this song, and Apollo finally sees all the colors of his heart.
With Kimberly Marable
With her twins about to be born, no place on earth will allow it, yet the determined goddess Leto vows she will find a place.
Apollo, god of music, recounts in song the story of his first dramatic adventure as a dragon slayer.
Midas finds that the gift Dionysus granted him is actually a curse, and the song warns that what a person wishes for may destroy what they love.
Greek Life, Thought and the Wider World across the centuries · 7
With Beth Clancy
Athena taught Pandora at a huge loom hung with clay weights, and scholar Beth Clancy still weaves cloth and stories on one of those rare ancient looms in an upper Manhattan apartment.
With Ian Lassiter
With Kate Birney
Archaeologist Kate Birney explains why the trickster Hermes, god of liars, travelers and thieves, is one of her favorite gods, with a hint that she is a middle child.
Kate Birney describes how Athena burst from her father's head looking like a hoplite warrior, and explores the fierce and civilized sides of the patron goddess of Athens.
Kate Birney explains that Medusa kept her power even after Perseus cut off her head, tracing the ghastly monster's Middle Eastern origins and her use as protection against evil spirits.
Kate Birney marvels that Perseus juggled Hermes' sword and a magical bag while brandishing Athena's shield in the Gorgons' cave, a shield probably like those Greek warriors carried into real battles.
Archaeology expert Kate Birney of Wesleyan University traces the mythical roots of the curved sword Hermes gives Perseus, explaining what makes the ancient weapon so special.