Tantalus

In honor of the release of The Odyssey, this week we read the only extant satyr play, The Cyclops by Euripides. In Greek Theater, authors wrote four plays for a performance, three tragedies and one comedy called a satyr play. This satyr tells the story of Odysseus outwitting the Cyclops.

Odysseus awakens in darkness, waiting for a dawn that never comes. Guided by Sisyphus through the shadows of Hades, the great king retraces the path of his life until memory gives way to truth.

A proud young prince devoted to Artemis rejects love and scorns the power of Aphrodite. In revenge, the goddess kindles a forbidden passion in his stepmother, Phaedra, setting in motion one of Greek tragedy’s cruelest chains of misunderstanding. In this episode, we explore Euripides’ Hippolytus—a h…

A sister defies a king. A ruler defies the gods. Sophocles’ Antigone is one of the defining tragedies of the ancient world, exploring duty, law, pride, and the devastating cost of moral certainty. In this episode, we examine the clash between Antigone and Creon and ask why this timeless drama conti…