Witches
The Ancients29 Okt 2023

Witches

From seductive sorceresses to withered necromancers, witches play a varied - and vital - role in ancient history. Recorded in classical epics by the likes of Homer, and immortalised in tragedies by Euripides, the names Circe and Medea resonate across society and culture even today. But how did witchcraft and magic aid them in ancient societies, and what does it tell us about how women of power were viewed in the ancient world?


In this episode Tristan welcomes Dr Mai Musié and Dr Regine May to the podcast to delve into the mystical world of Ancient Witches. Looking at how Circe and Medea's powers reflected their position in society, sinister necromancy, and the role that Greek tragedies played in immortalising the idea of the Witch - why were these women so powerful, and why were they so feared?


Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS sign up now for your 14-day free trial here.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(608)

Stone Circles

Stone Circles

From Cornwall to Orkney, stone circles are scattered throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles. Their history stretches more than 2 millennia, varying from the earlier huge stone circles ...

2 Aug 202033min

Agrippina the Younger

Agrippina the Younger

Agrippina the Younger (AD 15 - 59) was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Born during a time of radical political change in the Roman Empire, she had a very powerful pedigr...

26 Juli 202056min

Horse Archery

Horse Archery

The horse archer was one of the most feared warriors of antiquity. Triumphing mobility and fluidity, these swift skirmishers came to epitomise a feared ‘eastern’ style of warfare. Renowned historical ...

19 Juli 202058min

Antonine Wall

Antonine Wall

In c.142 AD the Emperor Antoninus Pius ordered the construction of a new wall in Northern Britain. Situated between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde it stretched the neck of modern day centra...

12 Juli 202047min

Housesteads and Hadrian's Wall

Housesteads and Hadrian's Wall

Housesteads Roman Fort is one of the great, surviving treasures of Roman Britain. Once an auxiliary fort, it occupied a dominant position on Hadrian’s Wall. The Fort has proven vital in helping archae...

5 Juli 202046min

Origins of Biological & Chemical Warfare

Origins of Biological & Chemical Warfare

The origins of biological and chemical warfare stretch far back; modern technology has not brought about these terrifying weapons. Throughout antiquity we have cases of societies using poisonous gases...

2 Juli 202030min

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

In the late 4th century and early 5th centuries two massive largely-Germanic confederations arrived on Roman borders, having been uprooted from their homelands by the Huns. These were the Goths and th...

26 Juni 20201h 2min

Plague of Athens

Plague of Athens

Plague in the ancient world was nothing unusual. Bouts of illness were common occurrences, but we do have accounts of some exceptional outbreaks: epidemics that brought powerful empires and city-state...

24 Juni 202035min

Populärt inom Historia

massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
kod-katastrof
p3-historia
motiv
historiepodden-se
olosta-mord
rss-historien-om
rss-seriemordarpodden
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-historiska-brottslingar
rss-massmordarpodden
krigshistoriepodden
militarhistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
rss-arkiv-stieg
palmemordet
nu-blir-det-historia
rss-folkets-historia