『Instant Classics』のカバーアート

Instant Classics

Instant Classics

著者： Vespucci
無料で聴く

Join world-renowned classicist Mary Beard and Guardian chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins for Instant Classics — the weekly podcast that proves ancient history is still relevant. Ancient stories, modern twists… and no degree in Classics required. Become a Member of the Instant Classics Book Club here: https://instantclassics.supportingcast.fm/ 世界
エピソード
  • Christopher Nolan's Odyssey 2: Instant Verdict

    Christopher Nolan's Odyssey 2: Instant Verdict
    2026/07/15
    Mary and Charlotte emerge from the premiere of The Odyssey, pausing only for a night’s rest, before regathering in the morning with strong coffees to give their instant verdict on Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster. Headlines Winners: Complicated, twisty-turny timelines; multiculturalism; Samantha Morton; Charlotte Higgins Losers: Feminism; humour; The Gods; Mary Beard To find out what all this means, listen to the episode! Further reading (and watching): The basic message here is “go watch the movie”. Mary is perhaps less keen overall, but still urges you to go see. It is also worth having a look at (and comparing) Ubert Pasolni’s The Return which is focussed on the second half of the poem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_(2024_film) Charlotte mentioned Colm Tóibín’s novel House of Names. @instaclassicpod for Insta, TikTok and YouTube @insta_classics for X email: instantclassicspod@gmail.com Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci Producer: Jonty Claypole Video Editor: Jak Ford Theme music: Casey Gibson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    51 分
  • Christopher Nolan's Odyssey 1: What you need to know before you go

    Christopher Nolan's Odyssey 1: What you need to know before you go
    2026/07/09
    Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey - the most eagerly anticipated event since Odysseus spied the shores of Ithaca - is almost with us at last. Mary and Charlotte have been exploring Homer’s epic over the last year in the Instant Classics Book Club, but if you’re time poor or just want a little refresher, then you’ll find the basics in this pre-screening primer. In the first half, they run through what actually happens in The Odyssey, as Odysseus, a twisty-turny man, makes his twisty-turny way back home. In the second, they pull out some of the big themes from the book - the problems of homecoming, post-traumatic disorder, the cost of war, growing up, fidelity, colonisation, and the thin line between so-called civilisation and so-called barbarism. This poem really does have everything, yet manages to be poetic and hugely entertaining while about it. In theory, it’s the perfect material for Christopher Nolan, who has long been fascinated with non-linear story-telling, the effects of war, and journeys. But whether he succeeds will be the subject of next week’s episode… Further reading Charlotte and Mary usually quote from Emily Wilson’s translation of the poem (W. W. Norton, 2018), but another good recent translation is by Daniel Mendelsohn (Chicago UP and Penguin Classics, 2025). But there are many translations on offer which will not mislead – so do not get too anxious about getting the “right” one. Approachable introductions to the poem include: Barbara Graziosi, Homer: a very short introduction (Oxford UP, 2019) Edith Hall, The Return of Ulysses (I. B. Tauris, 2012) Elton Barker and Joel Christensen, Homer: a beginner’s guide (Oneworld, 2013) Moses Finley, The World of Odysseus is an old favourite (reissued by New York Review of Books, 2002) @instaclassicpod for Insta, TikTok and YouTube @insta_classics for X email: instantclassicspod@gmail.com Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci Producer: Jonty Claypole Video Editor: Jak Ford Theme music: Casey Gibson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    48 分
  • USA 250: “I’m Spartacus!”

    USA 250: “I’m Spartacus!”
    2026/07/02
    Mary and Charlotte welcome Professor Maria Wyke back on the show to talk about two of the most famous words in cinema: “I’m Spartacus!” Hollywood has always had an obsession with Ancient Rome. So much so, the Roman Epic - or sword-and-sandal - is a cinematic genre in its own right. Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier and a host of other stars, is perhaps the towering achievement. But what is Spartacus really about? It was adapted by Dalton Trumbo from Howard Fast’s 1951 novel. Both men had fallen foul of the House Un-American Activities Committee and were blacklisted from Hollywood. Their names were proudly displayed at the start of the film, marking the decline of the Committee’s influence on American culture. In some ways, the refusal by Spartacus’ slave army to betray their leader to the Roman authorities is a message about free speech and solidarity. The character of black slave Draba who defies white supremacist authority is also a statement on the Civil Rights movement. But the brilliance of Spartacus is that it defies easy interpretation and deliberately plays with themes and symbols - not least in the crucifixion scene at the end of the film. Mary, Charlotte and Maria move forwards a few decades to Gladiator - and argue the power of that film is the way it similarly seems to, but doesn’t quite, push a moral message. Gladiator 2 on the other hand… Further reading Our wonderful guest Maria Wyke’s book Projecting the Past (Routlege, 1997) has a fascinating chapter on Spartacus Howard Fast’s novel Spartacus, on which Kubrick’s film was based, is on the Internet Archive. See also: A. Futtrell, “Seeing Red”, in Sandra Joshel et al. (eds), Imperial Projections (Johns Hopkins UP, 2001) Martin Winkler, Spartacus: Film and History (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007) Martin Winkler, Gladiator: Film and History (Wiley-Blackwell, 2004) @instaclassicpod for Insta, TikTok and YouTube @insta_classics for X email: instantclassicspod@gmail.com Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci Producer: Jonty Claypole Video Editor: Jak Ford Theme music: Casey Gibson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    48 分
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
まだレビューはありません