Ancient History Hound

Content warning: references to violence and sexual assault.
It's that time of year for another Night of the Livy Dead halloween special and this time I'm looking at evidence for human sacrifice in the rituals and myths of the Greeks. From the Trojan war through to a fearsome cheese based challenge and more.
There's also a word from the Clueless on Classics podcast (go check them out).
I've also just put up a video about the link with human sacrifice and werewolves on my YouTube channel https://youtu.be/9PRFY2ehAqE
Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental).
Reading list
Bremmer, J. Scapegoat rituals in ancient Greece
Friesen, CJP. Dying like a woman: Euripides' Polyxena
Hughes, DH. Human sacrifice in ancient Greece
Macco, KAJ. Analysis of a Scapegoat Sacrifice at the Ancient Greek Thargelia Festival
Marshall, CW. Death and the maiden
Nooter, S. Tragedy, sacrifice and the averted gaze.
Recht, L. Symbolic Order

The Sicilian Expedition is famous for being an utter disaster for ancient Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Over the course of several episodes I will get into what happened, how and why. I begin by considering an earlier expedition Athens undertook against Syracuse as well as how Thucydides presents it. I also talk about Syracuse and much more to set the scene for it all.
You can find me here.
If you can review or recommend that would be great, feel free to use those links (or email me at ancientblogger@hotmail.com) to say hi!
Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental).
Reading List and modern sources used:
Kagan, D. The Peloponnesian War
Kagan, D. Thucydides
Smith, DG. Thucydides' ignorant Athenians and the drama of the Sicilian Expedition.

Four months of ancient Roman festivals in one episode? What great value, well, perhaps not entirely but I explain why this is the case. The ancient Roman festival series ends with aplomb and includes an all out brawl, scandal, secret drinking and how a public performance at a party can be highly consequential
In case you notice my voice started going towards the end but hopefully won't notice it much. But in case you do that's what it is (as opposed to just bad audio).
You can find me here.
If you can review or recommend that would be great, feel free to use those links (or email me at ancientblogger@hotmail.com) to say hi!
Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental).
Reading list and modern sources used:
Arnhold, M. Male worshippers and the Cult of Bona Dea
Bennet Pascal, C. October Horse
Brouwer, HH. Bona Dea, the sources and description of the cult
Dolansky, F. Celebrating the Saturnalia
Green, MA. Dying for the Gods
Mastrocinque, A. October Equus
Michaels, A. Roman Festivals
Versnel, HS. Festival for Bona Dea and the Thesmophoria
Warde-Fowler, W. Roman Festivals

The Odyssey is trending so I though I would pick out some elements from the poem and discuss them. From trying to advocate for the suitors through to a theme I think is often missed, there is a lot to chat about.
I also include a promo for something you might be interested in, Alexandria: A Hellenistic World podcast.
Find me across social media and the like here and don't forget to check out the Ancient History Hound subreddit
Reading / sources used
The Odyssey (translated by Emily Wilson), this has a great introduction which covers a couple of the points raised.
Gazing at Helen with Stesichorus, Kampakoglu & A. Novokatko
Odyssey 5.234-53 and Homeric Ship Construction: A Reappraisal. Samuel E Mark.
Bronze and iron in Homer. Andrew Lang
Megarons and ΜΕΓΑΡΑ: Homer and Archaeology. Mary O Knox.
Artemidorus at the dream gates: Myth, theory, and the restoration of liminality. Vered Lev Kenaan
Hades, Homer and the Hittites. Gunnel Ekroth.
(for a great piece on katabasis and how it wasn't undertaken by Odysseus by Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts click here)
Priam's Katabasis: Traces of the Epic Journey to Hades in Iliad 24. Miguel Herrero de Jauregui

In this episode I get speculative and try to piece together what happened at the Consualia and an infamous event in Rome's early history. Alongside that there's Roman women saving the day, the strange disappearance of Romulus and more.
You can find me here.
If you can review or recommend that would be great, feel free to use those links (or email me at ancientblogger@hotmail.com) to say hi!