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  • Euripides’ Trojan Women: The Fall of Troy in Greek Tragedy

    Euripides’ Trojan Women: The Fall of Troy in Greek Tragedy
    2026/09/01

    In “Trojan Women”, the Athenian playwright Euripides highlights an aspect of the Trojan War neglected by Christopher Nolan in “The Odyssey”: the true horror of Troy’s capture and destruction. In this episode, Emily and Cam break down Euripides’ play. Produced at Athens mere months after the Athenians captured Melos (where the Athenians killed all of the men and enslaved the city’s women and children), Euripides’ play offers a powerful and moving depiction of war’s impact on its victims by exploring the suffering and heroism of three Trojan women: Hecuba, Cassandra, and Andromache.

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    • Our Ko-Fi page

    Links to previous episodes mentioned in this show:

    • Our episode about Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.
    • Our episode about Sophocles’ Philoctetes.

    Watch Michael Cacoyannis’ film version of the Trojan Women on Daily Motion.

    Cover image adapted from a photo of George Romney’s “Lady Emma Hamilton as Cassandra”, taken by Jan Arkesteijn (Wikimedia Commons).

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    00:10 - Introduction

    02:16 - Content Warning!

    02:53 - Euripides’ Trojan Women

    • 02:56 - Euripides and his work
    • 06:49 - The Play’s Context: the Peloponnesian War and the sack of Melos

    11:12 - Plot Synopsis

    • 11:14 - Poseidon and Athena hatch a scheme
    • 13:16 - Talthybius, Hecuba, and the Allotment of the Captives to Agamemnon, Neoptolemus, and Odysseus
    • 15:09 - Cassandra
    • 16:05 - Andromache
    • 17:16 - The agon: Menelaus, Helen, and Hecuba
    • 21:57 - The funeral of Astyanax and the death of Troy

    23:00 - War and Suffering: Hecuba and Talthybius

    • 23:26 - Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey and Euripides’ Trojan Women: a difference in perspective
    • 25:09 - The Pain of Hecuba, Cassandra, and Andromache (and a digression on Odysseus)
    • 29:35 - Hecuba: Leadership and Resilience
    • 33:11 - The Empathy of Talthybius

    39:23 - Agency and Humanity

    • 39:46 - The women as heroes
    • 39:54 - Cassadra’s vengeance
    • 40:42 - Andromache, Neoptolemus, and Astyanax
    • 41:57 - Hecuba
    • 43:04 - Helen and Talthybius

    45:04 - Fortune is Fickle

    • 45:51 - Greek literature and the instability of fortune
    • 48:00 - Agency again: fate and choice

    50:57 - The Victors and their Comeuppance

    • 51:20 - Nolan’s view on war and society
    • 52:12 - Euripides and the wrath of the gods
    • 54:54 - Digression: Michael Cacoyannis’ “Trojan Women”, featuring Irene Papas

    55:53 - Athens and the Trojan Women

    • 56:53 - Empathy for the victims of warfare
    • 57:32 - Euripides as Cassandra?

    59:11 – Final Thoughts and Wrap-up
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Odysseus in Greek Tragedy: Sophocles’ Philoctetes

    Odysseus in Greek Tragedy: Sophocles’ Philoctetes
    2026/08/15
    When modern authors and filmmakers like Christopher Nolan adapt ancient myths and characters, they are following an old and well-worn precedent. In this episode, Emily and Cam explore how the Athenian playwright Sophocles adapted a well-known story about Odysseus and used it in his play, Philoctetes, to explore questions about deception, persuasion, and intractable situations.Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:https://havetogawilltravel.comIf you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:Our Ko-Fi pageLinks to our episodes dealing with the Odyssey:Our overview of Homer’s Odyssey.Our episode about Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.Our episode about the “The Return”, Uberto Passolini’s splendid 2024 adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.Links to our other episodes touching on ancient drama (or adaptations thereof):Aeschylus’ Persians: The OG Greek Tragedy.Something for everyone! Plautus and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”.Cover image: Lekythos depicting Philoctetes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (56.171.58); adapted from a photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia Commons.----------00:11 - Introduction02:50 - Sophocles’ Philoctetes02:55 - The performance: 409, at the end of the Peloponnesian War03:07 - Athenian Tragedy in the late 5th century: actors and the chorus05:37 - The competitive context07:26 - The Myth of Philoctetes07:39 - Son of Poias07:57 - Philoctetes, the Trojan War, and Lemnos09:37 - Philoctetes and the Bow of Herakles10:30 - Philoctetes: Plot Summary10:43 - The opening scene: a plot is hatched13:22 - The encounter with Philoctetes15:10 - The “merchant” enters the scene18:00 - Philoctetes’ seizure and Neoptolemus’ moral crisis18:57 - Odysseus’ surprise entry20:21 - Odysseus and Neoptolemus have a spat21:35 - The epiphany22:17 - Sophocles’ innovations22:54 - Lemnos: a deserted island23:25 - Neoptolemus replaces Diomedes24:36 - A digression on other plays about Philoctetes: Aeschylus and Euripides25:57 - Odysseus in Philoctetes26:10 - Odysseus as trickster27:14 - The Homeric precedent28:23 - Sophocles’ move: Odysseus, disguise, and a destabilization of trust: are the minor characters who they say they are?35:26 - Deception in Philoctetes35:35 - Is Odysseus the play’s “bad guy”?38:43 - The chorus has a different view!39:10 - Philoctetes isn’t a straightforward “good guy”!40:48 - Neoptolemus: is deception good when you do it to help someone else?43:57 - Sophocles doesn’t give us easy lessons44:43 - Intractable Problems45:04 - The impasse46:33 - The epiphany of Heracles and what it might mean48:47 - A happy ending for Philoctetes—and for Odysseus!50:15 - The value of deception: an open question (and Sophocles’ brilliance)51:21 - Wrap-up
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    53 分
  • The Odyssey, by Christopher Nolan: Our Take on the Movie of the Summer

    The Odyssey, by Christopher Nolan: Our Take on the Movie of the Summer
    2026/08/01

    Emily and Cam take on Christopher Nolan’s film, “The Odyssey.” Everyone has an opinion on this movie, and Emily and Cam are no different. Sheep, and Cyclops, and Circe, oh my!

    Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:

    • https://havetogawilltravel.com

    If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:

    • Our Ko-Fi page

    Useful Links:

    • Listen to our overview of Homer’s Odyssey.
    • Listen to our episode about the “The Return”, Uberto Passolini’s splendid 2024 adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.

    Cover image: adapted from “The Wine-Dark Sea,” a photo by Alan Hughes, Wikimedia Commons.

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    00:11 - Introduction

    • 01:06 - The bottom line (good and bad)
    • 02:39 - The film as a reflecting pool (or theater set)

    03:52 - Synopsis

    06:45 - What we loved

    • 06:49 - Practical effects and a textured world (featuring the sheep!)
    • 10:10 - The film’s visual language: costumes, colors, props, palaces (historical accuracy is NOT the goal here)
    • 14:04 - A deep and talented bench of actors (with a shoutout to Himesh Patel and John Leguizamo)
    • 17:31 - Some choice storytelling moments
    • 20:02 - The adventure stories: Polyphemus’ cave; the sirens; the underworld; Circe
    • 27:23 - Athena and the other gods

    29:14 - Approaching Nolan's Odyssey

    • 29:21 - How we evaluate movies like this: give us a smart adaptation that does something interesting!
    • 30:32 - The story Nolan wants to tell: war damages both individuals and societies, causing trauma and social collapse
    • 33:52 - The main problem: too much telling, not enough showing

    36:25 - Odysseus breaks the world?

    • 36:38 - The setup: Zeus’ Law, the Trojan Horse, and the Sea Peoples
    • 37:09 - The horse: a gift for Athena, or a gift for Zeus?
    • 38:37 - Odysseus and his crew as the “Sea Peoples”: an unconvincing yarn
    • 44:14 - The Sea Peoples as a hollow threat?

    47:17 - Odysseus traumatized?

    • 47:36 - The nature of Odysseus’ suffering
    • 48:11 - Odysseus and his (lack of?) relationships with his crew
    • 49:29 - Odysseus and Sinon
    • 52:11 - Odysseus miraculously recovers (but doesn’t seem to learn anything?)

    53:58 - Violence in Nolan’s film

    • 54:39 - Christopher Nolan’s take on depicting violence and alienating audiences
    • 55:52 - The horrors witnessed by Odysseus at Troy
    • 57:29 - Odysseus takes on the suitors

    59:49 - Unsatisfying Endings

    • 60:08 - The problems with Penelope (and her treehouse bed!)
    • 63:02 - Rushed endings and dangling resolutions
    • 65:02 - Words of wisdom spoken at the bar

    66:18 - Final takeaways: our thoughts on why this film looks the way it does

    • 66:30 - The Adventure Stories (a.k.a. the Odyssey Trap)
    • 67:49 - Unsatisfying stakes?
    • 68:59 - Odysseus the hero

    71:16 - Wrap-up
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    1 時間 14 分
  • Homer’s Odyssey: A Deep Dive (before Christopher Nolan’s Film!)

    Homer’s Odyssey: A Deep Dive (before Christopher Nolan’s Film!)
    2026/07/15

    Need a refresher on Homer’s Odyssey before you watch the upcoming movie by Christopher Nolan? Emily and Cam have got you covered! In this episode, they break down the poem’s plot and its major themes as they explore topics like Odysseus’ reliability as a narrator (spoiler alert: he has none whatsoever!) and Penelope’s own craftiness.

    Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:

    • https://havetogawilltravel.com

    If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:

    • Our Ko-Fi page

    Useful Links:

    • Listen to our episode about the “The Return”, Uberto Passolini’s splendid 2024 adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.

    Cover image: “Archaic or late geometric period krater depicting Odysseus and a friend stabbing the giant Polyphemus in his only eye, clay, 670 BCE, Archaeological Museum of Argos.” Photo by Mary Harrsh, Wikimedia Commons.

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    00:11 - Introduction

    01:40 - What is the Odyssey?

    • 01:46 - The Odyssey, the Iliad, and other epic poems
    • 02:23 - The Homer problem. Do we know who wrote the Odyssey, and when?
    • 06:54 - An overview of the Odyssey’s plot
    • 10:14 - The poem and its 24 “books”

    11:00 - The Telemachy: Narrative

    • 11:23 - Athena visits Ithaka
    • 12:08 - Athena’s plans for Odysseus’ son Telemachus
    • 13:55 - Telemachus sets sail on an adventure to visit Nestor, Menelaus, and Helen

    17:50 - The Telemachy: Themes

    • 18:01 - The vulnerability of Telemachus’ position
    • 19:39 - Hospitality: gracious hosts and happy guests

    21:43 - Sailing to Ithaka: Narrative

    • 22:06 - Odysseus escapes the Island of Calypso
    • 23:18 - Shipwrecked again! Odysseus and the Phaeacians
    • 29:28 - Odysseus tells the story of his adventures (the Cyclops, Circe, the underworld, the sirens, Scylla and Charybdis—and some other good bits)
    • 41:29 - The Phaeacians send Odysseus home

    42:11 - Sailing to Ithaka: Themes

    • 42:18 - More on hospitality: bad hosts and dodgy guests
    • 45:19 - Odysseus, the man of suffering
    • 46:30 - Odysseus, the unreliable narrator
    • 62:50 - A postscript on the poem’s mythical geography

    55:37 - Ithaka at last!: Narrative

    • 55:51 - Odysseus visits Eumaeus
    • 56:41 - Telemachus returns to Ithaka—and Odysseus hatches a plan
    • 58:42 - Odysseus among the suitors in disguise
    • 59:57 - Penelope, Odysseus, and Eurycleia
    • 62:23 - Penelope’s contest, Odysseus’ bow, and a massacre
    • 64:48 - Reunions: Odysseus and Penelope, Odysseus and Laertes
    • 65:53 - The final battle (and a deus ex machina)

    66:39 - Ithaka at last!: Themes

    • 66:43 - How much revenge is TOO much?
    • 72:33 - Penelope, that crafty girl

    79:41 - Final bits and bobs

    • 79:50 - The popularity of the Odyssey over time
    • 80:37 - Our hopes for Nolan’s film

    81:45 - Wrap-up
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    1 時間 23 分
  • Thermae Romae: A Japanese Film about Ancient Roman Bathing—and Time Travel!

    Thermae Romae: A Japanese Film about Ancient Roman Bathing—and Time Travel!
    2026/07/01

    Have you ever wondered what a bath-house architect from ancient Rome would think if he found himself swept through a time warp into a modern Japanese Spa? Wonder no more! Emily and Cam discuss Thermae Romae, a 2012 Japanese Film that seeks to explore precisely this question by dramatizing the adventures of one Lucius Modestus, an engineer who becomes Emperor Hadrian’s personal bath-house designer.

    Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:

    • https://havetogawilltravel.com

    If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:

    • Our Ko-Fi page

    Useful Links:

    • Watch Thermae Romae (with English Subtitles) on Dailymotion
    • Watch the Thermae Romae Novae anime series on Netflix

    Cover art adapted from Joseph Theodor Hansen, "Tepidarium at the Forum Baths in Pompeii"

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    00:11 - Introduction

    01:56 - Thermae Romae: the basics

    • 02:28 - How to watch Thermae Romae
    • 03:29 - A plot summary: Lucius Modestus travels through time, learns lots about Japanese bathing culture, and applies his knowledge to Roman bath-houses in the time of Hadrian
    • 06:59 - The original Thermae Romae manga series
    • 08:13 - The film’s success and the Thermae Romae Universe

    10:17 - A Fish-out-of-Water Comedy

    • 10:24 - The basic premise and some of the movie’s quirks
    • 13:35 - Modern Japanese and Ancient Roman bathing cultures, compared
    • 19:16 - Lucius bumbles his way through modern Japan and discovers the marvels of Japanese bathing
    • 26:05 - Poking fun of Japanese onsen culture (and a digression on the challenges of translation)

    29:46 - Thermae Romae and Roman Culture

    • 29:56 - A quirky interpretation of real Roman history: the reign of Hadrian, the death of Antinous, and the question of succession (and deification!)
    • 38:54 - Lucius’ (very Japanese) critique of Roman bathing culture
    • 42:09 - Does Lucius’ critique hold water? Imperial bath-houses, neighborhood bath-houses, and bath-house sociability
    • 47:04 - The old men from the onsen teach Lucius to care less about honor and more about community spirit
    • 49:36 - Some final thoughts about the movie

    51:25 - Wrap-up

    • 51:31 - What’s up next: the Odyssey—both Homer’s Odyssey, and Nolan’s Odyssey
    • 52:26 - A plug for “The Return” (and for our episode about it!)
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    54 分
  • Vacation Reminder—and a sneak peak at Season 2!

    Vacation Reminder—and a sneak peak at Season 2!
    2026/06/15

    We’re dropping a quick note in our feed to remind you that we’re on vacation and won’t be releasing a full episode on June 15, but also to tease a couple of upcoming episodes—including a couple on Homer’s Odyssey and Christopher Nolan’s film of the same name!

    Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:

    • https://havetogawilltravel.com

    Read the first in our series of blog posts on Hadrian’s Wall here:

    • Hiking Hadrian’s Wall, Part I


    If you haven’t done so already, have a listen to our episode on The Return, a 2024 film adaptation of the Odyssey starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche:

    • Homer’s Odyssey on Film: “The Return”
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    2 分
  • Hadrian’s Wall, Part IV: Walking from Birdoswald to Bowness-on-Solway

    Hadrian’s Wall, Part IV: Walking from Birdoswald to Bowness-on-Solway
    2026/06/01
    Emily and Cam wrap up their series on hiking Hadrian’s Wall Path with a discussion of the final 31 miles of the Wall. Follow along as they explore medieval monuments made of wallstone, find themselves treed by some cows, and are regaled with tales of cannibals (human and otherwise!).Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:https://havetogawilltravel.comIf you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:Our Ko-Fi pageRead the first post in our series of blog posts on Hadrian’s Wall here:Hiking Hadrian’s Wall, Part IIf you’re interested in hiking the Wall, you’ll find the following resources helpful:Walking Hadrian’s Wall Path, by Mark Richards (Cicerone Press)Hadrian’s Wall Path, by Anthony Burton (National Trails Official Guidebook)Harvey Maps, Map of Hadrian’s Wall PathFinally, you’ll find the rest of the episodes in this series at the following links:Hadrian’s Wall, Part I: The Romans in Britain and the Imperial FrontierHadrian’s Wall, Part II: Walking from Wallsend to CarrawburghHadrian’s Wall, Part III: Hiking the Crags (Sewingshields to Birdoswald)----------00:11 - Introduction00:24 - Episode overview01:11 - Housekeeping and Summer vacation02:41 - Birdoswald to Haytongate03:16 - The character of the trail and the last visible elements of the Wall05:44 - Honesty Boxes and the Haytongate Hut06:56 - Lanercost Priory07:22 - A priory built of wallstone: the history of Lanercost10:52 - Exploring Lanercost (and our encounter with Max)12:24 - Haytongate to Carlisle12:46 - An unpleasant encounter with cows14:37 - “Where’s the Wall,” or the perils of starting in the west15:55 - Crosby on Eden, haggis, and black pudding17:59 - The Wall at the River Eden: Uxelodunum and Milecastle 6618:27 - Carlisle18:56 - Carlisle Castle: Luguvalium becomes the old Norman keep21:31 - Richard III, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Jacobites: Carlisle Castle’s long history24:52 - Another encounter with Max27:00 - Carlisle Cathedral (and more plundered wallstone)28:47 - Carlisle’s Guildhall30:06 - Misadventures in Carlisle dining31:46 - Carlisle to Bowness on Solway32:14 - Burgh by Sands: Aballava, Africans in Roman Britain, and Edward I’s unpleasant bout with dysentery34:53 - The Tidal Flats: Dykesfield, Drumburgh, and the dangers of high tide!37:45 - Bowness on Solway and a gathering at Fort Maia: Billy No-Mates and a man obsessed with cannibals!43:02 - Logistics of the Hike43:07 - Where to begin? In the west at Bowness, or in the east at Newcastle?45:38 - Resources for planning: books and maps47:10 - Lodging, adventure companies, luggage, and the AD 122 bus50:53 - Food: full English breakfasts and pub fare53:16 - Tips for the trail: rain, sunburn, and blisters, oh my!56:56 - Final Thoughts58:02 - Wrap-up
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    59 分
  • Hadrian's Wall, Part III: Hiking the Crags (Sewingshields to Birdoswald)

    Hadrian's Wall, Part III: Hiking the Crags (Sewingshields to Birdoswald)
    2026/05/15

    Fabulous vistas and amazing artifacts await eager hikers along the central section of Hadrian’s Wall Path. Listen as Emily and Cam chat about them all in this installment of their series on the Wall. Get ready for Roman Army re-enactors, the world’s oldest surviving document written by a woman, and the tree that stole the show from Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman—but watch out for the cheesecake!

    Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:

    • https://havetogawilltravel.com

    If you liked this episode, buy us a coffee:

    • Our Ko-Fi page

    Read the first post in our series of blog posts on Hadrian’s Wall here:

    • Hiking Hadrian’s Wall, Part I

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    00:11 - Introduction

    01:19 - Dialects: Cumbrian and Geordie

    • 02:05 - What's a dialect, anyway?
    • 02:26 - The Cumbrian Dialect
    • 04:18 - The Geordie Dialect

    05:30 - Sewingshields Crag

    • 06:38 - Views of the North Ditch
    • 07:40 - Preserved lengths of Wall along the Great Whin Sill
    • 09:31 - The summit of Sewingshields, gale warnings, and Joe the Dog

    13:02 - Housesteads Roman Fort

    • 13:39 - History, layout, and garrison of Vercovicium
    • 14:51 - Exploring Housesteads
    • 16:52 - The Ermine Street Guard: a modern Roman Legion

    19:51 - Hotbank and Highshields

    • 20:27 - The Clayton Wall
    • 21:22 - Milecastle 37 and its impressive North Gate

    22:51 - Sycamore Gap

    • 23:27 - The Sycamore that starred in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
    • 25:07 - The senseless destruction of the tree (and some original Roman masonry)

    26:33 - Twice Brewed and Vindolanda

    • 26:44 - The Twice Brewed Inn: beds and beer!
    • 27:33 - Vindolanda and its history: the forts of the Stanegate
    • 29:08 - Exploring Vindolanda (and practicing your Latin!)
    • 29:57 - Vindolanda's anoxic soil and archaeological treasures
    • 31:17 - The Vindolanda Tablets: Sulpicia Lepidina receives a birthday party invitation, and Maculus wants beer!

    35:31 - Peel Crags to Walltown Crags

    • 36:51 - The Peel Crags and Castle Nick (or Milecastle 39)
    • 38:10 - The literal high point of the trail: Windshields Crag
    • 38:52 - Views of the Vallum
    • 40:16 - An encounter with a real-life snooty professor
    • 41:52 - The Carvoran Roman Army Museum, and some cool archaeology

    45:26 - The Irthing River Valley

    • 46:18 - Thirwall Castle and plundered wallstone
    • 47:01 - The Roman bridge at Willowford
    • 47:41 - Milecastle 49 and the junction of the turf and stone Walls
    • 48:24 - The walk to Birdoswald: Centurion Stones and Apotropaic Stones

    49:20 - Birdoswald Roman Fort

    • 49:36 - The history of Banna and its residents
    • 50:19 - Exploring Birdoswald and points nearby
    • 51:26 - Cocidius: a “Romanized” Celtic war god
    • 52:41 - Birdoswald's afterlife: warbands, reivers and Henry Norman
    • 55:19 - A misadventure with English cheesecake

    56:05 - Wrap-up
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    57 分