The Homeric Epic Podcast

Anthony covers book 16 of the Iliad: the full character arc of Patroclus, Achilles letting him fight despite his inner turmoil, Sarpedon's buildup, the peculiar death of Patroclus and why Euphorbus is afforded a piece of the glory.

Anthony covers the first half of book 9 of the Iliad, the start of the Embassy to Achilles: Agamemnon sending gifts to win him back, and Achilles' emotional reply laying bare his disillusionment with the heroic code.

Continuing book 9 of the Iliad, Anthony covers Phoenix delivering the longest speech in the poem, Achilles' reply, and Ajax's straight-talking words to close out the embassy to Achilles.

Anthony covers book 13 of the Iliad: fierce fighting after the Trojans have broken through the wall, Poseidon stepping in to empower the Aiantes, and the Cretans Idomeneus and Meriones joining the fray after some banter.

Anthony covers the teichomachia in book 12 of the Iliad, the battle around the Greek wall, Sarpedon's speech on why heroes fight, and Hector's breach of the wall after picking up a big rock.

Anthony covers the Doloneia, book 10 of the Iliad: the night raid of Diomedes and Odysseus spying on the Trojans, their encounter with Dolon, and scholarly criticism of the book's awkward place in the poem.

Anthony covers book 6 of the Iliad, Hector's brief return to Troy and the glimpse it gives inside the doomed city, tracing how small early moments frame the book's bigger emotional turns.

Anthony covers book 5 of the Iliad, the longest in the poem, where Athena brings honor to Diomedes; he compares it to the Epic of Gilgamesh and looks at how Homer's gods elevate his heroes without denigrating them.

Anthony covers book 8 of the Iliad: Diomedes inviting Nestor to flee the battlefield, Athena and Hera failing to defy Zeus's thunderbolts, and the famous simile of the watchfires that closes the book.

Picking up after Zeus's nap on Mt Ida, Anthony covers book 15 of the Iliad: the Trojans pushing the Achaeans back farther than before, a linguistic remnant in Hera's punishment, and the death of Melanippos.

Anthony covers book 7 of the Iliad, the duel between Ajax and Hector, the speeches before and after the clash, and the connections between Nestor's stories and later events as the first day of fighting ends.

The introductory episode of the Homeric Epic Podcast, where Anthony lays out the goals of the podcast, its scope, and background on the Homeric epics.

Anthony covers book 14 of the Iliad and its famous Dios Apate, which appears strange nestled between bouts of gruesome fighting, explaining why it belongs where it does and how it explores the gulf between gods and mortals.

Anthony returns to battle in book 11 of the Iliad, covering the Aristeia of Agamemnon and of Hector, and why Diomedes features so prominently after the night raid.

Anthony covers book 4 of the Iliad, where Pandarus's arrow severs the oath made in book 3 and battle begins, and explains the Aristeia as a storytelling device to watch for in later fighting.

Anthony covers book 3 of the Iliad, the duel between Menelaus and Paris over Helen as a possible end to the Trojan war, plus obscure myths tucked into an epic simile and the placement of book divisions.

Anthony covers book 2 of the Iliad, the lengthy catalogue of ships, unpacking the mythological references and subtle details behind what looks like a long and strange passage.

Anthony dives into book 1 of the Iliad, where Homer sets the stage for the destruction and death caused by the hubris of one man and the wrath of another.

Anthony answers listener questions and discusses how Homer is foundational to the western notion of literature, the attitude of women in Homer to their unfortunate fates, and Albert Lord's The Singer of Tales.

Answering a substack chat question, Anthony discusses whether the seduction of Zeus scene is an interpolation to Homer, horses in the Iliad, and his thoughts on the trailer for Christopher Nolan's Odyssey.