Literature and History

With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, the birth of Christianity, and the early Middle Ages. The show's current season is on early Islamic history. A typical episode (they average about two hours) features a general introduction to a work of literature, then a full summary of that work that expects no prior knowledge, and finally, an analysis of the cultural, biographical, and historical forces that gave rise to the work in question. Original symphonic and ambient background music is woven throughout each show, and all episodes offer free full, illustrated, footnoted transcriptions as well as quizzes for purposes of review. The show has no advertisements, and its host takes pride in a professional approach that avoids chitchat and ephemera and gets straight to the educational content. You can listen to the episodes in any order, although most listeners begin at the beginning and proceed from there, as the podcast itself is chronologically organized. Doug Metzger finished his Ph.D. in literature in 2011. His chief scholarly interest, following his dissertation work, continues to be 19th-century realism and postbellum American philosophy.

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Episoder(126)

Episode 70: Rome's Forgotten Epic (Statius' Thebaid)

Statius' Thebaid, Books 1-6. This epic is hardly ever read or taught these days, but in 100 CE, it was as famous as anything in the Roman world. Episode 70 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-...

9 Sep 20191h 55min

Episode 69: Rome's Comic Novel (Petronius' Satyricon)

Petronius' Satyricon is a contender for history's first novel, a picaresque filled with sex, misadventures, and details about daily life. Episode 69 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-069/ ...

26 Aug 20192h

Episode 68: Love Means Sin (Seneca's Phaedra)

Seneca's Phaedra (c 50s CE) is the story of an illicit passion, a stoic cautionary tale and simultaneously vivid character study. Episode 68 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-068/ Episode ...

5 Aug 20191h 34min

Episode 67: Jaws Dripping Blood (Seneca's Thyestes)

Seneca's Thyestes, probably written around the 50s CE, is one of the most horrifying and influential plays ever written. Episode 67 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-067/ Episode 67 Transc...

17 Jul 20191h 12min

Episode 66: Stoicism, Seneca, St. Paul

Stoicism, starting with Zeno in 300 BCE, was a popular philosophy by the lifetime of Seneca, perhaps even making its way into the New Testament. Episode 66 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-...

26 Jun 20191h 34min

Episode 65: Seneca and the Julio-Claudians (The Life of Seneca)

Seneca the Younger (c 1 BCE-65 CE) practiced the philosophy of stoicism over the course of several volatile, and very different imperial reigns. Episode 65 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-...

30 Mar 20192h 6min

Episode 64: Ovid's Exile (The Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto)

For mysterious reasons, in 8 CE, Ovid was exiled from Rome. Ovid's last works were composed an ocean away from Italy, on the western shore of the Black Sea. Episode 64 Quiz https://literatureandhisto...

23 Feb 20191h 39min

Episode 63: All Is in Flux (Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 11-15)

Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 11-15. The vast Metamorphoses draws to a resonant conclusion as Ovid brings his great poem to Rome itself. Episode 63 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-063/ Epi...

8 Feb 20192h 11min