Three Kingdoms and the Iliad

The Three Kingdoms era following the collapse of the Han Dynasty was a pivotal period in Chinese history. Many Chinese traditions date to this time. And the many heroes that rose up like a rushing spring in this age of chaos are still revered. Indeed, names like Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu are still household names in East Asia just as names like Odysseus and Achilles are still known across Western culture. In this episode, I discuss why the parallels between the Three Kingdoms (and the 14th century novel that narrates that history) and Homer's Iliad are more than a coincidence.Support the show