SPOOKY RE-AIR: The Lycanthropic Tale of Lycaon & Other Ghosts & Werewolves

This episode originally aired in October 2020, but it's good enough to play again! It's officially Spooky Season! Ancient werewolves, ghosts, and haunted houses... AVAILABLE NOW! The Odyssey: a Modern Retelling. https://geni.us/TheOdysseyBook Submit your question for the next Q&A via email http://mythsbaby.com/questions or a voice note https://www.speakpipe.com/LTAMB. Get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbaby http://patreon.com/mythsbaby. Enter ourhttps://www.mythsbaby.com/contactpodcast guest https://www.mythsbaby.com/contact form if you'd like to be on the show as a conversation guest! CW/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: Theoi: https://www.theoi.com/Heros/Lykaon.html; Ovid's Metamorphoses translated by Allen Mandelbaum; Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden. Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here:http://mythsbaby.com/sources-attributionsmythsbaby.com/sources-attributions http://mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions. Learn more about Liv's next group trips https://travelbugxlivalbert.my.canva.site/ to GREECE! Application deadline is November 30 (Subject to change due to demand). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Liv Albert?

  Hey nerds, really quick note from me. I want to tell you that we now have the applications open for the next set of listener group trips. This is us going back to the original, the trips that we have held in the past that have been so much fun, so successful, and pretty affordable in terms of wandering around Greece with a bunch of nerds. So check out the details and get your applications in at mythsbaby.com/grouptrip.

• 0:43Speaker 01

  As a fitness coach, my active psoriatic arthritis can slow me down. With Sky Rizy, Rizin Kizumab RZA, I'm treating my skin and joint symptoms so I can keep moving. Sky Rizy, a prescription-only injection for adults, helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. And for those who have plaque psoriasis, 90% clearer skin as possible. With Sky Rizy, there's no daily dosing. It's just four doses a year after two starter doses.

• 1:09Speaker 02

  Don't use if allergic to Sky Rizy. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight that may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines.

• 1:21Speaker 01

  Thanks to Sky Rizy, there's nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything.

• 1:31Speaker 01

  Ask your doctor about Sky Rizy. Visit skyrizy.com or call 1-866-SKY RIZY to learn more.

• 1:41Speaker 03

  Hi, it's Danny Pellegrino from Everything Iconic. Twelve celebrities, one Don, and cold, hard cash. From the producers of The Traitors comes The Mob, a new Hulu original series. The iconic Parker Posey hosts this unique reality competition show where 12 celebrity contestants shake down in an Italian villa to win a share of up to $250,000. Watch the new Hulu original series, The Mob, premiering October 26 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

• 2:21Liv Albert?

  Hello and happy spooky season. This is Let's Talk About Myths, baby, and I'm your host, Liv, a woman who absa fucking lutely loves spooky season. What's that? A whole month where I can feel truly fulfilled by eating and drinking apple cinnamon-based things, burning candles, and watching scary movies and TV? What a dream. So who would I be if I didn't try to tell you as many spooky ancient stories as I can during this time? Of course, I've done this every year now, so I admit I'm running out of stories. I can't promise every episode of this month will have spooky themes, but I will do my best. Plus, who didn't need another break from the Aeneid? A quick warning about today's

• 3:04Liv Albert?

  episode. Like far, far too many of my stories, it does feature sexual assault. Obviously, I don't go into any details, but it is focused on characters that are much more human and normal than the usual, making it a bit more uncomfortable and potentially more triggering. If you're concerned, I will add a warning before that story to remind you. Some spooky Patreon news, too. This month, as a thank you to those who have supported me via Patreon up until now, and anyone who decides to support me there going forward, I will be releasing at least one episode where I read a spooky short story to you, because, well, I stumbled upon a short story by Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, in which he wrote a scary story

• 3:48Liv Albert?

  based in part on Orpheus and Eurydice. It's called The Castle of the King. I just recorded it, and it was incredible, fun, crazy, spooky, and weird, and, oh my gosh, I really enjoyed recording it. So patrons, stay tuned for that. And that's all in addition to the God of the Month episode that'll begin in October this month, as well as the series I'm recording with Jen and Jenny of Ancient History Fangirl, where we talk movies and TV, and also tell each other drunken myths. What a time we've had so far. So much Patreon content coming at you. So thank you all. What a thrill. I get to do this for you full-time without the stress of my job. It hasn't totally sunk in yet. I've only had a couple of days of

• 4:32Liv Albert?

  freedom, but, ugh, is it exciting going forward? So much new stuff. But that's enough of that. It's spooky season, dammit.

• 4:43Liv Albert?

  This is episode 94, The Lycanthropic Tale of Lycaon and Other Ghosts and Werewolves.

• 4:54Liv Albert?

  In the very, very early days of the ancient Greek world, or should I say, the mythological ancient Greek world, there was a king in Arcadia named Lycaon. He's in the early days, we know, because he was a contemporary of Noah before Noah, the ancient Greek mythological character Deucalion, who, along with his wife Pyrrha, survived one of the many great deluges that happened across the ancient Mediterranean world in mythology. The Egyptians, and I think the Mesopotamians, too, have a flood story. There was almost certainly a real and major flood in the region, given how many stories tell of it. But this isn't the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha and the great deluge. It's the story of one of the very

• 5:39Liv Albert?

  first werewolves, if not the official first. Lycaon, like I said, was a king of Arcadia, and he had 50 sons. Yes, 50, all from a number of wives, too. Seems like he was a real family man. According to some versions, Lycaon is also the father of Callisto, the woman Zeus assaulted, who was eventually transformed into a bear and placed in the stars. I've told her a story before. Lycaon, like so many stupid Greek mythological men before him, was a really proud man. He considered himself above the gods. Oh, how many of ancient

• 6:19Liv Albert?

  Greece's most violent and gory stories begin just like this. How did they not learn from those who came before them? Lycaon didn't learn, though, because there were none before him. He was the first to test the gods' patience in this way. According to Ovid's telling of the story and others, too, Lycaon was so early in the world of Greek mythology that he was part of the early ages of humanity, ages that described certain types of humans that lived on the earth, who often had to be taken out for their crimes, their actions, their general inability to worship the gods in the way they're supposed to, hence the

• 7:00Liv Albert?

  deluge. But first, Lycaon. Zeus was so troubled by this early age of humanity that he headed down from Mount Olympus to the earth to see for himself, to see whether they were as bad as he'd heard. Were they all so proud, so full of hubris? Were they all just lost causes, not people who could be helped with their sins? Eventually, in his travels through this age of humans, Zeus arrived in Arcadia, where he found the king Lycaon. Along the way, though, Zeus found that the people were just as bad as he expected, or as he feared.

• 7:40Liv Albert?

  As Ovid tells the story in Metamorphoses, he describes Zeus telling the same story to the other Olympians. Zeus tells the Olympians that what he saw down on earth was so bad, he won't even bother to tell them about it. "There was just so much sacrilege," he tells the Olympians. "But nothing compared to his arrival in Arcadia, at the home of Lycaon, who Zeus describes as a tyrant in his uninviting home."

• 8:11Liv Albert?

  "It was evening when he reached Arcadia," he tells the others, "and night was about to fall. He told the Arcadians that he was a god, or he made it known to them in some way, and so they worshipped him in response. Lycaon saw this and laughed at the Arcadian people, heckled them for their worship of the god. He thought it was nonsense, pointless. He certainly wouldn't join in on the worship. He would only mock it. But the mocking only lasted so long. Lycaon instead let his pride, his overall shit personality, take control of his plans. He would test the god, test Zeus himself. Lycaon sought to test Zeus

• 8:52Liv Albert?

  in his godliness. Just how divine was this man, he thought. Was he entirely infallible, or did he have some humanity, deep, deep down?" Oh, how many stories do we have of humans testing the gods? They always go about it the same way, and it always has horrific results. But again, Lycaon was the first. He started this. Shall we call it a trend? Of testing the gods with a feast.

• 9:38Liv Albert?

  Who exactly it was that Lycaon kills, cut up, and attempted to serve as dinner to Zeus varies between versions of this tale. Did he kill a hostage he had from whatever recent war or battle might have taken place? According to Ovid, it was a hostage sent to him by the Melosians. Or was it his own son, a boy named Niktimos? Or perhaps his grandson, Arches, the son of Callisto and Zeus? Whoever it was that Lycaon killed for his plan to test the god Zeus, he did it mercilessly before cutting the poor man into pieces and roasting him in the fire and finally, serving him on a platter to Zeus, who was at Lycaon’s table for dinner as a guest.

• 10:22Liv Albert?

  Zeus was not about to fall for this horrific trap. The instant the plate has been set down before him, Zeus leapt to his feet and raised his arm high in the air. A lightning bolt appears in his hand and he aimed it. In a split second, the entire palace of Lycaon was burnt to the ground. Nothing left but smoldering rubble and smoke.

• 10:45Liv Albert?

  Lycaon, though, wasn’t the target of the lightning bolt. He ran as Zeus destroyed everything he had. He ran and ran until he reached some nearby fields.

• 10:57Liv Albert?

  There, in the fields, panting and out of breath, Lycaon found himself howling. He tried to stop himself, to form words instead, but he couldn’t. It was only more frantic howling that erupted from within him no matter how hard he tried. Furious, Lycaon’s howls transformed as he began to foam at the mouth and growl as the transformation was complete. Fur had grown over his whole body, his limbs transformed, he’d grown pointy, furry ears and fell to walk on four legs. Lycaon, because of his attempt to test Zeus, a stupid mistake, was transformed into one

• 11:41Liv Albert?

  of, if not the first, werewolf. His personality remained unchanged. Lycaon was just as horrible and violent as a wolf than he was as a human, though his anger transferred to the local sheep rather than the humans or even the gods. He was not any wolf, though. His fur was gray, just as his hair had been when he was a human, and his eyes remained the same. They still had their human quality, their fierce gaze. Lycaon was, again, possibly, the first instance of a werewolf in the world’s mythologies. According to some, there’s a werewolf first in the Epic of Gilgamesh, where there’s a reference to a former lover having been transformed into a wolf.

• 12:24Liv Albert?

  But Lycaon is certainly the most obvious example, a detailed example of a horrible man transformed into a wolf where he continues to terrorize the region. Lycaon is also where we get the word lycanthrope, literally, a werewolf.

• 12:45Liv Albert?

  This episode is brought to you by Quince. You know the drill. Quince makes elevated, everyday essentials using premium materials like Mongolian cashmere, organic cotton, and premium stretch denim. I have been speaking into a microphone about Quince for a while now, and I have no complaints. I have a bunch of their stuff. I’ve got a couple cute sweaters that, I mean, it’s nearing sweater season, so those will be back in the rotation anytime now. And I have this leather bag that I absolutely love. It’s like this braided leather, and I use it like basically every day. Because that’s the thing, they have really great basics.

• 13:29Liv Albert?

  Like, they have really great things that you can wear with so many other things. Just the options are endless. And as the weather gets colder, like all the sweaters in my closet, Quince has everything you need to round out your wardrobe, from warm, responsibly sourced down jackets and cozy cashmere scarves and gloves, to beautiful 14-karat gold jewelry that adds the perfect finishing touch. And of course, everything at Quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen, so you’re paying for quality, not brand markup. And if we haven’t learned anything in the last 10 years, isn’t it just getting rid of the middlemen, you know? Making things more affordable?

• 14:11Liv Albert?

  So find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was me. Let’s talk about myths, baby. It’s the best way to support the show.

• 14:37Speaker 04

  I’ve got big news. I switched to Verizon and got the new iPhone 18 Pro. Shh. I can keep my old phone. And I also get the latest iPhone every year. Shh. Anything else? Verizon let me choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on them. Everybody, listen up! Shh. Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone 18 Pro now. No trade in needed. And the latest iPhone every year with Simplicity Plan. Plus, choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on us. Simplicity Plan with Simplicity Pro required. Plan and device payment purchase are separate agreements with separate terms. Service plan for watch or iPad required. Additional terms apply for all offers.

• 15:10Speaker 01

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• 15:36Speaker 02

  Don’t use if allergic to Sky Rizy. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight that may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about any flulike symptoms or vaccines.

• 15:48Speaker 01

  Thanks to Sky Rizy, there’s nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything.

• 15:58Speaker 01

  Ask your doctor about Sky Rizy. Visit skyrizy.com or call 1-866-SKYRIZY to learn more.

• 16:17Liv Albert?

  Lycaon may be the first reference to a werewolf in Greek mythology, but he wasn’t the last. Patrons will remember last October when I released an episode of Ghost and Werewolf Stories, but there are more than that. The Ancient Greeks didn’t necessarily have werewolves as we do now with the full moon and such. It was more so the general and often temporary transformation that makes these people werewolves. Stories of these transformations come in many forms. Herodotus, the so-called father of history, the Ancient Greek who traveled the Mediterranean world documenting the people he met, their customs and beliefs, and who often shouldn’t be believed at all, documented a group of people we might now call werewolves.

• 17:01Liv Albert?

  Herodotus tells of the people called the Nuri. He learned about them from the Scythians and Greeks living in Scythia, who explained to Herodotus that every year, every one of the Nuri people would transform into wolves for just a few days before transforming back. Herodotus doesn’t have much more to say about this, except that he says he doesn’t actually believe this about the Nuri people, but that the Greeks and the Scythians who told him about it definitely believed what they said.

• 17:30Liv Albert?

  Many of the stories from Ancient Greece and Rome about what we might now call werewolves are also linked to what we would consider generally ghosts. While ghosts rarely come up in the mythology of the Greeks, they were certainly something many Ancient Greeks believed in, believed they’d seen or heard about from others. According to the wildly fascinating and helpful sourcebook Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden, most of the stories of ghosts from the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds fell into a number of categories of death. Categories that are So, so similar to how we understand the concept of ghosts today.

• 18:12Liv Albert?

  Whether you believe in them or not, the explanation of how they might come to be is fairly universal. There are the Oroy, people dead before their time. Obviously, this applies to a hell of a lot of people. Basically, if you didn't just die of old age, you could, in theory, come back as this type of ghost. It seems, though, these were typically depicted as ghosts of children or babies. Agamoy died before they could be married. Hmm. Men could fall into this category too, but it didn't matter much for them. Women, of course, who died before they were married, essentially didn't leave out any purpose to their lives, no matter how long they lived. They didn't get married and therefore didn't have children. What was even the point? Anyway, it was believed that women were far more haunting in this category. Attefoy were people who died and were not properly buried.

• 18:56Liv Albert?

  This was a huge concern in ancient Greece. Burial was incredibly important, and if you weren't buried, you would have serious trouble in the afterlife. Just think about the number of times I've brought up necessary funereal rites. Those who died and weren't buried with the necessary funereal rites couldn't have peace in death. And it's not just about putting their bodies in a hole. There were rites that must have been performed in order for them to pass into the underworld and successfully reach wherever they were headed there. Where exactly in the underworld the dead went varies depending upon the mythology and the timeframe, but regardless of that, there was no peace without proper burial. And finally, Biothenatoy were those who died by violence.

• 19:39Liv Albert?

  People who died in war or were executed for their crimes. The scariest ones, I would imagine. The dead in this category who were murdered or who died by suicide were, apparently, the most bitter of ghosts. Now, do I have any story examples of this? A couple, they're good ones. The story of Euthymus and the ghost that most certainly falls under this Biothenatoy category comes from Pausanias, the Greek travel writer from the second century A.D. Heads up, this is the story I referenced at the top. It includes sexual assault. It's a bit more troubling than the usual stories of the gods, so trigger warning, though I don't go into any detail. There is one more story after this, so just hit the button a few times until I'm clearly

• 20:24Liv Albert?

  talking about something different. Euthymus was a man who traveled to Italy and Sicily and landed in Temesa, an ancient city on the Tyrrhenian Sea, but the exact location of which is still a bit of a mystery. There, he learns of a story. It's said that when Odysseus and his men were traveling back from Troy on one of their many, many stops along the way, they arrived there in Temesa. One of Odysseus's men got drunk and raped a woman who was, notably, a virgin.

• 21:08Liv Albert?

  For this, he was punished. Shocking, I know. Consequences for one's actions. What a concept. But it was only because she was a virgin, not because she was raped. Anyway, regardless of how shocking it is that a man was actually punished for assaulting a woman, this sailor of Odysseus was indeed punished. He was stoned to death by the locals in Temesa, who were very angry for what he'd done. And I mean, good for them. He was stoned to death and, in death, went on to haunt the absolute fuck out of these poor people. In his ghostly demon state, he was called the Hero.

• 21:52Liv Albert?

  The demon ghost Hero laid waste to Temesa, killing its residents at random and in huge numbers. The haunting of these people got so bad that they thought about leaving Italy entirely. They didn't know what to do. But some brave soul sought the advice of the oracle who told them that they couldn't leave the region and instead must appease the ghost. They were told they must build him a temple and every year give him the best and most beautiful of the city's virgin women. So ruining every piece of goodwill I personally had given to them, they did as the oracle

• 22:33Liv Albert?

  had instructed and built the ghost a temple and gave him their best and most beautiful virgin woman. And for a time, this worked. The ghost was appeased and wasn't killing them all at random all the time. This is when Euthymus comes in. Also, virginity is a shitty construct meant to demonize women who have sex and emphasize their role as straight up property in a patriarchal world. It's bullshit. Euthymus travels to Temesa, where he was told this story of the ghost they now called Hero, who had ravaged the town before being finally placated with a temple and sacrificial virgins. He was told this story in part because it happened to be that the annual offering was

• 23:18Liv Albert?

  being made at that very moment. The poor woman had already been locked inside the temple to be offered to the rapist ghost. Euthymus, whose backstory we don't know, at least from the portion of the story I have access to, was feeling particularly heroic during his time in Temesa. And good for him, they needed it. Euthymus heard this story about the poor woman about to be sacrificed to this truly horrific demonic ghost. He decided to venture into the temple himself to get a better idea of what exactly was going on in that plagued and haunted town. When he got inside the temple, the woman was, quite unsurprisingly, very happy to

• 24:01Liv Albert?

  see him. We're told that, in this happiness and hope to be saved from her fate, she promises that she would marry Euthymus if he saved her from the ghost. Isn't that always the promise? Anyway, there's the ancient patriarchy coming into play again. Can't save a woman from certain death unless she's promised to become your property in return. Regardless of the shitty way in which it comes about, Euthymus does save the woman before she can be sacrificed to the ghost. Or he plans to, when he'd done away with the ghost. He made his preparations and remained in the temple waiting for it to appear. When it does, we're told, with absolutely no details at all, that Euthymus defeats

• 24:44Liv Albert?

  the ghost in a battle. Of course, what I wish we had is an intricate explanation of what the ghost looked like, how terrifying it was, how exactly a man could so easily defeat a ghost in battle. But we have none of that. Euthymus defeated the ghost which fled the temple, fled the city, and eventually dove headfirst into the sea. Euthymus and the woman, we're told, had a very long and happy marriage. That's kinda nice. That, and Temesa was forever free of the horrible ghost. The women, I'm sure, rejoiced. At the very end of this story, Pausanias tells us that after the death of Euthymus,

• 25:27Liv Albert?

  which may have come by some magical means itself or not have come at all, there was a shrine there in the city to him and his accomplishments. But it also included a shrine to the ghost Hero, who was depicted there with a wolf skin or perhaps as a wolf himself. And the shrine had a name inscribed, Lycaus, which means wolfy. So there you have it, a ghost story that is also a werewolf story.

• 25:55Speaker 05

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• 26:56Speaker 01

  As a fitness coach, my active psoriatic arthritis can slow me down. With Sky Rizy, Riz and Kizumab RZA, I'm treating my skin and joint symptoms so I can keep moving. Sky Rizy, a prescription-only injection for adults, helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. And for those who have plaque psoriasis, 90% clearer skin is possible. With Sky Rizy, there's no daily dosing. It's just four doses a year after two starter doses.

• 27:25Speaker 02

  Don't use if allergic to Sky Rizy. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight that may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about any flulike symptoms or vaccines.

• 27:37Speaker 01

  Thanks to Sky Rizy, there's nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything. Ask your doctor about Sky Rizy. Visit skyrizy.com or call 1-866-SKYRIZY to learn more.

• 27:57Speaker 03

  Hi, it's Danny Pellegrino from Everything Iconic. Twelve celebrities, one Don, and cold, hard cash. From the producers of The Traitors comes The Mob, the new Hulu original series. The iconic Parker Posey hosts this unique reality competition show where 12 celebrity contestants shake down in an Italian villa to win a share of up to $250,000. Watch the new Hulu original series, The Mob, premiering October 26th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

• 28:49Liv Albert?

  For our final story today, I'm going to leave you with a haunted house. This one comes from Pliny the Younger, the same man who described the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which killed his uncle dad, Pliny the Elder. So you know, he's famous and maybe we believe him explicitly? Kidding, don't ever do that with ancient sources. Pliny the Younger tells us about a house in Athens, a very large and spacious house. The house, it seems, has a reputation for being, well, what we would call haunted. In my source, it's referred to as, quote, "a bad reputation and pestilential." Pestilence is always a good sign.

• 29:34Liv Albert?

  "The house was notorious. The sound of clanking iron and rattling chains would echo from it during the night. Should you be standing near the house, the sound would seem far away at first, but it would seem to get closer and closer to you before it was as though the source of the sound was next to your own ear. The next instant, the ghost himself would appear. The ghost of this old, large house in Athens was an old man. He was too thin, emaciated with a long, scraggly, white beard. Like any good ghost, it was he who was wearing the very same chains one could hear rattling throughout the house, shackles still locked

• 30:19Liv Albert?

  around his wrists and ankles, though they were attached to nothing and he moved quite freely."

• 30:26Liv Albert?

  "People lived for a time in the house in Athens. It wasn't long before sickness, though, and sometimes even death would follow them for their lack of sleep and the horror they experienced every night. Finally, it became deserted. No one would dare attempt to live there, not with how many people could tell you the ghosts they'd seen and all the terror it induced in everyone. It lay empty for some time."

• 30:54Liv Albert?

  But not everyone who came across the house knew its story. Athenodorus, a philosopher, once arrived in Athens and went in search of a place to live. He found the house and learned how inexpensive it was. Fortunately, he was suspicious and the entire story was told to him. It didn't deter him, though, for whatever reason, curiosity, disbelief? Either way, he took the house and prepared to spend his first night in it. He set out to spend the evening writing. He figured it would keep his mind from the house and so it wouldn't be able to invent any odd sounds or happenings. But even with

• 31:35Liv Albert?

  how occupied he was, the chains started to rattle loudly around him. He covered his ears, still attempting to block it out, but it only grew louder and louder, and finally Athenodorus couldn't avoid the horrible sounds of the ghost's shackles.

• 31:52Liv Albert?

  Athenodorus looked up from his writing and saw him, the ghost, exactly as described. The man stood above him, stringy beard hanging low, his body so thin you could see every vein, every bone. He was horrifying. But it seems Athenodorus couldn't be horrified and he motioned to the ghost to just give him a minute before going back to his writing, ghost still standing close in front of him.

• 32:20Liv Albert?

  Eventually, Athenodorus couldn't avoid the ghost any longer. He rattled his very loud chains just above Athenodorus's head, so he finally gave in, picking up his lamp and following the ghost. He followed the ghost through the house to the inner courtyard where it quite suddenly disappeared. Athenodorus marked the spot. The next morning, he told the city officials about the spot and suggested they dig there. Sure enough, they found the bones of the man who haunted the home, chains and all, shackles still tightly around them. Bundling the bones up, they took them away and buried

• 33:00Liv Albert?

  them correctly, and the ghost never again haunted the oh-so-infamous home in Athens.

• 33:21Liv Albert?

  Oh nerds, thank you all for listening to this inaugural spooky season episode. Werewolves, ghosts, haunted houses. I don't love when I have to tell a bunch of little stories because I feel like they don't, I can't fit them together quite as well as I would like, but I also cannot keep from telling you spooky season stories. So much of this comes from the incredible source book donated to me by a listener last year and I cannot tell you how much I love diving into it this time of year. The fact that there are multiple stories of haunted houses from the ancient world thrills me to no end. It's a long book title, so if you're curious, just check the episode description.

• 34:03Liv Albert?

  And like I've mentioned, I've only just begun my new life of all the time podcaster, so things are moving a little slowly in terms of sorting out scheduling and planning and the like, something I've never been able to do and probably still won't be able to do super well. I do hope to bring you more spooky episodes this month, as many as I can find enough content for. And patrons, stay tuned for the upcoming reading of Bram Stoker's short story, based in part on Orpheus and Eurydice, along with a number of other Patreon exclusive episodes. I'm making it for lost time, I promise. You've been without much in the way of new content for some time and I love you for how patient you've been. Now it will pay off. If you'd like to become a patron, it's just $5 a month for this bonus content with additional tiers of extra goodies if you're so inclined. You can now sign up

• 34:47Liv Albert?

  for an annual membership too, that saves you money. If you can't or don't want to be a patron, know that you're just as important to a listener. I couldn't do it without all of you. Listening for free is awesome and still helps me immensely. You are all the best. Stay tuned for fun, new things, now that I actually have the time to brainstorm and shit. Freedom. Thank you all so fucking much. I am Liv and I love this shit.

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