Minoans and Mycenaeans c. 3000 - 1100 BC · 59
31mApollo & Artemis 4: “Careful what you wish for.” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
31mApollo & Artemis 1: “I slayed the dragon at the center of the world!” Live from Mount Olympus
With Ato Blankson-Wood
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.
30mApollo & Artemis 6: “The seed of discord is planted, and chaos will reign!” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
28mTheseus & Ariadne 8: “I never imagined such beautiful strangeness…” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
27mApollo & Artemis 5: “All because of a giant” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
27mPrometheus 5: “We’re gonna stick it to Zeus!” Live from Mount Olympus
26mApollo & Artemis 7: “Back to back! Bows up! We’ll fight together, even if it is our last.” Live from Mount Olympus
With Christina Liberus, Ato Blankson-Wood
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.
26mApollo & Artemis 3: “You are one dangerous god to love, Apollo.” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
26mPandora 3: “No one else gets to tell the story that defines you.” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
26mPandora 2: “I knew you’d be wise! You’re Pandora - she who gives all!” Live from Mount Olympus
25mTheseus & Ariadne 4: “Who puts a surprise for a kid under a huge heavy rock?!” Live from Mount Olympus
Despite different gods, countries and customs, the young heroes discover how much they share when Theseus tells Ariadne how he uncovered his true origins.
25mPandora 1: "Zeus said it must stay closed - it must!" Live from Mount Olympus
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.
25mAtalanta 7: "With all that has happened, do you think she could ever learn to love us?" Live from Mount Olympus
25mPerseus 10: No One Can Evade a Prophecy Live from Mount Olympus
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.
24mApollo & Artemis 2: “You need to get comfortable with mystery.” Live from Mount Olympus
With Ato Blankson-Wood
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.
24mAtalanta 8: “A hero’s reward!” Live from Mount Olympus
23mTheseus & Ariadne 3: “Snakes are slimy and sneaky and ewwww, I just don’t like them!” Live from Mount Olympus
23mAtalanta 5: “I am here to hunt, so I dress as a hunter. Why are you here?" Live from Mount Olympus
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.
23mPersephone 5: Lean Into the Darkness! Live from Mount Olympus
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.
22mTheseus & Ariadne 2: “Are you ready for the death-defying spectacle of the decade?” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
22mAtalanta 3: "A place to escape from princely concerns?" Live from Mount Olympus
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.
22mPersephone 7: All Our Fates Are Tied Together Live from Mount Olympus
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.
22mPerseus 7: Sea Monster! Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mTheseus & Ariadne 5: ““Let’s see you try to play games with the Minotaur!” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mTheseus & Ariadne 1: "No tributes have ever returned to Athens..." Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mPrometheus 1: “Was that the party where Uncle Kronos threw up all his kids?” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mAtalanta 6: "No one can defy The Fates, not even the gods." Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mPersephone 4: We Thought You Were Just Some Regular Old Lady! Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mPersephone 2: Where is My Daughter? Live from Mount Olympus
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.
21mPerseus 2: A Question and a Quest Live from Mount Olympus
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.
20mPrometheus 4: “Fire stays on Olympus! I’m not sharing!” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
20mAtalanta 4: “I love that you call these human girls ‘little bears!” Live from Mount Olympus
20mPersephone 9: Six Pomegranate Seeds Live from Mount Olympus
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.
20mPersephone 6: We Are All Hungry Live from Mount Olympus
19mTheseus & Ariadne 7: “You must be my breakfast.” Live from Mount Olympus
Under a full moon, Minos's guards march Theseus deep into the labyrinth to finally face the monstrous Minotaur.
19mTheseus & Ariadne 6: “You're giving me Labrys? The sacred weapon of Knossos?” Live from Mount Olympus
19mPrometheus 3: “Grasp it in the middle – just where the zig meets the zag!” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
19mPrometheus 2: “What’s that glow at the top of the mountain?” Live from Mount Olympus
19mPersephone 8: Are You Ready to Live in Both Worlds? Live from Mount Olympus
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.
18mPersephone 10: When You Return, Everything Will Bloom Again Live from Mount Olympus
18mPersephone 3: Are You Kidnapping Me? Live from Mount Olympus
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.
18mPersephone 1: You Don’t Trust Me to Strike Out on My Own! Live from Mount Olympus
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.
18mPerseus 9: I Have What You Sent Me For Live from Mount Olympus
Perseus and Andromeda arrive in Seriphos to find the island in chaos, leaving Perseus racing to fulfill his quest and set his mother free.
18mPerseus 5: The Cavern of Serpent Doom Live from Mount Olympus
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.
17mAtalanta 2: “Once an outcast always an outcast” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
16mAtalanta 1: “Who would leave a baby in the forest???” Live from Mount Olympus
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.
16mPerseus 8: Meet the Parents Live from Mount Olympus
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.
16mPerseus 6: The Weight of the Sky Live from Mount Olympus
15mPerseus 4: I Smell Fear Live from Mount Olympus
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.
7mPerseus Bonus — The Trickster Live from Mount Olympus
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.
7mPerseus 1: The Prophecy Live from Mount Olympus
Princess Danae, locked in a stone tower by her father the king, hides a secret whose revelation forces her to face his rage.
3mLook for Us! Live from Mount Olympus
2mKeep You in the Night Sky Live from Mount Olympus
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.
2mGive Me That Golden Touch Live from Mount Olympus
2mGaia Gaia Gaia/All the Colors of My Heart Live from Mount Olympus
With Ato Blankson-Wood, Christina Liberus
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.
2mLeto's Song: "I'll Find a Place" Live from Mount Olympus
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.
2mDragon Slayer Live from Mount Olympus
With Ato Blankson-Wood
Apollo, god of music, recounts in song the story of his first dramatic adventure as a dragon slayer.
1mCareful What You Wish For Live from Mount Olympus
With Nehemiah Luckett, Eric Berryman
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
6m"Everything is part warp and part weft." Live from Mount Olympus
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.
6mMythlet: How to Become a Mythical Monster Live from Mount Olympus
With Ian Lassiter
6mMythlet: "The God of Middle Children" Live from Mount Olympus
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.
6mMythlet: "I Belong to No Man!" Live from Mount Olympus
With Kate Birney
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.
6mMythlet: A Mouth Like Flame and Breathing Death Live from Mount Olympus
With Kate Birney
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.
5mMythlet: "Don't Drop Your Shield!" Live from Mount Olympus
With Kate Birney
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.
5mMythlet: "I Bestow Upon Thee My Adamantine Sword" Live from Mount Olympus
With Kate Birney
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.