Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics

This episode explores the overlooked goddess Hestia in Greek mythology, highlighting her importance in ancient Greek daily life and her familial connections to major Olympian deities.

This episode explores Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid, which connects Rome's founding to Greek mythology through the story of Trojan survivors led by Aeneas, and its historical context under Emperor Augustus.

This episode explores the life and poetry of Catullus, challenging common misconceptions about his Roman identity and the themes of his work.

This episode explores the goddess Aphrodite, discussing her significance as the deity of love, sex, desire, and beauty, and how perceptions of her vary, including references to the iconic Botticelli painting 'Birth of Venus'.

This episode explores the uncertain historical existence and varied biographical accounts of Aesop, the famous ancient author of fables.

This episode introduces Cleopatra, focusing on her background as the daughter of Ptolemy XII and the historical context of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt.

This episode explores the Greek goddess Athene, focusing on her roles as the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and crafts, and her unique origin story as the daughter of Zeus.

This episode explores the character of Jocasta, the Queen of Thebes, focusing on her role in Sophocles' play Oedipus Tyrannus and her significance in Greek tragedy.

This episode introduces the Roman statesman Cicero, born in 106 BCE during a period of significant social and political turmoil in Rome.

This episode explores the life and background of the Roman poet Horace, focusing on his unique status as the son of a freed slave and his autobiographical writings about his close relationship with his father.

This episode reexamines the Greek mythological figure Medusa, moving beyond her traditional portrayal as a monster in films like Clash of the Titans to explore her deeper origins and significance.

This episode explores Homer's identity and the significance of the Iliad and Odyssey as foundational epic poems in world culture, part of the Trojan War epic cycle.

This episode passionately defends Aristophanes as the greatest comic playwright from 5th century Athens, contrasting his old comedy with later new comedy.

This episode explores Claudia Severa, a Roman British woman known for her personal letters found at Vindolanda, highlighting her significance in archaeological history.

This episode explores the life and significance of Aspasia, a celebrated but poorly documented woman in 5th century Athens, comparing her to Socrates to highlight the challenges of reconstructing historical figures without written records.

This episode explores the life and early works of the Roman poet Ovid, focusing on his birth during a turbulent period in Roman history and his racy love poems like the Amores.

This episode of Big Lives explores the life and legacy of Plato, using BBC archives to uncover the human story behind the iconic philosopher.

This episode explores the life and family connections of Agrippina the Younger, a prominent figure in the Julio-Claudian dynasty of ancient Rome.

This episode explores the life and legacy of Sappho, the ancient Greek poet from Lesbos, despite the scarcity of known facts about her.

This episode of Big Lives explores the life and legacy of Lucian, a cultural figure from around 120 AD, using BBC archives to reveal the human story behind the historical image.

This episode explores Juvenal as history's first great stand-up comedian, analyzing his satirical rants and their influence on Latin literature and modern comedy.

This episode introduces Phryne, a 4th-century BCE Greek courtesan from Thespiae, exploring her life and significance as part of a series highlighting lesser-known women in history.

This episode explores the life and work of the Roman historian Livy, focusing on his obsessive dedication to writing a comprehensive history of Rome.

This episode defends Euripides as the youngest of the three major 5th-century Greek tragedians, explaining why more of his plays survive than those of Sophocles and Aeschylus due to manuscript preservation.

This episode explores the early life of Aristotle, including his birth in Macedonia, childhood tragedy, and move to Athens to study at Plato's Academy.

This episode introduces the Roman biographer Suetonius, exploring his life, background, and connections in the context of Roman history.

This episode explores the mythological figure Helen of Troy, focusing on her portrayal in literature and myth as part of a series shift from historical to mythical figures for escapism.

This episode of Natalie Haynes' podcast explores the Greek myth of Eurydice, focusing on her story with Orpheus as part of a series that emphasizes myth over history for more escapism.

This episode explores the character of Penelope from Homer's Odyssey, examining her portrayal as a symbol of endurance and fidelity while hinting at more human and interesting aspects from other ancient sources.

This episode of Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics focuses on Penthesilea, the Amazon warrior queen from Greek mythology, as part of a series exploring mythological women from the ancient world.

This episode explores how the Greek mythological character Pandora has entered common English usage through the phrase 'Pandora's box' and discusses linguistic aspects of its application.

This episode defends Clytemnestra, a figure from Greek myth often regarded as the worst wife, by arguing she was a good mother driven to murder by an intolerable situation.

This BBC podcast episode explores the history and significance of Pompeii, an ancient Roman town in southern Italy, through a biographical approach as a form of radio tourism.

This episode introduces Spartan women, focusing on Queen Gorgo, and provides background on Sparta's militarized society in ancient Greece.

This episode explores the surprising lack of biographical detail about the ancient Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius, despite him being a contemporary of the well-documented Julius Caesar.

This podcast episode introduces Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, explaining its structure as a 24-book work focused on the hero Odysseus's journey home from Troy to Ithaca.

This episode introduces Demeter, the Olympian goddess of agriculture and grain, detailing her family relations as a daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister to Zeus and others, and mother of Persephone.

This episode introduces Martial, a prolific Roman poet known for his satirical epigrams, exploring his origins in Roman Spain and the cultural context of his time.

This episode introduces Hesiod, an early Greek poet contemporary with Homer, focusing on his surviving works Theogony and Works and Days.

This episode explores the multifaceted nature of the Greek goddess Artemis, focusing on her roles as a hunter, archer, sister to Apollo, queen of wild creatures, and protector of young girls.

This episode explores the life and personality of Tacitus, the great historian of Imperial Rome, despite limited factual details about his personal history.

This episode explores Saturnalia, a popular Roman midwinter festival centered around the god Saturn, discussing its historical significance, the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum, and its role as a treasury.

This episode explores the history and founding of Alexandria, the ancient city established by Alexander the Great in Egypt.

This episode explores the history and significance of the ancient Library of Alexandria, highlighting its tragic loss and cultural importance.

This episode explores the overlooked contributions of women poets in ancient Greece, challenging traditional lists of great lyric poets compiled by Hellenistic scholars.

This episode explores the mythological origins of Hera, the queen of the Olympian gods, focusing on her birth, being swallowed by her father Kronos, and eventual rescue by Zeus.

Natalie Haynes introduces the Roman poet Virgil, exploring his birth during civil war, family's land loss, and how these experiences influenced his early work like the Eclogues, with a surprising note on his later wealth.

Natalie Haynes explores the life of Sophocles, highlighting his remarkable longevity of 90 years in ancient Greece, where high mortality was common, and discusses his success in writing over 100 plays that consistently won top prizes at the Dionysia competitions.

Natalie Haynes explores the life of Petronius, the Roman satirist who served as Nero's arbiter of elegance, detailing his snobbish role and eventual downfall due to treason accusations.

This episode explores the life and background of Livia Drusilla, the first empress of Rome, including her family origins and how she was perceived by later emperors like Caligula.