Send us a textEngaging one night with an old Ouija board, podcaster Patrick Garner conjures up the ancient goddess Artemis. Over the course of many hours, the goddess remembers Athena, Poseidon, Hecate, her brother Apollo and other divinities. The episode is largely narrated by a new voice, Lily, an

Send us a textNyx. the goddess of night, appeared before the Olympic gods, even before the Titans. Her progeny were almost all beings of terror and dread, and included Doom, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Blame, Misery, The Fates, Retribution, Old Age and Strife. Yet as terrifying as her family was, civiliza

Send us a text When Zeus Came KnockingA visit by Zeus and Hermes to an old couple’s home in ancient Greece sparked a tradition that goes on even today. All ancient Greeks knew that hospitality to strangers could bring fortune. Inhospitality could lead to divine punishment.Violation of this tradition

Send us a textWhat happens when Eros, the mischievous son of the goddess Aphrodite, sees Psyche, the most beautiful woman in the world? Star-crossed love, of course! Travel in our time machine back to ancient Greece and follow the timeless story of these two lovers.If you love this podcast, you'll a

Send us a textEP 60: Thebes, The City That Gods & Heroes Forsook Of all the Greek city-states,Thebes was the one most soaked in blood and ancient curses. There, the hero Heracles had killed his wife and children. There, the god Dionysus punished the city’s king. There too the infamous Oedipus played

Send us a textIn this latest episode, we revisit the towering goddess Artemis, who reveled in the hunt, yet also protected girls, women and young animals. Of all the divinities, she was the most paradoxical.If you love this podcast, you'll also enjoy Garner's audible novels about the gods, The Winno

Send us a textIn this latest episode, we listen to a portion of the greatest speeches of all time, Pericles’ famous funeral oration. Inspired by the goddess Athene, it was given by this Athenian statesman at the end of the first year of the war between Athens and Sparta. As citizens assemble to bury

Send us a textFor almost 60 episodes, I’ve talked about the glory of the Greeks during the golden years of ancient Greece. I’ve also talked about when worship of the gods ended. In this new episode we go back to the beginning, to the so-called Dark Ages of Greece, to the time when the gods first rev

Send us a textEP 56:  Do this to live a good lifeThe Greek world centered around Delphi for two reasons. One — the world’s most famous oracle resided there. Two — the secrets to a good life were carved into the marble sides of Apollo’s temple. One had only to walk the temple grounds to gain the pric

Send us a textIn the politics of Athens' new democracy, one goddess reined supreme: Peitho. She was the unheralded goddess of persuasion. Her influence brought down the philosopher Socrates. She could make any man silver-tongued, and all of her favorites became powerful orators. Join us as we meet t

Send us a textThere’s nothing like divine intervention to ensure success. Of course, things can go badly when it ends. Follow Alexander’s 10-year military career that earned him the moniker “Alexander the Great.”If you love this podcast, you'll also enjoy Garner's audible novel about the gods, Homo

Send us a textOrpheus, Apollo’s son, became famous for his extraordinary music and poetry. As talented as he was, he was unable to find love. But one golden afternoon he saw Eurydice, a beautiful nymph. The two fell in love.But their love was fated to be short. When Eurydice died, Orpheus descended

Send us a textThe goddess Persephone was queen of the Underworld. To the amazement of the other divinities, she became the wisest of them all. On rare occasions she would invite humans to visit her in that dark place.In this episode we recount her visit with Parmenides, the pre-Socratic philosopher

Send us a textOne goddess alone ruled in the ancient underworld. She was Persephone, although the Greeks dared call her only The Goddess.She had been dragged unwillingly into that gloom by Hades, but she quickly adapted to her circumstances. Mysteriously, she, among all the gods, became the treasury

Send us a text2,500 years ago Delos was the most sacred island in Greece. As the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, it was destined to become both the holiest of sanctuaries and a wealthy trading center.  Its downside was that it was also the region’s largest slave market. Amidst all the temples and

Send us a textHow many of us know about the Goddess Tyche? Today this powerful divinity is largely forgotten. But 2,500 years ago, she was believed to determine the day-to-day fortunes of every Greek.If your ship was tossed against rocks as you steered through a storm, it wasn’t your fate as much as

Send us a textIn this episode Garner takes the listener on a pleasant hike in the countryside. But the city dweller stumbles upon a strange scene that may involve Athene, Artemis or Aphrodite. Upon returning to the city our hiker encounters the same woman in a coffee shop. Yet within minutes she van

Send us a textNovel 4 of The Naxos Quartet sums up the most important things in life — love and belonging. In this episode Garner reads a brief selection from the book, focusing on a dramatic moment in the return of Inanna, Gaia, Timessa and Dionysos.The Naxos Quartet includes The Winnowing, Cycladi

Send us a textIn 1976 an obscure psychologist from Princeton University published a book titled, “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.” It was a sensation, not in small part because Jaynes postulated that before modern consciousness occurred, the voices humans heard in

Send us a textEP 45:  Interview with Greek AF RadioIn this episode we join hosts Ari and Foti of Greek AF Radio as they interview Patrick Garner on a wide-ranging array of mythology topics.Garner discusses his creative background, his novels and the inspiration for the podcast itself. Greek AF Radio

Send us a textWhen Greece became part of the Roman empire in 146 B.C., the Olympic gods were still dominant. But the gods had begun to drift away even then. This episode tracks their willful retreat from the lives of mankind.Narrated by mythologist and best-selling author, Patrick Garner, Garner's G

Send us a textIn Episode 43 we analyze the impact of violence on the ancient Greeks. It was everywhere — the product of men constantly warring with each other and the result of gods randomly exerting their power.Far too often the gods precipitated war solely for their own enjoyment … Men waged war t

Send us a textEpisode 42: The Divine VoiceWelcome to Episode 42 where we hear a divine voice — or rather, we hear about how Socrates was guided throughout his life by a spiritual voice called a daimon. This daimon accompanied him from his cradle to his death.Socrates was hardly alone in hearing a di

Send us a textWelcome to Episode 41 where we meet the ancient King of Cyprus, Pygmalion. The sculpture he creates of a beautiful woman changes his life — and provides inspiration for artists for another 3,000 years.King Pygmalion falls madly in love with the statue. Praying to Aphrodite to find him