Questo sito fa uso di cookie per migliorare l'esperienza di navigazione degli utenti. Leggi la nostra Normativa sulla privacy e i Termini di servizio per saperne di più.
OK!
This week, in what might be the funniest episode yet, Molly and Emese are joined by co-stars Amy Schumer and Brianne Howey. They get candid about motherhood, career evolution, and their new film, Kinda Pregnant —which unexpectedly led to Amy’s latest health discovery. Amy opens up about how public criticism led her to uncover her Cushing syndrome diagnosis, what it’s like to navigate comedy and Hollywood as a mom, and the importance of sharing birth stories without shame. Brianne shares how becoming a mother has shifted her perspective on work, how Ginny & Georgia ’s Georgia Miller compares to real-life parenting, and the power of female friendships in the industry. We also go behind the scenes of their new Netflix film, Kinda Pregnant —how Molly first got the script, why Amy and Brianne were drawn to the project, and what it means for women today. Plus, they reflect on their early career struggles, the moment they knew they “made it,” and how motherhood has reshaped their ambitions. From career highs to personal challenges, this episode is raw, funny, and packed with insights. Mentioned in the Episode: Kinda Pregnant Ginny & Georgia Meerkat 30 Rock Last Comic Standing Charlie Sheen Roast Inside Amy Schumer Amy Schumer on the Howard Stern Show Trainwreck Life & Beth Expecting Amy 45RPM Clothing Brand A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us at @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…
Welcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with the light of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Why should we read the Great Books? Everyone is a disciple of someone. A person may have never read Locke or Nietzsche, but he or she thinks like them. Reading the Great Books allows us to reclaim our intellect and understand the origin of the ideas that shape our world. We enter a "great conversation" amongst the most learned, intelligent humans in history and benefit from their insights. Is this for first-time readers? YES. Our goal is to host meaningful conversations on the Great Books by working through the texts in chronological order in a slow, attentive manner. Our host Adam Minihan is a first-time reader of Homer. We will start shallow and go deep. All are invited to join. Will any resources be available? YES. We are providing a free 115 Question & Answer Guide to the Iliad written by Deacon Harrison Garlick in addition to our weekly conversations. It will be available on the website (launching next week). Go pick up a copy of the Iliad! We look forward to reading Homer with you in 2024.
Welcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with the light of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Why should we read the Great Books? Everyone is a disciple of someone. A person may have never read Locke or Nietzsche, but he or she thinks like them. Reading the Great Books allows us to reclaim our intellect and understand the origin of the ideas that shape our world. We enter a "great conversation" amongst the most learned, intelligent humans in history and benefit from their insights. Is this for first-time readers? YES. Our goal is to host meaningful conversations on the Great Books by working through the texts in chronological order in a slow, attentive manner. Our host Adam Minihan is a first-time reader of Homer. We will start shallow and go deep. All are invited to join. Will any resources be available? YES. We are providing a free 115 Question & Answer Guide to the Iliad written by Deacon Harrison Garlick in addition to our weekly conversations. It will be available on the website (launching next week). Go pick up a copy of the Iliad! We look forward to reading Homer with you in 2024.
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is once again joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the first part of the Eumenides, the third play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Check out our written guide to the Oresteia. The final play of Aeschylus’ Oresteia , The Eumenides , sets forth the transformation of justice from the familial mechanics of the blood avenger to a more mature procedural justice set within the polis. It is a story of civilizational maturation. Whereas Agamemnon and the Libation Bearers dealt with the house of Atreus, the Eumenides deals with Athens—a movement from family to polis in consideration of justice. The first half of the Eumenides establishes the groundwork for the plays central conflict: the trial of Orestes with the Furies and Apollo vying against each under with Athena as the judge. The play seeks to find a resolution between two warring worldviews: the more primordial justice of the Furies and the more rational Olympian sensibilities represented by Apollo. What is brought forth by Athena is a new answer to the question: what is justice? To the degree her answer is new, however, is a topic to discuss. Lean more by checking out our guide !…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Mr. Thomas Lackey, and the Adam Minihan come together to discuss the second part of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for guides and more information. Support us on Patreon and get access to guides! The second half of the Libation Bearers moves decisively toward the climax of Orestes’ role as blood avenger, culminating in the deaths of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. He will enact the justice that is demanded, and in turn be guilty of murdering his own blood—his mother. As Adam observed, “Orestes is both hero and victim.” This tangled question of justice—whether Orestes can fulfill his father’s demand without succumbing to his mother’s curse—creates the tension from which Aeschylus will bring forth a narrative not in Homer—the third part of the triad, the Eumenides . I. Orestes’ Plan: Vengeance Under the Guise of Guest Friendship (634) Orestes arrives at the house of his father disguised as a stranger (634). Notice, however, that the dynamics of xenia in this scene are subtly off-kilter from the start. First, no one is answering the door (636). Second, the porter asks the stranger for his name (639), an immediate breach of Homeric norms in the Iliad and Odyssey where hospitality was always extended before the host asks who the guest is. The cultural norm of guest-friendship being poorly shown by the house of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus is a subtle sign that the house is disordered and unhealthy. Like Odysseus, Aeschylus has Orestes come home in disguise and lie about his identity (556). Thomas noted the complexity and methodical planning of Clytemnestra’s murder of Agamemnon juxtaposed with the simplicity of Orestes’ plan of revenge. A key part of this deception is his claim that he, Orestes, has died, a declaration that seems unnecessary for his mission (665). Why does Orestes tell them he’s dead? One answer could be another parallel Aeschylus is making with the Odyssey : like Odysseus the beggar testing the loyalty of those in Ithaca prior to his reveal, so too is Orestes using news of his death to test those in the palace at Argos. In other words, he can observe who shows true despair at the news of his death—those are his friends in this mission of vengeance. Check out our written guide for more information!…
This week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and the Adam Minihan to discuss part one of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbooksdpodcast.com for more resources. Check out our Patreon for a written GUIDE to the whole Oresteia. From our guide: The Libation Bearers presents Orestes as both the hero and the victim. The cycle of violence will both demand his action and condemn it. “The one who acts must suffer,” as Aeschylus observes. The play builds an incredible tension within the current mechanics of justice and primes the audience to desire some lasting resolution—a resolution that will only come in the Eumenides . Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers , the second play in the triad of the Oresteia , places Orestes within the moral tension of lex talionis and its cycle of violence. He is the son who, to avenge his father, must kill his mother, Clytemnestra. Aeschylus presents us with fundamental questions on justice—a primitive justice that demands blood for blood, an eye for an eye. The cycle of violence both demands action and condemns it. What makes the Libation Bearers such an essential and resonant part of the Oresteia is its relentless focus on the mechanics of justice and its interplay between violence and fate. Aeschylus "pushes us to think not only about the relationships in play but about larger moral questions.” Through Orestes’ struggle to fulfill his divine obligation as blood avenger, and through Electra’s own crisis of prayer, the play asks profound questions about the nature of justice. Aeschylus’ beautiful line, "The anvil of justice stands fast... fate beats out her sword" (628), is arguably the moral heart of the play. A tale of pain, justice, and fate. I. Orestes Returns Home (1) The story begins several years after the murder of Agamemnon, when Orestes, now a young man of eighteen or so, secretly returns home from exile. [1] Much of the tragedy lies in understanding Orestes’ difficult situation: to be a blood avenger for his father, he must kill his own blood, his mother. Orestes’ opening monologue invokes Hermes—who fittingly serves as the bridge between the living and the dead (1). The opening invocation to the divine was seen in Agamemnon as well and will be seen again in the Eumenides . The relationship between the living and the dead is a key theme in this play and a perennial question that makes this a great book. It will contain both prayers on behalf of the dead and the intercession of the dead for the living. It is notable that in the absence of having a father, Orestes is presented as a confident, determined figure ready to do the unthinkable. In the Odyssey , he served as the role model for Telemachus, and here we see him lack the timidity and self-doubt that plagued the fatherless Telemachus. It raises the question, however, of who or what shaped Orestes into a character ready to face this grave moral burden? To use a phrase, who was his Mentor? As we will see in the text, as Telemachus had Athena, Orestes had Apollo.... Keep up the good work! [1] Fagles, 305.…
We are reading Aeschylus' Oresteia. This week Dcn. Garlick, Adam Minihan, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss part two of Aeschylus' Agamemnon, the second part of the first play of the Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more sources. Check out our written guide to the Oresteia. I. Clytemnestra and Agamemnon: Murder, Manipulation & Denial (795) Clytemnestra dominates Agamemnon as a complex figure of cleverness, rage, and manipulation. Upon Agamemnon’s return, she denies him a true homecoming by rolling out the red tapestries and inviting him to walk on them (901). Two main observations on the red tapestries. First, Clytemnestra is literally denying Agamemnon the satisfaction of setting his foot on Argos’s soil. It is a denial of him truly coming home. Compare this denial to the herald who praises the soil of Argos upon his return (493). Second, walking on the tapestries is an act of hubris and impiety. Even Agamemnon states it is an act reserved for the gods (915). It said that the dye needed to make these tapestries would have been incredibly laborious and expensive—and upon walking upon them, they would be ruined. Note also their comparison to streams of blood (903). Clytemnestra is inviting Agamemnon to a prideful, impious, and prodigal act. The invitation should be compared to Agamemnon’s opening lines that praise and give gratitude to the gods (795). Clytemnestra hatred is profound. Her actions reflect years of planning, deep-seated hatred, and extraordinary control over the narrative surrounding the king’s return. She is leading Agamemnon into impiety so that he will die at odds with the divine. It is akin, in Catholic parlance, to leading someone into mortal sin prior to murdering them. It is a supernatural cruelty similar to Achilles intentionally throwing bodies in the river to deny them their burial rites in the Iliad . Agamemnon's behavior in this moment reflects his characteristic weakness. He is effeminate, weak-willed, and impressionable. Clytemnestra is clever and dominative (935). He even states that Clytemnestra is treating him “like a woman” (912). His inability to assert himself as either husband or king leaves him vulnerable to Clytemnestra's intellectual superiority. She remarks: “The power is yours, if you surrender your free will to me,” underscoring how she undermines his authority on every level (939). One should recall the wife of Odysseus, Penelope, the “matchless queen of cunning,” who through her wit and fidelity preserved King Odysseus’ kingdom and herself until his return. One may see Clytemnestra as an evil Penelope—a queen whose wit is turned against her king to his destruction. II. The Chorus and the Tragedy of Cassandra (977) The old men of Argos, the chorus, “huddle in terror” as Agamemnon and Clytemnestra enter the palace. They are afraid and inept. Notice the imagery of a man’s blood wetting the earth and whether it can then sing (1017). It is difficult not to think of the story of Cain and Abel, and how Abel’s blood cried out to God (Genesis 4:10). Clytemnestra reemerges from the palace and attempts to coax Cassandra, the Trojan princess, into the palace. Cassandra is silent, which is expected, as it was tradition only two persons would speak on the stage at a time—and here Clytemnestra and the leader of the chorus are both speaking. As an aside, one of the most comical moments of the entire Oresteia was when Cassandra was revealed (947). Agamemnon steps down from his chariot in front of a wife who hates him only to reveal the young, beautiful Trojan princess. It is a darkly comedic moment in which one imagines the internal hatred churning in Clytemnestra at the sight of Cassandra. Aeschylus plays with his audience’s assumption that Cassandra is not a speaking character. When Clytemnestra goes into the palace, it would have been a surprise enough to have Cassandra speak—but Aeschylus has her scream (1072). As Lackey describes, Cassandra’s scream would have shocked the audience and created a sense of foreboding. Lackey compares the moment to a “jump scare in a horror movie,” emphasizing how unexpected and unsettling it would feel to a Greek audience accustomed to the constraints of the dramatic tradition. Aeschylus draws heavily from the myth of Cassandra. To wit, Apollo, the god of prophecy, desired Cassandra, but in the act of coupling with her, she drew away from him (1213). It is a rare occurrence of the divine act lacking fecundity. As such, Apollo cursed Cassandra with the gift of prophecy, but no one will believe her (1218). The one caveat is that when someone does finally believe her, it will be a sign of her death is imminent (1219). [1] Her prophetic warnings go unheeded, as per her curse, but her vivid descriptions of the family’s blood-soaked history and impending doom deepen the play’s tension. “The house that hates god, an echoing womb of guilt… soil streaming blood,” Cassandra cries, invoking the horrors of Tantalus and Atreus (1088). Aeschylus uses Cassandra to explain the action that will occur offstage, as she describes Agamemnon’s death (1126). Justice in Agamemnon is reduced to cycles of revenge, a primitive form of blood vengeance that sustains violence rather than resolving it. Cassandra herself is tangled in this cycle, a figure of tragic innocence like Iphigenia before her. As Lackey notes, “Cassandra is innocent in so many ways… the most innocent of victims,” and yet she is offered no way out of her fated demise. She is the “last ember” of Troy (1173). One should recall too that in addition to suffering the fall of Troy and the death of her family, Cassandra was raped by little Ajax in the temple of Athena in Troy. It was this evil she suffered that caused Athena to curse the Achaeans with Poseidon’s help during their journey home... Check out our guide, linked above, for more! [1] Fagles, 302.…
Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Thomas Lackey are reunited to discuss the first part of Agamemnon, the first play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our written guide available to our supporters: The first play of the Oresteia tells of the homecoming of Agamemnon and is predominately animated by revenge. Aeschylus presents us with questions concerning the legitimacy of the Trojan war, how Argos has suffered without its king, and why Clytemnestra has plotted to murder her husband. Though chronologically Odysseus has not return home yet, one should compare this text to the Odyssey and Odysseus’ own homecoming – written almost three hundred years prior by Homer. Aeschylus draws heavily from Homer but changes small but significant details, which creates a narrative that presents a profound lesson on the weaknesses of lex talionis as enacted by the blood avenger model. Throughout Agamemnon and into Libation Bearers , we are invited to consider whether a new model of justice is needed. I. The Opening: Unease and Gender Inversions (1) The play begins with an invocation to the gods, as will the following two plays. Through the watchman, Aeschylus communicates the time and setting to his audience in a manner typical of Greek drama. The watchman’s opening monologue conveys a disquieting mood of fear and quiet dread. As observed, Lackey describes the opening as “a little eerie and a little bit off.” Notably, the watchman yearns for the return of Agamemnon, his king, and we note the king’s absence has left the kingdom, Argos, in suffering (24, 37). One thinks here of the suffering of Ithaca without Odysseus in the Odyssey . The opening passages invites us to ask: “What has life been like in Argos over the past decade during the king’s absence?” and “What is the effect of the empty throne of Argos upon its people?” From the outset, Aeschylus will play with gender roles and descriptions. Notice Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife, “maneuvers like a man” (13), while Agamemnon himself will be presented as effeminate. This thematic inversion invites readers to examine Aeschylus’ pedagogical purpose for such language. As Dr. Grabowski observes, the toying with gender traits parallels Shakespeare’s Macbeth , wherein Lady Macbeth similarly exhibits masculine qualities of ambition and dominance. As the play progresses, readers gain insight into life in Argos during Agamemnon’s ten-year absence. The people long for an end to their suffering, for “an end to their pain” (23). Notably, Aeschylus allows us to see how Argos viewed the Trojan war (44), which is largely presented, at first, as a just war in which Agamemnon was the “great avenger” of Zeus punishing Troy for its violation of guest-friendship (45), i.e., Prince Paris absconding with Menelaus’ wife, Helen. The reader should note whether Agamemnon’s return starts to adjust this narrative.... Check out our whole guide on the Oresteia.…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are reunited to intro Aeschylus, the Father of Greek Tragedy. Aeschylus (b. 525 BC) was a warrior, statesman, and the father of Greek tragedy. Born into nobility, he grew up in Athens during its pivotal transition from tyranny to democracy. Furthermore, he famously fought in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), defending a nascent Western civilization against Persian invasion. Aeschylus died in 456 BC, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the foundation of Greek drama. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our guide on the Oresteia : 1. What is the Ionian Revolt? To understand Aeschylus, we must first understand the Greco-Persian War (c. 499 BC to 429). In sum, what is called the “First Persian Empire,” founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 BC, stretched from modern-day Iran, Asia Minor, modern day Israel, and Egypt. In Asia Minor, this Persian empire ruled over Hellenistic city-states. One may recall that Troy, a polis with both Hellenistic and eastern traits, was also located in Asia Minor. In 499 BC, the city-states rebelled against their Persian overlords with the support of Athens in what is known as the “Ionian Revolt.” The revolt failed and the Persians retained control of Asia Minor; however, King Darius of the Persian Empire believed Athens should be punished and elected to invade Greece. 2. What was the first invasion in the Greco-Persian Wars? The Ionian Revolt sparked the larger Greco-Persian Wars and led to King Darius’ invasion of ancient Greece in 492 BC. Athens led the federation of city-states against the Persians, and Aeschylus fought for the Athenian army. Notably, Aeschylus and his brother both fought at the famous Battle of Marathon in 490 BC at which the first Persian invasion was defeated. [1] Aeschylus’ brother, however, died in the conflict. [2] The Battle of Marathon is often held as a watershed moment in the birth of Western culture. The battle is also the namesake of running a marathon , as the legend has it that an Athenian runner ran the twenty-six miles from Marathon to Athens to tell them of the Athenian victory. 3. What was the second Persian invasion in the Greco-Persian Wars? Ten years later, a second Persian invasion was headed by King Darius’ son, King Xerxes. This is the setting for the famous Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC), in which the smaller Spartan force of approximately 7000 men under King Leonidas held off 120,000-300,000 Persian invaders. The word Thermopylae means “hot gates” and takes its name from the hot springs in that area—it is also fittingly one of the mythological entrances to Hades. After Thermopylae, the Athenians won a great naval battle against the Persians at Salamis in 480 BC. Notably, Aeschylus is said to have fought in this battle as well and wrote his play The Persians about the conflict. The Greeks, led by the Athenians and Spartans, would eventually expel the Persians and bring peace in 449 BC. 4. What do we know about Aeschylus’ writings? Aeschylus is the “earliest Greek tragic poet whose work survives,” and “he wrote some seventy to ninety plays.” [3] Aeschylus is considered the “real founder of Greek tragedy.” [4] He won his first victory as a tragic poet in 484 BC. It should be noted that the competitions for best tragic play were religious and civil festivals; thus, the plays have deep ramifications for the spiritual and political realities of the Athenians. [5] Only seven of his plays still exist: the Persians (472), the Seven Against Thebes (476), the Oresteia triad (458), the Supplicants (463), and Prometheus Bound —the last of which has disputed authorship and was produced after Aeschylus’ death. [6] 5. Why do we read the Oresteia ? Aeschylus is a teacher. He is a teacher of justice, suffering, and order. The Oresteia is a triad or three plays telling the story of the death of Agamemnon, the death of Clytemnestra, and the trial of Orestes. Aeschylus takes a story well known in Homer and masterfully moves it into a story revealing how Athens matured in its understanding of justice. The execution of justice moves from a familial blood avenger model to a more procedural model of the polis. It represents a considerable step forward in the Greek understanding of justice. In many ways, Aeschylus’ Oresteia gives us a more robust ending that what we received in the Odyssey . Looking forward, it brings us one step closer to considerations of justice in Plato’s Republic . The Oresteia , like all great books, comments on the human condition, and offers perennial truths for those with the patience to listen. Coming up! Join us in reading the Oresteia: Agamemnon Part I Agamemnon Part II Libation Bearers Part I Libation Bearers Part II Eumenides Part I Eumenides Part II Footnotes: [1] Companion, 15. [2] Companion, 15. [3] Companion, 15. [4] Companion, 15. [5] Companion, 16. [6] Companion, 15.…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey come together to discuss Hesiod's Theogony - a poem about the origin of the gods and the cosmos. Key conversations: The role of the Muses The four primordial gods - especially Chaos Eros as the generative and binding force of the cosmos Zeus as a bringer of civilization The Prometheus myths Women as the beautiful evil Hesiod is a contemporary of Homer. Homer composed the Iliad around 750 BC and the Odyssey around 725 BC, and Hesiod was active in the mid 700s and into the 600s. [1] Hesiod, like Homer, has roots in Asia Minor. His father is believed to have been a merchant who moved from Asia Minor to Mount Helicon in ancient Greece. [2] Notably, Mount Helicon had several springs that were sacred to the Muses, and it serves as the setting of the opening of the Theogony . Hesiod lived an agricultural life working his family farm and writing poetry. Hesiod is similar to Homer insofar as both are the recipients of a large treasury of Greek mythology. Hesiod is dissimilar to Homer insofar as Hesiod most likely originally wrote his plays—as opposed to them existing first as oral rhapsodies that were then reduced to writing, like with Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey . Check out our Musings of the Theogony written guide! Check out our website for more resources. [1] See A Reader’s Guide: 115 Questions on the Iliad , Ascend: The Great Books Podcast. [2] See Ed. M. C. Howatson, Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2013), 294.…
You can read the Greek plays with Ascend! Dcn. Harrison Garlick flies solo this week as he explains why you should read the Greek plays. He discusses how the plays are an intellectual bridge between Plato and Homer and explains some of the major themes you can expect in their writings: justice, eros, fate, divinity, etc. He'll then introduce each Greek play to be read and why it is worth reading. Join us! Schedule below: HESIOD'S THEOGONY & GREEK PLAYS (2025) 1/1 Intro to the Greek Plays 1/7 Hesiod's Theogony THE ORESTEIA by Aeschylus 1/14 Into to Aeschylus 1/21 Agamemnon Part I 1/28 Agamemnon Part II 2/4 Libation Bearers Part I 2/11 Libation Bearers Part II 2/18 Eumenides Part I 2/25 Eumenides Part II READ DANTE'S INFERNO WITH ASCEND We are reading Dante's Inferno over LENT 2025. 3/4 Introduction & Canto I 3/11 Cantos II-V 3/18 Cantos VI-XI 3/25 Cantos XII-XVII 4/1 Cantos XVIII-XXV 4/8 Cantos XXVI-XXX 4/15 Cantos XXXII-XXXIV BACK TO THE GREEK PLAYS 4/22 Prometheus Bound with Dr. Jared Zimmerer THE THEBAN PLAYS by Sophocles 4/29 Antigone Part I 5/6 Antigone Part II 5/13 Oedipus Rex 5/20 Oedipus at Colonus Part I 5/27 Oedipus at Colonus Part II 6/3 The Bacchae Part I with Dr. Frank Grabowski 6/10 The Bacchae Part II with Dr. Frank Grabowski 6/17 Roundtable on the Tragic Plays Aristophanes 6/24 The Clouds by Aristophanes with Dr. Zena Hitz 6/1 The Frogs by Aristophanes with Tsh Oxenreider Find out more at thegreatbookspodcast.com .…
This week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Alberto Fernandez, a former U.S. diplomat and Vice President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) in Washington, D.C., to discuss "The Tower of the Elephant," one of the best Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard. Deacon and Alberto discuss the life and philosophy of Robert E. Howard along with key elements of the "Tower of the Elephant" short story (which is available online for free). Topics: Civilization v. Barbarism HP Lovecraft Nietzsche Vitalism In 2025, we are reading Hesiod, the Greek plays, Dante, and Plato! Join us! Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information.…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, to discuss the Odyssey as the restoration of Catholic Culture and the unique educational approach of Wyoming Catholic College. Eastern Catholicism John Senior Odyssey as the restoration of culture President Washut takes on the question: "Why go to a great books college" and gives an excellent answer. They have a brief detour into the importance of Eastern Catholicism before discussing the influence of John Senior on education and how the Odyssey serves as a metaphor for rebuilding culture. The conversation also highlights the integration of horsemanship as a means of personal development and the necessity of great teachers in the pursuit of a meaningful life. Quotes: "Horsemanship is soul craft." "You need to submit yourself to great teachers." "The Odyssey is a guide for rebuilding culture." "Religion is a natural virtue." Keywords : Great Books, Wyoming Catholic College, John Senior, Eastern Catholicism, Patristic Tradition, Odyssey, Education, Theology, Horsemanship, Benedictine, classical education, poetics, realism, Odysseus, Greek mythology, immortality, sacrifice, civilization, Homer, philosophy Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information!…
THE FINAL BOOK! Dcn. Garlick is joined by Adam Minihan, David Niles, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss Book 24 of the Odyssey: Peace. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our guide: 111. What happens in book twenty-four? Hermes leads the souls of the suitors to Hades, to the fields of asphodel, where they meet Achilles and Agamemnon (24.130). One of the suitors tells Agamemnon their story, and Agamemnon praises Odysseus calling him “happy” and praises his wife Penelope in contrast to his wife, Clytemnestra (24.210). Meanwhile, Odysseus and his men arrive at his country estate, and he elects to test his father, Laertes (24.238). Laertes passes the test, and Odysseus reveals himself to his father by showing him the scar (24.368). Elsewhere on Ithaca, the families of the suitors have discovered their deaths and cries arise in the city (24.457). Eupithes, father of Antinous, rallies the kinsmen of the suitors to take revenge upon King Odysseus (24.471). Medon, the bard, warns the mob that the deathless gods helped Odysseus (24.485), and Halitherses, a seer, tells them it was due to their own “craven hearts” that the massacred occurred (24.501). Athena intercedes on Odysseus’ behalf, and Zeus declares there should be peace in Ithaca (24.534). The mob arrives outside the country estate, and Odysseus, Laertes, Telemachus, and others prepare for combat (24.552). Athena strengthens Laertes to spear Eupithes in the head (24.576), and then she brokers peace between the two factions (24.584) 112. Who gained the most glory: Achilles, Agamemnon, or Odysseus? The opening passage on the plains of asphodel serves to compare the lives of Achilles, Agamemnon, and Odysseus. Agamemnon recounts the funeral of Achilles and the glory he achieved there, e.g., the Muses sang, he’s buried in a golden urn made by Hephaestus, etc. (24.64). Agamemnon explicitly states Achilles has achieved immortal glory (24.100), and Achilles’ death and burial serves as a comparison to the ignoble death of Agamemnon (24.30). If Agamemnon would have died in glory at Troy, he too could have had immortal glory—but instead, he was betrayed and slaughtered by his own wife. Despite Achilles having the better of the glory, we have already seen that he would trade it all in to be alive again—even if only to be a dirt farmer. Thus, when Agamemnon calls Odysseus “happy,” this seems to be a final judgment that Odysseus has found the best path: he has the glory ( kleos ) of both fighting in Troy and returning home—but he also now has political and familial peace. In a certain way, whereas Achilles had to choose between two fates (glory or peace), Odysseus has been given both. Good work everyone!…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mrs. Rachel Greb to discuss Book 23 of the Odyssey: The Great Rooted Bed. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources! From our written guide: 108. What happens in book twenty-three? The old maid Eurycleia, laughing with delight, runs and tells Penelope that the day she’s dreamed of is here: Odysseus has come home (23.05). “Penelope’s heart busts in joy” upon hearing that the beggar in the hall was actually her husband (23.34). Penelope, however, falls back into her guarded skepticism (23.75). She enters the hall and sits in silence studying his face in “numbing wonder” (23.100). Meanwhile, Odysseus counsels Telemachus on the threat of the suitors being avenged and asks that the whole house be full of dancing and merrymaking to hide the fact the suitors have all been slain (23.146). Odysseus is bathed, and Penelope instructs her servants to drag the marital bed out the chamber for this “strange man” to sleep on (23.193). Odysseus falls into a “fury,” as he knows the marital bed he made cannot be moved: it is made of the stump of an olive tree still rooted in the ground (23.203). Odysseus passes the test, and Penelope runs to him and embraces him in tears (23.230). Odysseus tells her of his penitential journey he must undertake to appease Poseidon (23.282), and, after the two delight in each other, he tells her of his journey home (23.349). The book ends with Odysseus, inspired by Athena, going out into the country to visit his father (23.407). 109. What should be noted about the reunion of Penelope and Odysseus? Penelope’s “heart bust[ing] in joy” at hearing the beggar was Odysseus again raises the question of what she already suspected. Despite the reaction, she quickly resumes her guarded skepticism (23.75). Most notably, Penelope is not convinced by the scar (22.83), and we should recall Telemachus’ earlier concern that a god could deceive them in the guise of Odysseus. Penelope shares this concern (23.250). What test has Penelope devised to avoid this fate? Note that Telemachus cannot understand what is happening between the man of twists and turns and the matchless queen of cunning (23.111). Penelope’s test is one of the intimate knowledge between husband and wife. The knowledge of the marital bed is the “secret sign” between them (23.226), as it is carved in part from a stump still rooted in the ground (23.222). The immovable marriage bed is an analogue for Penelope’s fidelity to her husband. It is the final answer to the parallel narrative of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Next week Book 24 and the end of the Odyssey!…
Slaughter in the hall! This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Adam Cooper of Wyoming Catholic College to discuss Odysseus' revenge upon the suitors in Book 24. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information! 103. What happens in book twenty-two? The time has come. Odysseus stands at the threshold of his home, cries out to Apollo, and lets loose an arrow straight through the neck of Antinous (22.15). It is chaos in the hall, as the “bread and meats [were] soaked in a swirl of bloody filth” (22.21). Eurymachus attempts to broker a true between Odysseus and the suitors—but it is rejected (22.57). Eurymachus then calls the suitors to arms and is subsequently slaughtered by Odysseus (22.73). Telemachus brings armor and weapons to his father, the swineherd, and the cowherd (22.121), but the goatherd, however, is able to sneak weapons and armor to the suitors as well (22.151). On his second run for weapons, the cowherd and swineherd intercept the goatherd and tie him up and hang him from the rafters (22.196). Athena first arrives in the guise of Mentor (22.217) and then becomes like a sparrow perched on the rafters assisting Odysseus in his slaughter (22.250). She reveals her “man-destroying shield of thunder” and the suitors fall into a panicked madness; as Odysseus and his men went “wheeling into the slaughter, slashing left and right, and grisly screams broke from skulls cracked open—the whole floor awash with blood” (22.311). With only a few suitors left in the hall, Odysseus has no mercy on their prophet but spares the bard and the herald (22.327). The slaughter of the suitors is complete. Odysseus has the old maid, Eurycleia, send in the female servants who were disloyal (22.458), and these women help to carry out the corpses and clean the home of gore (22.471). Telemachus then oversees the disloyal women being slowly hanged in the courtyard—a “pitiful, ghastly death” (22.487). The goatherd is retrieved and mutilated to death by the swineherd and cowherd (22.500). Odysseus purifies his home with fire and brimstone (22.518). The book ends with the loyal maid servants of the house surrounding Odysseus, and the king breaks down and weeps (22.528). 104. What should be noted in how the suitors are slaughtered Odysseus invokes Apollo, the god of archery, on his feast day to help him with his slaughter (22.07). Notice that Homer makes it explicit that the suitors are killed while feasting (22.09). Homer writes, “food showered across the hall, the bread and meats soaked in a swirl of bloody filth” (22.21). It recalls Odysseus’ statement that he is going to give them the feast they deserve (21.477). The mixed imagery of food and slaughter gives credence to seeing Odysseus as the cyclops consuming his guests. One wonders whether Antinous being shot in the throat is symbolic of his constant vile rhetoric throughout the narrative (22.15). Consistent with what we have previously observed, Eurymachus attempts to talk his way out of the situation, which includes an appeal for the king to spare his own people (22.57). Notice Odysseus says they can fight or flee, but it is not apparent that they can actually flee the situation nor that Athena would permit it (22.69). Arguably, Odysseus kills Antinous and Eurymachus first to deprive the suitors of their leadership—a fact he would have observed as the beggar. The suitors, which greatly outnumber Odysseus and his men, could overwhelm Odysseus, but instead their cowardice allows them to be picked off individually. Lastly, as with the cyclops narrative, Odysseus and his men are aware of the irony of guest-friendship, as they, for example, refer to throwing a spear as a guest-gift (22.304). 105. What should be made of the death of the serving women? The death of the female servants is one of the most disturbing scenes in Homer. Note the disloyal female servants are made to gather the bodies and clean the gore of the suitors—many of whom were their lovers (22.462). Odysseus makes this comparison explicit when he states the female servants will lie with the suitors in death as they did in life (22.469). Note, however, they Odysseus commands they be cut down with swords (22.468). Telemachus, however, has more cruel designs in mind in recompense for the abuse the disloyal women laid upon him and his mother (22.488). In one of the more famous scenes of the Odyssey , Telemachus has the women hanged slowly (22.497). The deaths are a sign that disloyalty is one of the graver faults in the Homeric world—a lesson shown best in the death of Melanthius, the goatherd. Keep up the good work!…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by another Catholic deacon, Dcn. Adam Conque to discuss Book 21 of the Odyssey: Odysseus Strings His Bow. Check out more at thegreatbookspodcast.com Help support the podcast and get access to guides! From the guide: 100. What happens in book twenty-one? The time has come for Penelope’s test and the slaughter the suitors (21.05). Penelope brings out Odysseus’ bow, one he received as a gift of friendship (21.40), and Telemachus sets out a line of ax heads the suitors must shoot through (21.140). Telemachus gives the first attempt and fails to even bend the bow (21.143). Leodes, a suitor, attempts and fails to even bend the bow as well (21.170). Antinous, who has been mocking everyone, has the goatherd attempt to limber the bow with fire and grease (21.198). Meanwhile, Odysseus takes the cowherd and swineherd out and reveals himself as their king—the three then plot the death of the suitors and return to hall. Eurymachus tries and cannot even bend the bow (21.274). Antinous, noting that Penelope has given them a test of archery on the feast day of Apollo, leads the suitors in a libation to the Archer God (21.289). Odysseus the beggar asks to try and is mocked by the suitors—but with the help of Penelope, Telemachus, and the swineherd, he is given his bow (21.314). The suitors look on with horror as he plucks the string with ease like a musical virtuoso (21.456). Odysseus lets an arrow fly, and the arrow passes through the ax heads perfectly (21.469). The book ends with Odysseus calling his son to arms, as it is time to provide the suitors their supper (21.473). 101. What should be noted about Odysseus’ bow? First, note that the bow was given to Odysseus as a gift, and one given in friendship (21.40). Second, it is a foreign bow (21.15). One wonders whether Odysseus’ ability to use the bow is not simply a test of strength but a test of techne , i.e., there is a cleverness needed to understand how to use the bow. Note that he seems to use a stool (21.467). Such a test would be more aligned with Odysseus as coupling of both cunning and strength. Third, it is notable that he did not take the bow to Troy with him. Moreover, one may question the veracity of Telemachus’ attempt (21.149). To wit, his failure and his commentary on it seems so dramatic that one wonders whether he is presenting himself as weak, as non-threatening to mislead the suitors right before the trap is sprung. Notice his language: “must I be a weakling, a failure all my life,” and “come, my betters” speaking of the suitors (21.150, 53). He speaks like the old Telemachus before his maturation, but the new Telemachus is confident and knows his father has come home. Is Telemachus channeling the rhetoric of his father and presenting a falsehood? Penelope running interference for Odysseus the beggar to attempt the test to become her suitor lends again to her knowing or having a suspicion of who he truly is (21.350). Moreover, pay attention to how she speaks of the beggar fondly (21.373). We are in the final stretch of our Year with Homer!…
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jennifer Frey of the University of Tulsa Honors College to discuss Book 20 of the Odyssey: The Portents Gather. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for guides and more! From the written guide: 97. What happens in book twenty? After his conversation with Penelope, Odysseus the beggar lays in bed alert to the fact the maidservants are leaving the house to go sleep with the suitors (20.08). Athena causes him to fall asleep (20.59), and in the morning Odysseus prays to Zeus for an omen of support (20.109). His prayer is answered and his “heart leapt up… convinced he’d grind the scoundrels’ lives out in revenge” (20.134). The palace is alive in preparation for a feast in honor of Apollo (20.173). We are introduced to a new character, the cowherd, who is immediately reminded of king Odysseus when he sees Odysseus the beggar the first time (20.224). Athena stirs up the suitors (20.316), and one of the suitors throws on “oxhoof” at Odysseus (20.320). Telemachus chastises the suitor (20.339), and the suitors ask Telemachus to have Penelope choose a new husband (20.370). Athena whips the suitors up into a frenzy (20.385), and the prophet, Theoclymenus, leaves the palace—as he is so troubled by his visions of the house drenched in blood (20.390). The book ends with the suitors mocking Telemachus, Telemachus bearing it stoically while looking at his father, and Penelope listening to every word said in the hall (20.439). 98. What should be made of Odysseus’ request of Athena? Odysseus’ request of Athena gives structure to the rest of the text (20.41). First, recall that it is Zeus that oversees guest-friendship; thus, Odysseus understands he needs divine permission to kill the guests in his home. Second, note the concern that if he does kill the suitors, their avengers will come to kill him (20.45). Here, we need to understand the judicial custom of blood avengers. In short, if a person in the family was murdered, a member of the victim’s family bore a responsibility to then avenger the death of their relative. This is the underpinning to the story of Orestes killing Aegisthus for the murder of his father, Agamemnon. Later in Aeschylus’ Oresteia , the tragedian will take up this story and explore the shortcomings with this understanding of justice. One such fault with the blood avenger model of justice is that is perpetuates circles of violence. For example, Odysseus will kill the suitors, but the family of the suitors will then seek to murder him; in turn, if they do murder Odysseus, Telemachus would then be bound to avenge father. As such, the concern is how does the cycle of violence stop? The answer to that question will be given one way at the end of the Odyssey and in another at the end of the Oresteia . Returning to the text, note that Athena does not answer him (20.47). Odysseus needs to have faith, as he’s not given a detailed explanation of the divine plan. It is notable the passage ends with Homer using “loosed his limbs” as an idiom for sleep—as its normally an idiom for death (20.61). One wonders then if we are not on the verge of a rebirth for Odysseus. Finally, despite Athena’s response, note that Odysseus still asks Zeus for a sign—and Zeus gives it to him (20.109). More questions and answers in our guide!…
Benvenuto su Player FM!
Player FM ricerca sul web podcast di alta qualità che tu possa goderti adesso. È la migliore app di podcast e funziona su Android, iPhone e web. Registrati per sincronizzare le iscrizioni su tutti i tuoi dispositivi.
Entra nella migliore app di podcast al mondo per gestire online i tuo programmi preferiti e riprodurli offline sulle tue app Android e iOS. È gratuito e facile!