Liv Reads Homer: The Odyssey (A Modern Translation!) Books 6 & 7

Liv reads Books and 7 of 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.

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

• 0:00Liv Albert?

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

• 0:43Speaker 01

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

• 1:39Liv Albert?

  Hello, this is Let's Talk About Myths, baby. And I am your host here with more reading of The Odyssey, which I am very excited about despite the fact that I just had to rerecord that because I called it The Iliad first. Brains are fun. No, I'm so excited for The Odyssey. I'm so excited that we have this translation and that everyone is loving it. And I have a few questions from you all to address during the little breaks and they're gonna be great. So we're gonna just dive straight in because I'm excited. And if I let myself ramble too much about the state of the world, then we won't get anywhere. Because everything is terrible.

• 2:19Liv Albert?

  Late-stage capitalism is running real rampant. I don't know. Has anyone set fire to a warehouse lately? Cool. Keep it up.

• 2:30Liv Albert?

  I did it. I still managed it. As usual, a reminder, firstly, we are using the incredible free copyright free translation by Ian Johnston of Vancouver Island University. I will never get over how delightful it is to name Vancouver Island University. A university that I, as someone who lived on Vancouver Island from the age of six until 21, did not know existed until I was at least in my twenties. That's not meant to be an insult. It's just a delightful ode to Nanaimo, famous only for the desserts, but also home of this university that gave us this translation. And so we thank them immensely.

• 3:17Liv Albert?

  Everyone go have a Nanaimo bar in appreciation. They're delightful. And if you didn't know how to pronounce Nanaimo, now you do. It's not Nanimo. And just as another reminder, where we left off, Odysseus, we had finally met Odysseus in this odyssey, because the books one through four are mostly about his kid and often referred to as the Telemachy, if you are interested. But we have finally reached Odysseus and began to get a sense of his story. Of course, he's going to tell us everything that happened in between, because remember, we are finding Odysseus nine years after the end of the Trojan War,

• 4:00Liv Albert?

  after he has already gone through his nine years of suffering, which he will tell us all about. But for now, we are in the present. Odysseus has landed on the island or the land of the Phaeacian people. And with immense help from Athena and the other gods, he definitely couldn't have done it alone.

• 4:49Liv Albert?

  This is Homer's Odyssey, Book Six, translated by Ian Johnston and used with immense thanks to the translator and Vancouver Island University.

• 5:05Liv Albert?

  While much enduring Lord Odysseus rested there, overcome with weariness and sleep, Athena went to the land of the Phaeacians, to their city. Many years ago, these people used to live in wide Hyperia, close to the Cyclops, proud, arrogant creatures and much more powerful, who kept on robbing them. So godlike Nausithos had taken them away and led them off to settle in Skyria, far from any men who have to work to earn their daily bread. He had them build a wall around the city, construct new homes, raise temples to the gods, and portion out the land for farming. But sometime past his fate had struck him: he had gone down to the house of Hades.

• 5:50Liv Albert?

  Now Alcanus ruled, a mortal being infused with wisdom by the gods. Athena, bright-eyed goddess, went to this man's home to arrange a journey back for brave Odysseus. She moved into a wonderfully furnished room where a young girl slept, like an immortal goddess in form and loveliness. She was Nausicaa, daughter of great-hearted Alcanus. Close by her, beside each doorpost, her two servant-women slept, girls whose beauty had been given by the graces. The shimmering doors were closed. Like a gust of wind, Athena slipped over to the young girl's bedside, stood there beside

• 6:33Liv Albert?

  her head, and then spoke to her. Her appearance changed to look like Demas's daughter, a man celebrated for the many ships he owned. His daughter was the same age as Nausicaa, whose heart was well disposed to her. In that disguise, bright-eyed Athena spoke out and said, "Nausicaä, how did your mother bear a girl so careless? Your fine clothes are lying here untended, and soon enough you'll have your wedding day, when you must dress up in expensive robes and give them to your wedding escort too. You know it's things like these that help to make a worthy reputation with our people, and please your honored mother and your father. Come, at daybreak let's wash out the clothing.

• 7:18Liv Albert?

  I'll go as well to help you, so with all speed you can prepare yourself. It won't be long before you too are a married woman. You've already heard men from this land asking for your hand in marriage, the finest in all Phaeacia, from whom you yourself derive your lineage. So come on now, ask your noble father to provide you this morning, early, mules and a wagon, so you can carry the bright coverlets, the robes and sashes. That would be better than going on foot, because the washing tubs stand some distance from the town." With these words, bright-eyed Athena went back to Olympus, where, so men report,

• 7:58Liv Albert?

  "Gods' homes endure forever, undisturbed by winds and never drenched with rain or covered by the snow. Instead, high overhead, the air is always bright. There blessed gods are happy every day." That's where the bright-eyed goddess went, when she had finished speaking to Nausicaä. When rose-colored dawn arrived on her golden throne, and woke fair-robed Nausicaä, she was curious to learn about her dream. So she sped through the house to tell her father and her mother. She found them in the house; her mother was sitting by the hearth with her attendant women, spinning purple yarn. She came across her father, as he was leaving, to meet some prominent kings in an assembly. He had been summoned by Phaeician noblemen.

• 8:44Liv Albert?

  Nausicaä went to stand close by her father, and then spoke to him. "Dear father, can you prepare a high wagon with sturdy wheels for me, so I can carry my fine clothing out and wash it in the river? It's lying here all dirty, and it's appropriate for you to wear fresh garments on your person when you're with our leading men in council. You have five dear sons living in your home; two are married, but three are now young men still unattached, and they require fresh-washed clothing when they go out dancing. All these matters I must think about."

• 9:17Liv Albert?

  Nosaka said this because she felt ashamed to remind her father of her own happy thoughts of getting married. But he understood all that, and answered, saying, "I have no objection, my dear child, to providing mules for you or any other things. Go on your way. Slaves will get a four-wheeled wagon ready with a high box framed on top." Once he'd said this, he called out to his slaves, and they did what he asked. They prepared a smooth-running wagon made for mules, let up the animals, and then yoked them to it. Nosaka brought her fine clothing from her room; she placed it in the polished wagon; her mother loaded on a box with all sorts of tempting food. She put in delicacies, too, and poured some wine into a goat's skin.

• 10:02Liv Albert?

  The girl climbed on the wagon. Her mother also gave her some smooth olive oil in a golden flask, so she and her attendants, when they bathed, could cleanse their skin. Then Nosaka took the bright reins and whip and lashed the mules ahead. With a clatter of hoofs, the mules moved quickly off, carrying clothing and the girl, not by herself, for she took her attendant girls with her as well. When they reached the stream of the fair-flowing river where the washing-tubs were always standing ready, full of fresh water flowing up from the underneath and spilling over, enough to clean one's clothing, even garments really soiled.

• 10:44Liv Albert?

  The girls took the mules out of their wagon harnesses and let them loose along the banks beside the eddying river, to let them graze on clover sweet as honey. The girls gathered the clothing from the wagon, carried it in their arms down to the murky stream, and then trampled it inside the washing trenches, each trying to work more quickly than the others. Once they had washed the clothes and scrubbed off all the stains, they laid the laundry out in rows along the shore, in a place where waves which beat upon the coastline had washed the pebbles clean. When they had bathed themselves and rubbed their bodies well with oil, they ate a meal beside the river-mouth, waiting for the clothes to dry in the sun's warm rays.

• 11:29Liv Albert?

  When they had finished eating, the girl and her attendants threw their headscarves off to play catch with a ball, and white-armed Nausicaä led them in song. Just as when archer Artemis moves across the mountains, along lofty ridges of Erymanthus or Tygetus, full of joy, while she pursues wild boars and swiftly running deer, with nymphs attending on her, daughters of great Zeus who bear the aegis, taking pleasure in the hunt, and Lido's heart is filled with joy, while Artemis stands with her head and eyebrows high above them all, so recognizing her is easy, though all of them are beautiful.

• 12:09Liv Albert?

  That's how that young unmarried girl stood out from her attendants. But when Nausicaä was going to harness up the mules and start to fold the splendid clothes to make the journey homeward, Athena, bright-eyed goddess, thought of something else, so that Odysseus might wake up and then could see the lovely girl who would escort him to the city of Phaeacian men. So when the princess threw the ball to one of those attendants with her, she missed the girl and it landed in the deep and swirling river. They gave a sharp cry, rousing Odysseus from sleep, so he sat upright, thinking in his heart and mind, "Here's trouble! In this country I have reached, what are the people like? Are they violent and untamed, without any sense of justice?

• 12:54Liv Albert?

  Or are they kind to strangers? In their minds do they fear the gods? Some young woman's shouts rang out around me, nymphs who live along the steep mountain peaks and by the river springs and grassy meadows. Could I somehow be near men with human speech? Well, come on, then, I'm going to have to find out for myself." With these words, Odysseus crept out from the thicket. In his strong hands he snapped off from the bushes a leafy branch to hold across him and conceal his naked groin. Then he emerged, moving just like a mountain lion, which relies on its own strength, though hammered by the rain and wind, it creeps ahead, its two eyes burning,

• 13:37Liv Albert?

  coming in among the herd of sheep, or cattle, or else stalking a wild deer. His belly tells him to move in against the flocks, even within a well-built farm. That's how Odysseus was making his way out to face those fair-haired girls, although he was stark naked. He was in distress, but, caked with brine, he was a fearful sight to them, and they ran off in fear and crouched down here and there among the jutting dunes of sand. The only one who did not rush away was Alcarnus's daughter, for Athena had instilled her heart with courage, and taken from her arms and legs all sense of fear. So she stood there facing up to him.

• 14:18Liv Albert?

  Odysseus wondered if it was wise to grasp the lovely girl around her knees and plead his case, or stay away, remaining where he stood, and with reassuring words entreat her to inform him where the city was and provide him with clothing. As he thought about it, it seemed to him a better plan to stand apart and appeal to her with sympathetic speech, in case her heart grew angry when he clasped her knee. So he quickly used his cunning and spoke to her with soothing language. "Oh, divine queen, I come here as a suppliant to you. Are you a goddess or a mortal being? If you're one of the gods who hold wide heaven, I think you most resemble Artemis,

• 15:00Liv Albert?

  daughter of great Zeus, in your loveliness, your stature, and your shape. If you're human, one of those mortals living on the earth, your father and your mother are thrice blessed, and thrice blessed but your brothers too. In their hearts they must glow with pleasure for you always, when they see a child like you moving up into the dance." But the happiest heart, more so than all the rest, belongs to him, who with his wedding gifts will lead you home. These eyes of mine have never gazed upon anyone like you, either man or woman. As I look at you, I am gripped with wonder. In Delos once, I saw something like this, a youthful palm tree sapling, growing up beside

• 15:45Liv Albert?

  Apollo's altar. I'd gone there with many others in my company on a journey where fate had planned for me so many troubles, but when I saw that, my heart looked on a long time quite astonished. I'd never noticed such a lovely tree, springing from the earth. And lady, that's how I am amazed at you, lost in wonder, and am very much afraid to clasp your knee. But great distress has overtaken me. Yesterday, my twentieth day afloat, I escaped the wine-dark sea. Before that, waves and swift driving storm winds carried me from Ogagia Island. And now a god has tossed me onshore here, so that somehow I'll suffer hardships in this place as well.

• 16:30Liv Albert?

  For I don't think my problems will end now. Before that day, there are still many more the gods will bring about, but, divine queen, have pity. You're the one I've approached, after so much grief, and I do not know any people here, none of those who hold the city and its land. Show me the town? Give me some rag to throw around myself, perhaps some wrapping you brought for the clothes when you came here? As for you, may gods grant everything your heart desires, may they give a husband home, in mutual harmony, a noble gift, for there is nothing better or a stronger bond than when man and wife live in a home, sharing each other's thoughts.

• 17:11Liv Albert?

  That brings such pain upon their enemies, and such delight to those who wish them well. They know that too, more so than anyone.

• 17:20Liv Albert?

  White-armed Nausicaa then answered him and said, "Stranger, you don't seem to be a wicked man, or foolish. Olympian Zeus himself gives happiness to bad and worthy men, each one receiving just what Zeus desires. So he has given you your share, I think. Nonetheless, you must still endure your lot. But now you have reached our land and city; you'll not lack clothes or any other thing we owe a hard-pressed suppliant we meet. I'll show you the town, and I'll tell you the name our country bears. The Phaeacians own this city and this land. As for me, I am the daughter of brave Alcanous. Phaeacian power and strength depend upon him."

• 18:03Liv Albert?

  Nausicaa finished speaking, then she called out to her fair-haired attendants, "Stand up, you girls! Have you run off because you've seen a man? Surely you don't think he is our enemy? For there's no man alive or yet to be who will visit this realm of the Phaeacians bringing war, because gods truly love us. And we live far off in the surging sea, the most remote of people. Other men never interact with us. So this man is some poor wanderer who's just come here. We must look after him, for every stranger, every beggar, comes from Zeus, and any gift, even something small, is to be cherished. So, my girls, give this stranger food and drink; then bathe him in the river, in a place which offers him some shelter from the wind." Nausicaa finished.

• 18:48Liv Albert?

  They stood up and called out to one another. They took Odysseus aside to a sheltered spot, following what Nausicaa, the daughter of great-hearted Alcanous, had ordered. They set out clothing for him, a cloak and tunic, and gave him the gold flask full of smooth olive oil. They told him to bathe there in the flowing river. But noble Odysseus said to the attendants, "Would you girls move some distance away, so I can wash salt water from my shoulders by myself, and then rub on olive oil? It's a long time since oil was on my skin. I'll not wash myself in front of you, for it would shame me to stand stark naked in the presence of such fair-haired young girls."

• 19:30Liv Albert?

  Once he said this, the two attendants moved away and spoke to Nausicaä. Then Lord Odysseus washed his body in the stream, rinsing off the salt caked on his broad shoulders and covering his back, and wiping the encrusted brine out of his hair. When he'd washed himself all over and rubbed on oil, he put on clothes the unmarried girl had given him. Then Athena, Zeus's daughter, made him appear taller and more powerful. On his head she curled his hair, it flowed up like a flowering hyacinth. Just as a skillful workman set a layer of gold on top of silver, a craftsman who has been taught various arts by Athena and Hephaestus, and his creations are all truly beautiful.

• 20:14Liv Albert?

  That's how the goddess transformed his head and shoulders. Then Odysseus went to sit some distance off, beside the seashore, glowing with charm and beauty. Nausicaä gazed at him in admiration, then spoke to her fair-haired attendants, saying, "Listen to me, my white-armed followers, I have something to say. This person here has not come among godlike Phaeacians against the will of those immortal gods who hold Olympus. Earlier I thought he was uncouth and rough, but now he seems like the gods who occupy wide heaven. Would a man like that could be my husband, living here, happy to remain? But come, my girls, offer the stranger food and drink." When Nausicaä had spoken,

• 20:59Liv Albert?

  they heard her words and quickly did what they'd been told. They set out food and drank before resourceful Lord Odysseus. He ate and drank voraciously. Much time had passed since he last tasted food. Then white-armed Nausicaä thought of something else. She folded up the clothing, stowed it in the handsome wagon, and harnessed up the team of strong-hooved mules. She climbed up by herself and called out to Odysseus, saying these words to him. Get up now, stranger, and go to the town. I'll show you the way to my wise father's house, where, I assure you, you'll, we'll get to meet all the finest Phaeacians. You seem to me to have good sense, so act as follows: While we are moving through the countryside, past men's farms,

• 21:42Liv Albert?

  Walk fast, with my attendants, behind the mules and wagon. I'll lead the way. Then we'll reach the city. A lofty wall runs round it, and there are lovely harbors on both sides. Each has a narrow entrance, with curving boats drawn up along the road, since each man has a place for his own ship. The ground where we assemble is there, too, around the splendid temple to Poseidon, built with huge stones set deep within the earth. Here the people look after their black ships, busy with the gear, fixing ropes and sails, and shaping tapered oars. The Phaeacians have no use for bows or quivers, but for masts, boat oars, and well-trimmed ships, in which with joy they cross the grey salt sea.

• 22:26Liv Albert?

  Their talk is crude, and that I would avoid, in case someone insults me later. Among the people there are really insolent men, and thus one of the nastier types might well say, if he bumped into us, "Who is that man, following Nausicaä? A stranger? He's tall and handsome, where did she find him? No doubt he'll be her husband. She's brought here some shipwrecked vagrant, a man whose people live far away, for no one dwells near us. Or else he's some god come down from heaven, answering those prayers she's always making. She'll have him as her husband all her days." It's better that way, even if she went and found herself a husband far away, from some other place. She has no respect for those Phaeacians,

• 23:08Liv Albert?

  her own countrymen, the many fine men who'd marry her here. That's what some men would say, and their remarks would injure me. But I would do the same to some other girl who acted like that, who, while her father and mother lived, against their wishes, hung around with men, before the day she married one in public. So stranger, listen now to what I say, with all the speed you can get my father to arrange an escort for your trip home. You'll walk past a fine grove to Athena. It's near the road, a clump of poplar trees. There's a fountain with meadows all around. My father has a fertile vineyard there, some land too, within shouting distance of the town.

• 23:51Liv Albert?

  Sit down there and wait awhile, as we move into the city and reach my father's house. When we've had time enough to get back home, go into the city of the Phaeacians and inquire about my father's house, great-hearted Alcanous, it's easy to pick out, an infant child could lead you to it. For Phaeacian homes are built in a style utterly unlike the palace of heroic Alcanous. Once past the courtyard and inside the house, move through the great hall quickly, till you reach my mother, Arete, seated by the fire against a pillar, spinning purple yarn, a marvelous sight. Servants sit by her, my father's chairs beside the pillar where, like a god, he sits and sips his wine.

• 24:32Liv Albert?

  Move on past him, then with your arms embrace my mother's knees, if you desire to see the joyful day of your return come soon, even though your home is far away. If her heart and mind are well disposed to you, then there is hope you'll see your friends and reach your well-built house and your own native land. Saying this, Nausicaa cracked the shining whip, struck the mules, and quickly left the flowing river. The wagon moved briskly forward at a rapid pace. Using her judgment with the whip, she drove ahead so Odysseus and her servants could keep up on foot. Just at sunset, they reached the celebrated grove sacred to Athena.

• 25:16Liv Albert?

  Lord Odysseus sat down there and quickly made a prayer to great Zeus's daughter. "Hear me, you child of aegis-bearing Zeus, unwearied goddess, listen to me now, for you did not respond to me back then, when I was being beaten down at sea and the great earth-shaker destroyed my raft. Grant that I arrived at the Phaeacians as a friend, someone worthy of their pity."

• 25:41Liv Albert?

  So he prayed there and Pallas Athena heard him, but she did not reveal herself to him directly. She feared her father's brother, who was still angry and would keep raging against godlike Odysseus until he finally reached Ithaca, his home.

• 26:10Liv Albert?

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

• 26:54Liv Albert?

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

• 27:39Liv Albert?

  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.

• 28:02Speaker 02

  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.

• 28:49Liv Albert?

  Wow, actually nerds, that was all of book six. I was, I was expecting it to go much longer. So obviously we're going to read book seven as well. And I'm just going to use this opportunity to answer a couple of questions in between these two books. One of the things that just came sort of really stood out to me just reading through book six is this use of the epithet white armed. It's used to describe Nosaka and then it's also used to describe her like servant girls, right? And it sounds so weird to us today and obviously like has some possibility for problematic. I mean interpretations, I guess. So I just, I mean, obviously it does have, there's, there's so much going on in something like this.

• 29:34Liv Albert?

  But on the base level, when it comes to the understanding of skin color, obviously we always have to remember that like there was no concept of race based on color. Like, you know, I talk about this all the time. There was so much xenophobia. There was definitely like so much, you know, what we would generally associate now with a broad idea of racism. There was that, but it was not based on the color of your skin. That is like such a modern Western invention. That's just based in like inherent nasty superiority, right? Like, and also race science and bullshit like that. But back then, it was more about who you were, where you were from, you know,

• 30:17Liv Albert?

  how you behaved, whatever, like what customs you followed. And that's going to become really obvious in book eight. And I will talk about that when I get to it because it's one of my latest obsessions after having written my odyssey. But it, when it comes to this white armed thing, it is at its base level, literally just referring to the fact that women, but particularly like this high ranking women and their servants, obviously, because they're, they don't have the rank, but they have the, they're in the same areas. The idea is that, that high ranking women aren't outside because, because what if they had babies by a man who wasn't their husband? That's literally it.

• 31:01Liv Albert?

  I mean, and it's, you know, there's, there's other stuff to it, but it's this overarching idea, just that high ranking women don't go outside and thus have paler skin. So when we see white, we think now, we think of like, I want, I'm saying Caucasian, but like even that is such a fucked up term now, like literally it's Turkey. Anyway, um, yeah, we, we think of like what we conceptualize as like a white person now, but it is, I think it's often translated as fair. Like it's not necessarily what we would think as literal white. Like I think, I would love to know more about, you know, the ideas of, of, of color in the ancient world more broadly, but as far as I understand it, it's really more of a concept

• 31:46Liv Albert?

  of just paleness, but it would be like paleness as per your skin tone, right? It's not like these women are whiter. They just have less sun damage and that is why we're, we call, that's why this epithet came about. So it has these like kind of ickiness now, and it's similar with like, you'll see this in artwork. The women are almost always like a considerably paler color than the men. And that is both a way to depict like gender roles in art, right? You can like more easily depict which gender role you are showing. But also just overarching, it's this idea that women were indoors and therefore

• 32:31Liv Albert?

  a paler tone of their natural skin tone than men who were outside just getting darker by the skin. And so I think it's really important to mention that just because like it's really interesting, but also like I, I, I want you all always to be prepared with the background of like what to say or how to explain this kind of thing that these days gets taken as this like really nasty racially charged like ancient Greece was quote unquote, white, white, white, you know, supremacy bullshit. Like it's literally just that the women were paler than the men because of misogyny. It's a different problem, but it's not a race problem. There are other race problems.

• 33:11Liv Albert?

  They just weren't about the color of your skin because that is such like, it's just such a bizarre and, and disturbing modern concept. And by modern, I mean like the last 500 years, obviously, but like it is not an ancient concept. The ancient concept was so unrelated to skin color. And that's what, if that sounded like it, it ended bluntly, it's just because I lost a train of thought and, and just, just edited it out. But yeah, that's, that's the white armed of it all. Nobody asked, but that was one I wanted to talk about. One thing, I think this came in on the ad free episodes on Patreon, but I wanted to bring it up here is a listener asked for a reminder about, uh, in the last book, in

• 33:55Liv Albert?

  book five, um, Hermes is referred to as the killer of Argus. And I wanted to explain a bit about that, but also that's a good reminder to me that clearly I have covered that story way too long ago, which I thought about, I'm like, oh, it's probably literally been like six years. So I'm going to also cover this story again in a better and fresh detail soon. But until I actually get to the full story of it, the TLDR is that, um, there is, oh God, it's one of those long detail. Anyway, Io is one of Zeus's many, many, many victims, right? Um, and Io is the one, uh, where Zeus transformed her into a cow.

• 34:39Liv Albert?

  To hide the affair from Hera, because the ancient world is super cool to women. Um, he transformed this woman into a cow to hide the affair from his wife, but obviously his wife found out because that is how stories of Hera go. And she sent her like, um, favorite like guard guy who's named Argus and has a hundred eyes. And he really only features into this story. And we don't really know anything else, except that he was like a guy with a hundred eyes. You can picture that however you will. And he is guarding Io so that Zeus can't fuck her. It's so dark.

• 35:19Liv Albert?

  And then, uh, Zeus has Hermes go and kill Argus so that he can get to his cow lover woman Io, whose story then goes on and on because this poor woman is so cursed. And her story then goes on to like,

• 35:39Liv Albert?

  be the way that the ancient Greeks accounted for the fact that they considered their civilization to be like top tier, but simultaneously they were able to go to Egypt and be like, oh shit, you guys have been at this for like so much longer than us. And so they i- i- i- in like created this mythos that has a woman Io, starting out as a Greek woman, and then because of Zeus and Hera's fuckery, having to like travel the whole Greek mainland, like north over to Turkey, and then the whole Turkish mainland, and then south, and then she goes through, um, I don't know if she would have hit parts of Syria or just going from like Palestine to Egypt.

• 36:25Liv Albert?

  And then in Egypt, she like becomes the founding mother of like Egypt. And then her children eventually loop back around to Greece and found more of the like Greek heroes. Again, I'm going to do this in more detail, but I ju- I, I did want to explain it because Hermes being called the killer of Argus or Argia Fantes is another way you'll find that. That's just the Greek way of saying killer of Argus. Um, it's really, really common and it's one of these names where if you don't know who that is, it's really confusing. Um, and that is the delight of Greek myth and why you should just become like me, which is that I have far too much Greek mythological

• 37:08Liv Albert?

  information in my head to the point where I can't remember literally anything else ever. But I got this. Um, yeah. So that's it. That's his story. I'm going to do this in detail because it's quite delightful, but eh, in, there's a bit of Io's story in, um, the plays I did on Prometheus Bound a few years back. So that would be more recent. If you're curious about that, that's a really beautiful play of Aeschylus and heavily about Io, but does not, I believe, contain the actual like anecdote where Hermes kills Argus. But that's like a super common name for Hermes. So FYI, you know, we have more questions, but I'm gonna do that, um, at the next ad break. So here we are.

• 38:01Liv Albert?

  This is Homer's Odyssey, Book Seven, translated by Ian Johnston and used with immense gratitude for the translator and Vancouver Island University, home of the Nanaimo Bar. Not actually.

• 38:17Liv Albert?

  "Lord Odysseus, who had endured so much, prayed there, while two strong mules took Nausicaä to her home. After she had reached her father's splendid palace, she halted at the outer gates, while her brothers, godlike men, crowned it crowded round her. They unhitched the mules, then brought the clothes inside. The girl went to her room. There, her old chambermaid kindled a fire for her. Yeramedusa, an old woman from Apiri, curved ships had carried her from there some years ago, when she'd been chosen as a prize for Alcanus, because he ruled all the Phaeacians as their king, and people listened to him as if he

• 38:57Liv Albert?

  were a god. She had raised white-armed Nausicaä in the palace. Now she lit the fire in the room and set food out. Then Odysseus got up and set off for the town. Athena took good care to veil him in thick mist, so that no bold Phaeacion who ran into him would cast verbal taunts and inquire about his name." As he was about to enter the fine city, gleaming-eyed Athena met him. She was disguised as a girl carrying a pitcher. When she stopped in front of him, noble Odysseus addressed her, "My child, could you direct me to the home of the man called Alcanus? He's the king of people here and I'm a foreigner, visiting from a country far away. I've suffered

• 39:40Liv Albert?

  a great deal and I don't know any of the men who own this city or the farmland." Gleaming-eyed Athena then said in reply, "Honored stranger, in that case I'll show you the very house you've just questioned me about. It's nearby, close to my father's home. Go quietly and I will lead the way. You must not look at anyone or raise any questions. The people here are not fond of strangers. They do not extend a friendly welcome to those from other lands, but put their trust in their swift ships to carry them across vast gulfs of the sea, something Poseidon has permitted them, for their ships move fast, as swift as birds in flight or as a thought."

• 40:22Liv Albert?

  That said, palace Athena led off rapidly. He followed closely in the goddess's footsteps. The Phaeacians, men celebrated for their ships, did not see him in their midst as he made his way into the city. Athena, fearful goddess, would not permit that. In her heart she cared for him, so she cast around him a mysterious mist. Odysseus was amazed when he saw the harbors, well-tended ships, and the grounds for the assembly, where those heroes gathered alongside lofty walls topped with palisades. It was a marvelous sight. When they reached the imposing palace of the king, bright-eyed Athena was the first to speak. "Honored stranger, here is the house you asked me to point

• 41:06Liv Albert?

  out. You'll find Zeus-fostered kings in there feasting. But go inside and do not be afraid. In a man, boldness is always better at getting good results, even in the case where he's a stranger from another land." Inside the palace, you'll first greet the queen. Her name is Arete, born of the same line as Alcanus, the king. Originally, Nausithous was born to the earth shaker Poseidon and to Parabia, loveliest of women, youngest daughter to great-hearted Eurimidon, once king of the rebellious giants. But he destroyed his reckless people and was killed himself. Poseidon then had sex with Parabia, who bore him a son, courageous Nausithous,

• 41:50Liv Albert?

  who ruled Phaeacians in, who had two sons, Rexenor and Alcanus. Rexenor, a married man but with no sons, was killed by Apollo's silver bow in his own home. He left an only daughter, Arete. Alcanus made her his wife and honored her beyond all other women on this earth, all wives who now govern their own homes under the direction of their husbands. That's how much she's honored from the heart by her dear children, by Alcanus himself and by the people too, who look on her as if she were a goddess when they greet her walking through the city. She does not lack a fine intelligence and for women to whom she's well disposed,

• 42:33Liv Albert?

  she can resolve all disputes between them and their husbands. So if you win her favor, there is hope you'll see your friends and make that journey back to your own high-roofed home and native land. Bright-eyed Athena finished. Then she went away across the restless sea, leaving lovely Skyria. She came to Marathon and the streets of Athens and entered the well-built home of Arechtheus. Odysseus moved towards Alcanus's splendid home. He stood there, his heart thinking over many things, before he came up to the threshold made of bronze. Above the high-vaulted home of brave Alcanus, there was a radiance, as if from sun or moon.

• 43:17Liv Albert?

  Bronze walls extended out well beyond the threshold in various directions to the inner rooms. They had a blue enamel cornice, golden doors blocked the way into the well-constructed palace. The bronze threshold had silver doorposts set inside on a silver lintel. The handles were of gold. On both sides of the door stood gold and silver dogs, ageless, immortal creatures who would not grow old, created by Hephaestus's matchless artistry to guard the palace of great-hearted Alcanus. On both sides within, seats were set against the wall from the doorway right through to the inner room with soft rugs covering them, elegantly woven women's handiwork.

• 44:01Liv Albert?

  On these, Phaeacian leaders would sit to eat and drink from their abundant stores. Gold statues of young men stood on firm pedestals, holding torches in their hands to give light at night for people feasting in the hall, and Alcanous had fifty female servants working in his home, some toiling at the millstone ground up yellow grain, some wove fabric, or, sitting on stools, twisted yarn, hands fluttering like leaves on a tall poplar tree while olive oil dripped down. Just as Phaeacian men had more skill than others at sailing a fast ship across the sea, so their women are more adept at working on the loom, for Athena gave them, more so

• 44:43Liv Albert?

  than all the rest, a skill with handiwork and a keen intelligence. Beyond the courtyard but close to the door stands an enormous orchard, four measures of land, with a hedge on either side. Huge, richly laden trees grow there, pomegranates, pears, and apple trees with glistening fruit, sweet figs and fertile olive trees. And in this huge orchard, no fruit deteriorates or dies in wintertime or in the summer, it lasts all year long. West wind, as he blows in, is always bringing some fruits to life and ripening others, pear growing above pear, apple on apple, grapes in cluster after cluster and fig after

• 45:28Liv Albert?

  fig. Inside that fruitful orchard, Alcanous has a fertile vineyard planted too. In part of it, a sunny patch of level ground, grapes are drying in the sun; in another place, men are gathering up and treading other grapes. In front, the unripened vines are shedding blossoms while others are changing to a purple color. Beside the final row of vines, there are trim beds with all varieties of plant growing all year round. There are two springs inside. One lets its water flow throughout the garden and on the opposite side, the other runs below the threshold of the yard, where people of the town come to get their water beside the high-roofed palace.

• 46:11Liv Albert?

  These glorious things were gifts from the gods to the home of Alcanous. Lord Odysseus, who had endured so much, stood there and gazed around. When his heart had marveled at it, he moved quickly past the threshold into the house.

• 46:43Speaker 01

  I've got big news. I switched to Verizon and got the new iPhone 18 Pro. Shh. I can keep my old phone and I also get the latest iPhone every year. Shh. Anything else? Verizon let me choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on them.

• 46:56Speaker 03

  Everybody, listen up.

• 46:57Speaker 01

  Shh. Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone 18 Pro now. No trade in needed. And the latest iPhone every year with Simplicity Plan. Plus, choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on us. Simplicity Plan with Simplicity Pro required. Plan and device payment purchase are separate agreements with separate terms. Service plan for Watch or iPad required. Additional terms apply for all offers.

• 47:13Speaker 02

  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 in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal.

• 48:00Liv Albert?

  Oh nerds, I am a little bit obsessed with this description of Skyria. I'm generally interested in this translation. I'd love, I don't know if I, I wanted to learn more about kind of the, the process behind it because it feels to me like it's, I think I said this last time or a time before, but it feels very like one of those literal translations I was talking about elsewhere, just because it's very descriptive. Like this feels to me like this is getting all of the English words you can out of these Greek words that, that mean so much in English, just because that's, their words just meant more. Um, because yeah, it's, it feels like so much wordier in a really fun way and just different way from the versions I've read before, or specifically Emily Wilson's, because that's the one I've

• 48:42Liv Albert?

  read so many times recently. And it's just like, it's not better or worse, obviously. It's just different and it's really interesting. I'm just generally very into this translation. I love all the fruit trees. I'm also, this is like totally nonsense, um, personal note, but like, I was just reading this and realizing I, I wrote that into a fictional draft that will probably never see the light of day, but like basically a palace exactly like this. And I was like, oh, did I get the idea from there? I don't remember doing that. Um, delightful. Regardless, okay. I wanted to talk about, uh, I have one question from somebody else, but I did want to, uh, flag one other thing that I really, I think stood, really stood out, or I really want to stand out to you all in case it didn't, uh, that I just

• 49:25Liv Albert?

  read through here. So the Phaeacian Palace generally is fascinating to me, like absolute throwaway comment, but like, it is actually shocking to me that there are not more conspiracies connecting Atlantis to Skyria, to these people, because like, to me that this is the closest we've ever had to something that actually sounds like Plato's Atlantis in a real myth. And yet like, I, as far as I know, I'm sure there are connections, but like, The weirdos never actually pick up on like real myths that actually provide any kind of evidence, but like this whole area is like this, this region is very specifically meant to be like better than mortal, like semi-divine people treated better by the gods,

• 50:08Liv Albert?

  like given all of this stuff, like they have this fruit that never goes bad, their gardens are perfect all year round, like everything is perfect, right? They're so good at ships. They have this like their palace is just gold and silver and gold and silver and more gold and silver. And so it's really meant to be this like fairly technologically advanced comparatively and, and then just generally like bigger and better than actual mortal realms. And it's like the only place in myth that exists in this way. And obviously like spoiler, like they're gonna, there's gonna be a reason at the end of this, why we don't talk about these people more, or why we're not expected to see them in a lot of myths, but it's just generally fascinating to me. But the thing that really stood out, and

• 50:51Liv Albert?

  I'm rambling now, um, is the, uh, the guard dogs that, that they say, uh, or that Homer describes as, as standing guard outside this palace and being, um, built by Hephaestus. So these are some of the earliest, uh, references to something that could be generally understood as an automaton. So these dogs, these guard dogs are described as immortal and therefore were meant to, and, and that they actively guard the palace, right? So we are meant to imagine they are like lively in some way, right? Like they can guard, they live, but

• 51:31Liv Albert?

  they're immortal. They're not, they're not dogs, right? They're also gold. Um, so essentially we're meant to imagine here that like Hephaestus has created robots, which we know, right? There's there, these appear in a few different myths and it's really fascinating. Like there are this, this general concept of like a living metal, uh, creature, be it, uh, like a humanoid or this dog. Like there are a handful of these references always made by Hephaestus. I've talked about it in the Hephaestus specific episodes, which I think I've re-aired. If you search Hephaestus, you're gonna find them. They're, they're fascinating, but these are particularly interesting just because they are from the oldest sources that we have, right?

• 52:13Liv Albert?

  And so we have this idea, this is a, this is a minimal, minimum 2,700 year old idea of like robots, basically. Like, it's just fascinating. So I'm deeply obsessed with it. And I want to really flag it all to you in case you didn't notice because it's super cool. And then finally, I have this question from a regular commenter, and I have to say, I really always appreciate your comments. I'm really glad that these are, I love when I recognize commenters names because it means I know that these people are like legit listening to me. Thank you. Anyway, this one's from another Medusa Stan, who I see all the time, who is asking about Telemachus and his name. And I'm very glad you asked because it's fun. It's, I mean, it's fun in the way that it's like boring, kind of like Telemachus.

• 52:58Liv Albert?

  So as, as another Medusa Stan does point out in this, the, the Macus at the end makes us think of Gigantomachy, Amazonomachy, Titanomachy, right? These wars. So Macus, Macky, forms of that word mean more like fighting than specifically war, like battle fighting. And tele, as in like telephone, means like far, it means like away. Um, and so his name means like fighter from afar. And I think that's funny because it, it sort of implies, I mean, it implies that he's got an absent father.

• 53:39Liv Albert?

  Whoops. Um, I hope Michael has made that connection. I'm going to point it out to her in case she hasn't. Uh, but it implies that he has an absent father, right? Because his father is fighting far away for like the first 20 years of his life. Um, but it also just like implies the general, um, whiny dweeby-ness that we get from Telemachus, which is that like, his goal is not necessarily to be like an up in your face warrior, you know, you know? Maybe I'm being too mean to him, but he's just a, he's really dweeby. And I, so I find it entertaining that his name basically means like he had an absent father who was away at war. I don't know. Delightful. Thank you. Another Medusa stan.

• 54:23Liv Albert?

  And please, everyone, keep these questions coming. It's really fun to have these things to talk about. Thankfully, I'm clearly, you know, there's things that come up when I'm reading it like, and I'm so glad to, to have these moments to explain, you know, the white armed or the Hephaestus robots. But I would also love to hear what you guys would like to know, like that Telemachus one, so fun. And the killer of Argus. And now I've got episode ideas. So keep these coming because they benefit all of us.

• 55:01Liv Albert?

  There Odysseus found Phaeacian counselors and leaders making libations to honor keen eyed Hermes, killer of Argus. They poured him a final tribute whenever they intended to retire to bed. Long suffering Odysseus, still enclosed in mist, the thick covering poured around him by Athena, went through the hall until he came to Arete and King Alcanus. With both his arms, Odysseus embraced the knees of Queen Arete. At that moment, the miraculous mist dissolved away from him. All the Phaeacians in the palace were struck dumb as they gazed upon the man overcome

• 55:40Liv Albert?

  with wonder at the sight. Odysseus then made this entreaty. "Arete, daughter of godlike Rexenor, I've come to you and to your husband here, to your knees in supplication to you, a man who has undergone much hardship, and to those feasting here. May gods grant them happiness in life. May they each pass on riches in their homes to all their children and noble honors given by the people. Please rouse yourself to help me travel home, to get back quickly to my native soil. For a long time, I have been in great distress and far away from friends."

• 56:19Liv Albert?

  Odysseus finished, then he sat down by the fire, right on the ashes inside the hearth. All the people there were silent, no one said a word. Then, finally, an old man, Lord Achaeneus, a Phaeacian elder statesman, a skilful orator, a full of ancient wisdom, with their common good in mind, spoke up and said, "Alcanus, it is not at all appropriate, or to our credit, that this stranger sits on the ground at our hearth, in the ashes. The people here are holding themselves back, waiting for your word. Come, tell the stranger to get up, then invite the man to sit on a silver-studded chair. Tell the heralds to mix wine, so we can make an offering to thunder-loving Zeus, who accompanies all pious suppliants.

• 57:04Liv Albert?

  And tell the steward to provide this stranger with a dinner, from what she has in store." When he heard these words courageous, kingly Alcanus stretched out his hand, reaching for Odysseus, that wise and crafty man, raised him from the hearth, and invited him to sit in a shining chair, after he had asked his son, handsome Laodamas, the son he loved the most, who sat beside him, to stand up and offer it. An attendant carried in a fine gold pitcher, then poured some water into a silver basin, so that he could wash his hands. A polished table was set up beside him, and then the housekeeper, a well-respected

• 57:45Liv Albert?

  female servant, brought in food, set it in front of him, with many tempting treats, offered freely from her store. And so Odysseus, that noble, long-suffering man, could eat and drink.

• 58:00Liv Albert?

  Then royal Alcanus called out to his herald, "Pontanus, prepare wine in the mixing bowl, then serve it to all people in the hall, so we may pour libations out to Zeus, who loves fighting, for he accompanies all pious suppliants."

• 58:16Liv Albert?

  Once Alcanus said this, Pontanus prepared the honeyed wine and poured out the first drops of frilibation into every cup. They made their offering and drank their fill of wine, then Alcanus addressed the gathering and said, "You Phaeacian counselors and leaders, pay attention to me so I can say the things the heart here in my chest commands. Now that all of you have finished eating, return back to your homes and get some rest. In the morning we'll summon an assembly with more elders, entertain this stranger here in our home, and also sacrifice choice offerings to the gods. After that we'll think about how we can send him off, so that this stranger, with us

• 58:56Liv Albert?

  escorting him, without further pain or effort, may reach his native home, no matter how far distant. Meanwhile he'll not suffer harm or trouble, not before he sets foot on his own land." After that he'll undergo all those things, just destiny and the dreaded spinning fates spun in the thread for him when he was born, when his mother gave him birth. However, if he's a deathless one come down from heaven, then gods are planning something different. So far they've always shown themselves to us in their true form, when we offer up to them a splendid sacrifice. They dine with us, sitting in the very chairs we also use. If someone traveling all by himself meets them, they don't hide their true identity,

• 59:41Liv Albert?

  because we are close relatives of theirs, like Cyclops and wild tribes of giants. Resourceful Odysseus then answered Alcanus, "Alcanus, you should not concern yourself about what you've just said, for I'm not like the immortal gods who hold wide heaven, not in my form or shape. I'm like mortal men. If among human beings you know some who bear a truly heavy weight of trouble, I might compare myself with them for grief. Indeed, I could recount a longer story, all those hardships I have had to suffer from the gods. But let me eat my dinner, though I'm in great distress. For there's nothing more shameless than an unhappy stomach, which bids a man to think

• 1:00:23Liv Albert?

  about its needs even if he's sad or many troubles sit heavy on his heart. The way my spirit is now full of sorrow, yet my belly is always telling me to eat and drink, forgetting everything I've had to bear and forcing me to gorge myself with food." But when dawn appears, you can stir yourselves to set me in my miserable state, back on my own soil for all I've suffered. If I can see my goods again, my slaves, my large and high-roofed home, then let life end. Once Odysseus finished, they all approved his words, and, because he'd spoken well and to the point, agreed their guest should be escorted on his way.

• 1:01:05Liv Albert?

  Then after had they had poured libations and had drunk to their hearts' content, each of them returned back home to get some rest. In the hall, Odysseus was left sitting by Arete and godlike Alcanus. Servants cleared away the remnants of the feast. White-armed Arete spoke first, for when she observed his cloak and tunic, she recognized his lovely clothes as ones made by her servant-women and herself. So she spoke to him. Her words had wings. Stranger, first of all, I'll ask you this. Who are you? What people do you come from? And those clothes? Who gave them to you? Did you not tell us you came here wandering across the sea?

• 1:01:48Liv Albert?

  Resourceful Odysseus then answered her and said, "Oh, queen, it would be hard to tell the story of my miseries from start to finish. Heavenly gods have given me so many. But in answer to what you have asked me, I can tell you this. There is an island called Ogagia, far off in the sea. On it lives a cunning, fearful goddess, fair-haired Calypso, Atlas's daughter. None of the gods associates with her, nor any mortal man. One of the gods led me, in my misfortune, to her hearth. I was alone, for Zeus had struck my ship with his bright lightning bolt and shattered it, right in the middle of the wine-dark sea. All my other fine companions perished, but I clung to the keel of my curved ship and

• 1:02:32Liv Albert?

  drifted for nine days. The tenth black night, gods brought me to Ogagia, the island where that fair-haired, fearful goddess lives, I mean Calypso. She received me kindly, loved and fed me. She promised she'd make me an immortal, ageless for eternity. But she never won the heart inside my chest. I stayed there seven years, the entire time, always soaking the immortal clothing Calypso gave me with my constant tears." But as the circling years kept moving past me, the eighth year came, then she commanded me with her encouragement to sail back home, either because she got some news from Zeus, or else her mind had changed.

• 1:03:13Liv Albert?

  She sent me off on a well-lashed raft, and provided many things, food and sweet wine. She dressed me in immortal clothing, and sent a wind, a warm and gentle breeze. Seventeen days I sailed across the sea. On the eighteenth, the shadowy mountains of your country came in sight, and my fond heart was happy. But I had no luck. I still had to bear great torments, which the shaker of the earth, Poseidon, sent me. He stirred up winds against me, blocked my route, and shook the sea in an amazing way. The surging waves did not allow the raft to carry me for all my heavy groaning, since that storm smashed my raft to pieces.

• 1:03:54Liv Albert?

  But I swam on, cutting through the gulf, until wind and waves pushed me ahead and left me on your shore. If I'd tried to land there, the pounding surf would have tossed me up on shore, throwing me against huge rocks in a perilous place. So I moved back again, kept on swimming until I reached a river, which I thought the best place I could land. It had no rocks, and there was shelter from the wind as well. I staggered out and fell on the beach, gasping for breath. Immortal night arrived, so I climbed up from that heaven-fed stream, gathered leaves around me in the bushes, and fell asleep. Some god poured over me in endless sleep, so there, among the leaves, my fond, exhausted

• 1:04:36Liv Albert?

  heart slept through the night, past daybreak and noon, not until the sun was in decline, did that sweet sleep release me. Then I observed your daughter's servant girls playing on the shore, and she was with them, looking like a goddess. I pleaded with her, and she revealed no lack of noble sense, the sort you would not hope to come across at your first encounter with one so young, for youthful people act so thoughtlessly. She gave me lots of food and gleaming wine, bathed me in the river, and gave me clothes. Though I'm in pain, I've told the truth in this.

• 1:05:14Liv Albert?

  Alcanous then answered him and said, "Stranger, my child was truly negligent this time. She did not escort you with her servants here to our home, although it was to her that you first made your plea." Resourceful Odysseus then said in answer to the king, "My lord, in this you must not criticize your daughter, I beg you, for she is quite innocent. She did indeed tell me to follow her with her attendants, but I was unwilling, afraid and shamed in case, when you saw us you might be offended, for on this earth groups of men are quick to lose their temper."

• 1:05:50Liv Albert?

  Alcanous said in answer to Odysseus, "Stranger, the heart here in my chest is not like that. It does not get incense without a reason. It's better in all things to show restraint. My father Zeus, Athena, and Apollo, I wish, given the kind man you are, you, one who in his mind thinks just as I do, you'd marry my child and become my son and then remain here. I'd give you a home and wealth as well, if you would choose to stay. But no feation will detain you here against your will, no. May that never be the will of father Zeus. I'll set a time, so you can know for certain when you're leaving. Let's say tomorrow. While you lie asleep, they'll carry you across the tranquil sea until you reach your native land

• 1:06:33Liv Albert?

  and home, or whatever place you wish, even though it takes them well beyond Evia. Some of our people who saw that island, when they carried fair-haired Radamanthus to visit Titias, son of Gaia, said it was the most remote of places. They went there and, without any effort, finished the journey home in the same day. So you two will discover for yourself I have the finest ships and young men too, whose oar blades make the briny waters foam."

• 1:07:05Liv Albert?

  Alcanous finished. Long-suffering Lord Odysseus was pleased and spoke out in prayer, saying, "Father Zeus, may Alcanous complete all he has said. Then, on this grain-fostering earth, his fame will never be extinguished, and I will reach my native land once more."

• 1:07:23Liv Albert?

  As they conversed like this, white-armed Eretu commanded her attendants to set a bed outside, under the portico, laying on top of it lovely purple blankets with coverlets spread out on them, and finally, over these, some woolen cloaks to keep him warm. The servants left the chamber, torches in their hands. Once they had hurried to arrange the well-made bed, they came to Odysseus, saying, "Stranger, come now and rest. Your bed has been prepared." When they said this, he welcomed thoughts of going to sleep. So, long-suffering Lord Odysseus lay down there, on the bed beneath the echoing portico. But Alcanous rested in an inner chamber in the high-roofed home. His lady-wife lay there, too, stretched out

• 1:08:08Liv Albert?

  beside him, sharing their marriage bed.

• 1:08:26Liv Albert?

  Oh, nerds, I'm so thrilled that both of these episodes fit into such a perfect hour-long recording. You all don't really understand the satisfaction in that, but I sure do. I sure do. Also, it means that next time, next time, not only are we gonna get a naked wrestling match or two, some naked little dink tied up in a nice little bow, athletic games? You know, you know the ones. God, those are fun. We're gonna get those, and we're gonna get stories, stories, stories, stories. Oh, my God, no, right. Sorry, I'm, this is, this

• 1:09:09Liv Albert?

  is also me, like, with the, the next book's little, like, summary up in front of me, and this is me remembering that next book, next book, is where, is where we get the story within a story of when Hephaestus caught Aphrodite and Ares fucking, and he caught them in a net. It's a whole thing. Oh, my God, I'm so excited. That was like the one story. That I don't, it's like the one bit of the Odyssey that I don't currently have like living in my head rent free because it was the one bit I had to cut out just for length primarily and, and also the fact that I didn't know how easy it was going to be to explain

• 1:09:49Liv Albert?

  this scene to nine year olds. Oh, it's gonna be good. Okay. I'm clearly already excited to read you book nine. So I will be back with that hopefully very soon. Probably just a couple of weeks from now. We've got some other exciting stuff coming up. But I did just want to say once more, because another thing that this, that stood out in this episode to me, and I'm gonna say it every time it stands out to me because it makes me so heartbroken and makes me just utterly wanna scream and rage and fury and just shatter everything around me. Um, the, every time they mention this rich purple, right? Like this place, this place is meant to be like the richest, richest, richest area. That's why. Everything

• 1:10:30Liv Albert?

  is gold. Everything is silver and everything is purple. Even like blankets for Odysseus to sleep outside, right? Everything is purple. And that is because purple was not only the color of, of royalty, just because of its depth, but because of its expense. This was the most expensive color that you could have. These were the richest people. This color comes originally from the city of Tir, which I don't even know if it's, it's on Google Maps anymore because Google Maps has, have been just removing cities in southern Lebanon,

• 1:11:10Liv Albert?

  like as if they never existed after Israel has taken hold of them. Um, but the city of Tir and Sidon, they've bombed, they bombed Tir and Sidon and like, obviously the most, the most heartbreaking part of all of this are the Lebanese people whose, whose native land, whose homeland is being attempted to be torn away by Israel. Like Israel has always wanted to do. Um, but from this perspective, like I just, I don't know. I think it's just, I think it's the, the autism in me that just makes me so confused and furious and I will never

• 1:11:49Liv Albert?

  understand how anyone can justify the nation state of Israel as like a historical necessity when the evidence is almost entirely biblical and that same country is, is so happy to destroy the most ancient cities and peoples on the planet. Um, like Tier Inside on are, are two of the most ancient cities on the planet. And, and nobody in our governments cares.

• 1:12:27Liv Albert?

  Um, so anyway, fuck Western supremacy, fuck late-stage capitalism, fuck Israel, fuck Trump, fuck ICE. Oh my God. Fuck this fucking rape academy. You guys heard about the rape academy? You heard about the rape academy? You've heard about, you've heard about the tens of thousands of men who have been drugging and raping their wives and then talking about it with each other and sharing tips and tricks and academy, making academies out of it? Have you heard about that?

• 1:12:56Liv Albert?

  It's constant. It's constant. It's constant. It's constant. The men who listen to me, you better be yelling about this. You better be yelling about it all the time because...

• 1:13:10Liv Albert?

  Ah! Anyway, um, hmm. Your girl's miss injury is growing bigger and bigger with every passing day. Actually, in a few hours, I'm going to get my most, my most delightfully unhinged misandrist tattoo ever. I don't know if anyone will ever see it, um, or like intentionally. It's really just, it's just for me, just to fuel, to fuel my rage, um, because it's the only thing keeping me going. Okay, I'm gonna stop now because I'm actively losing my mind. Um, let's talk about Miss Baby is written and produced by me, with Albert, Michaela Pankowicz, and Hermes to my Olympians. We both hate late-stage Western patriarchal capitalism.

• 1:13:55Liv Albert?

  Because it's killing everyone. Except the billionaires.

• 1:14:02Liv Albert?

  Uh, select music is by Luke Chaos. The podcast is part of the Memory Collective Podcast Network. We're working on more. I feel like I'm dropping behind on literally everything into my life at all times, but I am trying. I'm trying. I'm trying. Uh, we have stuff coming out for you soon. Have you listened to the new shows, though? We have Ancient History 101, which is absolutely killing it with the ancient content. Absolutely killing it. Just these like one-off episodes where you can learn what you need to know about these concepts. I know that they just started the Punic Wars, which I have always been, I mean, I, you know how I feel about Rome, but the Punic Wars have always been generally something that I'm a little bit more interested in because that's Carthage. Uh, speaking of fucking Lebanon. Um, anyway, we're not going

• 1:14:44Liv Albert?

  into that. Um, it's fine. Uh, check out Ancient History 101. Check out all of the other shows on the network. If you're dying for more Odysseus, because who the fuck isn't, you should be listening to the You Are Odysseus audiobook.

• 1:14:57Liv Albert?

  We're doing great stuff. Um, we're gonna be trying to bring you more and more and more and more. And also, have you pre-ordered my, my Odyssey yet? Have you? That'd be cool. There's a link in the episode description. I am Liv and I love this shit even when the men are terrible because at least it brings me joy to point out how terrible they are.

• 1:16:11Speaker 01

  I've got big news. I switched to Verizon and got the new iPhone 18 Pro. Shh. I can keep my old phone and I also get the latest iPhone every year. Shh, anything else? Verizon let me choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on them.

• 1:16:24Speaker 03

  Everybody, listen up.

• 1:16:26Speaker 01

  Shh. Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone 18 Pro now. No trade in needed and the latest iPhone every year with Simplicity Plan. Plus, choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on us. Simplicity Plan with Simplicity Pro required. Plan and device payment purchase are separate agreements with separate terms. Service plan for watch or iPad required. Additional terms apply for all offers.

• 1:16:41Speaker 02

  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.

• 1:17:13Speaker 04

  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.

• 1:17:31Speaker 05

  The much awaited sequel, Game of Thieves, comes out December 8th. 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.

• 1:17:44Speaker 04

  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.

• 1:17:58Speaker 05

  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.