Episode 33: Antiope, Amphion & Zethus

In this episode I continue the discussion on the city-state of Thebes in Greek mythology, focusing on the kings who succeeded Cadmus. The most dramatic story is about the princess Antiope and her twin sons, Amphion and Zethus. These heroes were credited with building the magnificent walls and seven gates of Thebes. But their triumphs were also ruined bythe gods’ wrath, which led to the tragic end of their families.

Throughout, I provide historical and cultural context for Thebes, including its significance as a powerful kingdom in ancient times. The episode includes a lot of names and genealogy, so I’ve made a family tree available on the podcast website.

Family of Antiope

Episode 32: Cadmus & The Founding of Thebes

Many Greek heroes are responsible for founding a city or being the ancestral head of some powerful dynasty of later heroes. This episode focuses on Cadmus, who arrives in Greece while searching for his missing sister. He goes on to found the city of Thebes after killing a serpent dragon and marries Harmonia, an immortal daughter of the gods Ares and Aphrodite. I also discuss how their children went through a series of tragedies, most of which were due to offending the gods.

The Family of Cadmus

Episode 31: The Age of Heroes

Most people are familiar with names of the more important Greek heroes – ones like Achilles, Oedipus, Hercules, and Theseus. But the Greeks had myths telling the adventures of many different heroes, all living in an Age of Heroes. This episode is an introduction to the Age of Heroes as a whole. The following episodes will each focus on the individual heroes. In this episode, I also cover how the ancient Greeks explored their own past with their myths and how the legendary Age of Heroes can be treated as a fantasy version of Mycenaean Greece.

Episode 30: Did the Hittites Influence Greek Myth?

This is the final episode in the latest series on Hittite myths. Careful listeners of the past seven episodes were perhaps reminded of things from the previous Greek myth episodes. In this episode, I go back and discuss a few of those similarities between the different Mediterranean mythologies. 

Episode 28: Kumarbi Cycle Part 2 – The Rivals of Teshub

This episode continues with myths from the Kumarbi Cycle. While the storm god Teshub is now king in heaven, Kumarbi is still around, and instigates fighting between Teshub and several rivals. Some of these include LAMMA, an arrogant god; Kiase, the sea god and close ally of Kumarbi; and Hedammu, a monstrous sea serpent.

Episode 27: Kumarbi Cycle Part 1 – Father of the Gods

This episode kicks off a three-part retelling of a wacky series of myths called the Kumarbi Cycle. These myths, while important to the Hittites, were originally Hurrian. The stories revolve around two groups of gods fighting for power over the universe. The first part tells how Kumarbi took the throne and fathered a younger generation of gods. 

Episode 26: The Sun & The Underworld

Like with the storm gods, the Hittites worshipped multiple solar deities too. This episode covers them, two sun goddesses and one sun god. I also explore the Hittite’s ideas on the underworld. The different traditions for solar deities and underworld likely come from the different population layers of the Hittite world.

Episode 25: A Family of Storm Gods

The Hittites worshipped multiple storm gods, all with power over weather and living atop mountains, and several of them are arranged in a family relationship. This episode explores this family of storm gods. But, the Hittites also had a main storm god, called Tarhunna, who was considered a protector of the entire kingdom. His most important myths featured his conflicts with Illuyanka, a monstrous serpent creature. For fun, I also talk about a myth from Ireland.

Episode 24: Telipinu & What Happens When Gods Go Missing

This episode covers how the Hittites imagined their gods, and how they worshipped them. The Hittites took special care in keeping their gods’ attention, and if they failed, disaster struck! The Hittites had myths about the disappearance of certain gods. The best preserved tells how the god Telipinu left in a rage and how the other gods tried to find him.