RIHC: Greek Gods, The Trojan War, and The Odyssey

What are the stories told in The Iliad and The Odyssey? When are they set? Did the events and adventures they describe really take place? How do the two epics relate to each other? Did Homer actually exist, and if so did he compose them both, or at all? Was there an historical Trojan War? Who was Odysseus, the famously cunning Greek hero featured in the epics? What terrifying monsters and hardships did he and his crew have to overcome during their ten year voyage home to Ithaca, as described in The Odyssey? How did he escape the man-eating cyclops, Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon? Was he based on the discovery of elephant bones by Greek explorers? What is The Odyssey’s broader impact upon literature and culture overall? Can the epic and its portrayal of the Greek Gods tell us anything about the world of Bronze Age Greece? Who were the Minoans referenced in the poem, and what cataclysm occurred in around 1200 BC to eliminate this sophisticated culture? What were the Dark Ages of Ancient Greece that followed the Bronze Age? And, how did The Odyssey inspire works of science fiction such as Star Trek, and Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar…? In this week’s bonus episode, Tom is joined by eminent historian Daniel Mendelsohn, to discuss perhaps the most celebrated story of all time; The Odyssey, and the ancient world that it describes, as depicted in his new translation of this timeless classic. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor