The Autocrat team is on a bit of a break before we get into the Iliad in episode 59 next week. However, we didn't want to leave you starved of content! This week includes a bit of an update on scheduling, plus some fun moments from the podcast's history- including some never seen before...

Let us know if you want to see more bloopers, and we might include some on a Patreon someday!

A quick update welcoming you to 2025- or the 2778th year of Rome- and a primer on what you can expect for the year ahead. For any ancient Romans listening, feel free to ignore this until your New Year in March.

Sources for this episode:

• Blakemore, E., National Geographic (2023), The new year once started in March- here's why (online) (Accessed 31/12/2024).
• The Editors, Encylopedia Britannica (2024), Chinese New Year (online) (Accessed 31/12/2024).
• Author unknown, Uchicago (date unknown), Roman Calendar (online) (Accessed 31/12/2024).

Agamemnon is a family man. It's just a shame that family is also the answer to who needs to be put up on an altar. As the Greeks are loitering at Aulis before setting off for Troy, we watch the goddess Artemis announce that Iphigenia needs to sacrificed in order to placate her anger...

Sources for this episode:

• • Antoninus Liberalis (1992), The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis. Translated by F. Celoria. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Euripides (1910), The Plays of Euripides in English in 2 Volumes (Volume 1). Translated by Shelley Dean Milman, Potter and Woodhull. London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. and E. P. Dutton & Co.
  • Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
  • Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
  • Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
  • Lucretius (1921), On the Nature of Things. Translated by W. E. Leonard. London, Toronto and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. and E. P. Dutton & Co.
  • Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Myrmidons (online) (Accessed 07/12/2024).
  • Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Snake Island (Ukraine) (online) (Accessed 07/12/2024).

Christmas and the Anno Domini system of counting years are very intertwined. So, what better way to celebrate than to talk to someone going through every year of the AD calendar one at a time? We sat down with Dan from Augustus History, the creator of Yearly Histories, to talk about the challenges and the joys of such an endeavour.

Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. These are the three goddesses now fighting over an apple. And, strange as it sounds, it's this dispute that will lead to three naked goddesses standing in front of an unsuspecting mortal called Paris...

Sources for this episode:

• Brooks, F. (1896), Greek Lyric Poets. London: David Nutt.
• Euripides (1967), The Bacchae and Other Plays. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
• Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
• Koniaris, G. L. (1967), On Sappho, Fr. 16 (L. P.) Hermes 95(3): 257-268.
• Raynor, D. J. and Lardinois, A. (2014), Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.

Content warning: Peleus is a terrible person, so expect a mild reference to some implied nastiness.

Peleus is one of those people who gets things he doesn't deserve. Despite all that terrible behaviour we outlined in episode 55, he gets to marry a goddess! However, it's at the wedding that the seeds of something dreadful will be sown...

Sources for this episode:

• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
• Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
• Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books.
• 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), Judgement of Paris (online) (Accessed 01/12/2024).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Thetis (online) (Accessed 01/12/2024).

In the quiet before the storm of the Trojan War and its immediate causes, we introduce two major characters today. The first is Odysseus, great-grandson of Hermes and creator of oaths that blow up in his face. The second is Achilles- descendant of Zeus and an ancient Greek example of play dress-up to run away from your problems.

Sources for this episode:

• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
• Hyginus (1872), Fabulae. Edited by M. Schmidt. Jenae: Hermann Dufft.
• Statius (1928), Statius. Volume II: Thebiad V- XII and Achilleid. London and New York: William Heinemann, Ltd. and G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Content warning: the title should tell you everything you need to know here. The descendants of Tantalus are violent, and they don't mess about.

Tantalus is usually known for being the originator of the word tantalising. But how bad can his story really be? In this episode, Vince tells a progressively more horrified Cassie about the messed-up lives of his descendants- including Agamemnon and Menelaus...

Sources for this episode:

• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume II). London: William Heinemann.
• Oldfather, C. H. (1993), Diodorus of Sicily: the Library of History. In Twelve Volumes. Volume III: Books IV.59- VIII. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• Ovid (1955), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. London: Penguin Books.
• Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.
• Tzetzes, J. (last edited 2018), Chiliades or Book of Histories. Translated by A. Untila, G. Berkowitz, K. Ramiotis and V. Dogani.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Tantalus (son of Thyestes) (online) (Accessed 19/11/2024).