logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
58m 6s

Thoughts and Prayers for Odysseus: Circe...

Spencer Klavan
About this episode

Life is very hard for Odysseus. He's lost comrades to war and to people-eaters of both the one- and two-eyed varieties. He's far from home, wandering at sea, and now, after all that...he has to go to bed with a beautiful goddess. Please bow your heads in a moment of silence. Truly, though, the island of Aeaea, where Circe the witch lives, does represent a major trial that Odysseus must go through to make his way back into civilization. But it's not he kind of trial we'd imagine today, when Christianity has totally transformed sexual ethics. What does it mean to stay true to your family, and what is true strength? Odysseus is going to have to answer both questions to make it home.

SIGNUPS OPEN: Register for Spring courses at The Ancient Language Institute https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/

Pre-order my new book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: https://a.co/d/2QccOfM

Catch up on my livestream with Andrew Klavan (no relation): https://thenewjerusalem.substack.com/p/new-livestream-october-7-6pm-et

Simon Netchev’s Odyssey Map: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15906/odysseus-ten-year-journey-home

Up next
Aug 15
Augustus to Virgil: Are you Mad at Me? 🥺
It's time we finally talked about the elephant in the room: does Virgil actually like Augustus? Or is he just pretending? This doesn't seem to have been much of a question in the ancient world--the commentator Servius wrote quite bluntly that "Virgil's intention was to imitate Ho ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 1
Is There Life Out There?
Everyone, everywhere, thinks about the afterlife. If you think you don't, you're wrong: you do. Because what you believe about life after death is an expression of how you think the universe is ordered, and whether you believe there's such a thing as ultimate justice. That in tur ... Show More
1h 6m
Jul 18
Do You Even Prophesy, Bro?
One of the West's great recurring characters, the Sibyl of Cumae, takes center stage today. Deranged, holy, prophetic, and apparently totally jacked, she guided Rome throughout its history and now teaches Aeneas what he must do to become the man who can found Rome. She may have b ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2011
Nerd vs Geek (rebroadcast) - 15 August 2011
SUMMARYWhat do the words marathon, paisley, and bikini have in common? They're all words that derive from the names of places. Martha and Grant talk toponyms. Also, what's the difference between a nerd and a geek? Why do some Marines greet each other with the word "Yambo"? And wh ... Show More
52m 24s
May 2020
Speak Lesson 65 | Food (Vocabulary Sprint)
In this vocabulary sprint lesson, Leyla and her husband Chris go over Persian/ Farsi vocabulary associated with food. Food is an important topic of conversation in Persian culture, as Iranians have a rich history of gathering and celebrating food. In this lesson, we go over diffe ... Show More
20m 23s
Jul 2024
Your English Five a Day #37.4
E323: 🎙️ Welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast, your go-to resource for expanding your English vocabulary! I'm your host, Anna, and I'm bringing you Week 37, Day 4 of Your English Five a Day. Each weekday, we delve into five new vocabulary items, exploring their meanings, ... Show More
13m 41s
Jan 2025
Langue française : Que signifie "ultime" ? Dernier ? Ou suprême ?
Ce dimanche, nous allons parler d'un mot à la mode... Et même d'un mot qu'on trouve à toutes les sauces, et... allez, j'avoue ? ça m'énerve ! Vous savez, les tics de langage se suivent, on les entend, on les répète, bref ils sont contagieux, on se les refile comme le Covid ou un ... Show More
3m 56s
Jun 11
#328 The Fascinating Origins of 8 English Words
This is an episode I've been planning for a long time and I'm quite excited to share. We'll be looking at the origins of 8 different English words and the deep stories behind them. Each word originally comes from another language or culture, and it was brought into English throug ... Show More
46m 4s
Dec 2020
32. The Oxford Dictionary Words of the Year 2020! (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Today, i want to introduce you to some of the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2020 words of the year. For the first time ever, the Oxford Dictionary was unable to choose one single standout word from the previous 12 months. Instead, as a consequence of the unprecedented events of 202 ... Show More
17m 19s
Oct 2024
316. What is Culture Shock? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Listen to Simple English News Daily - https://open.spotify.com/show/4QctJjCUuHefLzeZWDoXqc?si=a87d593d939643dd SEND7 Podcast - https://www.send7.org/ This episode is going to take a detailed look at culture shock. We’ll define both “culture shock” and “reverse culture shock” and ... Show More
27m 1s
Mar 2021
55. British English vs American English: Which is Better??
British English or American English: which one is better? I’ve been asked this question hundreds of times. It can be confusing and frustrating for language learners when the vocabulary they have spent years learning is different to that of their British or American friends’. So o ... Show More
24m 7s
Jan 2025
50 Winter Vocabulary Words
🤩 Download FREE lesson PDF: https://espressoenglish.lpages.co/free-pdf-winter-vocabulary/ ⭐ Vocabulary Builder Courses: https://espressoenglish.lpages.co/vocabulary-builder-course/ Let’s learn 50 vocabulary words related to winter and cold weather! Make sure to download the free ... Show More
5m 32s