{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6467b7de03f4220011a934bd/6a76dd38d410c251181fcefc?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"322. There is no real version of a Greek Myth with Emily Hauser | Gloucester History Festival Special","description":"<p>Are you sure there is a single, \"real\" version of Achilles, Helen, or the Odyssey?</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, classicist and author Emily Hauser (creator of <em>Mythica</em>) joins Paul Bavill to dismantle one of the biggest misconceptions in classical literature: the search for a single, definitive \"truth\" behind ancient myth. From Homer’s <em>Iliad</em> and <em>Odyssey</em> to modern cinematic interpretations, myth was never meant to be a static rulebook. It is a living, flexible oral tradition shaped by who is telling the story, why they are telling it, and which voices—especially those of women—are written into or out of the narrative.</p><p><br></p><p>Together, Emily and Paul explore how figures like Penelope, Cassandra, Helen, Briseis, and Andromache offer richer, more complex insights into the ancient world than any rigid timeline ever could. They unpack the ancient concept of <em>Xenia</em> (guest-friendship), the tragedy of divine curses, and why asking \"why was this myth told this way?\" is far more powerful than chasing a \"canon\" that never existed.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Takeaways &amp; Discussion Highlights</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>The Myth of the \"Correct\" Myth:</strong> Why searching for the \"real\" Achilles or Helen misses the core purpose of fluid, evolving oral storytelling.</li><li><strong>The Silencing of Women:</strong> How Telemachus’s rebuke of Penelope in Book 1 of the <em>Odyssey</em> marks one of the earliest Western literary examples of silencing female speech—and how female writers resist it.</li><li><strong>The Real Meaning of <em>Xenia</em>:</strong> Why host-guest relationships act as the social glue of ancient Greece, and how both the suitors and Odysseus himself violate these sacred rules.</li><li><strong>Agency and Curses:</strong> The tragic dimensions of Cassandra’s truth-telling curse, Helen’s balance of agency and divine intervention, and how Briseis evolved from Homer to Shakespeare.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Featured Guest: Dr. Emily Hauser</strong></p><p>Dr. Emily Hauser is a classicist, academic, and author of <em>Mythica: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It</em>.</p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Book:</strong> Buy Emily's book <em>Mythica</em> at the official History Rage Bookshop:</li></ul><p><a href=\"https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804992791\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804992791</a></p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Gloucester History Festival:</strong> Emily is speaking live at the festival on <strong>Thursday, 17th September at 6:00 PM</strong>. The Gloucester History Festival runs from <strong>12th – 20th September</strong>. Get your tickets here:</li></ul><p><a href=\"https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Related History Rage Episodes</strong></p><p>Continue exploring Ancient Greece, historical myths, and classical voices with these recommended episodes:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Episode 257:</strong> Natalie Haynes rages that Greek myth is a lot less male-centric than we think.</li><li><strong>Episode 305:</strong> Adrian Goldsworthy rages that Ancient Greece is not all poets and philosophers.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Follow, Contact &amp; Support History Rage</strong></p><p><strong>Follow &amp; Contact:</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Website:</strong> <a href=\"https://www.historyrage.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.historyrage.com</a></li><li><strong>X / Twitter:</strong> <a href=\"https://x.com/HistoryRage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://x.com/HistoryRage</a></li><li><strong>Instagram:</strong> <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/historyrage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/historyrage</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Support the Podcast:</strong> Enjoying the rage? Help keep the thunderbolts raining down by becoming a History Rager! For £5 per month, Patreon supporters receive ad-free episodes, early access, exclusive monthly live streams, and the official History Rage mug.</p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Patreon:</strong> <a href=\"https://www.patreon.com/historyrage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.patreon.com/historyrage</a></li></ul>","author_name":"Paul Bavill"}