DiscoverLet's Talk About Myths, Baby! | Greek Mythology & the Ancient Mediterranean
Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! | Greek Mythology & the Ancient Mediterranean
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Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! | Greek Mythology & the Ancient Mediterranean

Author: Liv Albert

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The most entertaining and enraging stories from 'Classical' mythology (and, often, ancient history of the wider Mediterranean!) told casually, contemporarily, and (more often than not) sarcastically. The world of Greek mythology and the history of the wider ancient Mediterranean is full of wonder, horror, and utter hilarity. These myths and stories are timeless for a reason, they're just as relevant today as they were 2500+ years ago. With over 700 episodes and counting, we dive deep into the realm of gods, goddesses, heroes, monsters, and everything in between.


Regular episodes every Tuesday, conversations with authors and scholars or readings of ancient epics every Friday. LTAMB: The Oracle Edition has ad-free episodes and so much more. Learn more about the podcast, and Liv's work, including her book Greek Mythology: the Gods, Goddess, and Heroes Handbook at mythsbaby.com.


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764 Episodes
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Liv and Michaela speak with Dan-el Padilla Peralta about his new book Classicism and Other Phobias, breaking down the 'Founders of Western Civilization' myth, the field of 'Classics', and the racialized mess its often made. Find more about the book, and the article Racing the Classics. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liv reads (the second half) of Book 11 of Statius' Thebaid, translated by JH Mozley. It's the beginning of the end... The brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, fight to the death and leave their surviving family members - Jocasta, Antigone, Ismene, and Oedipus - to deal with their grief. Submit to the quarterly Q&A at mythsbaby.com/questions and get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liv speaks with Andromache Karanika about women's work, work songs, and the very concept of real ancient women's lives. Set fire to the patriarchy, my dear listeners... And learn more about Dr Karanika. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're here this Tuesday with another fun history episode because Liv deserves a break too! This was a fun one to research and write for you all, just a good ole deep dive into all the fun little oracles that are out there. Okay, we only looked at Delphic oracles, but to be fair that's because they were so incredibly important within the ancient Greek cultural understanding that they are the easiest ones to find. Plus I was reading through a great book about them and got way to excited. Leave any questions wherever you can leave comments, Liv and I love hearing from you all! With all swiftness and much chaos, Hermes <3Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Sources: The Delphic Oracle: its Responses and Operations by Joseph Fontenrose, The Ancient Oracles: Making the Gods Speak by Richard Stoneman, History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides translated by Rex Warner.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hear ye! Here ye! Liv met up with the Historical Homos again to talk all things Disney Hercules and how wonderfully queer it is! Thebes as the big city! Feeling out of place as a child because of something that's just a part of you! Merch as success! It's simply the most beautiful thing in the world. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liv reads (the first half) of Book 11 of Statius' Thebaid, translated by JH Mozley. It's the beginning of the end... The brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, are about fight each other. But first, rants, raves, and pleas from the women in their lives... Furies, Jocasta, and Antigone. Submit to the quarterly Q&A at mythsbaby.com/questions and get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy Halloween! Today we've cobbled together selections from three favourite Spooky Season Conversations, featuring selections from 2022's Halloween Special w/ Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts, 2021's Scream Queens conversation with Vanessa Stovall, and 2022's Monster conversation with Jasmine Elmer. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode originally aired in October 2020... It might be old, but the story feels right on point in 2025. We travel to Thessaly where their king, Erysichthon gets a horrifying punishment for his crimes against Demeter. Plus, Lamia and Empusa... monstrous and vampiric women of mythology. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Sources: Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds (A Sourcebook) by Daniel Ogden, Theoi.com, Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Allen Mandelbaum, and Apuleius's The Golden Ass, translated by Sarah Ruden.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thanks for your patience... New episodes are (fingers crossed) coming soon! For now, this episode originally aired in October 2021 (which, yes, Liv looked up AFTER guessing it was 'a couple years ago'... time is a flat circle). Liv speaks with Maxwell T Paule all about witches (and much, much more) of classical myth and Roman poetry... Follow Maxwell on Twitter and TikTok. The poem recited is Horace's Epode 5, translated by Maxwell T Paule. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hey, did you know that Michaela and Liv are running a bonus history series over on the show's Patreon?! Last year we aired a few Hermes Historia episodes before putting the rest behind the Patreon paywall. This was the inaugural Spooooky Hermes Historia episode... Michaela shares a brief history of ancient Greek funerary practices. Because Spooky Season. Find ad-free episodes, Hermes Historia episodes, and so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Sources: John Ferguson's Among the Gods: An Archaeological Exploration of Ancient Greek Religion; Maria Serena Mirto's Death in the Greek World: From Homer to the Classical Age; Herodotus' The Histories, translated by Robin Waterfield.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode originally aired in October 2021... So. Many. Snakes. To continue Spooky Season, a look at the Father of Monsters, Typhoeus (or Typhon), and the near equally monstrous Echidna.CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Sources: Theoi.com; Early Greek Myth by Timothy Gantz.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode originally aired in October 2023. Liv reads a selection of spooky content from ancient authors: Aeschylus' Agamemnon, translated by Herbert Weir Smyth; Aeschylus' Eumenides, translated by Herbert Weir Smyth; Lucan's Pharsalia; Letters of Pliny the Younger, translated by William Melmoth. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liv teams up with the Missing Witches podcast to talk ancient Greek witches and women... Because when a woman wields freedom, she must be a witch! Check out more from the Missing Witches Podcast. Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode originally aired in summer of 2023. So! Much! Seneca! Lauren Ginsberg joins Liv to RAVE about Seneca's Medea, and provide some helpful and fascinating Roman context, among so many other things. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy spooooky season! It's about time we revisit the most HORRIFYING and GORY play Liv's ever read... Seneca's Thyestes, the play whose only woman character is a goddess of vengeance. These episodes originally aired in October 2023. Tantalus' cursed grandsons are about to f**k things up. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Sources: Seneca's Thyestes, primarily the version translation by Emily Wilson with long passages quoted from the Frank Justus Miller; Hyginus' Fabulae.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy spooooky season! It's about time we revisit the most HORRIFYING and GORY play Liv's ever read... Seneca's Thyestes, the play whose only woman character is a goddess of vengeance. These episodes originally aired in October 2023. Tantalus' cursed grandsons are about to f**k things up. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Sources: Seneca's Thyestes, primarily the version translation by Emily Wilson with long passages quoted from the Frank Justus Miller; Hyginus' Fabulae.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode originally aired in October 2022! Liv speaks with professor and (prolific!) author Daniel Ogden about all things Spooky! Find his many books on ancient werewolves, dragons, magic, and more wherever you get your books! Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We've finally made it to the end of the first book of Herodotus' Histories. It's been a wild ride folks, with all those twists and turns, but it ends with a bang. God it ends to well, I'm so happy. Thank you all for having me! And here's the the next time I see you all <3Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.Sources: Herodotus The Histories translated by Tom Holland.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liv reads Book 10 of Statius' Thebaid, translated by JH Mozley. The war is in full swing and even the gods get involved. Submit to the quarterly Q&A at mythsbaby.com/questions and get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.This is not a standard narrative story episode, it's a reading of an ancient source, audiobook style. For regular episodes look for any that don't have "Liv Reads..." in the title! For a list of Roman/Latin names and who they generally refer to in the Greek, visit: mythsbaby.com/names Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
And we are back again with another week of Herodotus and his Histories. This time, we go backwards to explore how the Persian Empire got power within Asia. Isn't that fun? There certainly will not be any tangents here! No, not at all. Why would you think that?Submit your question for the next Q&A via email or a voice note. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbabyCW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. I try to provide direct warnings when there is reference to anything with overtly traumatic themes but be aware that Greek mythology regularly features assault, death, and many other potentially triggering events.To submit your questions for the Livestream event this Saturday September 27th please go here and regal us with all your wonderful queries. Sources: Herodotus The Histories translated by Tom Holland.Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Comments (178)

Sean Scully

meh. 2.5 stars. dogshitting on me because of my gender is just too grating. Raised by a mom, sister and grandmother with a series of weak men scattered throughout, I tended to have a posative view of feminism until I heard this podcasters bitterness.

Nov 19th
Reply

Deadly nightshade

Loooove your podcast! You got yourself a Persian fan right here ❤️✋🏻

Mar 1st
Reply

Alex Babu Joseph

It was good content but unfortunately too much advertisement is annoying and has forced me to look for a similar channel.

Nov 17th
Reply

Muirah Yuta

Geography of Homer's odyssey- Samuel Butler

Apr 3rd
Reply

Muirah Yuta

The divine comedy- Dante

Apr 3rd
Reply

Muirah Yuta

song of Achilles- Madeline Miller

Apr 3rd
Reply

Muirah Yuta

cerci- Madeline Miller

Apr 3rd
Reply

Muirah Yuta

women & Power - Mary Beard

Apr 2nd
Reply

A magical pan

IGNORE THE SEXIEST IDIOT C:

Mar 9th
Reply

hadis

I love ur content

Jan 18th
Reply

Sarah

I'm so baffled by the incels in these comments. Being a feminist means believing men and women deserve to be treated with equal respect. How tf could anyone argue against that? And for everyone whinging about it, imagine how tired women feel

Nov 13th
Reply

Vivian Beckford

semi related Nemisis fact: there was a shrine to her in the Roman Amphitheatre in Chester. Chester is a city in northern England that still has it's Roman walls. It is speculated to have been intended to become the capital of the British isles, or at least a staging post for the conquest of Ireland.

Oct 10th
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Bibinaz Ghiabi

Thank you but there are too many ads!

Sep 25th
Reply

ID27091498

This book was such a disappointment to me for much the same reasons you gave. I was so excited about it…and it was such nonsense. I’m glad to hear I’m not alone as almost everyone I have spoken to thinks it’s great. I hated almost everything about it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Aug 27th
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Granny InSanDiego

Whether or not Euripides added the epilogue is something we may never know definitively. However, two earlier versions of the story, one from the Cypria and one from Hesiod's Catalog of Women, do not end with the death of Iphigenia by sacrificial blade on the altar at Aulis. The Cypria fragment 1 from the synopsis in Proclus' "Chrestomathia" says: "When the expedition had mustered a second time at Aulis, Agamemnon, while at the chase, shot a stag and boasted that he surpassed even Artemis. At this the goddess was so angry that she sent stormy winds and prevented them from sailing. Calchas then told them of the anger of the goddess and bade them sacrifice Iphigeneia to Artemis. This they attempt to do, sending to fetch Iphigeneia as though for marriage with Achilles. Artemis, however, snatched her away and transported her to the Tauri, making her immortal, and putting a stag in place of the girl upon the altar." Note that this took place the 2nd time the fleet mustered at Aulis. And th

Aug 5th
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Granny InSanDiego

Partheneion is a song/poem to be sung by a chorus of young, unmarried girls. The etymology is from the Greek word for virgin, (Παρθένος Parthenos). The Parthenon is named for the virgin goddess Athena, who like Hestia and Artemis, were perpetual virgins.

Jul 19th
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Granny InSanDiego

One of the reasons the Spartan men "loved" to sing and dance was because music enhanced the precision of their hoplite phalanx formation. On the battlefield they marched together singing in unison to inspire morale and patriotic emotions. And a piper played the aulos to keep time as they moved and turned in lock step. They drilled and practiced to the same music. The role of the Spartan king on military campaigns was to perform religious sacrifices and decide whether or not the signs were auspicious for a Spartan victory. If they were not, the Spartans did not fight that day. While Plutarch may have relied on the Roman re-creation of ancient Spartan practices for his Life of Lycurgus, it is also likely that he relied on other sources which are now lost. Scholars estimate that only 10% of the writings from archaic, classical and Hellenistic Greece have survived to our time. So let's not be too quick to disparage Plutarch. Xenophon wrote the Polity of the Lacedaemonians, a treatise/book

Jul 13th
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Archie

stop with the feministic victim bs already...we don't care about slanted views of reality. just stick with mythology

May 22nd
Reply

The Mad Hatter 1984

I looked up the statue that you mentioned in the podcast and from what I saw in the pictures it is really beautiful I can just imagine how beautiful it would be in person definitely going to be on my bucket list now oh and by the way I love the podcast I just found it today and I've been listening to it Non-Stop

May 1st
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Andrew Browne

Liv, your take is rubbish.

Feb 25th
Reply