Myth Madness: A Mythology Podcast

Heracles's last six Labours took him to the fringes of the known world: capturing the Cretan Bull, the man-eating Mares of Diomedes, the belt of Amazonian queen Hippolyta, the cattle of Geryon, the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, and Cerberos.

Cursed like their father Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices fought over the throne of Thebes; exiled Polynices gained support from Adrastus, king of Argos, and the scoundrel Tydeus, then led an army against Thebes.

After the twelve Labours, undertaken to gain forgiveness for killing his family in a rage sometimes attributed to Hera's will, Heracles continued his heroic career but kept repeating the same mistakes that eventually led to his demise.

A crew called the Argonauts, led by Jason, set out on a quest to retrieve the fabulous treasure known as the Golden Fleece; this covers what the Fleece is, why Jason needed it, and who joined the adventure.

Minos of Crete demanded a tribute of seven young men and seven young women every nine years to feed the Minotaur; Theseus, sent as one of them, killed it with help from princess Ariadne and later took the Athenian throne.

After the Seven Against Thebes died, their sons the Epigoni, including Thersander, Aegialeus and Diomedes, were tasked by Athena with destroying Thebes; Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus, blamed his mother Eriphyle and hesitated.

Medea, whose actions drove the success of Jason and the Argonauts in the poem Argonautika, is followed here after her return with Jason to Greece; her mythic material stretches back to the earliest days of ancient Greece.

Sent to King Eurystheus of Mycenae after asking the Oracle of Delphi about murdering his family, Heracles performs the first six Labours: Nemean Lion, Hydra, Cerynitian Hind, Erymanthian Boar, Stymphalian Birds and the Stables of Augeus.

Amphitryon's exile and quests to marry his love end with Zeus's seduction of Alkmene and the birth of hero twins; young Herakles shows a hidden rage and a divine enemy in Hera, culminating in the murder of his own family.

Bellerophon, son of Poseidon and the human woman Eurynome, rides the winged horse Pegasus and is best known for slaying a monster; deeper, darker layers hint at a more nuanced heroism beneath the classic hero image.

Sisyphus and Autolycus, cunning tricksters whose tales become entwined, are considered heroes due to their descent from gods, yet rely on lies and tricks, even trying to cheat death; a third troublemaker, Erysichthon, also appears.

Oedipus, cursed with killing his father and sleeping with his mother, is a beast-slayer whose story stretches back to the 8th century BC and spans four generations of the Theban royal family; this covers Oedipus and his father Laius.

Typhon, a humanoid serpentine enemy of Zeus and a further threat to the Olympians after the Gigantomachy, gets different versions of his birth and physical description, plus his battles with Zeus for control of the universe.

Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece was set by his cruel half-uncle Pelias, hoping the danger would kill his nephew; favored by the gods, Jason sailed with a crew of Greek heroes, facing adventures along the way to retrieve it.

Artemis, the Mistress of Animals associated with hunting and the wilderness, acquired her responsibilities according to a hymn by the poet Callimachus; stories of her unkindness to mortal men, especially involving Orion, show a more complicated side.

Artemis sent the Calydonian Boar to ravage the land; Meleager organized a party of heroes to stop its rampage, with the huntress Atalanta as a central figure in the hunt and its aftermath.

With the Golden Fleece secured, Jason's crew sailed home to Greece pursued by vengeful enemies; the voyage covers the Argo's pursuit, the murder of Absyrtus, Jason's marriage to Medea, and the bronze giant Talos.

The Gorgon Medusa, presented as a threatening monster in the story of Perseus killing her, gets a closer look here: how conceptions of the Gorgons changed over time in literary sources and in art.

After Eteocles and Polynices die, Oedipus's daughters Antigone and Ismene face a quieter tragedy from Sophocles; Antigone insists on burying her brother Polynices, bringing her into conflict with Thebes's new regent Creon.

Castor and Polydeukes, whose Roman name was Pollux, were known as the Dioscuri, Sons of Zeus, considered among the greatest Greek heroes though few of their stories survive; other Greek hero twins share similarities with them.

Pelops's father Tantalus dared to challenge the gods with deadly results; the adult Pelops later competed as a suitor for Hippodamia in a chariot race that decided her fate, possibly by trickery and not skill alone.

Dionysus, the god of wine known for partying with worshippers in forest groves, also has a darker side responsible for madness, frenzy and world travel; his myths often show an antagonistic relationship with humans despite his cult's importance.

Dangerous centaurs fought the human Lapiths, led by Pirithous, in a mythical war that began with trouble at Pirithous's wedding; his ill-fated friendship with Theseus is also covered.

Childless Athenian king Aegeus, advised unhelpfully by the Oracle of Delphi, visited his friend Pittheus; the pregnancy of Pittheus's daughter Aethra produced Theseus, who later set out to meet his father, facing dangerous characters.

Peleus, an Argonaut who searched for the Golden Fleece and hunted the Calydonian Boar, enjoyed a special bond with the centaur Chiron and the favor of the Olympian gods; his key myth is marrying the goddess Thetis.

The kings of Thebes after Cadmus, whose most dramatic story belongs to princess Antiope and her twin sons Amphion and Zethus, credited with building its walls and seven gates, triumphs the gods' wrath also ruined.

Cadmus arrives in Greece searching for his missing sister and founds Thebes after killing a serpent dragon; he marries Harmonia, immortal daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, though their children suffer tragedies for offending the gods.

Zeus, called King and Father of Gods and Men, became king of the universe and consolidated his power; his numerous children and his cults are also covered.

Atreus and Thyestes, cursed sons of Pelops exiled from their homeland who later fought against each other for control of Mycenae, in a story that includes murder, adultery, incest and cannibalism.

Still holding Hermes's winged sandals after killing the Gorgon Medusa, Perseus travelled to Aethiopia and rescued princess Andromeda from a sea serpent; he was also a legendary founding figure who fulfilled a deadly prophecy.

Perseus was born when liquid gold fell on his imprisoned mother Danae; grown, he was tricked by a cruel king into fetching a monster's severed head, aided by the gods Hermes and Athena and some divine treasures.

A geography lesson on the ancient Greek underworld covers its ruler Hades and other inhabitants; few myths involve Hades himself, who rarely leaves the underworld, and the discussion ties back to Persephone.

Poseidon, ruler of the seas, also known as the Earthshaker and god of horses, was praised by Greek colonists for safe sea travel; evidence suggests he was even more important in earlier ancient Greece, reflected in some myths.

After the defeat of Kronos, King Zeus takes several lovers, has children, assigns responsibilities to the gods and keeps the Titans who did not side with Kronos, among them Helios for the Sun, whose son Phaeton almost destroys the world.

An introduction to Greek mythology covers the Ages of Man, the gods' attempts to create humans across ages of growing difficulty, in versions by the Greek poet Hesiod and the Roman poet Ovid, compared with a similar story from India.

Orpheus, a musician from the wild region of Thrace, descended to the underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice; the Orphic Argonautica retells the story of the Golden Fleece from his own perspective.

Aphrodite, goddess of desire, sex and love, enjoys using her power even on other gods; two very different accounts exist of her birth, and her mortal lovers Anchises and Adonis both get their myths discussed.

The Golden Fleece belonged to Aeetes, king of Colchis; Jason and the Argonauts arrive there, deal with Aeetes and depart, aided by goddesses and Aeetes's love-struck daughter.

Demeter, one of the original six Olympians and goddess of agriculture and fertility, searched unsuccessfully for her missing daughter Persephone and wandered the Earth; her time in Eleusis and the mystery cults centered on her are also covered.

Hermes, a clever trickster and thief who also served as the gods' messenger, stole Apollo's cattle when he was only a baby; Hermes was later repackaged during the Medieval Era and survived to today.

Apollo, one of the most complicated Greek gods with responsibilities that grew over time, has his birth myth retold here alongside the convoluted stories of how he founded his temple and oracle at Delphi.

After Kronos ate his own children, his youngest son Zeus was raised in secret and returned to lead the Olympian gods against the Titans, aided by Gaia, the Cyclopes and the Hekatonchieres, for control of the universe.

Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, one of the most important Olympians and viewed as Zeus's lieutenant, often bears his Aegis; the episode discusses her main myths, what the Aegis is and what it may actually refer to.

Hera, Queen of Heaven, is typically portrayed as an angry wife dealing with her husband Zeus's affairs, though such stories miss her importance in ancient Greek religion; the poet Homer, the Iliad and the Homeric Hymns are also introduced.

Greek myths on the origins of the universe and its first immortal inhabitants turn dramatic when Kronos decides to kill his own father; what it means to be a god in Greek mythology is also explored.

Unlike most wild and dangerous Greek centaurs, Chiron is wise and patient; he trains heroes and does not go on his own adventures. Many famous Greek heroes were his students; this covers lesser-known ones and what he taught them.

Ares, responsible for the chaotic elements of war and a lust for battle, had few temples but mattered to Greek soldiers on campaign; his affair with Aphrodite is his best-known myth, with his strange Homeric Hymn and the Roman view.

Persephone, goddess of nature and death worshipped across Greece, the islands, and what is now Turkey and Italy, was also called Kore, daughter of Demeter and Zeus; her abduction by Hades made her Queen of the Underworld.

With Zeus and the Olympians now ruling, several ancient Greek ideas on the creation of humans are discussed; Hesiod credits the Titan Prometheus with looking after humankind, defying Zeus's will and being punished for it.