081: Hellenistic Literature - Theocritus and Bucolic Poetry

12/10/22 • 16 min

1 Listener

Rather than writing tales of gods and heroes or flattering court panegyrics, the poet Theocritus of Syracuse (early second century B.C.) chose to focus on the simple life. As the founder of "Bucolic" or pastoral poetry, Theocritus cast the humble shepherd as the main subject, using idyllic scenes from the ancient countryside to illuminate his poems in a fashion that would be emulated by later artists such as Virgil. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2022/12/10/081-hellenistic-literature-theocritus-and-bucolic-poetry/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/081-hellenistic-literature-theocritus-and-bucolic-poetry.pdf) So You Think You Can Rule Persia?: Website (https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/RankingPersia) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Previous Episode

080: Hellenistic Literature - Menander and New Comedy

1 Recommendations

The playwright Menander of Athens (342/341 – 290 B.C.) was the most renowned comedic author of antiquity, surpassing even Aristophanes in popularity. As the father of the New Comedy, Menander moved away from biting satire to draw humor from the interactions of everyday people, popularizing the use of “stock characters” and romance plots that audiences could appreciate regardless of background or education. Of his 108 plays, only one has survived in complete form (The Dyskolos or “The Bad Tempered Man”), and in this episode we will delve into the history of New Comedy and Menander’s works in particular. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2022/11/25/080-hellenistic-literature-menander-and-new-comedy/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/080-hellenistic-literature-menander-and-new-comedy-transcript.pdf) The Alexander Standard Podcast: Website (https://alexanderstandardpod.podbean.com/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/AlexStandardPod) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/alexanderstandardpod/?hl=en) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Next Episode

Bonus: The Antikythera Shipwreck

1 Recommendations

In April 1900, a crew of Greek sponge divers found a 2,000 year old shipwreck at the bottom of the sea of the small island of Antikythera. A century of underwater expeditions has revealed many works of art such as rare life-sized bronze statues and glassware that provides a snapshot of the Late Hellenistic economy, along with the famous Antikythera Mechanism, the world’s oldest surviving analog computer. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2023/01/02/bonus-the-antikythera-shipwreck/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/bonus-the-antikythera-shipwreck-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)