Literature and History

By: Doug Metzger
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  • Summary

  • With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, and the birth of Christianity. The show's current season is on Late Antiquity (or 200-700 CE) and the dawn of the Middle Ages. A typical episode (they average about two hours) features a general introduction to a work of literature, then a full summary of that work that expects no prior knowledge, and finally, an analysis of the cultural, biographical, and historical forces that gave rise to the work in question. Original symphonic and ambient background music is woven throughout each show, and all episodes offer free full, illustrated, footnoted transcriptions as well as quizzes for purposes of review. The show has no advertisements, and its host takes pride in a professional approach that avoids chitchat and ephemera and gets straight to the educational content. You can listen to the episodes in any order, although most listeners begin at the beginning and proceed from there, as the podcast itself is chronologically organized.
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Episodes
  • Episode 109: Cornerstones

    Episode 109: Cornerstones
    Mar 15 2025

    Episode 109 brings our long season on Late Antiquity to a close, reviews the past 24 programs on the beginnings of the Middle Ages, and introduces our new season on early Islamic History.

    The Actual First Novels Bonus Series:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn

    Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/

    Episode 109 Transcription:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-109-cornerstones

    Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
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    2 hrs and 10 mins
  • Episode 108: Isidore of Seville

    Episode 108: Isidore of Seville
    Feb 15 2025

    One of the great scholars of Late Antiquity, Isidore (c. 560-636) left behind a compendium called the Etymologies, an encyclopedia of his epoch’s knowledge, a book second only to the Bible during the Middle Ages.

    Episode 108 Quiz:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-108

    Episode 108 Transcription:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-108-isidore-of-seville

    Bonus Content:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

    Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
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    2 hrs and 14 mins
  • Episode 107: Venantius Fortunatus

    Episode 107: Venantius Fortunatus
    Jan 15 2025

    The Merovingian court poet Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530-600), at work in Francia in the late 500s, shows us the world of the Middle Ages blooming from Roman ruins.

    Episode 107 Quiz:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-107

    Episode 107 Transcription:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-107-venantius-fortunatus

    Bonus Content:
    https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content

    Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
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    2 hrs and 12 mins

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