Send us a text

In Greek myth, Delphi was the literal center of the world. In real-world religious practice, it lived up to its reputation. People came from all over the Greek world — and even outside it — to seek Apollo’s guidance in matters both personal and political. In this episode, host Scott Emmons discusses the mythical origins of the Delphic oracle, the mystery of the Pythia’s inspiration, the riddling nature of oracular responses, and the importance of Delphi in the power struggles between Greek states.

For images related to this episode, check out Episode 13 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Suggested Reading:

The Delphic Oracle by H.W. Parke and D.E.W. Wormell (A seminal work in two volumes, published in 1956. Available at the Internet Archive)

Delphi: A History of the Center of the Ancient World by Michael Scott

Oracle: Ancient Delphi and the Science Behind its Lost Secrets by William J. Broad

Support the show

Send us a text

Ancient Greece was defined by its culture, not by its borders. Starting in the 8th century BCE, Greeks planted settlements in southern Italy and Sicily — so many that the area came to be known as Magna Graecia, "Great Greece." Hellenic settlements soon spread to other parts of the Mediterranean and also to the northeast, even surrounding the Black Sea. This episode takes you on a whirlwind tour of Greek settlements, then focuses in on Cyrene, a thoroughly Greek city located in North Africa.

For maps and photos accompanying this episode, check out Episode 12 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.

Reading Suggestions:

The Greeks Overseas by John Boardman

Wandering Greeks by Robert Garland

Greece in the Making, 1200-479 BC by Robin Osborne

Support the show

Send us a text

The Lelantine War between Khalkis and Eretria was the first major historical conflict that drew in combatants from around the Greek world. And yet, we know next to nothing about it. Ancient historians and other authors mention it in passing, but they don’t tell us exactly when it happened, how long it lasted, or even who won. While it’s possible to reconstruct a rough outline from ancient sources, some scholars maintain that the war may never have taken place at all. The Lelantine War can give us a glimpse of an aristocratic approach to warfare in the early polis. But it also provides a lesson in the difficulty distinguishing between history and legend in the early Archaic Period.

For views of Euboea and the Lelantine Plain, see Episode 11 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com

Reading Suggestions:

A History of the Archaic Greek World by Jonathan M. Hall

Early Greece by Oswyn Murray

“The Lelantine War: A Conflict Lost in Time” by Josh Brouwers in Ancient World Magazine

Support the show