Episodes
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The Pharaoh's Inbox: Inside the Amarna Letters With Dr. Eric H. Cline
Petros Koutoupis sits down with Dr. Eric H. Cline to discuss his latest book, Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters & the Bronze Age World They Revealed. Dr. Cline is a historian, archaeologist, and professor of ancient history and archaeology at George Washington…
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Titus: Emperor, General, Destroyer
Petros Koutoupis sits down with author Marc Hyden, author of Emperor Titus: The Right Hand of Vespasian, to take a closer look at one of Rome’s most fascinating and often misunderstood emperors. We talk about Titus’ rise to power, his military career, his relationship with Vespasian, the...
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The Odyssey: Myth, History, and Nolan's Vision
Petros Koutoupis sits down with Boston-based freelance journalist, writer, blogger, and child of Olympus, Katy Kostakis, to discuss the recently released Christopher Nolan adaptation of The Odyssey. Warning: there will be spoilers. Just how faithful is Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey to...
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Daughters of Hecate: The Ancient Roots of Witchcraft
Petros Koutoupis sits down with classicist and author, Alexis Hannah Prescott, to discuss witches and their Classical origins. We talk about her latest book, The First Witches: Women of Power in the Classical World, and dig into how the image of the ancient witch has changed over time. What…
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Rediscovering Rome's Lost Heroes
Petros Koutoupis sits down with father and son duo, hosts of the podcast Lost Roman Heroes, Matthew and Matteo Storm to discuss the near-forgotten visionaries who helped shape the Roman world. How did these forgotten Roman heroes shape the empire’s destiny, and why have their stories faded from...
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The Last Pagan Emperor? Rethinking Julian’s Legacy
Petros Koutoupis sits down with assistant professor of Classics at Michigan State University and author, Jeremy Swist, to discuss his latest research publication, Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome. Who was the last pagan emperor of the Roman empire? What was his legacy?...
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A Discussion on the Classics and the Life of Cato the Younger
Petros Koutoupis sits down with professor of Classics at Ohio University, Dr. Fred K. Drogula, to discuss Classical Studies and the renewed interests on the subject. We also talk about Drogula’s latest publication, Cato the Younger: Life and Death at the End of the Roman Republic. Who was Cato…
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The Dung Emperor: Constantine V
Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Leslie Ivings, to discuss his latest publication: Byzantine Emperor Constantine V, 'the Dung-named': General, Patriarch, Iconoclast, Reformer. Who was Constantine V, what great things did he accomplish during his reign and why were the…
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The Fall of the Republic and Rise of Imperial Rome
Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Lindsay Powell, to discuss the last days of the Roman Republic and the rise of Imperial Rome. What events led to the transition? Who were the people responsible? Was Julius Caesar the father of the “knock-knock” joke? We will answer these...
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Unraveling the Role of Mythology in the Ancient World
Petros Koutoupis sits down with historian and author, Jess Nadeau, to discuss ancient mythologies and the role mythology played in the ancient world. What attracted us to these ancient tales? What motivated the ancient authors to compile them in the first place? Did ancient events inspire some...
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How and Why was the Old Testament Bible Written?
Petros Koutoupis sits down with A Podcast of Biblical Proportions host, Gil Kidron, to discuss various theories and historical events which led to the compilation of the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch (or the Torah). What inspired the authors and when did the text get…
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The Unsung Heroines of the Ancient World
In this exciting episode we talk about all sorts of topics with historian, Mary Naples. We talk about her publication, Unsung Heroes: Women in the Ancient World. We also discuss the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Romans and even the Canaanite cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Bible and more! This…
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In Search of Lost Egyptian Tombs
In this episode, we sit down with Egyptologist, Dr. Chris Naunton, to discuss his book, Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt. What has the archaeological evidence revealed to identify the final resting places of important historical figures such as Imhotep, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, and...
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Hammurabi's Shoes, Just kidding! We Talk After 1177 BC
We sit down with Dr. Eric H. Cline to discuss his latest publication, After 1177 B.C.: The survival of Civilizations. He is a historian, archaeologist, professor of ancient history and archaeology at George Washington University at Washington DC. Author of numerous top selling books in the…
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Mesopotamia: The Land Between the Rivers
In this exciting episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with guest historian and author, Dr. Amanda Podany to discuss her latest publication “Weavers, Scribes and Kings” and to also talk about the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. How and when did the earliest urban settlements form? What...
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In Search of Aeneas Redux: Following the Trojan Refugee
In this episode, guest author, Anthony Adolph returns to discuss his latest research and publication, In Search of Aeneas: Classical Myth or Bronze Age Hero? Who was Aeneas? What did his world look like? What is his tale and how did it evolve? What did Aeneas mean to both the Greeks and Romans?…
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Cicero and the Fall of the Late Roman Republic
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis sits down with Lawrence Reed to discuss Cicero and the Fall of the Late Roman Republic. Who was Cicero and how did his actions impact both ancient Rome and the Roman Republic? What events led to the fall of the Republic? What lessons can we take away from…
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Marcus Furius Camillus: Rome's Savior
In this episode, guest author, Marc Hyden is back to discuss his latest publication, Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder. Who is Camillus and how did his story help shape the early Republic? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or…
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The Might and Influence of the Neo-Assyrians
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with British Assyriologist and ancient Near Eastern scholar, Dr. Stephanie Dalley, to discuss the ancient Neo-Assyrians of Iron Age Mesopotamia. Who were the Neo-Assyrians and how did they influence the ancient Near Eastern world? How did they…
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Special Feature - The Bible: From Eden to Babel
In the second installment of this special feature sub-series, we will continue to explore the world of the Bible. Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he takes us on a journey to discover the location of Eden, identify the Nephilim, understand the fusing of two separate Flood stories to find parallels...
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The Antikythera Mechanism, Ancient Pompeii and More
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, speaks about the latest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, the Antikythera Mechanism, Archimedes, the life and death of ancient Pompeii, he answers listener questions and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...
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In Search of Aeneas
Is there evidence to the tales of Aeneas and the Trojan refugees migrating from Anatolia and to Italian shores? Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he explores this narrative and attempts to shed light on the archaeology of the region during the Late Bronze Age. This is a public episode. If you'd…
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Rediscovering Brutus of Troy: The Mythical Ancestor to the Britains
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with professional genealogist and historical researcher and author, Anthony Adolph. They discuss Anthony’s book, Brutus of Troy: And the Quest for the Ancestry of the British. Who was the legendary Brutus of Troy and why was he important to the...
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The Oldest Story Written: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he embarks on his latest adventure to rediscover and retell the oldest story ever written: the Epic of Gilgamesh. From when did the stories originate and from where? When were the first tablets unearthed by archaeologists? Why was this discovery so important? How…
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Special Feature - The Bible: Authorship of the Pentateuch
In this special feature sub-series, we will explore the world of the Bible. Who wrote the Bible? More specifically, who authored the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament? Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he takes us on a journey to explore current theories and scholarship…
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The Mysterious Sea Peoples: Their Origins and Identification
Who were the Sea Peoples wreaking havoc at the end of the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age? What was their motivation and from where did they originate? Join Petros Koutoupis as he attempts to answer these questions and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...
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The Odyssey: How Much of it is Fact? Part 2
In this second part of digging into Homer’s epic tale, The Odyssey, Petros Koutoupis focuses on the Wanderings (books 5-12). Here we meet with witches, nymphs, Cyclopes, gods and goddess and more. Can we discover the inspirations for some of these characters and what they represent? Do we know...
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The Odyssey: How Much of it is Fact?
How much of Homer’s epic tale, the Odyssey, preserves historical fact? Join Petros Koutoupis as he digs deep into the Telemachy (the first four books of the Odyssey) in an attempt to determine how much of the poem preserve Late Bronze Age events. We will discuss ancient Aegean traditions to even...
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The Exodus: An Egyptian Story?
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down and interviews historical researcher and author, Dr. Peter Feinman. They discuss Feinman’s latest published research, The Exodus: An Egyptian Story. Can we find evidence of a Semitic exodus in the Egyptian record? Who was the Pharaoh of the…
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The Etruscans: Their Origins, Influence and Disappearance from History
Who are the mysterious Etruscans? Where did they come from and where did they go? Join host, Petros Koutoupis, as he dives into this intriguing topic and attempts to shed some light on this enigmatic ancient culture that once dominated central Italy and the Tyrrhenian Sea over 2500 years ago.…
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Thera and the "Lost Map of Atlantis"
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis discusses the Minoan civilization and how their dominance over the Mediterranean Sea alongside the Theran eruption on the island of Santorini inspired the later tale of Plato’s Atlantis. Petros also reveals an ancient 3600 year old “map” which looks quite...
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Digging Up Romulus: The Mythical Founder of Rome
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, sits down with historical researcher and author, Marc Hyden. They discuss Marc’s latest book, Romulus: The Legend of Rome’s Founding Father. Is there any historical basis to the mythical founder of Rome and the Roman peoples? How did his story evolve over...
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Ramesses the Great: Man, God and Legend
In this episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, looks into the life of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses the Great. How did he rule his people and how did he define his legacy? Was he the Pharaoh of the Biblical Exodus? What does the archaeology say? We will attempt to dive into all of this and more. This…
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Archaeology: The Early Years
Follow host, Petros Koutoupis, as he explores and sifts through the early days of archaeology. Being the young [and still evolving] science that it is, its origins were quite destructive and in some cases unethical; all done to not only add to the collections of museums but to also prove the…
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The Trojan War: From Oral Tradition to Canon
In this very first episode, host, Petros Koutoupis, discusses the history of the Trojan War, oral tradition and the methods by which the narratives resulted in the version of the Iliad and Odyssey we read today. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...
About this show
Ancient Origins Presents Digging Up The Past: The latest historical news and research surrounding the ancient eastern Mediterranean and Near East.
www.diggingupthepast.net
Hosted by
Petros Koutoupis
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