In this episode we consider the complex history of the Homeric epic poem, the Iliad. Who was Homer? When did he live? Did he exist? Were oral poets able to tell such a long story (it takes about a day to narrate the whole)? Was writing necessary for such a tight and coherent structure? After giving an account what the ancient Greeks thought (who did not agree), we trace the different ways that modern scholars have analyzed the text and offer a modern theory of its evolution.

In this episode we treat the hero's life outside the Iliad, his unusual conception, his parents, and his time under the tutelage of the Centaur Cheiron.

In this episode, we explore emetthe importance of metis ("cunning intelligence") in the Greek world by focusing on the lesser-known figure of Palamedes, who uses his mind to bring benifits to humankind. By contrast Odysseus, Palamedes' foil, uses his cunning for self-benefit and revenge.

In this episode we cover the mustering of the forces at Aulis, Agamemnon’s great mistake, and the resulting sacrifice of his daughter Iphigenia.

In this episode, we focus on the judgment of the goddesses, the event that helped precipitate the Trojan War. We cover the story as a whole, when elements were added, and consider some funny takes by ancient authors.

We dive into the fascinating character Alexander, also known as Paris. After an, um, interesting youth, he judged the goddesses, was reunited with his parents, seduced the Greek Helen, fought in the Trojan War and (somehow) killed the great Greek hero Achilles before himself falling to Philoctetes.

In this episode, we take a look at Trojan Myth from the earliest figures in the area, the local Teucros and the immigrant Dardanos, all the way to Priam's children, Hector and Paris. Along the way, we learn just how good looking a group the Trojans are.

In this episode, we tackle the figure of Helen, daughter of Leda and Zeus, who causes the Trojan War because of her infidelity.

In this episode, we treat the family history of Agamemnon, the chief commander of the Greeks at Troy, and his brother Menelaus, who married Helen. We also treat other mythical figures who are punished with enternal punishmets, Ixion and Sisyphus.

In this episode, we give an overview of the Trojan War and its importance in ancient Greek culture. We cover the ancient sources, the epic cycle, the importance of Homer, the *first* sack of Troy by Heracles (and the Trojan king Laomedon), and the first failed attempt of the Greeks to even find Troy and their eventual discovery of a guide to lead them to the actual location of the city. It was one very messed up war.