What do Achilles and Gilgamesh, two of the most renowned literary figures of the ancient world, have in common? A great deal more than you might expect. I talked to Professor Michael Clarke of the National University of Ireland, Galway, one of my favorite people in the world and an enormously creative and thoughtful scholar, about his recent book - Achilles ... Show More
Apr 23
Lewis and Clark, the Corps of Discovery, and Writing Collective History: Interview with Author Craig Fehrman
Author Craig Fehrman's new book on Lewis and Clark, This Vast Enterprise, is one of the best things I've read in years. We discuss the richness of our understanding of the expedition and how that allows us to understand it, and the world of the early 19th century, from many diffe ... Show More
44m 18s
Apr 16
Lost Worlds Audiobook Chapter: "The World As It Was"
Patrick's new book Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World comes out May 5th! Check out a free preview of the first chapter of the audiobook, "The World As It Was," and learn about the Clovis people and reindeer hunters in Europe at the end of the la ... Show More
50m 43s
Apr 9
What I've Learned From Tides of History
Does history repeat itself? Not really, but that's not the reason it's worth studying: Our past is nothing more or less than the collective record of our species' achievements and failures, and it contains a variety of lessons, few of them easy and straightforward. In this episod ... Show More
33m 56s
Feb 2019
The Epic of Gilgamesh Pt. 1
The half-god king, Gilgamesh, finds himself growing bored with his power, so the gods create a wild man who can challenge his strength. When these two fearsome men meet, they will live on in their stories for millennia to come. This Mesopotamian epic poem, composed in 2100 BCE, i ... Show More
43m 23s
Nov 2019
74 | Stephen Greenblatt on Stories, History, and Cultural Poetics
An infinite number of things happen; we bring structure and meaning to the world by making art and telling stories about it. Every work of literature created by human beings comes out of an historical and cultural context, and drawing connections between art and its context can b ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2020
Ancient Guys Doing Crazy Things (The Epic of Gilgamesh Part 2)
Part two of the Mesopotamian epic, the first recorded work of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh! CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thin ... Show More
36m 28s
Feb 2020
Mythology Rewind: The Epic of Gilgamesh Pt. 1
On the last Sunday of every month, Parcast Rewind replays a classic episode of Mythology that you might have missed! The half-god king, Gilgamesh, finds himself growing bored with his power, so the gods create a wild man who can challenge his strength. When these two fearsome men ... Show More
42m 29s
Apr 2023
Edith Hall on Aristotelian Ethics, Intention, and Human Decency
<p>Ryan speaks with Edith Hall about why she wants to open up Aristotle’s works to the world at large, how Aristotle defined what a human being is and how one can be happy, the importance of doing what you’re good at and enjoying what you’re doing so long as it’s good for the soc ... Show More
53m 7s