Digging Up The Past Podcast

Petros Koutoupis sits down with author Marc Hyden, author of Emperor Titus: The Right Hand of Vespasian, to take a closer look at one of Rome’s most fascinating and often misunderstood emperors. We talk about Titus’ rise to power, his military career, his relationship with Vespasian, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the challenges he faced as emperor. Marc also shares the story behind his book and why Titus deserves a closer look beyond the traditional image of the man remembered for Pompeii and the Colosseum.Be sure to visit Marc Hyden’s website: https://www.marchyden.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with Boston-based freelance journalist, writer, blogger, and child of Olympus, Katy Kostakis, to discuss the recently released Christopher Nolan adaptation of The Odyssey. Warning: there will be spoilers. Just how faithful is Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey to Homer's original epic? Which changes work, which ones don't, and were those artistic liberties worth taking? Join us as we break down the similarities, the differences, and whether Nolan stayed true to the spirit of one of history's greatest stories.Be sure to visit Katy Kostakis’s blog: https://www.katykostakis.com and her Substack: http://noquietontheset.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with classicist and author, Alexis Hannah Prescott, to discuss witches and their Classical origins. We talk about her latest book, The First Witches: Women of Power in the Classical World, and dig into how the image of the ancient witch has changed over time. What shaped the way people started to see witches differently? And how does all of that tie into modern witchcraft today?See more of Alexis Prescott’s research on this topic:* Pen & Sword: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/blog/the-romans-and-the-halloween-style-witch* And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7KYoMYP5q4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itzBwrR9xvg This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with father and son duo, hosts of the podcast Lost Roman Heroes, Matthew and Matteo Storm to discuss the near-forgotten visionaries who helped shape the Roman world. How did these forgotten Roman heroes shape the empire’s destiny, and why have their stories faded from memory? Could revisiting these unsung figures change how we understand Roman history itself?Be sure to check out their podcast here: https://www.lostromanheroes.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe

Petros Koutoupis sits down with assistant professor of Classics at Michigan State University and author, Jeremy Swist, to discuss his latest research publication, Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome. Who was the last pagan emperor of the Roman empire? What was his legacy? How was he portrayed in the writings of early chroniclers and Christian writers? Was there more to this complex ruler? We answer these questions and more! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diggingupthepast.net/subscribe