Pod Insights Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! | Greek Mythology & the Ancient Mediterranean Liv Reads Homer: The Odyssey, Books 1 & 2 (This time, a Modern Translation!) About this episode Liv reads Homer's Odyssey, translated by Ian Johnston. This modern translation is used with immense gratitude to translator Ian Johnston and Vancouver Island University https://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/homer/odysseytofc.html. Submit questions and prompts for future Odyssey readings at mythsbaby.com/questions http://mythsbaby.com/questions and get ad-free episodes and so, so much more, by subscribing to the Oracle Edition at patreon.com/mythsbaby http://patreon.com/mythsbaby
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.
This is not a standard narrative story episode, it's a reading of an ancient source, audiobook style. For regular episodes look for any that don't have "Liv Reads..." in the title!
Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here:mythsbaby.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.
Transcript 15,884 words · 8 speakers
Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Liv 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.
0:42 Speaker 01 Some travelers want the charm of an independent hotel. Others want the confidence of a trusted global brand. With Series by Marriott, you get both. Each property is uniquely connected to its destination, delivering local experiences and memorable stays. While being backed by the quality, reliability, and Marriott Bonvoy benefits travelers know and trust. Experience the destination without the compromise. Series by Marriott is part of Marriott Bonvoy. Book direct at marriott.com or on the Marriott Bonvoy app.
1:14 Speaker 02 Welcome to 215 Maple Drive. We just put this property on the market.
1:20 Speaker 03 Love the crown molding.
1:21 Speaker 02 Oh, wait until you see the walk-in closets and the bathroom tile.
1:25 Speaker 03 Does it have Verizon FiOS? You know, 100% fiber internet.
1:29 Speaker 02 No FiOS, but it looks like it's got cable. Let's check out the kitchen.
1:33 Speaker 03 No FiOS? Yeah, no thank you.
1:36 Speaker 02 Don't you want to see the rest? Okay, bye-bye.
1:39 Speaker 04 Get Verizon FiOS because when you're moving, it's 100% or nothing.
2:10 Liv Albert? Hello, this is Let's Talk About Myths, baby! And I am your host, Liv, here with an exciting, exciting new slash, let's be honest, not quite new, but like it is new, reading series, because we're returning to The Odyssey for so many reasons. I mean, obviously, there's a new movie coming out, and maybe I won't comment on how utterly depressing all of the colors are and completely antithetical to the colorful world that was ancient Greece. But instead of bitching about that, I'm sure that will come later,
2:54 Liv Albert? we're going to return to The Odyssey itself. As all of you know all too well, I have spent the last like six months working on a children's retelling of The Odyssey. I'm so excited about this book. You all know, not a kid person, but like, turns out, writing something like The Odyssey for kids is super fulfilling for me and something I think I can proudly say I'm actually really good at. I am so proud to say that my children's retelling, which will be coming out in June, and I will be announcing pre-orders fairly soon, just waiting to hear back from my publisher. But my children's book is a faithful retelling
3:33 Liv Albert? of The Odyssey. I do not change the timeline, the order of events, the order of narration, which is really important, and I do not exclude any of the violent or horrifying things that Odysseus does to women, and to everyone, I should say, but specifically, the enslaved women at the end, because that is something that I felt so strongly about, and which I am really proud to say, made it into the book.
4:04 Liv Albert? I I'm rambling about my Odyssey now, but what that led me to ask you all is whether or not you would be interested in hearing another reading of the Odyssey and not just like me reading the same version again, thank God, but actually a modern translation that has fairly recently been put out into the public domain with the express purpose of having it be a readable, modern translation that is copyright free. I'm so excited about this translation. And so as soon as like five to 10 of you told me you were interested in hearing another Odyssey, I was immediately preparing when and how that would start.
4:46 Liv Albert? And so here we are. I am going to be rereading you the Odyssey in this next series of reading episodes. I will be interested to hear how often you guys want them. I would like to make sure that we get to the end before the movie comes out. So we'll kind of rush it in that way. But I'm, I want to do this a little bit differently from how I've done other reading episodes too, because in those I typically just read, but I would really like to be more interactive with you all when it comes to this reading. And so if you have questions, comments, thoughts, feelings, ideas that you want me to expand upon as we go through this Odyssey reading, I would really love to hear from you. So if you're
5:29 Liv Albert? listening on Spotify, you can comment. If you are listening elsewhere, you can send a message through our Q and A function. And I would, if I get enough messages, I will really happily be providing these kind of extra, either they'll be bonus or they'll just be longer where I address some of your questions, thoughts, comments about this translation of the Odyssey and the Odyssey in general. I would love it to be as interactive as we can without me having to be on some kind of additional social media platform because I simply can't handle the immediate need for my attention. It makes me anxious as all heck, but I would love to be interacting with you all in that kind of much more.
6:12 Liv Albert? Regulated way, I guess. So I would really love to hear from you all. I would really like to make this a bigger thing as we lead up to the movies released, not least because I am experiencing the world as you all are right now, and I am finding it incredibly hard to write creatively without only sharing the most horrible stories from the ancient world because they are what I feel are most meaningful right now in the world that we're living in. And I'm, I'm just, um, I, I've been very affected by reading through or not even reading. I've not actually read any of it. Thank God. But just experiencing other people who are breaking down the Epstein files and seeing what little screenshots and
6:57 Liv Albert? stuff I've seen. I've, I'm just, I'm struggling. Um, as I know so many of you are now. And so I really want to use this reading as a way for us to not escape, because you all know, I don't do escape from politics, because the entire world and our very existence as people is political. But I would like to have this, this story that we can focus on, particularly as this movie prepares to come out, because I'm going to be honest with you all. I'm pretty sure it's going to be like, high tier Western civilization propaganda at the level we're going now. It looks depressing. It looks, it's just unfortunate, honestly. But I don't really want to just like, drag that down. I want to look at the Odyssey itself.
7:40 Liv Albert? And I want to use this as a way for all of us to build out our knowledge of the Odyssey in advance of that movie. And if that means that I have created like, an army of nerds who can go out and be like, hey, this is why this version is Western propaganda as compared to the actual ancient epic. So that's what I'd love to do right now. That's what I would love to spend the next six months. I mean, we're going to be having other episodes. Don't get me wrong. I'm actually going to be writing a script right after I record this. Um, but again, I have been experiencing the world too much. And so that script is, well, it's going to be political. Surprise, surprise. And so instead, I want to also have these readings where we can go through the epic itself, where I can answer your questions, where I can-
8:22 Liv Albert? And break down some of these things. I'm going to kind of play around with what format that looks like. And I would love to hear from you all whether it works, what does, doesn't work, any of that. And we will still be having conversations. We've got loads recorded, loads planned, and Michaela will still be doing a lot of her historical work as well. So this won't be all of it, but I would like to make this a subsection that we can all kind of just live in right now and which might feel just a little bit less like the world is how it is. And with that out of the way, I'd like to introduce you all to this translation that I found. I actually found this translation years ago in one of my, if you can believe it, many,
9:05 Liv Albert? many, many side quests diving into the Odyssey, its translations, every single thing, because I am just a little bit obsessed. And I found this, this translation, I was really excited about it those years ago. And back then, if I'm not wrong, it was a public domain translation, but it wasn't available for use for commercial purposes or adaptation and all of that. But I was so excited to see it. And mostly, I was so excited because it was like a free online translation. And it is translated by a professor, Ian Johnston. And he works, or worked at the time, at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, British Columbia. And I, I mean, there's a lot of you that don't understand the reckoning of that. It's like two hours from where I grew up. Literally, nobody knows Nanaimo, except for the dessert, which yes, Nanaimo bars are amazing. But there is also
9:49 Liv Albert? university there called Vancouver Island University, University, because it is on Vancouver Island. And pro tip, Vancouver is not on Vancouver Island. That is all to say, this is like so local to me and so nerdy, and it makes me really happy. And it made me utterly, mind-bogglingly thrilled when I next returned to this translation and saw that it was, either I'd misunderstood it before, or it has been changed. But either way, now it is available for adaptation, commercial use, whatever I want. And I'm so excited. So first and foremost, oh, my gosh, thank you to my almost hometown university, Vancouver Island University, and Ian Johnston for this translation.
10:32 Liv Albert? Could not be more thankful. And I think my listeners would agree because the fact that there is a modern translation that will be readable and super understandable for my audience, that I can just read for fun, and that it is translated by not only a Canadian, but by somebody so, so close to my Victorian heart. So just an enormous thank you for this translation. I will link to it in the episode's description. All the attribution possible. This is Ian Johnston's translation from Vancouver Island University.
11:39 Liv Albert? This is a modern translation of Homer's Odyssey, translated by Ian Johnston of Vancouver Island University.
11:52 Liv Albert? Book One: Athena Visits Ithaca.
11:57 Liv Albert? Muse, speak to me now of that resourceful man who wandered far and wide after ravaging the sacred citadel of Troy. He came to see many people's cities where he learned their customs, while on the sea his spirit suffered many torments, as he fought to save his life and lead his comrades home. But though he wanted to, he could not rescue them. They all died from their own stupidity, the fools. They feasted on the cattle of Hyperion, god of the sun, and so he snatched away their chance of getting home someday. So now, daughter of Zeus, tell us his story, starting anywhere you wish.
12:40 Liv Albert? The other warriors, all those who had escaped, being utterly destroyed, were now back safely home, facing no more dangers from battle or the sea. But Odysseus, who longed to get back to his wife and reach his home, was being held in a hollow cave by that mighty nymph, Calypso, noble goddess, who desired to have Odysseus as her husband. But as the seasons came and went, the year arrived in which, according to what gods had once ordained, he was to get back to his home in Ithaca, not that he would be free from troubles even there, among his people. The gods pitied Odysseus, all except Poseidon, who kept up his anger against godlike Odysseus
13:25 Liv Albert? and did not relent until he reached his native land.
13:30 Liv Albert? But at that moment, Poseidon was among the Ethiopians very far away, those same Ethiopians, the most remote of people who live divided in different groups, one where Hyperion goes down, the other where he rises. Poseidon went there to receive a sacrificial offering to him, bulls and rams, and was now sitting at a banquet, enjoying himself. But other gods had gathered in the great hall of Olympian Zeus. Among them all, the father of gods and men was the first to speak. In his heart, he was recalling royal Agisthus, whom Orestes, Agamemnon's celebrated son, had slaughtered. With him in mind, Zeus now addressed them.
14:16 Liv Albert? "It's disgraceful how humans blame the gods. They say their tribulations come from us, when they themselves, through their own foolishness, bring hardships which are not decreed by fate. Now, there's Agisthus, who took for himself the wife of Agamemnon, Atreus's son, and then butchered him, once the man came home. None of that was set by fate. Agisthus knew his acts would bring about his total ruin. We'd sent Hermes earlier to speak to him. The keen-eyed killer of Argus told him not to slay the man, or seduce his wife, for Orestes would avenge his father, once he had grown up and longed for his own land.
14:57 Liv Albert? That's what Hermes said, but his fine warning did not persuade Agisthus in his heart, so he has paid for everything in full."
15:07 Liv Albert? Athena, goddess with the gleaming eyes, answered Zeus. "Son of Cronos and father to us all, you who rule on high, yes, indeed, Agisthus now lies dead, something he well deserved. May any other man who does what he did also be destroyed. But my heart is torn for versatile Odysseus, ill-fated man who has had to suffer such misfortune for so many years, far away from friends. He's on an island surrounded by the sea, the one that forms the ocean's naval stone. And there, in the forests, lives a goddess, daughter of tough-minded Atlas, who knows the ocean depths and by himself
15:51 Liv Albert? holds up those gigantic pillars which separate earth and heaven. That's the one whose daughter prevents the sad, unlucky man from leaving. Her soft, seductive speech keeps tempting him, urging him to forget his native land. Odysseus yearns to see even the smoke rising from Ithaca, and longs for death. Yet despite that, Olympian Zeus, your heart does not respond to him? Did not Odysseus offer you delightful sacrifices on Troy's far-reaching plain beside the ships? If so, why are you so angry with him?" Cloud-gatherer Zeus then answered her and said,
16:32 Liv Albert? "My child, what a speech has passed your barrier of teeth! How could I forget godlike Odysseus, preeminent among all mortal men for his intelligence and offerings to the immortal gods who hold wide heaven? But earth-shaker Poseidon, a stubborn god, is still furious about that cyclops, the one whose eye Odysseus destroyed, godlike Polyphemus, the mightiest of all the cyclops. Thusa bore him, the sea nymph, a daughter of that forkus who commands the restless deep. Poseidon, down in those hollow caves, had sex with her. That's the reason earth-shaker Poseidon makes Odysseus wander from his country. But he has not killed him yet, so come now, let all of us consider his return, so he can journey back
17:17 Liv Albert? to Ithaca. Poseidon's anger will relent, he can't fight the immortal gods all by himself, not with all of us arrayed against him." Athena, goddess with the gleaming eyes, replied, "Son of Cronos and father to us all, ruling high above, if immortal gods now find it pleasing for wise Odysseus to return back home, then let's send Hermes, killer of Argus, as our messenger, over to the island of Ogaia, so he can quickly tell that fair-haired nymph our firm decision, that brave Odysseus will now leave and complete his voyage home. I'll go to Ithaca and urge his son to action and put courage in his heart, so he will call
18:00 Liv Albert? those long-haired Achaeans to assembly, and there address the suitors, who keep on butchering his flocks of sheep and shambling bent-horned cattle. I'll send him on a trip to Sparta and Sandy Pelos to learn about his father's voyage home; he may hear of it somewhere, and to gain a worthy reputation among men." Athena spoke; then she tied those lovely sandals on her feet, the immortal, golden sandals, which carry her as fast as stormy blasts of wind across the ocean seas and endless tracts of land. She took with her that weighty, powerful spear, immense and sturdy with a point of sharpened
18:43 Liv Albert? bronze, with which she conquers ranks of human warriors when they annoy her, daughter of a mighty father. She raced down from the peak of Mount Olympus, sped across to Ithaca, and then just stood there, at Odysseus's outer gate before the palace on the threshold, her hand still gripping the bronze spear in the form of Mentheus, a foreigner, the chief who ruled the Taffians. There she met the suitors, those arrogant men who were enjoying themselves, playing checkers right outside the door, sitting down on hides of cattle they themselves had butchered. Some heralds and attendants were keeping busy, blending fine wine with water in the mixing bowls; some were wiping tables down with porous sponges and setting them in place, while others
19:28 Liv Albert? passed around huge quantities of meat. Godlike Telemachus observed Athena first, well before the others. He was sitting with the suitors, his heart troubled, picturing in his mind how his noble father might get back, then scatter the suitors from his home, win honor for himself, and reassert control of his own household. As he thought about all this, sitting there among the suitors, he saw Athena. At once he hurried over to the outer gate, for in his heart he considered it disgraceful that a stranger should linger at his door for long. He moved up beside Athena, grasped her right hand and took her bronze-tipped spear, then he spoke to her. His words had wings.
20:13 Liv Albert? "Welcome to you, stranger. You must enjoy our hospitality. Then, after you have had some food to eat, you can tell us what you need."
20:23 Liv Albert? After saying this, Telemachus led Athena into his home. She followed. Once they came inside the high-roofed house, he walked to a tall pillar carrying the spear and set it in a finely polished rack, which held many other spears belonging to Odysseus. He brought Athena in and sat her in a chair, a beautifully constructed work. Beneath it, he rolled out a linen mat and then set in place a footstool for her feet. Beside her, he drew up a lovely decorated chair for him to sit in. They were somewhat distant from the other people, in case the noise the suitors made disturbed the guest and made him hate the meal because he had to share the company of overbearing men.
21:04 Liv Albert? Then, too, Telemachus wished to discuss his absent father. A female servant carried in a fine gold jug and poured water out into a silver basin so they could wash their hands. Beside them, she set down a polished table. Then the worthy housekeeper carried in the bread and put it down before them. She laid out a rich selection of fine things to eat, drawing freely on supplies she had in store. A carver sliced up many different cuts of meat and served them. Then he brought out goblets made of gold, as a herald went back and forth serving the wine. Then, one after another, the proud suitors came. They sat down on reclining seats and high-backed chairs, heralds poured water out for them
21:49 Liv Albert? to wash their hands, and women servants piled wicker baskets full of bread, while young lads filled their bowls up to the brim with drink. The suitors reached out with their hands to help themselves to the fine food prepared and placed in front of them. When each and every man had satisfied his need for food and drink, their hearts demanded something more: dancing and song, the finest joys of dinner feasts.
22:16 Liv Albert? A herald gave a splendid lyre to Themys, so he was forced to sing in front of all the suitors. On the strings he plucked the prelude to a lovely song. But then Telemachus, leaning his head over, close to Athena, so no one else could listen, murmured to her: "Dear stranger, my guest, I'll tell you something, please don't get upset. These men here, they spend all their time like this, with songs and music. It's easy for them, because they gorge themself on what belongs to someone else. And with impunity, a man whose white bones may well be lying on the mainland somewhere, rotting in the rain, or in the sea, being tossed around by waves.
22:58 Liv Albert? If they saw him return to Ithaca, they'd all be praying they had swifter feet, rather than more wealth in gold or clothing. But by now some evil fate has killed him, and for us there is no consolation, not even if some earthbound mortal man should say that he will come, the day has passed when he might have got back home. But tell me, and speak candidly, who are your people? Who are you? What city do you come from? What about your parents? What kind of ship did you sail here in? What about the crew? By what route did they come to Ithaca? Who do they say they come from? For I know there's no way you could reach this place on foot. And I also need to understand one point, so tell me the truth. This present visit, is it your first journey here? Or are you a guest friend of my father's? Many men have arrived here in our home as strangers,
23:42 Liv Albert? since he became a roaming wanderer among all sorts of people." Then Athena, goddess with the gleaming eyes, answered Telemachus: "To you I will indeed speak openly. I can tell you that my name is Mentheus, a son of wise Anchelaus, and king of Taffians, who love the oar. I've come, as you surmise, with comrades on a ship sailing across the wind-dark sea to men whose style of speech is very different, on my way to Timesse for copper, and carrying a freight of shining iron. My ship is berthed some distance from the town, close to the fields, in Rhethron's harbor, below Mount Nion's woods."
24:26 Liv Albert? We can both claim that we indeed are guest friends, the two of us, just as our fathers were so long ago. If you want, go up and ask Laertes, that old fighter, who, they say, no longer comes down to the city, but who bears his troubles in fields far from the town. He has with him an old attendant woman who prepares his food and drink once his legs grow weary hobbling up and down his vineyard hills. I've traveled here because some people claim your father has apparently come back, but immortal gods are still preventing him from returning home. For there is no chance that brave Odysseus has been killed somewhere. No, he is still alive, but being detained on an island surrounded by the sea,
25:09 Liv Albert? with wild and hostile men restraining him, holding him back against his will. But now, let me tell you about a prophecy the gods have set right here inside my heart, which I think will come to pass, even though I am no prophet and have no sure skills in reading omens from the birds. I say Odysseus will not stay away much longer from his dear native land, not even if he's chained in iron fetters. He'll devise some way to get back home, for he's a man of infinite resources. But come now, tell me this and speak straight and to the point. Are you, in truth, Odysseus's son?
25:52 Liv Albert? You're tall, your head and handsome eyes look just like his, astonishingly so. We used to spend a lot of time together before he left and sailed away to Troy, where other men, the best of all the Argives, voyaged too, in their hollow ships. But since those days, Odysseus and I have not seen each other. Noble Telemachus then answered her and said, "Stranger, I will speak quite frankly to you. My mother says I am Odysseus's son. I can't myself confirm that, for no man has ever yet been sure about his parents. I wish I'd been the son of some man blessed to reach old age among his own possessions. For now, and I say this because you asked,
26:35 Liv Albert? I'm the son of a man who is, they say, of all mortal men, the most unfortunate."
26:43 Liv Albert? Goddess Athena, with the gleaming eyes, answered him, "Well then, at least the gods have given you a family which, in days to come, will have a glorious name, since Penelope has given birth to such a noble son. But come, speak openly and tell me this: what is this feast? Who are these crowds of men? Why do you need this? Is it a wedding, or a drinking party? It seems clear enough, there is no meal where each man brings his share. And I can see that people here are acting in an insulting, overbearing way while dining in your home? Looking at them and their disgraceful conduct, any man who mingled with them, if he had good sense, would lose his temper." Noble Telemachus then said to Athena, in reply,
27:27 Liv Albert? "Stranger, since you've questioned me about the matter, I'll tell you. Our house was once well on its way to being rich and famous. At that time, Odysseus was alive among his people. But now the gods, with their malicious plans, have changed all of that completely. They make sure Odysseus stays where nobody can see him. Gods have not dealt with other men this way. I would not show such grief if he were dead, not if he'd fallen among his comrades in the land of Troy, or if he'd perish in his friends' arms once the war was over. Then the Achaeans would have all put up a tomb for him, and he'd have won great fame in future days. So would his son, as well. But as things stand, some spirit of
28:07 Liv Albert? the storm has snatched him off and left no trace. He's gone, somewhere people can't see or hear him, abandoning me to tears and sorrow. But it's not him alone who makes me sad and cry out in distress, for now the gods have brought me more intolerable grief. All the best young men who rule the islands, Delikium, and wooded Zikindis and Sami, as well as those who lord it here in rocky Ithaca, they are all now wooing my mother and ravaging my house. She won't turn down a marriage she detests, but can't bring herself to make the final choice. Meanwhile, these men are feasting on my home, and soon will be the death of me, as well."
28:51 Liv Albert? This made Pallas Athena angry. She said to him, "It's bad Odysseus is still wandering when you need him here so much. He could lay his hands on these disrespectful suitors. I wish he'd come home now and make a stand right at the outer gate with his helmet on, two spears and his own shield. The sort of man he was when I first saw him in our house, drinking and enjoying himself. At that time, he was returning from the home of Ilus, the son of Marmurus from Ephery. Odysseus had gone there in his fast ship, seeking a man-killing poison, something he could smear over his bronze arrow points. However, Ilus did not give him any, for he revered the gods who live forever.
29:33 Liv Albert? But my father gave him some. His heart felt very strong affection for Odysseus. How I wish Odysseus from way back then could now return and mingle with the suitors. They'd all come to a speedy end and find their courtship painful. But all these matters lie in the laps of gods. He may return and take out his revenge in his own hall, or he may not. But I'd encourage you to think of ways to force these suitors out, to rid your halls of them. So hear me out. Listen now to what I'm going to tell you. Tomorrow you must summon the Achaeans to an assembly and address them all, appealing to the gods as witnesses. Tell the suitors to go back to their
30:13 Liv Albert? homes. As for your mother, if her heart is set on getting married, then let her return to where her father lives, for he's a man of great capabilities and power. He'll arrange the marriage and arrange the wedding gifts, as many befit a well-loved daughter. Now, as for yourself, if you'll listen, I have some wise advice. Get yourself a crew of twenty rowers, and the best boat you possess. Then, leave here, set off in search of news about your father, who's been gone so long. Some living mortal, perhaps, can tell you something, or you may hear a voice from Zeus, which often brings men news. Sail first to Pelos, speak to noble Nestor. After you've been there, proceed to Sparta and fair-haired Menelaus,
30:56 Liv Albert? the last one of all the bronze-clad Achaeans to get home." If you hear reports your father is alive and coming home, you could hang on a year, still wasting his resources. But if you hear that he is dead and gone, then come back home to your dear native land, build him a tomb, and carry out as many funeral rites as are appropriate. Give your mother over to a husband. When you've done that and brought these matters to a close, then think, deep in your mind and heart, how you might kill these suitors in your home, either openly or by some trick. You must not keep acting like a child. You're now too old for that. Have you not heard how excellent Orestes
31:37 Liv Albert? won fame among all men when he cut down his father's murderer, Sly Agistes, because he had killed his famous father? You are fine and strong, I say, and you too should be brave, so people born in future years will say good things of you. I must go now. Down to my swift ship and to my comrades. I suspect they're getting quite impatient waiting for me. Make sure you act with care and think about what I've been telling you. Prudent Telemachus then answered her: Stranger, you've been speaking to me as a friend, thinking as a father would for his own son, and what you've said I never will forget. But come now, though you're eager to be off, stay here awhile. Once you've enjoyed a bath
32:18 Liv Albert? and your fond heart is fully satisfied, go back with joyful spirits to your ship, carrying with you an expensive gift, something truly beautiful, which will be my gift to you, an heirloom of the sort dear guest friends give to those who are their friends. Goddess Athena with the gleaming eyes then said: Since I'm eager to depart, don't keep me a moment longer, and whatever gift your heart suggests you give me as a friend, present it to me when I come back here. Pick me something truly beautiful. It will earn you something worthy in return.
32:52 Liv Albert? This said, Athena with the gleaming eyes departed, flying off like some wild sea bird. In his heart, she put courage and strength. She made him recall his father more keenly than before. In his mind, Telemachus could picture her. A sense of wonder filled his heart. He believed she was a god. So he moved away, and then the noble youth mingled with the suitors. The famous minstrel Themius was performing, as they sat in silence, listening. He was singing of the return of the Achaeans, that bitter trip Athena forced on them when they sailed home from Troy.
33:44 Liv 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.
34:26 Liv Albert? Because that's the thing, they have really great basics. 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. 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?
35:11 Liv 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.
35:36 Speaker 05 ActiveCampaign is the marketing automation platform built for big swings and big dreams. Generate ideas in seconds, import your brand, and create full campaigns with simple prompts. Get started for free at activecampaign.com.
35:51 Speaker 01 Some travelers want the charm of an independent hotel. Others want the confidence of a trusted global brand. With Series by Marriott, you get both. Each property is uniquely connected to its destination, delivering local experiences and memorable stays while being backed by the quality, reliability, and Marriott Bonvoy benefits travelers know and trust. Experience the destination without the compromise. Series by Marriott is part of Marriott Bonvoy. Book direct at marriott.com or on the Marriott Bonvoy app.
36:39 Liv Albert? Hey nerds. Back in the story, but not back in the reading. I thought I might bookend the ad breaks in these episodes with a bit of commentary. If you all are enjoying that, so we're going to test it out and let me know what you think. Because one of the things that I've never really figured out in these reading episodes is kind of how to explain things or break them down without kind of like breaking the reading in an awkward spot and then figuring out a way to get back into it. But it's something I thought about a lot and I thought maybe this is the place to do it. So this could be where I'm answering questions you all have if you're sending them in to me. If not, I think I'll just kind of drop some context for anyone who
37:21 Liv Albert? might need it because I think that's extra helpful. One of the things that's really interesting in this initial section is that
37:30 Liv Albert? Penelope appears to kind of sort of be in charge of her own decisions, right? This goes back to something I've been talking about in some conversation episodes and elsewhere, which is this theory, and I'm gonna forget whose theory I should be attributing it to. So apologies, it's not mine, but it's this theory that maybe these elements like Penelope needing to choose a suitor, meanwhile, while King Laertes, we heard through Athena and Telemachus, King Laertes, or rather not king, just Laertes, Odysseus's father, he's like living out on a vineyard, even though he's old and arthritic and like can't do anything.
38:10 Liv Albert? He is not a king. He is not predict or he's not depicted as like a royal at all, which is really interesting and kind of lends itself to this theory that Penelope gets to choose, that the kingship of Ithaca passes through the queen. So maybe the queen is not the main ruler, but she is the one who determines the king. And that's really interesting. And it of course is then re enforced in the Helen story, which isn't included in the epics itself, but which is generally understood not if not explicitly that the kingship of Sparta is passed down through Helen because Menelaus
38:54 Liv Albert? is not originally from Sparta. He's originally Mycenian and along with Agamemnon. Agamemnon takes over king of Mycenae, but Menelaus becomes king of Sparta when he marries Helen. And so we get these examples of this like really kind of questionable hierarchy and like how it is passed down and who gets to pass it down. And some additional context, maybe the first few books, I think it's the first four, but we'll see when we get to it. Um, the first few books of the Odyssey are often called the Telemachy because they are the story of Telemachus. And we get this kind of little odyssey of Telemachus before we then meet Odysseus and hear about his whole odyssey. So it's generally
39:39 Liv Albert? Just really interesting that this entire epic poem opens with a bit of Odysseus. Sure, but then we go straight to Ithaca where we only hear about his family for like three to four books. And it's just generally really interesting. Some people have theories that it was like added at a different time or whatever. I just think it's an interesting way of looking at the kind of the shared stories, I guess, across the whole Mediterranean and the ways everyone interacted with each other. We get a lot more interesting context about like life in a kingdom through these scenes with Telemachus and Penelope. Telemachus is a whiny little bitch a lot of the time, but he's at least entertaining.
40:23 Liv Albert? And it's just kind of fascinating to see how everyone interacts. And before I jump right back into the story, just in case anyone needs this kind of reminder, remember, we will almost never hear the word Greek used in something like this. Of course, it's translation specific, so I don't want to say it won't ever appear. But what we get instead are primarily these other names for what we understand as the ancient Greek people, right? So we have the Achaeans. Now, Achaea is like a very specific place in the southern part of Greece, in the Peloponnese, but it does, because of this more ancient time period, kind of the Bronze Age of it all, without being the explicit Bronze Age,
41:04 Liv Albert? we generally refer to the group as the Achaeans. Now, I think that might be kind of always south of the Peloponnese, sort of, but generally that's the Achaeans. There's also times when they are called the Danaians, and that is because there's some connection with Danai, who is a founding kind of member of the Argalid area, which is like a portion of the Peloponnesian peninsula. So we'll get words like Danaians and Achaeans. They both mean the Greek side of the war.
41:51 Liv Albert? In her upper room, the daughter of Icarus, wise Penelope, heard the man's inspired song. She came down the towering staircase from her room, but not alone. Two female servants followed her. When beautiful Penelope reached the suitors, she stayed beside the doorpost in the well-built room, a small, bright veil across her face. On either side, her two attendants waited. With tears streaming down, Penelope addressed the famous singer. "Famius, you know all sorts of other ways to charm an audience, actions of gods and men which singers celebrate. As you sit here, sing one of those while these men drink their
42:33 Liv Albert? wine in silence. Don't keep up that painful song which always breaks the heart here in my chest. For more than anyone, I am weighed down with ceaseless grief which I cannot forget. I remember always with such yearning my husband's face, a man whose fame has spread far and wide through Greece and central Argos." Sensible Telemachus answered her and said, "Mother, why begrudge the faithful singer delighting us in any way his mind may prompt him? One cannot blame the singers. It seems to me it's Zeus's fault. He hands to toiling
43:15 Liv Albert? men, each and every one of them, whatever he desires. There's nothing wrong with this man singing of the evil fate of the Danians, for men praise the most song which they have heard most recently. Your heart and spirit should accept his song. For Odysseus was not the only man at Troy who lost his chance to see the day he would come back. Many warriors were killed. Go up to your rooms and keep busy there with your own work, the spindle and the loom. Tell your servants to perform their duties. Talking is men's concern." "Yes, every man's, but especially mine, since in this house, I'm the one in charge."
43:54 Liv Albert? Astonished at his speech, Penelope went back up to her own chambers, keeping her son's prudent words lodged in her heart. With her attendant women, she climbed up the stairs, went straight to her rooms, and there wept for Odysseus, her dear husband, until gleaming-eyed Athena cast sweet sleep upon her eyelids. In the shadowy halls, the suitors then started to create an uproar, each man shouting out his hope to lie beside her. Then shrewd Telemachus began his speech to them. "You, suitors of my mother, who display such insolent arrogance, let us, for now, enjoy our banquet, but no more shouting,
44:39 Liv Albert? for it's grand to listen to a singer as fine as this one; his voice is like a god's. But in the morning, let us all assemble, sit down for a meeting so I can speak, and tell you firmly to depart my home. Prepare your feasts elsewhere, ones that eat up your own possessions, moving house to house. If you think it's better, and would prefer, that one man's livelihood should be consumed without paying anything, I'll call on the immortal gods to see if mighty Zeus will bring about an act of retribution. And if you are destroyed inside my home, you will not be avenged." Telemachus finished. They all bit their lips, astonished he had spoken out so boldly.
45:21 Liv Albert? Then Antinous, son of Epethes, answered him. "Telemachus, the gods themselves, it seems, are teaching you to be a braggart and give rash speeches. I do hope that Zeus, son of Cronos, does not make you king of this island, Ithaca, even though it is your father's legacy to you."
45:44 Liv Albert? Shrewd Telemachus then answered him and said, "Antinous, will you be angry with me if I say something? I would be happy to accept that if Zeus gave it to me. Are you maintaining that becoming king is the very worst of trials for mortal men? No, to be king is not something evil. One's family gets rich immediately, and one receives more honors for oneself. But there are other kings of the Achaeans, many of them here in sea-girt Ithaca, young and old, one of whom could well be king since Lord Odysseus is now dead. But I will rule our home and servants battle spoils which noble Lord Odysseus won for me."
46:27 Liv Albert? Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, replied, "Telemachus, these matters lie in the gods' laps. Which of the Achaeans will rule Ithaca? But you can keep all your possessions for yourself as king in your own home. Let no man come with force and seize your property against your will. No, not while men still live in Ithaca. But I would like to ask you, my good man, about that stranger. Where does he come from? From what country does he claim to be? Where are his family, his paternal lands? Does he bring news of your father's coming? Or is he here pursuing his own business? He jumped up so fast and left so quickly. He did not stay to let himself get known. And yet, to look at him, he did not seem a worthless man."
47:11 Liv Albert? Prudent Telemachus then answered him and said, "Eurymachus, my father's journey back to Ithaca is no doubt done for. I no longer trust in messages, no matter what the source, nor do I care for any prophecy my mother picks up from those soothsayers she summons to these halls. That foreigner is a guest friend of my father's. He says that he's from Taphos. His name is Mentheus, son of Wise and Chaelus. He rules as king over ore-loving Taffians."
47:40 Liv Albert? He said this, but in his heart, Telemachus had recognized the immortal goddess. At that point, the suitors switched to dancing and to singing beautiful songs. They entertained themselves until dark evening fell. Then each one of them retired to his own house to sleep.
47:59 Liv Albert? Telemachus moved up to where his room was built, high in the splendid courtyard, with a spacious view, his mind much preoccupied on his way to bed. Accompanying him, quick-minded Euriclia held two flaming torches. She was Ops's daughter, son of Pisenor. Some years ago, Laertes had purchased her with his own wealth. At the time, she was in her early youth, paying twenty oxen. In his home, he respected her the way he did his noble wife, but not once did he have sex with her, because he wanted to avoid annoying his wife. She was now carrying two blazing torches for him. Of all the female household slaves, she was the one who loved him most, for she had nursed
48:44 Liv Albert? him as a child. He opened the doors of the well-constructed room, sat down on the bed, and pulled off his soft tunic, gave it to the wise old woman, who smoothed it out and folded it, then hung the tunic on a peg beside the corded bedstead. Then she left the room, closing the door by pulling its silver handle. She pulled the bolt across using its leather thong. Telemachus lay there all night long, warmly wrapped in sheep's wool, his mind reflecting on the journey which Athena had earlier proposed to him.
49:29 Liv Albert? Book Two Telemachus prepares for his voyage
49:35 Liv Albert? As soon as rose-fingered early dawn appeared, Odysseus's dear son jumped out of bed and dressed. He laced up his lovely sandals on his shining feet, and carried a sharp sword hanging from his shoulders. Then he left his room, his face resembling a god's. At once, he asked the loud-voiced heralds to summon all the long-haired Acadians to an assembly. They issued the call, and the Acadians answered, gathering quickly. When the assembly had convened, Telemachus moved directly to the meeting, gripping a bronze-tipped spear. He was not by himself; two swift-footed hunting dogs accompanied him. Athena cast over him a god-like poise.
50:18 Liv Albert? All the people were astonished at his presence, as he entered and sat down in his father's chair, while the senior men gave way. Among those present, heroic Agypteus was the first to speak, an old man stooped with age but infinitely wise. His son, warrior Antiphus, had sailed to Troy, that horse-rich city, along with Lord Odysseus in their hollow ships. But in his cave, the cyclops, after killing him, had made him his final meal. Agypteus had three other sons; one of them, Eurynumus, was with the suitors. The other two were always working in their father's fields. But still, Agypteus could not forget the son who died.
51:00 Liv Albert? And now, still racked with grief and mourning, he shed tears as he addressed them. "You men of Ithaca, pay attention to what I have to say. We have not held a general meeting or assembly since the day Odysseus sailed from here in his hollow ships. What man has made us gather now? What's his reason? Is he a younger or a senior man? Has he heard some news about the army and will give us details of its journey home, now that he has heard the news himself? Or is it some other public business he will bring up and talk to us about? He has my blessing. I pray that Zeus fulfills whatever he has in his heart and makes his wishes work out for the best." Agypteus spoke.
51:40 Liv Albert? Odysseus's dear son rejoiced at such auspicious words, but he did not sit long, for he was very keen to speak. So he stood up in the midst of the assembly, and Pisenor, a herald who could offer shrewd advice, handed him the scepter. Then, Telemachus began to speak, talking to Agypteus first of all. "Old man, the one who called the people to this meeting is not far off, as you will quickly learn." "I did, for I'm a man who suffers more than other men. But I have no reports of our returning army, no details; I've just heard myself to pass on to you, nor is there any other public business I will mention or discuss. The issue now is my own need, for on my household here troubles have fallen in a double sense.
52:24 Liv Albert? First, my noble fathers perished, the man who was once your king and my kind father. And then there's an even greater problem, which will quickly and completely shatter this entire household and my whole livelihood will be destroyed." These suitors, the dear sons of those men here with most nobility, are pestering my mother against her will. They don't want to journey to her father, Acharius, in his home, where he himself could arrange a bride price for his daughter and give her to the man he feels he likes, the one who pleases him the most. Instead, they hang around our house, day after day, butchering oxen, well-fed goats and sheep. They keep on feasting, drinking gleaming wine without restraint, and they consume so much.
53:07 Liv Albert? There's no man to guard our home from ruin, as Odysseus did before, and I cannot act the way he used to and avert disaster. If I tried, I would be hopeless, a man who had not learned what courage is. And yet, if I had power, I would defend myself, because we can't endure what's happening. My home is being demolished in a way that is not right. You men should be ashamed. You should honor other men, your neighbors, who live close by, and you should be afraid of anger from the gods, in case their rage at your impiety turns them against you. I beg you by Olympian Zeus and Themis, who summons and disperses men's assemblies, restrain yourselves, my friends.
53:47 Liv Albert? Leave me alone to suffer my own bitter grief, unless Odysseus, my noble father, for spite has hurt well-armed Achaeans, and so now, in recompense for this, you angry gods are harming me by urging these men on. For me, it would be better if you gods ate up my landed property and flocks. If gods were the ones feasting here, then soon there might be compensation. All the time they were doing that, we'd walk up and down throughout this city, asking for our goods to be returned, until the day each piece was given back, but now you load my heart with pain beyond all hope.
54:29 Liv Albert? Telemachus spoke, then in his anger he threw the scepter on the ground and burst out crying. Everyone there pitied him, so all the other men kept silent, unwilling to give an angry answer to Telemachus. Antinous was the only one to speak. He said, "Telemachus, you boaster! Your spirit is too unrestrained. How you carry on trying to shame us since you so desire the blame should rest on us. But in your case, Akkian suitors aren't the guilty ones. Your own dear mother is, who understands how to use deceit. It's been three years now, and soon it will be four, since she began to deceive the hearts in our Akkian chests.
55:12 Liv Albert? She gives hope to each of us, makes promises to everyone, and sends out messages. But her intent is different. In her mind, she has thought up another stratagem. She had a large loom set up in her rooms and started weaving something very big, with thread that was quite thin. She said to us, "Young men, those of you who are my suitors, since Odysseus is dead, you must wait, although you are all keen for me to marry till I complete this cloak, for if I don't, my weaving would be wasted and in vain. It is a shroud for warrior laertes for the day a lethal fate will strike him. Then, none of the Akkian women here will be annoyed with me because a man who acquired
55:56 Liv Albert? so many rich possessions would lie without a shroud." That's what she said, and our proud hearts agreed. And so each day she wove at her great loom, but every night she set up torches and pulled the work apart. Three years she fooled Akkians with this trick. They trusted her, but as the seasons passed, the fourth year came, then one of her women, who knew all the details, spoke about them, and we caught her undoing her lovely work. So then we forced her to complete the cloak against her will. The suitors now say this, "So you, deep in your heart, will understand, and all Akkian women will believe in you."
56:38 Liv Albert? No. Send your mother back. Tell her she must marry whichever man her father tells her and who pleases her. But if she keeps on doing this for long, teasing Akhenan's sons because in her heart she knows that she's been given by Athena more than any other woman, a skill in making lovely things, a noble heart, and a cunning of a sort we never hear of in any fair-haired woman of Akaea, even the ones who lived so long ago like Tiro, Elkmene, and Mykene, the woman who wore the lovely headband, not one of them had shrewdness which could match Penelope's. Yet, in one thing at least, her scheme did not go well. Your livelihood and your possessions will keep vanishing as long as in her mind
57:21 Liv Albert? she follows plans that the gods have now put in her heart. And so, while she is gaining a fine reputation, you're sad about so much lost sustenance. But, we are not returning to our lands, or someplace else, not until she marries an Akian man of her own choosing. Prudent Telemachus then answered him and said, "Antinous, there's no way I will dismiss out of this house against her will the one who bore and nursed me. As for my father, he's in a distant land, alive or dead. It would be hard for me to compensate Icarus with as a suitable amount as I would have to do if I sent her back. If I did not pay
58:04 Liv Albert? him, then her father would treat me badly and some deity would send other troubles, since my mother, as she left this house, would call upon the dreaded Furies. Men would blame me, too. That's why I'll never issue such an order. And if your heart is angry about this, then leave my home, go have your feasts elsewhere. Eat up your own possessions, changing home one by one. If you think it's better, more in your interests, that one man's goods should all be consumed without repayment, then use them up. But I will call upon immortal gods to ask if somehow Zeus will give me retribution. Then you'll die here in my house and never be avenged."
58:46 Liv Albert? Telemachus spoke. Then, from a mountain peak, far-seeing Zeus replied by sending out two eagles flying high up in the sky. For some time they soared like gusts of wind, with their wings spread out side by side. But when they reached the middle of the crowded meeting, suddenly they beat their wings and wheeled around, swooping down on everyone, destruction in their eyes. Then with their talons they attacked each other, clawing head and neck, and flew off on the right past people's homes across the town. They were amazed to see both birds with their own eyes. In their hearts they were stirred up to think how everything would end.
59:29 Liv Albert? Then old warrior Halathursus, master's son, addressed them. He surpassed all men of his own time in knowledge about birds and making prophecies of what fate had in store. With their common good in mind, he spoke up. "Listen to me, men of Ithaca, hear what I say. In what I'm going to speak, I'm talking to the suitors most of all. A mighty ruin is rolling over them, for Odysseus will not be away for long. From his friends, in my view, even now, he's nearby, planning a disastrous fate for all the suitors. And he'll be a scourge to many others in sun-filled Ithaca. Long before that, we should be considering how to stop this, or rather, these suitors
1:00:14 Liv Albert? should end it by themselves. That would achieve what's best for them, and do so right away. For I am not unskilled in prophecy, I understand things well. To Odysseus I say that everything is turning out just as I told him. Back when Achaeans, with resourceful Odysseus in their ranks, were sailing off to Troy, I prophesied he'd suffer many troubles and would lose all of his shipmates before returning home in twenty years, unknown to anyone. Now, everything I said is coming true."
1:00:51 Liv Albert? Then Eurymicus, Polypus's son, spoke out. "Old man, you should go home and prophesy to your own children so that something bad does not happen to them later. In these things, I can foretell events better than you can. There are lots of birds flying here and there beneath the sunshine, and not all of them are omens of disaster. Odysseus has perished far away, and how I wish you had died there with him. For if you had, you would not utter prophecies like these, or be encouraging Telemachus when he's enraged, in hopes you'll get a gift, some present he might give you for your house. But I tell you this, and it will happen. You may know many things an old man knows, so if your words deceive a younger man, made him grow enraged, then,
1:01:36 Liv Albert? first of all, he'll be much worse off. And with these men here, we'll not have the slightest power to act. And on you, old man, we'll lay a penalty that will pain your heart to pay. Your sorrow will be difficult to bear. But now here, among you all, I will provide Telemachus advice. He must command his mother to return home to her father. They will prepare a wedding, offering as many lovely presents as befit a well-loved daughter. Before that happens, I do not think Achaeus' sons will end their unwelcome wooing, for there's no one we're afraid of yet, not Telemachus, for all his wordiness. Nor do we care about a prophecy which you, old man, may spout, for it won't come to fruition, and people will despise
1:02:21 Liv Albert? you all the more. And his possessions will be eaten up in this shameful way. There will never be compensation given, so long as she keeps putting off Achaeans in this marriage. Because she's so desirable, we wait here, day after day, as rivals, and don't seek different women, any of whom might be suitable for us to marry."
1:02:45 Liv Albert? Shrewd Telemachus then said in reply, Eurymachus, all your other noble suitors, no longer will I make requests of you or speak of it, for gods and all Achaeans understand. Just give me a swift ship and twenty men, so I can make a journey and return to various places, to Sandy Pelos, then to Sparta, to see if I can find some news about my father's voyage home. He's been gone so long, if any mortal man can tell me. Or I'll hear Zeus's voice, perhaps, which commonly provides men information. If I hear my father is still living and returning home, I could hold out here for one more year, although it's hard for me. If I learn he's dead and gone, I'll come back to my dear native land, build him a tomb, and there perform as many
1:03:30 Liv Albert? funeral rites as are appropriate. And after that, I will agree, she must choose a husband.
1:03:38 Liv Albert? Telemachus said this, then sat down. Next, Mentor, who had been noble Odysseus's companion, stood up among them. When he'd sailed off in his ships, Odysseus had made Mentor steward of his household, charging them to follow what the old man ordered, and telling Mentor to keep all property secure. Keeping in mind their common good, he spoke to them. Men of Ithaca, listen now to me. Here are the things I have to say. From now on, let no king ever be considerate, or kind, or gentle. Let him in his heart ignore what is right, act with cruelty, and strive for evil. For nobody here, none of those whom divine Odysseus
1:04:20 Liv Albert? ruled, remembers him. Yet in his role as father, he was compassionate. Not that I object to these proud suitors and the violent acts which they, with their malicious minds, commit, for they are putting their own heads at risk when they use force to drain Odysseus's home of its resources and claim he won't return. But at this point, it's the other people I am angry with. You who sit in silence and don't say anything to criticize or make the suitors stop, even though their numbers are much smaller than your own.
1:04:52 Liv Albert? Leocritus, son of Eunor, spoke in reply. Mentor, you're making mischief now. Your wits have wandered off. What are you suggesting, urging men to stop us? It would be hard to fight against those who outnumber you and about a feast. Even if Odysseus, king of Ithaca, were to come in person, eager in his heart to drive out of his halls these noble suitors eating up his home, his wife would not rejoice at his arrival, although she yearned for him. For if he fought against so many men, then he would meet a shameful death right there. What you've just said is quite irrelevant. So come on now, you people should disperse, each one of you returning to his home, and Telemachus, well, Mentor and Halitherses,
1:05:34 Liv Albert? comrades of his ancestral house from years ago, will speed him on his way. But still, I think he'll be sitting here a long time yet, collecting his reports in Ithaca. He's never going to undertake that trip.
1:05:49 Liv Albert? Leocritus spoke, and the meeting soon dissolved. The men dispersed, each one going to his own house. The suitors went inside godlike Odysseus's home.
1:06:16 Speaker 01 Some travelers want the charm of an independent hotel. Others want the confidence of a trusted global brand. With Series by Marriott, you get both. Each property is uniquely connected to its destination, delivering local experiences and memorable stays, while being backed by the quality, reliability, and Marriott Bonvoy benefits travelers know and trust. Experience the destination without the compromise. Series by Marriott is part of Marriott Bonvoy. Book direct at Marriott.com or on the Marriott Bonvoy app.
1:06:48 Speaker 02 Welcome to 215 Maple Drive. We just put this property on the market.
1:06:53 Speaker 03 Love the crown molding.
1:06:55 Speaker 02 Oh, wait until you see the walk-in closets and the bathroom tile.
1:06:59 Speaker 03 Does it have Verizon FiOS? You know, 100% fiber internet.
1:07:03 Speaker 02 No FiOS, but it looks like it's got cable. Let's check out the kitchen.
1:07:06 Speaker 03 No FiOS? Yeah, no, thank you.
1:07:09 Speaker 02 Don't you want to see the rest? Okay, bye-bye.
1:07:12 Speaker 04 Get Verizon FiOS, because when you're moving, it's 100% or nothing.
1:07:17 Speaker 06 Network freedom and flexibility. That's what you want in a healthcare plan. With a Humana Medicare Advantage PPO plan, you can see any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare, including specialists. No referrals, no kidding. Learn more at gethumana.com. See any doctor who accepts Medicare and is willing to bill Humana. Humana PPOs may not be available in all areas. Benefits and costs share may vary. Humana is a Medicare Advantage PPO organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal.
1:08:04 Liv Albert? Okay, I'm here with another quick context break, guys. We're gonna see how this works. It's kind of fun so far. I'm loving this translation. It's so readable. It's so much easier for me to understand, like, the inflections quickly as I'm reading them. And like, I'm having fun. I am having fun, so I really hope you are too. This is like, this is a very, very readable translation. But I thought I would pause right here as a good kind of time to come in and kind of just point out a couple of things, particularly as these things have like come up in my kids' book. And I thought maybe you all would like an explanation too. So one thing that can be a little confusing and like, it is excessive,
1:08:45 Liv Albert? is that Athena disguises herself as two men with very similar names. So at the very beginning, when she first comes in to talk to Telemachus, you know, when all of the suitors are there and feasting and everything, then she is a man named Mentis. And now Mentis... Uh, Telemachus doesn't really know. She has this story like, oh, I knew your dad, but I'm like far off, right? And then later, when we get these suitors collecting and Telemachus stomping his foot and bursting into tears and like, I shit on Telemachus. The suitors are also awful, but Telemachus is just like, did you hear what he said to his mother? Did you hear it?
1:09:24 Liv Albert? Anyway, I don't take him seriously because of that shit he says to his mom and thus I give him a whiny little bitch voice. But also, he's like, supposed to be like 19, like he is, and his daddy has been gone his whole life. Like, Michaela can tell you so much more because she has so many feels on Telemachus, but like, he's, he's a little bitch. He's a little bitch. And I'm gonna give him that voice. Um, but I think a really important thing in understanding all of this, and particularly in this scene where we get Halitherses, the prophet, um, you know, he, he sees these birds and he's like, this is what is happening. And this is gonna happen a lot. We have a lot of bird-related omens in The Odyssey, like bam bam, like constant, honestly.
1:10:06 Liv Albert? Um, and, and in this case, it's really, it's meant to be very, um, what is it? Like dramatic irony, I guess. It's really meant to have that dramatic irony. One thing we always want to remember when we're learning stories like this and reading books like this is that the original audience, like, almost certainly would have known what's going to happen. And that makes it much more enjoyable when you're reading these kinds of foreshadowing, right? Like, you're getting this moment where this prophet is foretelling bam bam bam, like literally point by point, exactly what is going to happen, right? Odyssey's just gonna come home, he's gonna
1:10:48 Liv Albert? kill everybody, it's going to be a bloodbath. And this prophet is telling the suitors exactly what is going to happen to them. And they're like, ha, ha, ha, like, not every bird is a sign from the gods, right? And we are meant to understand how ironic that is, like, what is coming for the suitors, what kind of violence is in store for them. We're meant to see that coming and to understand the extra level of-
1:11:16 Liv Albert? I mean, there's an extra level of like, you know, um, demonization, I guess, of the suitors, but also it's like, oh, they're kind of supposed to be not dumb, but like so arrogant that they are going to ignore all of the signs being smashed in their faces that like, they should probably leave if they don't want to die. They're going to ignore all of that because they're so arrogant, right? And it's just so interesting. It's also so interesting to see these elements of Penelope, like Telemachus. Telemachus is not, he doesn't want to like, send his mother away back to her father who will like, pick a husband for her or whatever. He doesn't want to do that. Not because, you know, it would be like a violation of his mother's
1:11:58 Liv Albert? free will. No, he doesn't want to do that because she would send the Furies against him. And that's meant to have like, I think that's meant to have an added layer of potential violence, drama, everything, because one of the things you'll also notice if you've been listening to me long enough, is the talk in book one about Orestes, right? The son of Agamemnon. Because as we are meant to know as listeners, so maybe I should remind you upfront, I'll do it right now. You know, I'll take any excuse to talk about that family. But we are also, the audience of this epic is also expected to know what happened to Agamemnon, right?
1:12:39 Liv Albert? We get these like, little details peppered throughout. And so, a, a modern reader with no context might not know, but it adds so much when you have the knowledge of the ancient reader. And of course, again, as I have covered a thousand times, because I fucking love how cursed this family is, Agamemnon was killed by Agisthus and Clytemnestra. Agisthus was his cousin, um, who is the son of Thyestes. Now Thyestes had two other children, which were killed and fed to Thyestes by Agamemnon's father, Atrius. Now that's one of the reasons Agisthus is mad. Also, there are some sources where Agisthus is like imprisoned by Agamemnon and then he leaves.
1:13:24 Liv Albert? And so it's like, I mean, I don't know, you kind of asked for this, like, your wife is fucking pissed at you. Oh, the other added thing, if anyone forgot, is that Clytemnestra is pissed at him, at her husband Agamemnon, because when he left for war with Troy, he did it by sacrificing their daughter, Iphigenia.
1:13:42 Liv Albert? Um, under the pretense, like he told her and Clytemnestra that Iphigenia was going to marry Achilles, AKA like she's be, she's like basically gonna marry like the prince of Greece, like the highest tier Greek guy. And they're like, yeah, you're gonna come here and marry him. And then instead of that, they kill her. And so Clytemnestra, she's got a bone to pick with Agamemnon. She's got his like arch enemy foe cousin Agisstus like in her household while her husband is gone for 10 years after killing their daughter. And then when Agamemnon comes home, they kill him, right? Rolling out the red carpet. That is literally where the phrase comes from because that's what they did when he came home, shook it out for him and then stabbed him in the back with an axe. And then Orestes later, the son of Agamemnon, who was just a baby when he left for war.
1:14:27 Liv Albert? So Orestes is meant very specifically to be like the same age group as Telemachus. Like he and Telemachus are mirrors, right? Like they both had their dads go off for war when they were very young and never really got to know them. But when Orestes dad came back, he got murdered by his wife and cousin. And then Orestes later comes back from, he's been living elsewhere. He comes back, he kills Agisstus and Clytemnestra. And so we have that comparison, right? Telemachus is slowly, he's gonna hear about it more and more, but the audience is meant to know that's what happened, right? And so we are meant to see Orestes as this like this redeeming force, but simultaneously to bring back the Furies. And then I will get back to the reading, I promise.
1:15:11 Liv Albert? Simultaneously in so many sources, though it is tough to say whether they are like pre or post Homeric. But in so many sources, um, Orestes is after killing Clytemnestra and Agisstus. He is pursued very famously by the Furies. Because if you anger a parent or worse, and more oftenly, if you kill your parent, you will have retribution come at you from the Furies. That's how it works. And so that is what Telemachus is more worried about, right? He's more worried about that. And that's why this repeated use of Orestes is meant to give him this kind of like push, this bravery to do something so that he doesn't end up like that.
1:15:55 Liv Albert? And again, I'm, I really, I want to do these like extra kind of contextual bits. So until I have some kind of guidance from you all, I'll just kind of, I'm going to kind of do it mid of each book, try to break it with an ad and then give you all of this context as an added piece and we're going to go back. But as you all send me questions, comments, concerns, whatever, I would really like to be addressing them kind of in here. And if we get enough, I'll do like bonus, whatever. This is, it's really fun. I needed this. I hope you all needed this. So, um, back to it.
1:16:37 Liv Albert? Telemachus walked away along the ocean shore. There, once he'd washed his hands in gray salt water, to Athena, he addressed his prayer. "Oh, hear me, you who yesterday visited my home as a god and ordered me to set off in a swift ship across the murky seas, to learn about my father's voyage back after being away so long. All of this, Akaians are preventing, most of all, the suitors with their evil arrogance." As he said this prayer, Athena appeared to him, looking and sounding just like Mentor. She spoke out, her words had wings. "Telemachus, in future days, you will not be worthless or a stupid man if you have
1:17:22 Liv Albert? in you now something of your father's noble spirit. He's the sort of man who, in word and deed, saw things to their conclusion. So for you, this trip will not be in vain or pointless. If you're not sprung from Penelope and him, then I have no hope that you'll accomplish what you desire to do. It's true, few men are like their fathers. Most of them are worse." Only very few of them are better, but in future, you'll not be unworthy or a fool, for you do not completely lack Odysseus's wisdom. So, there is hope he will fulfill your mission. Set aside what idiotic suitors have advised. They lack all judgment, all sense of justice, for they do not think of death, the dark fate encircling them, when
1:18:07 Liv Albert? in a single day, they will all perish. You must not delay that trip you wish to make. I am a friend of your ancestral home, so much so that I will furnish a fast ship for you and come in person with you. Now you must go home, mingle with the suitors, collect provisions, and put everything in some containers. Wine in jars and barley, which strengthens men, in thick leather sacks. I'll go through the town and quickly round up a group of comrades, all volunteers. In Seagirt Ithaca, I'll choose from the many ships, new and old, the finest one for you, and when that ship has been made ready and is fit to sail, we'll launch it out into the wine dark sea.
1:18:48 Liv Albert? Athena, Zeus's daughter, ended her advice. Telemachus did not remain there very long. Once he had heard what the goddess said, he set off towards his home, a weight upon his heart, and there he found the arrogant suitors in the palace. All through the courtyard, skinning goats and singeing pigs, Antinous came up laughing at Telemachus. He grabbed his hand and spoke to him. "Telemachus, you're such a braggart, an untamed spirit. You should never allow that heart of yours to harbor any further nasty words, or actions. I think you should eat and drink, just as you did before. Akaeans here will certainly see to it that you acquire all the things you need. Some handpick oarsmen and a ship, so you can
1:19:33 Liv Albert? quickly travel to Sacred Pelos in search of some report about your noble father."
1:19:40 Liv Albert? Prudent Telemachus then answered him and said, "Antinous, it's quite impossible for me to eat and stay quiet in your high-handed group, or enjoy myself with my mind at ease. It's not sufficient that in days past, when I was so much younger, you suitors consumed so much of my fine property. But now I've grown up, and teach myself by listening to others, and my spirit gets stronger here inside me, I will try to counteract the wicked fate you bring, either by going to Pelos, or else here, in this community. For I will set out, and the voyage which I have talked about will not be useless, even though I sail as a passenger and not the master of the ship or oarsman. It seems to me you think this will benefit the suitors."
1:20:25 Liv Albert? Telemachus spoke and casually pulled his hand away from Antinous's grasp. Meanwhile, the suitors, preoccupied with feasting in the house, mocked him and kept up their abusive insults. One of them, some haughty, over-proud young man, would speak like this: "It seems Telemachus really does intend to murder us. He'll bring men to help him back from Sandy Pelos or from Sparta. That's how fearsome his resolution is. Or else he wants to head off to Ephery, that rich land, so he can bring back from there some lethal medicines, and then mix them all in the wine-bowl, and thus destroy us all." And after that, another proud young man would say,
1:21:08 Liv Albert? "Who knows whether he might destroy himself, once he sets off in that hollow ship, roaming far away from friends, just like Odysseus? If so, he'll provide still more work for us. We'll have to split up everything he owns, and hand this palace over to his mother and the man that she marries." That's how the suitors talked. But Telemachus just walked away, going down to the high-roofed chamber which stored his father's wealth. A wide and spacious place, bronze and gold in stacks, and clothing packed in chests, and stores of fragrant oil. Huge jars of old, sweet wine stood there, each one contained drink fit for gods, none of it yet mixed with wine.
1:21:49 Liv Albert? With water, arranged in rows along the wall in case Odysseus after so many hardships ever reached his home. The close-fitting double doors were securely closed, and day and night a female steward guarded it, protecting everything. The shrewd Eurydice, daughter of Ops, Pisenor's son. Telemachus called her into the storage room, then said, "Old nurse, pour out some sweet wine into jars for me, the very best you've got after the stock you're planning to store here for Odysseus, that ill-fated man, born from Zeus, in case, after evading death and fate, he shows up from somewhere. Fill twelve jars and fit them all with covers. Pour me out some barley grain in well-stitched leather sacks.
1:22:34 Liv Albert? Make sure there are twenty measures of ground-up barley meal, but keep this knowledge to yourself. Just get all these things assembled in the evening. Once my mother goes up into her room to get some sleep, I'll come to collect them. I'm off to Sandypelos and to Sparta, to see if I can get some information about my dear father traveling home, if there is any news I can find out." Telemachus spoke. The dear nurse Eurydice let out a cry and began to weep. Then she spoke, and her words had wings. "Oh, my dear child, how did this thought gain entry to your heart? Where on this earth do you intend to roam, with you an only son and so well-beloved? In some distant land, among strange people, Odysseus, a man born from Zeus has died.
1:23:19 Liv Albert? As soon as you have left here, the suitors will start their schemes to hurt you later on. How can they have you killed by trickery, and then apportion out amongst themselves all your possessions? You must remain here, to guard what's yours. You don't need to suffer what comes from wandering the restless sea." Shrewd Telemachus then answered her, and said, "Be brave, dear nurse, for I have not planned this without help from a god, but you must swear you won't mention this to my dear mother until eleven or twelve days from now, until she misses me or learns I've gone. She must not mar her lovely face with tears."
1:23:56 Liv Albert? Once Telemachus said this, the old woman swore a mighty oath by all the gods she'd tell no one. When she had sworn and the oath had been completed, she went immediately to pour wine into jars and fill the well-stitched leather sacks with barley meal. Telemachus went up into the dining hall, once more mingling in the company of suitors. Then goddess Athena with the glittering eyes thought of something else. Looking like Telemachus, she roamed throughout the city. To every man Athena met, she issued the same instructions, telling them to meet by the fast ship that evening. Next, she found Nomen, fine son of Phronius, for a swift ship and he was happy to oblige. Then the sun went down and all the roads grew dark.
1:24:40 Liv Albert? Athena dragged the fast ship down into the sea and stocked it with supplies, all the materials well-decked boats have stowed on board, and moved the ship to the harbor's outer edge. There they assembled that group of brave companions, and the goddess filled them with new spirit in their hearts. Then Athena, goddess with the gleaming eyes, thought of one more thing. She set off, going to noble Odysseus's home. There she poured sweet drowsiness on all the suitors. She made them wander around as they were drinking, knocking wine cups from their hands. So, once sweet sleep overpowered their eyes, the suitors felt an urge,
1:25:22 Liv Albert? not to say sitting there for any length of time, but to get themselves some rest down in the city. Then, bright-eyed Athena ordered Telemachus to come outside by the entrance to the spacious hall. In her voice and form, she resembled mentor. "Telemachus, your well-armed companions are already sitting beside their oars, waiting for you to launch the expedition. Let's be off, so we don't delay the trip a moment longer." With these words, palace Athena quickly led the way and Telemachus followed in her footsteps. After they'd come down to the sea and had reached the ship, on the shore they came across their long-haired comrades. Telemachus spoke to them with strength and power. "Come, my friends, let's gather our supplies.
1:26:06 Liv Albert? They've already been piled up, all together in the hall. My mother knows nothing of all this, and the women of the household are in the dark, as well. I've mentioned this to only one of them." After saying this, Telemachus led them away and the group then followed. They carried everything to the well-decked ship and stowed it all in place as Odysseus's dear son instructed them to do. Then, with Athena going on board ahead of him, Telemachus climbed in too. She sat in the stern, Telemachus sat right beside her, as the men untied the stern ropes and clamored aboard the ship, each of them moving to a place beside an oar. Bright-eyed Athena arranged a fair breeze for them, a strong west wind blowing across the wine-dark sea.
1:26:50 Liv Albert? Telemachus then called out to his companions to set their hands to the ship's rigging. Once they heard, they went to work raising the mast cut out of fir, setting it in its hollow socket, securing it with forestays, and hoisting the white sail high aloft with twisted oxhide thongs. The belly of the sail filled out with wind and the crew were underway. As the ship sliced through the swell on its way forward, around the bow began the great song of the waves. When they had lashed the rigging on that fast, black ship, they set out bowls of brimful of wine and poured libations to the eternal, ageless gods, and of them all, especially
1:27:34 Liv Albert? to Athena, Zeus's bright-eyed child. Then, all night long and well beyond the sunrise, their ship continued sailing on its journey.
1:28:00 Liv Albert? Oh, that was so much fun. I, that was so much fun. I'm really, really hoping you all enjoy that. Again, I think this is really perfect, a perfect way to remind everyone about the Odyssey with this beautiful translation that is really just, it's so, it's so much more understandable than the Samuel Butler one I read before. And it's way more fun for me and the names are all in Greek rather than the Latin and ugh. Just gosh darn delightful. And so I'm so happy with it. I realized also in my earlier, one of my earlier like little context drops, I only did like half the thing. So I was like, oh, Athena disguises herself as both mentees and mentor. And so we talked about mentees,
1:28:44 Liv Albert? but he's kind of like this stranger. And then mentor is meant to be mentor is this, the guy who Odysseus left in charge of Ithaca when he was gone. Now that's doesn't seem to hold very much weight because this man doesn't really seem to hold any kind of authority in this situation. It is meant to be the real mentor at that group, the when Telemachus brings all the men together, that is meant to be the real mentor who Odysseus left in charge of Ithaca. And you can see how he doesn't seem to hold all that much power. But then when when Telemachus goes down to the sea, that's when Athena appears as mentor, and she will continue to join Telemachus on this journey as this man mentor. So mentees
1:29:27 Liv Albert? is really only at the beginning for that first little introduction. And then mentor is throughout. And yes, this is where we get the word mentor. It's spelled exactly that, which is quite fun. Um, I also ideally, I'm going to do two books every episode. That way we can get it done before the movie comes out, which is going to be really fun. So this is perfect so far. I hope you all have loved it. I would really, really love to hear what kind of context or added details you like. It doesn't have to be section specific. Like if there's just added context, you generally like to hear, that's amazing. Or if there is something you hear in an episode specifically, and you'd like me to talk about it, I would
1:30:11 Liv Albert? be happy to. Basically, any, everything would be delightful. So go to mythsbaby.com/questions and submit anything through there. It's really easy, just like a basic form you can submit. Or if you are listening on Spotify, jump into those comments, because I would love to hear from you in there as well. And I will try to collate between the two places and answer all of your questions as we continue on. So it's going to be another probably a couple of weeks before we do another one of these. We've got some conversations lined up. And I am going to blow off some of the
1:30:46 Liv Albert? Utter horror of the world that I've been experiencing by going to see Florence and the Machine in the UK, which I am so excited about. And if anyone just needs, again, I said this in another episode, so I'm not, I'm not sponsored, that'd be cool. But like, if, um, if you just need some like beautiful female rage music, fuck if Florence and the Machine's new album, Everybody Scream, isn't exactly that. Have you, if anyone needs to hear it, I don't know, there's this, this line that she will be up there with the men and the 10 other women in the 100 greatest records of all time.
1:31:21 Liv Albert? And I, it's so impactful to me that like, the men and the 10 other women in the 100 greatest records of all time.
1:31:32 Liv Albert? Like, we're just not included in anything, ever. And it's getting worse. I used to think it was getting better. And now it's getting worse. And, I mean, that's the least of it. Obviously, I'm a white woman. I am not even remotely the most affected by what is going on right now. But I am also
1:31:53 Liv Albert? just, I just, I don't understand the, I don't understand, I don't understand. I don't, and I think it's, that's what's so hard, right? It's that, like, none of it makes any sense. Racism is illogical. It doesn't make any logical, reasonable sense. And anti-immigration is not logical. It doesn't, doesn't make any logical sense. Like, Western countries made all, we make all of the reasons why immigrants leave their countries. We caused that. Primarily the US, but my country too. We cause it. We, we, in the West, cause all of the problems that force people to leave their homes. And then we
1:32:39 Liv Albert? Villainize them. We villainize them. We, we disrupt their economies. I mean, I'll stop saying we for this because it is primarily the states, but the US overthrows governments. I mean, every horrific thing that's happening in Iran right now is caused by US intervention over decades and decades of the, do you know, all of this started when they had a democratically elected leader who tried to nationalize the oil. Look it up. It, it all started because the US was so afraid of a country in the Middle East owning its own oil and having that oil benefit the Iranian citizens. They were so afraid of that, that they overthrew
1:33:19 Liv Albert? him and caused the Iranian revolution that created the world that now Iranians are fighting against. And I mean, that's the least of it. That's like the one thing on the tip of my tongue. And I, I just, I'm sorry, I, I didn't mean to do this, but I don't know how to think about anything else. And that's why I'm glad to have these episodes, but you're always going to get this rant from me at the end because like, fuck ICE, fuck Donald Trump, fuck MAGA, fuck Project 2025, fuck Project 2026, fuck these racist fucking pieces of xenophobic human fucking garbage. I am so fucking angry and sad and I, the
1:34:00 Liv Albert? Epstein files make me want to hurl every one of these people into the sun. Let's talk about myths, baby. It's written and produced by me, Liv, Albert, Michaela Pankush, the Hermes to my Olympians. Select music by Luke Chaos. The podcast is part of the Memory Collective Podcast Network, which I mean, uh, we need it more than ever, but I also don't know how to like do anything right now. Um, thank you all so much for listening. I now more than ever would really love to hear from all of you that you're still appreciating the show that you want me to keep going on. I know that you do, but like, it's been hard to be.
1:34:47 Liv Albert? Have any of my thoughts be public right now because I feel pressure, but I also feel obligation and I also feel overwhelmed and burnt out and just so sad. It's so sad and it's just so fucked up and it doesn't make any sense. And that's what's hardest for me is it doesn't, it doesn't make any sense. Um, but thank you all so much. The Odyssey is going to get us through, even if it's also full of some shitty men, but it, it has some of the most interesting and most
1:35:21 Liv Albert? powerful, important, realistic, human women in most of Greek myths. So we're gonna have some fun there. Thank you ever so much. I'm going to stop now. I am Liv and I love this shit.
1:35:50 Speaker 01 Some travelers want the charm of an independent hotel. Others want the confidence of a trusted global brand. With Series by Marriott, you get both. Each property is uniquely connected to its destination, delivering local experiences and memorable stays while being backed by the quality, reliability, and Marriott Bonvoy benefits travelers know and trust. Experience the destination without the compromise. Series by Marriott is part of Marriott Bonvoy. Book direct at Marriott.com or on the Marriott Bonvoy app.
1:36:20 Speaker 06 At Humana, our Medicare Advantage plans are easy to understand and easy on your wallet. Like offering more benefits than you'd get from original Medicare alone and including dental, vision, and hearing coverage in every plan. And the best part is every plan has a $0 or low monthly plan premium, which makes it easier to save too. So this Medicare planning season, plan well with Humana. Learn more at gethumana.com. Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO organization with a Medicare contract enrollment. Any Humana plan depends on contract renewal.
1:37:33 Speaker 07 Enemy of My Dreams by Jenny Williamson is a historical romance novel set in the time of the late Roman Empire, where Alaric, a brutal Gothic warlord, and Julia, a Roman princess, with a love of good wine, team up to take down Rome.
1:37:50 Speaker 01 The much awaited sequel, Game of Thieves, comes out December 8. In this sequel, Julia and Alaric must overcome centuries of conflict to work together, or the turbulent riptides of rebellion and the demons of their past will tear them apart.
1:38:04 Speaker 07 And now, for a limited time, when you preorder Game of Thieves through Burning Pages Bookstore, you'll get a signed book plate and a free art print of one of Jenny's favorite spicy scenes from across the series.
1:38:18 Speaker 01 Get this amazing artwork only from Burning Pages at burningpagesnc.com/game-of-thieves. Don't wait. Order your copy from Burning Pages today at burningpagesnc.com/game-of-thieves.
Previous From Mummification to the Building of the Pyramids (Herodotus The Histories Book 2, Part 3) Next RE-AIR: Conversations: But How Many Bears Is It? Sharks, Whales, and Sea Monsters in Greek Mythology w/ Ryan Denson Page updated October 31, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated