History Made Beautiful
319 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -History made Beautiful is a podcast about the beauty, diversity, faith, and community in world history. Join historian Martini Fisher as she shares her favorite moments from throughout human history.
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Episodes
227: Veleda and the Ancient Germanic Seers
March 07, 2024 06:00 - 19 minutes - 17 MBIn this episode, we delve into the captivating tale of the Revolt of the Batavi, an uprising that shook the foundations of the mighty Roman Empire during the years 69 to 70 AD. The Batavi, a small yet formidable Germanic population residing in Batavia along the Rhine delta, spearheaded this rebellion. As their ranks swelled with other Germanic and Celtic tribes from Gallia Belgica, they embarked on a daring mission to challenge the Roman dominion. Key Quotes: “The Revolt of the Batavi, whi...
226: Ancient History of Dream Interpretation
February 22, 2024 06:00 - 24 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of dreams and their interpretations in ancient civilizations. We explore how dreams played a crucial role in government, religion, and daily life in early civilizations like Mesopotamia and Egypt. Key Quotes: “The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature, presents dreams as a powerful tool for foretelling and guiding the future.” “Dreams were not just personal experiences but played a crucial role in government, ...
225: Philip and the Sacred Band of Thebes
February 15, 2024 06:00 - 26 minutes - 22.7 MBIn this episode, we journey back to ancient Greece to explore the Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite force of 150 pairs of male lovers. We discuss their crucial role in ending Spartan domination and the deep bonds they formed in battle. We also touch on the paradox of civilization, where periods of great achievement often coincide with war and turmoil. Key Quotes: “The Pals battalions were far from being a new idea. Thousands of years prior, in the 4th century BC, King Philip II of Macedon er...
224: Cicero: Politician, Family Man
February 08, 2024 06:00 - 29 minutes - 25.7 MBIn this episode, we journey back to ancient Rome to explore the life and legacy of Marcus Tullius Cicero, the greatest Roman orator. We delve into his prolific writings, which span rhetoric, philosophy, and politics, and the surviving collections of his personal correspondence. We take a closer look at his relationships with various public figures, his friend Titus Pomponius Atticus, and most intimately, his younger brother Quintus. Through these letters, we gain a candid view into Cicero’...
223: Whispers of Witchcraft: Antonina and the Byzantine General's Destiny
February 01, 2024 06:00 - 20 minutes - 17.8 MBIn this episode, we delve into the intriguing life of Flavius Belisarius, a general of the Byzantine Empire, and his tumultuous relationship with his wife, Antonina. We explore how Belisarius, a man of great military prowess, was brought down by his Achilles’ heel - his deep love for Antonina. Despite her infidelities and their troubled marriage, Belisarius remained stubbornly loyal to Antonina, a fact that historians like Procopius and Edward Gibbon have noted in their writings. We also s...
222: Navigating Ancient Political Waters: From Riverbanks to Roman Streets
January 25, 2024 06:00 - 27 minutes - 23.4 MBIn this episode, we delve into the rise and fall of unusual ancient Roman politicians. We explore how the early distribution of political power was influenced by factors such as fresh water, fertile soil, and a temperate climate, which were crucial for the development of organized societies. We discuss the evolution of Rome from a minor power to an imperial behemoth, and how this complicated the concept of politics. We also examine the formation of the Tribune of the Plebeians in 493 BC, whi...
221: Ganesha, Legendary Remover of Obstacles
January 18, 2024 06:00 - 23 minutes - 19.9 MBIn this episode, we delve into the captivating world of Ganesha, one of the most distinctive Hindu deities. We explore his role as the remover of obstacles and the patron of travelers, students, commerce, and new endeavors. We journey back to the Gupta Period (c. 320-600 CE), when Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in a recognizable form. We trace his evolution as he became one of the most prevalent Hindu deities in foreign lands, particularly during the 10th century CE. Key Quotes: “Gane...
220: The Death of Drusus, Beloved Brother
October 25, 2023 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBWhen word of his younger brother’s life-threatening illness reached him, Roman General Tiberius (later Emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus) who was in Pavia at the time, crossed the Alps like a man possessed. Without stopping day or night, he covered 200 Roman miles in a dangerous country. Tiberius' frantic dash across the Rhine from northwestern Italy to Germany to his brother's bedside evolved into a legend. Read this story in the blog. Read more about: Germanicus Castor (Son of Tiberiu...
219: Carpe Diem
October 18, 2023 06:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBThe works of Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or Horace, span an extraordinarily wide range, making him one of the central authors in Latin literature. Horace seemed to be just as comfortable writing about love and wine as he was about philosophy and literary criticism. However, the phrase that both best encapsulates Horace’s moral stance and saves him from oblivion, is the phrase ‘carpe diem’ (Odes 1.11.8), which endures well to the modern ages as a slogan on T-shirts and the name of a trendy line...
218: The Romance of Achilles and Penthesilea
October 11, 2023 06:00 - 28 minutes - 20.3 MBPenthesilea was breathtaking. “Aphrodite, the noble bride of the potent War- god, made her beautiful indeed in death, so that the son of Peleus (Achilles), could be pierced by the arrow of chastising love," writes the 4th century AD Greek poet Quintus Smyrnaeus in his poem Posthomerica ("Things After Homer"). In addition to her beauty, Penthesilea was also born into a family of queens. She was the daughter of Ares, the god of war, and Otrera, Queen of the legendary Amazons. Apart from Penthe...
217: The Old Man and the Sea: the Mythology
October 04, 2023 06:00 - 21 minutes - 15.5 MBElusive and difficult to pinpoint, the ‘Old Man of the Sea’ may take on many names in mythology. He embodies the virtues of truth and justice, until he was usurped by a sinister character who made a nuisance of himself by latching on to men, like an irritating conscience, which one could only be rid of by inebriation. Read on the blog. Read more: Women and the Sacred Invention of Beer Ancient History of the Forbidden Fruit Battle of the Tragic Heroes: Legends of India’s Karna, Greek’s ...
216: The Ancient Charms of Music
September 20, 2023 07:00 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBMusic has been an integral part of the world’s culture since prehistorical times and discoveries of ancient musical instruments are still being made to this day. Excavations at the early Neolithic site of Jiahu in Henan Province, China, (7000 - 5700 BC), have produced what may be the earliest complete and playable multinote musical instruments. A sarcophagus representing the oldest illustration of the seven-string lyre and double flute accompanying a ritual from the Minoan Period (3000 - 140...
215: Ancient Goddesses of the Hunt
September 06, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 21.1 MB"Man the Hunter," an early twentieth-century human origins story, saw hunting as the primary driver of human evolution. This story emphasizes our forefathers' bipedalism, large brains, sharp tools, and insatiable desire for violence. According to this story, hunting also gave rise to the concept of the nuclear family, with women serving as those who waited at home for men to bring home the meat. However, through decades of field research, anthropologists have developed a more flexible and co...
214: The Many Faces of Mars, the God of War
June 21, 2023 06:59 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBIn the ancient battle of Thurii in 282 BC, between Rome and the Greek colony of Tarentum, the Romans noticed a youth of extraordinary height marching in front of them and performing miracles of bravery. It was only afterwards, when no candidate for the crown of honor showed himself to claim it, that the soldiers realized and became convinced that it was the war god Mars himself who had come to the rescue of his people. Read more on the blog. Read more about: Anna Perenna Ares and Athen...
213: Ancient Legends of the Sacred Trees
June 14, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 9 MBNumerous myths, ubiquitous to great civilizations spanning the globe, reflect a deep-rooted belief in an intimate connection between a human being and a tree. The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite proclaims that when the tree is injured, the tree nymph also hurts, “…but when the fate of death is near at hand, first those lovely trees wither where they stand, and the bark shrivels away about them, and the twigs fall down, and at last the life of the Nymph and of the tree leave the light of the sun to...
212: Ancient Legends of the Divine Twins
June 07, 2023 07:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBThe ancient figures of the “Divine Twins” are globally recognizable. Among the many associations attached to the Divine Twins is the custom of dual kingship, the warrior king and the priestly king, where one king would go on campaigns and the other would remain to protect and reassure the tribe. Mentions of this custom was made as early as accounts by ancient Greek historian Tacitus (c. 56 – c. 120 CE) and continued well into the Migration Age where the twin kings became popular legendary fi...
211: The Matriach and the Rebel
May 31, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBEucleia’s images and altar were worshipped in Locris and Boeotia, Greece, where brides and grooms would perform a sacrifice. There was also a sanctuary dedicated to Eucleia at Aegae, the original capital of Macedonia which also served as the burial-place of the Macedonian kings. At least two statue bases in the sanctuary were votive offerings by a woman named Eurydice. Two inscriptions were found and one of these inscriptions, dating back to 340 BC, reads “Eurydika daughter of Sirras to godd...
210: Augurs of Rome, Masters of the Birds
May 24, 2023 07:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBCycles of nature were at the core of the ancient practice of divination to decipher the will of the gods. Many different methods of divination were practiced in antiquity, such as dream interpretations (oneiromancy), interpreting the entrails of slaughtered animals (haruspicy), and augury (ornithomancy) which interprets the movements and activities of birds. Augury in particular became famously influential in the Roman empire. Read more in History made Beautiful blog. Click below to read m...
209: Sensational Lives of Ancient Courtesans
May 17, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.9 MBOne day, the 19th century courtesan Esther Guimond was traveling through Naples when she was stopped for a routine examination of her passport. When asked her profession, she quietly and discreetly told the official that she was a woman of independent means. Seeing the puzzled look on the official’s face, she exasperatedly declared, “Courtesan! Take care to remember it!”. Then, perhaps feeling somewhat liberated by this word coming out of her own mouth, she told him audaciously to “go and t...
208: Germanicus and Agrippina: An Imperial Love Story
May 10, 2023 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBSix months into his rule, Roman Emperor Caligula fell severely ill. When he recovered, he abandoned the toga for silk gowns and took up the habit of dressing as a woman. He also declared himself as a living god. Caligula’s illness was widely credited by contemporary historians as a turning point to his madness. In contrast, Caligula’s parents, Germanicus and Agripinna, were the ‘Brad and Angelina’ of Ancient Rome. Their union provided the genetic lynch-pin between the two most powerful dynas...
207: The Assassination Of Commodus
May 04, 2023 06:14 - 15 minutes - 14 MBCommodus, the son and heir of the distinguished “philosopher emperor” Marcus Aurelius, was a failure as a Roman emperor despite all the influences and privileges that would have prepared him for the position from a very young age. He was appointed co-emperor of Rome and ruled alongside his father when he was just 16 years old and became the sole emperor after the death of his father in 180 AD. What then followed were years of brutal misrule which precipitated civil strife that ended 84 year...
206: Telesilla and the Brave Women of Argos
March 22, 2023 06:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBAn ancient oracle told by a Pythian priestess says, “But when the time shall come that the female conquers in battle, driving away the male, and wins great glory in Argos, then many wives of the Argives shall tear both cheeks in their mourning.” This oracle was later alluded to by historian Herodotus (c. 484 – c. 425 BC) and geographer Pausanias (c. 110 AD – c. 180 AD). The female whom this oracle refers to was Telesilla, a woman renowned for her leadership of Argos through its political and...
205: Octavian, Mark Antony and the Ancient Battle of "Fake News"
March 15, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MBIn 1493, the invention of the Gutenberg printing press dramatically amplified the gathering and dissemination of news. However, this innovation came with a dark side as it later delivered the Great Moon Hoax of 1835. The Great Moon Hoax was the first-large scale news hoax in which the New York Sun published a series of articles about the discovery of life on the moon. The articles were falsely attributed to Sir John Herschel, one of the best-known astronomers of that time, and were published...
204: The King, The Scholars and the Kisaeng
March 08, 2023 06:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBKing Sejong of Korea’s crowning achievement is hangul, the Korean alphabet. In 1443 CE, the king and eight of his advisers started the process of developing an alphabetic system to represent the Korean language sounds and sentence structure accurately. The new writing system quickly spread among segments of the population who previously had not had access to enough education to learn the more complicated Chinese writing system such as women and those of the lower social classes. This episode...
203: Anna Perenna and the Ides of March
March 01, 2023 06:00 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBThe assassination of Julius Caesar on the 15th of March 44 BC was a turning point in Roman history. Since then, the Ides of March became notorious as being associated with death. However, long before the Ides of March became associated with Julius Caesar’s murder, it was a day of celebration for the ancient goddess Anna Perenna, a goddess beloved by the common people. Read more in History made Beautiful blog. Martini's Instagram mentioned in the episode is here.
202: The Romance and Adventure of Bhadda Kundalakesa
February 22, 2023 06:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThe Therigatha (“Verses of the Elder Nuns”) is a collection of short poems by and about the early enlightened women in Buddhism. These women were the theris (“senior ones”) among ordained Buddhist women. They bore that epithet due to their religious achievements. Most of the gatha (“poems”) in the anthology are the songs of their experiences. With some of its poems dating as early as the late 6th century BC, while the poems of the Therigatha are clearly nowhere near as old as the poetry of t...
201: Tiresias and the Curse of the Forbidden Sight
February 15, 2023 06:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBGreek mythology tells us about Tiresias, a blind prophet of Apollo, who was famous for his clairvoyance and for being changed into a woman for seven years. He was in Thebes for seven generations, giving advice to Cadmus, the first king of Thebes, and seeing the story of King Laius and his son Oedipus unfold. After the Seven Against Thebes expedition, in which Polynices (son of Oedipus) and six others attacked Thebes, Tiresias died. Pliny the Elder even said that Tiresias invented augury. Re...
200: Unveiling the Mysteries of Benzaiten, Goddess of War, Music, and Culture
February 08, 2023 06:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBBenzaiten is one of Japan's most complex and popular syncretic deities who has long ago been conflated and associated with other divinities from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Japanese pantheons. Her many forms range from a two-armed beauty playing music to an eight-armed martial deity holding weapons and a divine representation of the supreme Shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu. Benzaiten is also an agricultural deity invoked for rain and harvests. This patronage earns her a place as one of the shichi...
199: Baubo, the Great and Forgotten
February 01, 2023 05:59 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBIn 1898, a group of German archaeologists working in the Demeter sanctuary at Priene unearthed a peculiar set of Hellenistic female figurines. The head of each of these figurines sits directly on her legs. Each figure also has long hair that drapes around her back resembling a lifted veil. These figures represent Baubo. To read more on History made Beautiful blog
198: Keris: Stories of the Wavy Daggers
January 25, 2023 06:00 - 26 minutes - 24.9 MBThe keris, a dagger from Southeast Asia, was named a Masterpiece of Humanity's Oral and Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in 2005. The keris is a dagger with an unusual blade shape made possible by switching between iron and pamor (nickelous iron laminations). A number of the most well-known representations of the keris may be seen on the bas-reliefs of the Borobudur and Prambanan temples. Through maritime trade links and the growing influence of the Majapahit Empire in Java around the year 1492...
197: Samurai and the Politics of the Feudal Caste System
January 18, 2023 06:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBIn the 1600s in Japan, the samurai went through a bad time that led to a lot of changes. It was also a time when it was painfully clear that because of their place in society, samurais were not only the first people to go into battle, but they also had to take the most damage when the government changed. Ironically, the hardest time in a samurai's life wasn't when he was fighting, but when he was at home in peace. Read more on History made Beautiful blog.
196: Herodotus, Josephus and being a Historian in the Ancient World
January 11, 2023 06:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBAs a historian, the truth is that no matter how hard we try, there will always be differences between what one historian says happened and what another historian says. We are constantly reminded that a person's views, background, and environment have a big impact on how they see history and life in general. Ancient historians can also see that this is true. In fact, the stories of their own lives are almost as interesting as the stories they have written. Read more about them in History mad...
195: Diotima and the Philosophy of Love
December 21, 2022 06:00 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBSymposium, a philosophical work by Plato written between 385 and 370 BC, is about a friendly competition between speeches given by famous men at a banquet. During the talk, Socrates says that a priestess from Mantinea named Diotima taught him "the philosophy of love" when he was young. Socrates also says that Diotima slowed down the spread of the Plague of Athens, which destroyed the ancient Greek city-state of Athens in the second year of the Peloponnesian War (430 BC). Aside from these few...
194: Aspasia and the Life of a Foreign Woman in Ancient Greece
December 14, 2022 06:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBAs Plutarch was writing about the Athenian statesman Pericles, he was amazed by "the great art or power this woman had, which she used to please the leading men of the state." This unusual woman is Aspasia. You can also read about Aspasia in History made Beautiful blog.
193: Ancient Roman Actresses and the Dark Side of Beauty
December 07, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBAfter Thespis became the first known actor in the world, the words "actor" and "thespian" were only used to describe men for hundreds of years. Women in the theatre have always been more of an exception than the rule. But you know us... we like to break silly rules. Read more of this topic on History made Beautiful blog
192: Blame it on the Theater: The Joys of being Actors and Actresses in Ancient Rome
November 08, 2022 11:16 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBThe church tried to ‘release these unhappy slaves of a cruel voluptuousness’. By the time of Valentinian I, who reigned from 364 to 375 AD, the church had gained considerable grounds in ‘rehabilitating’ performers and introducing them into respectable society. An actress who, on her death bed, asked for and received the last sacraments, had to promise to never return to her ‘hateful’ theatrical life in case she recovered. This was just one episode of of the many adventures of actors and actr...
191: Wuxia and the History of Kung Fu Movies: Legendary Tales of Chivalrous Martial Heroes of Ancient China
November 01, 2022 05:46 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBThose who are familiar with the Chinese word wuxiá (“martial heroes”) may associate the word with memories of martial arts films and television programs that portray a fanciful depiction of Chinese martial arts to audiences around the world. However, there is more to wuxia than meets the eye. Wuxia is in fact an entire literary genre that depicts the exploits of ancient Chinese martial artists. It has proven to be popular enough to be used in a number of modern cultural media, including Chi...
190: Writing about the Tragic Comedy of Ancient Greek Women
October 25, 2022 15:37 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBEuripides was not only critical towards religions and ancient legends, he was also considered to be the biggest social critic of all the ancient Greek tragedians. He introduced strong female characters and intelligent slaves, as well as satirizing many of the heroes of Greek mythology This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/10/25/writing-about-the-tragic-comedy-of-ancient-greek-women/
189: The Strange and Beautiful Stories of Cinderella from Asia
October 19, 2022 07:14 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBThe Cinderella story is a tale of serendipity and love – both of which are universal themes. These themes are perhaps the reason why the story seems to transcend time itself and became one of the world’s go-to princess tales, recognized all over the world albeit under different names. While there are many variants of the story, they commonly feature a young woman in unjust and oppressive circumstances whose fortune are remarkably and unexpectedly changed with the assistance of divine element...
188: From Erotica to Historical Fiction: Ancient History of Romance Novels
October 12, 2022 05:53 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBThe history of romance novels and erotica is vast and fascinating! But what do we actually know about the genre? Where did it come from? How has it changed over the years? And why has it continued to be popular for centuries, even though in some cultures, erotica is still hidden? This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/10/11/from-erotica-to-historical-fiction-ancient-history-of-romance-novels/
187: The History of Comic Books, From the Ancient World to Today
October 05, 2022 02:18 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBThe first illustrations of people with a modern comic book style were found in the early 1900s BCE. Carvings from this time period show that Egyptians played with creating comics, but they weren’t able to create them in the same way we do today. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/10/04/the-history-of-comic-books-from-the-ancient-world-to-today/
186: Star-Crossed Lovers, Murderers and Vicious Brides: Literary History of the Famous Family of Persian Heroes
September 28, 2022 06:17 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBStar-crossed lovers, fathers killing sons and a warrior bride shackling her newlywed husband to the bed, all play a role in the legendary folklore of Persia’s most famous fabled family; that of Rostam and his ancestors and descendants. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/09/27/star-crossed-lovers-murderers-and-vicious-brides-literary-history-of-the-famous-family-of-persian-heroes/
185: Your Ultimate Guide to the Secret Rebels Behind “Journey to the West”
September 21, 2022 06:05 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBJourney to the West is a classic Chinese novel written by Wu Cheng’en in the 16th century. It depicts the adventures of a Buddhist monk and his three disciples. Although Journey to the West may be considered a pleasant introduction to the calm and gentle Buddhist philosophy behind this story is in fact a real journey by a Buddhist monk ten centuries earlier. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/09/20/your-ultimate-guide-to-the-secret-rebels-behind-jou...
184: The Mad Prince: A Closer Historical Look at Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
September 14, 2022 06:36 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBYou may not know it, but the original Hamlet was actually a Danish Prince who had his father killed by his uncle. Over 600 years later, Shakespeare’s play about this prince is still a favorite among theater-goers. But how much do you actually know about the story behind this iconic tragedy? This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/09/13/the-mad-prince-a-closer-historical-look-at-shakespeares-hamlet/
183: What Happened Behind Lady Murasaki’s Tale Of Genji? Discovering the Secret Lives and Times of 11th Century Heian Japan
September 06, 2022 15:14 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBLady Murasaki’s Tale of Genji is one of the most celebrated novels in Japanese history. The story follows the life of Hikaru Genji, a child of nobility born into ancient Japan’s Heian Period. It was written by a woman known only as Murasaki Shikibu, who lived during this tumultuous time and recorded the customs and details of court life. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/09/06/what-happened-behind-lady-murasakis-tale-of-genji-discovering-the-secret...
80: How to Win an Election: Lessons from an Ancient Roman Rebel
September 06, 2022 15:10 - 10 minutes - 9.62 MBThe ancient Greek historian Thucydides once wrote, “Human nature is constant”. An election is a messy process and something that we have tried to get right for thousands of years. In some ancient Greek city-states, election by lot was a method of choosing public officials. It was used especially in the Athenian democracy, from which most information about the practice is derived. This practice provided the regular turnover of officeholders. As a result, for better or worse, the operations of...
182: Stories of the Little Emperors: Some Babies Shake Up Kingdoms
July 22, 2022 06:07 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBSome babies shake rattles and others shake up kingdoms. We hear many stories of the unhappy lives and ends of child rulers. Most recently, in 1908, Puyi became the last emperor of China at only two years old. As the crowning ceremony began, the frightened little emperor had to be carried to the throne by his father as he cried, kicked, and clawed – desperately trying to escape. But he had no choice. A child though he was, he had to rule an empire. This episode is also available as a blog po...
181: Battle of the Tragic Heroes: Legends of India’s Karna, Greek’s Achilles and Ireland’s Ferdiad
July 19, 2022 12:30 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBthe world, indicating that every culture had strong influences on each other and their legends. A minor example of this can be seen in something as simple as a body armor – Ancient India’s Karna’s kawach (“armour”) has been compared with that of Ancient Greek’s Achilles’ Styx-coated body and with Ancient Irish warrior Ferdiad’s horny skin that could not be pierced. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/07/19/battle-of-the-tragic-heroes/
180: The Rape of Lucretia: Politics and the Woman’s Body
July 15, 2022 06:53 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBWe would often see her images and, perhaps just as often, forget her name. In paintings, she is a beautiful tragic figure, looking up helplessly towards a Roman soldier standing over her. However, in 16th century Europe, there was no other ancient name that fuels an artist’s imagination like “Lucretia”. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/07/14/the-rape-of-lucretia-politics-and-the-womans-body/
179: Yin and Yang: A Short History of Universal Balance
July 12, 2022 10:17 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBChinese mythology and cosmology rest on the concept that the universe is shaped and maintained by two fundamental forces called yin and yang. They are opposites yet complementary forces that interact to form a dynamic system where the whole is greater than the assembled parts. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2022/07/12/yin-and-yang/