Myth Madness: A Mythology Podcast

The great hero twins Castor and Polydeukes (Roman Pollux) were known as the Dioscuri which means “Sons of Zeus”. Considered by the ancient Greeks to be two of the greatest heroes, there are surprisingly not a whole lot of stories starring them that survive to today. However, there are a few important incidents, which are covered in this episode. Beyond the Dioscuri, Greek mythology features several examples of other hero twins with interesting similarities to the Dioscuri.

In Greek mythology, centaurs were dangerous. Numerous heroes got into fights with them and there was even a centaur war. In it, the half-horse creatures fought against an equally fierce human tribe called the Lapiths, led by a hero named Pirithous. Pirithous is an interesting character in Greek mythology. He is not well known today, but its clear he was important to the ancient Greeks. This episode covers:

• The mythical origins of the centaurs and Lapiths
• How trouble at Pirithous’s wedding led to a war between the two groups
• Pirithous’ ill-fated friendship with Theseus

Theseus was one of the heroic monster-slayers of ancient Greece. This episode covers his most famous deed – the slaying of the Minotaur. As a punishment for the Athenian king’s involvement in the murder of his son, Minos of Crete demanded a tribute of 7 young men and 7 young women every nine years to feed the Minotaur. Theseus was one of these youths. He went to Crete, and with help from the princess Ariadne, killed the Minotaur. After returning to Athens, Theseus ascended the throne and went on to have other adventures.

Theseus was one of the heroic monster-slayers of ancient Greece. This episode covers his beginnings. The Athenian king Aegeus was childless and worried about his hold on the throne. The fairly unhelpful advice he got from the Oracle of Delphi brought him to the palace of his friend Pittheus. What followed was the pregnancy of Pittheus’ daughter Aethra, and the birth of Theseus. When Theseus grew up, he set out to meet his father, and met some dangerous characters along the way.

Peleus is a Greek hero who is not well known today but was important during ancient times. He was an Argonaut searching for the Golden Fleece, and a hunter for the Calydonian Boar. Peleus enjoyed a special relationship with the centaur Chiron, and the fondness of the Olympian gods. His most important myth was his marriage to the goddess Thetis.

A few special events in Greek mythology have multiple heroes from different parts of Greece come together to get a job done. One of these was the Hunt for the Calydonian Boar. The boar was sent by an angry Artemis and terrorized the woods of Calydon. The hero Meleager organized a party of heroes to stop the beast’s rampage through his homeland. A key figure was the female hunter Atalanta. This episode covers her role in the Hunt and what she did afterwards.

Orpheus was a hero from the Greek region of Thrace. The the ancient Greeks considered Thrace a wild and barbarous place full of warring tribes. Surprisingly though, Orpheus was not warlike. He was a talented musician and a keeper of strange sacred knowledge. The best-known myth about Orpheus involves his wife Eurydice and his descent to the underworld to rescue her. This episode also explores the Orphic Argonautica, which tells the story of the Golden Fleece from Orpheus’ perspective. 

In the last four episodes, I covered the story of Jason and the Argonauts. In the poem the Argonautika, which was the basis of my retelling, the success of their adventure mostly revolved around the actions of the young woman Medea. This episode continues on from last time and tells what happened to Medea after she returned with Jason to Greece. I also go into more detail on the figure of Medea herself. She had a very well-developed body of mythic material going back to the earliest days of ancient Greece.

With the Golden Fleece secured, Jason and his crew of heroes made the long voyage back home to Greece. Along the way, they were chased by fleets of angry and vindictive enemies, and made their way through a series of dangerous trials. The anger of gods made the voyage dangerous and only the aid of goddesses made their return possible.

Some topic covered:

• The Pursuit of the Argo
• The Murder of Absyrtus
• The Marriage of Jason and Medea
• Talos, the Bronze Giant
• Hints of lost versions

The Golden Fleece was possessed by Aeetes, king of the faraway land of Colchis. This episode will cover Jason and the Argonaut’s arrival in Colchis, what happened there with Aeetes, and their departure. Find out if the actions of goddesses and a love-struck daughter would be enough to ensure Jason’s success.