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Artwork for Ancient Greece Today

Ancient Greece Today

Naomi Weiss
Greek Tragedy
Oresteia
Oedipus the King
Antigone
The Bacchae
Glorious Exploits
Dionysus
Trojan Women
Aeschylus
Prometheus Bound
Algorithmic Theatre
Generative AI
Night Journey
Democracy
Asian-Ness
Prometheus Firebringer
Thebes, Greece
Pentheus

Hosted by Naomi Weiss (Professor of the Classics, Harvard University), this podcast brings together scholars and artists to explore the ancient Greek world and how it is used and reimagined in the present day.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes9Founded2 months ago
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Latest Episodes

In this bonus episode, Naomi interviews Ferdia Lennon about his 2024 novel, Glorious Exploits, a book about tragedy and comedy in the wake of the Sicilian Expedition—Athens’ disastrous attempt to seize Sicily in 415–413 BCE, which resulted in their u... more

Long considered the oldest anti-war play, Euripides’ Trojan Women is a devastating portrayal of the suffering of war’s female victims. It is also about female relationships and forms of agency, as well as the power of artistic innovation in the face ... more

In this episode, we talk about Euripides’ Bacchae. Dr. Lucy Jackson (Durham University) joins Naomi to explore the theatricality of this play about Dionysus, the questions it raises about gender, and how it has been reimagined in modern productions. ... more

In this episode, Naomi talks to Professor Al Duncan (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) about Euripides’ Medea as a revenge drama, Medea's liminality, and the particular performance opportunities presented by this extraordinary tragedy. The... more

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Recent Guests

Ferdia Lennon
Author of Glorious Exploits
Best-selling author
Episode: Bonus Episode: Glorious Exploits
Rosanna Bruno
Artist and Illustrator of Trojan Women, A Comic
Independent artist
Episode: Episode 8: Trojan Women
Ella Haselswerdt
Assistant Professor of Classics at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
Episode: Episode 8: Trojan Women
Lucy Jackson
Associate Professor of Classics, Durham University
Durham University
Episode: Episode 7: Bacchae
Monica Youn
Poet, Lawyer, Professor of English
UC Irvine
Episode: Episode 7: Bacchae
Al Duncan
Associate Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Episode: Episode 6: Medea
Rhodessa Jones
Co-artistic director of Cultural Odyssey; founder/director of The Medea Project, Theater for Incarcerated Women
The Medea Project, Cultural Odyssey
Episode: Episode 6: Medea
Andrés Carrete
Postdoctoral fellow with expertise in Greek tragedy and receptions of tragedy
Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies
Episode: Episode 5: Antigone
David Gaitán
Award-winning playwright, director, actor; co-founder of two Mexican theater companies
Un Pino en la VĂ­a Lactea; Ocho Metros Cubicos, AC
Episode: Episode 5: Antigone

Host

Naomi Weiss
Host of the show who introduces topics and leads conversations about Greek tragedy

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 9 ratings
  • Outstanding Classics Podcast

    This is one of the few truly serious Classics podcasts. Each episode begins with a concise introduction to a Greek tragedy, followed by a discussion with a leading scholar whose knowledge of the work is both deep and illuminating. Many of the guests have published major books and articles with top university presses and peer-reviewed journals.

    Listeners will come away with a richer understanding not only of the individual drama being discussed, but of Greek tragedy as a genre.

    The second half ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CStinehour
    United Statesa month ago
  • So cool

    Such a good podcast and is really interesting. I have not found a podcast this good for awhile

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Olive đź«’ e
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests consistently bring diverse perspectives from academia and theatre backgrounds.
The show is seen as intellectually rich but accessible for listeners with a broad interest in Greek tragedy.
Listeners praise rigorous, interdisciplinary discussions that connect ancient texts to modern performance.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bonus Episode: Glorious Exploits
Q: Could you talk about how the story of Glorious Exploits developed from that premise?
Lennon shares that his lifelong fascination with Greek history and tragedy led him to imagine the Athenian prisoners' survival through Euripidean recitation as a narrative mechanism to explore themes of memory, culture, and resilience against the backdrop of a devastating military defeat.
Episode 7: Bacchae
Q: What makes Dionysus such a central figure in this tragedy, beyond the obvious link to theater?
Dionysus embodies the paradox of civilization and wilderness, the boundary between human and divine, and the performative nature of how cultures understand power and gender. He is both a god of wine and a god of theatre, whose epiphany on stage reveals how performance can destabilize social norms.
Episode 5: Antigone
Q: What is the most powerful part of your Antigone production and what was the hardest part to work on?
The most powerful aspect was the staging that culminates in a communal, performative act (crowd reaction and movement) that amplifies the play's political message; the hardest part was achieving a balance between honoring the original while preventing a simplistic hero/villain reading, so audiences can decide the ethical stance themselves.
Episode 6: Medea
Q: But what for you is really important in Medea? What is it about? What are some of its central themes or questions?
The essence lies in revenge interwoven with identity, where Medea's status as outsider complicates traditional gender roles and exposes how society constructs 'the other.' The play challenges audiences to consider whether justice and empathy can coexist when a mother's love collides with extreme action, while also highlighting how performance, language, and cultural context shape our interpretation of her character.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Ancient Greece Today

What is Ancient Greece Today about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A scholarly-leaning show that brings together academics and artists to explore ancient Greek tragedy, its historical context, and its reinterpretation in contemporary performance and culture. Across episodes, conversations traverse Medea, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Prometheus, and the Oresteia, with attention to staging, gender, politics, and reception history, including modern adaptations and cross-cultural productions. The format pairs rigorous philology with insightful practitioner perspectives, yielding a rich mix of theoretical analysis, performance critique, and real-world impact through theatre and education. A notable strength is the consistent pairing of deep scholarly context with contemporary relevance, making classical material... more

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Ancient Greece Today launched 2 months ago and published 9 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Ancient Greece Today?

Recent guests on Ancient Greece Today include:

1. Ferdia Lennon
2. Rosanna Bruno
3. Ella Haselswerdt
4. Lucy Jackson
5. Monica Youn
6. Al Duncan
7. Rhodessa Jones
8. Andrés Carrete

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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