Episodes The Heritage Podcast

Read more: In this episode on ancient Greek warfare, we learn about the fabled military formation that would take the Balkan city-states from amateur skirmishers to imperial powers: the phalanx! Alone, each hoplite (or shield-carrying soldier) was a helpless target, but as part of a phalanx, the Aegean citizen-soldier became a force to be reckoned with.... ()

Read more: In this episode on Greek Mythology, we’ll see how from Chaos came Darkness, from Darkness came Love, and from Love came Light and Day. …Before long, the universe had created the gods! Still, the universe was not ready for Greek Civilization. The barbaric world of primordial violence had to be tamed by the anthropomorphic... ()

Read more: It’s anchors aweigh as we set sail for the stormy Aegean Sea! Before the Greeks came to inhabit the Mediterranean, the Aegean was home to two Bronze Age Civilizations: the Minoans and the Mycenaeans. In Episode 19, we’ll learn how myth and archaeology have shaped our understanding of these civilizations along with the rest... ()

Read more: In this C&C episode, we address some long-overdue correspondence…and even get scammed by a foreign benefactor! Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Read more: In this literature episode, we share in the plight of Job: a good man to whom bad things happened! As long as people have believed in a just universe or a loving, all-powerful God, they have been dogged by The Problem of Evil, or “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?” Tune in... ()

Read more: In our first literature episode on “The Heritage Podcast,” we follow in the footsteps of history’s oldest hero: Gilgamesh of Uruk. Beginning with a discussion of the epic poem, we then read what is probably the oldest work of literary fiction: a story of adventure, friendship, death, and the meaning of life. We practice... ()

Read more: In episode 14 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we caravan to the Land Between the Rivers…or is it “The Cradle of Civilization”…what about “the Fertile Crescent”? Whatever you call it, it’s a land of important firsts, where unpredictable floods and capricious gods sustained a civilization whose legacy stands the test of time. From the Sumerian... ()

Read more: In this corrections and correspondence episode, we end our two month hiatus by catching up on old mail, honoring Memorial Day, and laying out the plan for the next few episodes. It’s good to be back!

Read more: In episode 13 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we sail along the banks of the Nile River to the land of pharaohs and pyramids. From the Old Kingdom to the New, we learn how an isolated desert valley played host to the first great African empire and founded a civilization that would captivate students of... ()

Read more: In episode 12 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we journey in the footsteps of Siddhartha Gautama–or the Buddha–on his quest for spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Considering the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, we discover what Buddhism and its major denominations have to say about life, suffering, and the nature of reality.

Read more: In episode 11 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we discover what the Hindu religion says about the nature of reality and the meaning of life. Exploring religious texts like the Ramayana and the Bhagavad-Gita, we learn about such concepts as the Brahman, the Atman, and the pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses. Additionally, certain terminology... ()

Read more: In episode 10 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we travel West, crossing the Himalayas into the Indian subcontinent: a land of infinite diversity, but unmistakable unity. The Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic India, and the Mauryan Empire are explored, paying special attention the Aryan Migration theories that try to explain the origins of ancient India.

Read more: In episode 9 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we delve into the tumultuous “Spring and Autumn” period between the Zhou and Qin dynasties, where deep thinkers proffered new philosophies that continue to shape China and the world today. Topics include Confucius, Mencius, Mozi, Daoism, and the Legalism of Han Fei.

Read more: In episode 8 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we journey along the banks of the flooded Huang Hu (or “Yellow”) River, where five dynasties–the Xia, the Shang, the Zhou, the Qin, and the Han–forged a unique civilization that remains today. From antiquity to year 0, dynastic history and achievements are emphasized; the philosophic developments of... ()

Read more: In this corrections and correspondence episode, we read our mail from previous weeks and then preface our study of the upcoming River Valley Civilizations with a word on the usage of “civilization.” An outline of what’s to come is provided, along with several announcements.

Read more: In episode 7 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we develop a lens for analyzing the many myths, religious texts, and creation stories that we are going to encounter in the ancient world. Beginning with Carl Jung and his theory of archetypes and the collective unconscious, we then discuss Joseph Campbell’s theories of comparative mythology, and... ()

Read more: In episode 6 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we explore the revolutionary effect that agriculture had on early humans, and how pre-historic cities “cropped” up all over Eurasia. Before going into too much detail, though, we explain the phenomenon of the Ice Ages, and how the last one had to end before humankind could truly... ()

Read more: In episode 5 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we search for the origins of man among the early hominids in the Old Stone Age, trying to answer the question “What Makes Us Human?” From Australopithecus to Homo neanderthalensis, how did our ancestors live, work, and worship in the world before history?

Read more: In episode 4 of “The Heritage Podcast,” we kick off our study of history with a brief look at historiography, and how historians do what they do. Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary sources are defined. On a lighter note, we learn why Herodotus was way more gullible of an historian than Thucydides.

Read more: In this follow up to episode 3 we read our correspondence from last week and then review the third and final element of the Trivium: Rhetoric. Recommendations are offered for further reading.