Controversy is swirling around Netflix’s new six episode show Alexander: The Making of a God. I finished watching the six episodes this week and am ready to give my thoughts.  #1: Alexander and Hephaestion - move along, nothing to see here For thousands of years, there has always been debate about the relationship between Alexander the Great and his lifelong companion, Hephaestion. This show is no exception to the rule. Within the first few minutes, Alexander and Hephaestion are kissing while bathing in a stream. Although this scene triggered some “anti-woke” commentators, others (even s ..read more

Maerten van Heemskerck - Panorama with the Abduction of Helen Amidst the Wonders of the Ancient World (1535) The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the original viral list. It has captured the imagination of history nerds and travelers for thousands of years. Greek scholars and writers gained greater access to the far-reaching kingdoms of Egypt and Mesopotamia after Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world in the 4th century BC. Some of them traveled to these places and documented the most impressive structures they saw along the way. The list of Seven Wonders is really a list ..read more

Ancient Heroes Podcast · The Greatest Hero of All (w/ Emma Stafford) Heracles (aka Hercules) was known as the greatest of all the Greek heroes. In this episode, I talk to the world's leading expert in Heracles mythology Emma Stafford about who the hero was and what he meant to the people of the ancient world. Emma Stafford is Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Leeds. Professor Stafford's work focuses on Greek cultural history and she specializes in myth, allegory, personification, religion, and the reception of Greek culture. You can read more from her Wikipedia biography here. Pr ..read more

“But here, Achilles, accept this glorious armor, look, a gift from the god of fire — burnished bright, finer than any mortal has ever borne across his back! Urging, the goddess laid the armor down at Achilles’ feet and the gear clashed out in all its blazoned glory. A tremor ran through all the Myrmidon ranks — none dared to look straight at the glare, each fighter shrank away. Not Achilles. The more he gazed, the deeper his anger went, his eyes flashing under his eyelids, fierce as fire — exulting, holding the god’s shining gifts in his hands.” Iliad, Book 19, Fagles translation (Above: Achil ..read more

I’ve wanted to visit Greece since I started reading about its ancient history years ago, but between getting married, having a kid, COVID-19, changing jobs, etc. it kept getting put off. Finally, my wife Katy and I found a window to make it happen in October of 2022. Here are photos, notes, recommendations, and more ..read more

Ancient Heroes Podcast · Racism In The Classics? In this episode of the show, I give my reaction to the Daily’s Sunday podcast episode “He Wants to Save the Classics from Whiteness. Can the Field Survive?” The episode centers around the critique of Princeton Classics Professor Dan-el Padilla Peralta. I talk about aspects of his critique I agree with, as well as aspects I am skeptical or unsure about. I also play an audio clip from this interview of philosopher and public intellectual Cornell West and read an excerpt from his recent op-ed in the Washington Post ..read more

Ancient Heroes Podcast · Where is the Lost Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant, which allegedly held the stone tablets of the 10 Commandments, was among the holiest (and most feared) objects of ancient history. We look at the story of the Ark and what may have happened to it on the week of the 40th anniversary of the release of the iconic Indiana Jones film "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Here are links to the main sources I used in this episode: History Channel: Ancient Mysteries: Lost Ark of the Covenant Smithsonian Magazine: Keepers of the Lost Ark? 1177 BC: The Year Civilization ..read more

Ancient Heroes Podcast · The Big Problem with the film 300 How does "300" hold up to historical scrutiny? I talk about the weird, interesting, and misleading aspects of the popular 2006 film. You can also listen on Spotify, iTunes, and your podcast app ..read more

Ancient Heroes Podcast · The Unique Army that Defeated Sparta (w/ James Romm) The Sacred Band was an elite fighting force responsible for the rise of Thebes as the Greek superpower in the 4th century BC. According to ancient sources, it was also formed of 150 pairs of adult male lovers. I talk to historian and author James Romm about the origins and eventual defeat of the Sacred Band of Thebes. You can find Professor Romm’s brand new book The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers Fighting to Save Greek Freedom here. About James Romm (from his website) James Romm is an author, reviewer, and ..read more

Ancient Heroes Podcast · Wait...is Everything We Thought About Sparta a Lie? I talk to author and intelligence professional Myke Cole about his provocative upcoming book The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy. From Amazon: Myke Cole has had a colourful and varied career, with service in war and crisis response. He began as a security contractor to the CIA, and transitioned into a federal intelligence position first with DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), and then with the ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence). He commanded the reserve at US Coast Guard Station New York ..read more