One goddess alone ruled in the ancient underworld. She was Persephone, although the Greeks dared call her only The Goddess.She had been dragged unwillingly into that gloom by Hades, but she quickly adapted to her circumstances. Mysteriously, she, among all the gods, became the treasury of dark knowl
2,500 years ago Delos was the most sacred island in Greece. As the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, it was destined to become both the holiest of sanctuaries and a wealthy trading center. Its downside was that it was also the region’s largest slave market. Amidst all the temples and sanctimony, tr
How many of us know about the Goddess Tyche? Today this powerful divinity is largely forgotten. But 2,500 years ago, she was believed to determine the day-to-day fortunes of every Greek.If your ship was tossed against rocks as you steered through a storm, it wasn’t your fate as much as your fortune.
In this episode Garner takes the listener on a pleasant hike in the countryside. But the city dweller stumbles upon a strange scene that may involve Athene, Artemis or Aphrodite. Upon returning to the city our hiker encounters the same woman in a coffee shop. Yet within minutes she vanishes. Intrigu
Novel 4 of The Naxos Quartet sums up the most important things in life — love and belonging. In this episode Garner reads a brief selection from the book, focusing on a dramatic moment in the return of Inanna, Gaia, Timessa and Dionysos.The Naxos Quartet includes The Winnowing, Cycladic Girls, Homo
In 1976 an obscure psychologist from Princeton University published a book titled, “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.” It was a sensation, not in small part because Jaynes postulated that before modern consciousness occurred, the voices humans heard in their head we
EP 45: Interview with Greek AF RadioIn this episode we join hosts Ari and Foti of Greek AF Radio as they interview Patrick Garner on a wide-ranging array of mythology topics.Garner discusses his creative background, his novels and the inspiration for the podcast itself. Greek AF Radio is the world’
When Greece became part of the Roman empire in 146 B.C., the Olympic gods were still dominant. But the gods had begun to drift away even then. This episode tracks their willful retreat from the lives of mankind.Narrated by mythologist and best-selling author, Patrick Garner, Garner's Greek Mythology
In Episode 43 we analyze the impact of violence on the ancient Greeks. It was everywhere — the product of men constantly warring with each other and the result of gods randomly exerting their power.Far too often the gods precipitated war solely for their own enjoyment … Men waged war to replenish sl
Episode 42: The Divine VoiceWelcome to Episode 42 where we hear a divine voice — or rather, we hear about how Socrates was guided throughout his life by a spiritual voice called a daimon. This daimon accompanied him from his cradle to his death.Socrates was hardly alone in hearing a divine voice. Th
Welcome to Episode 41 where we meet the ancient King of Cyprus, Pygmalion. The sculpture he creates of a beautiful woman changes his life — and provides inspiration for artists for another 3,000 years.King Pygmalion falls madly in love with the statue. Praying to Aphrodite to find him a woman as bea
Welcome to Episode 40. Now we leave ancient Greece and shift to contemporary America. The old gods have come to the suburbs of Pennsylvania to play — and to save the world.The three Fates, plus Artemis, Athene, Aphrodite and the ancient goddess Nyx — all appear in order to thwart scientists who are
Welcome to Episode 39. In this episode we enter the city of Thebes with the god Dionysus, who returns to his mother’s home seeking revenge. There he converts the city’s women and girls to Bacchae, or followers of Bacchus, another name for Dionysus.He is arrested by the young King Pentheus and events
Welcome to Episode 38. In this episode we follow six cursed generations known as the House of Atreus. A classic Greek tragedy, the story involves gods and men, wives and daughters, and spans 800 miles of geography from Troy to Athens.Like so many of these tales, it begins with Zeus, who has a son wh
Welcome to Episode 37. Imagine beasts that are half-horse and half-man. They’re crude. Their weapons are broken branches and rocks. The ancient Greeks called them Centaurs.But among them was a unique and sophisticated being. A centaur named Kheiron (pronounced Sheer-roan) was so wise and wily that g
Welcome to Episode 36. Today we examine the difficult topic of sacrifice. The discussion of killing animals upsets many people. If you’re one of them, this may be an episode to avoid.Sacrifice was so common in the ancient world that no one thought twice about the practice. On the contrary, sacrifice
Welcome to Episode 35. In this show we identify the most exalted and powerful mortal women in Greece. Who were they? ... Priestesses, serving goddesses, and in some cases, gods.These women were the equivalent of today’s superstars. Their names were known by everyone, they conducted sacrifices, and t
Welcome to Episode 34! Here we take our inspiration from the Muses, nine goddesses and daughters of the mighty Zeus.3,000 years ago they lit the fire behind every masterpiece. Many of us say they play the identical role today, inspiring songwriters, poets, playwrights and writers.They inspired artis
Welcome to Episode 33 where we meet Pythagoras, a 6th century B.C. genius. Was he man or god? Not even his contemporaries were sure. Pythagoras himself once said, “There are gods … and there are men … and there is Pythagoras.”Avowedly the son of Apollo, he is known today as the father of mathematics
Welcome to Episode 32. In this episode we hang with the mighty Spartans.Where did they come from? How did they grow to dominate the Greek world in all things relating to war? Their society was founded by a man named Lycurgus. Or was it…? Some say it was Apollo — others claimed their bloodline ran di
Welcome to Episode 31. In this episode we drill down into the world of ancient Greek healing.Was Hippocrates the father of medicine? Hardly. He was preceded by a demi-god, a son of Apollo named Asklepios.Asklepios, who flourished 800 years before Hippocrates, specialized in cures that reset a patien
Welcome to Episode 30 where we survey ancient war and how it formed the Greek notion of the ideal hero.Thousands of years ago heroes were, without exception, brave young men. They expected to die young, valiantly and with the bodies of those they’d slain lying at their feet.In this episode we contra
Welcome to Episode 29 … Listen as we learn about the real Heracles, Greece’s indisputable superhero.A semi-divine being and the son of Zeus, Heracles experienced tragedies and triumphs. He never refused a challenge. In this episode we look at his 12 labors, his loves and his transformation from mort
Welcome to EPISODE 28 -- The Proud, Audacious AmazonsThe Amazons were sired by the war god, Ares. They reflected their parentage well. As fighting machines they were almost unstoppable. That is, until they confronted Greece's greatest heroes.In this episode we look at their life style -- and their