A shorter episode today discussing book XXI of the Iliad! Achilles goes round murdering people like there's no tomorrow, and one of the rivers he keeps flinging people into objects to this. Not only that, but we get more partisanship from the gods and an honouring of a grisly promise.

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Scamander (online) (Accessed 03/04/2025).

As also stated in the episode audio, there will be no episode for the next two weeks as Autocrat is on a bit of an Easter break.

Patroclus is dead and Achilles is feeling seriously unhappy about it. And the Trojan army is going to know about it. But along the way, join us to give a sulking Odysseus a video game controller as a distraction and watch two grown men negotiate over a woman! Yay...

Sources for this episode:

TBA

We're sorry.

Sources for this episode:

• Apollonius of Rhodes (1972), The Voyage of Argo. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

• The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2018), Linus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).
• The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2021), Lake Avernus summary (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).
• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.

• Ovid (1968), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

• Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Oeagrus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).

The United States of America may only have been founded in the 18th century, but the influences on it stretch all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire and, before that, the Roman Republic. We sat down with Jerry Landry from the Presidencies of the United States podcast to talk about the Senate, cities called Carthage, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, and more!

Sources and quick references for this episode:

• Borritt, G. S. (1975), The Voyage to the Colony of Linconia. The Historian 37(4): 619-632.
• McGinley, G. J. (1927), Roman Law and Its Influence in America. Notre Dame Law Review 3(2): 70-88.
• McMahon, L. (2014), The Foederati, the Phoideratoi, and the Symmachoi of the Late Antique East (ca. A.D. 400-650). University of Ottawa.
• Mower, J. H. (1947), The Republic of Liberia. The Journal of Negro History 33(3): 265.
• Author unknown, Enders and Shirley (date unknown), Jane Carey Harrison (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Find A Grave (date unknown), Benjamin "X" Harrison (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Geotargit (date unknown), How many cities are called Rome in America? (online) (Access date uncertain).

• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Aurelian (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Brutus (Antifederalist) (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Caesar Augustus Rodney (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), History of Barcelona (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Jefferson Memorial (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Jefferson (proposed Pacific state) (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Jefferson territory (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lincoln (proposed Northwestern state) (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Linconia (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lucius Junius Brutus (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lucretia Garfield (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Marcus Junius Brutus (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Muhammad Ali (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Neoclassical architecture (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Roman Senate (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Publius Valerius Poplicola (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Society of the Cincinnati (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), State of Franklin (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Texas divisionism (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), The Federalist Papers (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), The Rotunda (University of Virginia) (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), United States Capitol (online) (Access date uncertain).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), United States Senate (online) (Access date uncertain).

We've had Hector going ballistic on the opposing side- well, now it's Achilles' turn. He's not quite in the war itself yet, but we see him terrify the Trojans with just his appearance and Thetis getting Hephaestus to make new armour for mummy's special boy...

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.

You guessed it from the title- today is going to be a great day for Patroclus where nothing bad happens. He does get to do a grim version of fishing and wreak havoc among the Trojan lines before the Nothing Bad happens to him, though.

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
• Jarrett, C., BBC Science Focus (date unknown), What is the Speed of Thought? (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Welsh, T., The Conversation (2015), It feels instantaneous, but how long does it really take to think a thought? (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Nature Style (date unknown), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Aegis (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), List of birds by flight speed (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).

A lot of spears getting thrown and a lot of fighting in this instalment of the Iliad. Not only that, but Zeus is preventing the other gods from taking action in the battle. But don't worry, Hera has a plan! A plan to distract Zeus. A very... hinted at... plan.

Sources for this episode:

• The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2025), Scythian (online) (Accessed c.08/02/2025).
• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
• Kuzmanov, M. (2005), The horse in Thracian burial rites. Chapter in: Bouzek, J. and Domaradzka, L. (editors), The Culture of Thracians and their Neighbours. Oxford: Archaeopress.
• Smith, W. (1870), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
• Tacitus (1983), The Annals of Imperial Rome. Translated by M. Grant. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Anchises (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Asius (mythology) (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Tenedos (date unknown), Anchises (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Thanatos (date unknown), Anchises (online) (Accessed 08/02/2025).

It's Valentine's Day! Let's look at some of the romantic stories in Greek mythology and... oh. Well, at least Ovid gave up a prototype version of Romeo and Juliet to work with. That's right, it's the story of Pyramus and Thisbe!

Sources for this episode:

• Boccaccio, G. (1963), Concerning Famous Women. Translated by G. A. Guarino. Rutgers, The State University.
• Chaucer, G. (1889), The Legend of Good Women. Edited by W. W. Skeat. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.
• Dalley, S. (2005), Semiramis in History and Legend. Chapter in: Gruech, E. S. (editor), Cultural Borrowings and Ethnic Appropriations in Antiquity. Oriens et Occidens 8. Franz Steiner Verlag.
• Droß-Krüpe, K. (2023), Changing Identities at the Turn of the Common Era: The Case of Semiramis. Studia Orientalia Electronica 11(2): 116-129.

• Harrison, S. J., Oxford Classical Dictionary (2016, updated 2017), Pyramus and Thisbe (Accessed c.04/02/2025).
• Herodotus (1971), The Histories. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Ovid (1968), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Sayce, A. H. (1888), The Legend of Semiramis. The English Historical Review 3(9): 104–13.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ninus (online) (Accessed 04/02/2025).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Shamshi-Adad V (online) (Accessed 04/02/2025).