Ezracles: It is important for intellectuals to say what is most useful. Socrates: But is that true? Ezracles: Certainly I believe it to be true Socrates. Socrates: But how can I tell you are not just saying that because you think it useful to do so?

There’s a sick kid in the house; today’s episode is postponed until Tuesday!

Chotiner: so you sat out most of the war because your general took your slavewoman. Achilles: I proved my point. They couldn’t manage without me. C: do you think that makes you look better or worse? A: Well, I did’t kill him. And he brought her back. C: son of Peleus, thank you for your time.

this actually depicts the world’s first game of Battleship.

Really cannot recommend Patrick Wyman's podcast Tides of History enough. In addition to pointing me at a ton of great resources for my own work, it's also been useful for both escapism and resetting one's perspective on what we're all living through. It's a Wondery show; easy to find.

SPILL TEA, O MUSE, 'BOUT ACHILLES FLIPPING HIS SHIT

"Gimme the FDR special, please."

Progressive taxation including high marginal rates, with a minimum percentage of the yield going to help people: health care, education, safe water and food, low- to no-cost housing, disaster relief, etc. I'd need help working out the numbers, but, yeah. That.

Scenario: You are the absolute ruler of the world for a few days, and you get to pass one permanent law that will be enforced for all time. What would it be? 🤔🤔🤔

It's time to think about thinking, fam. The first of our three-episode series on Plato's Republic (c. 380 BCE) is in feeds now! This philosophical dialogue, which interrogates morality and the just society, is the founding document of Western political theory . . . #booksky #philosophy #podcasts

Really fun thread about how human language is (surprise) set up to ensure effective transmission through oral culture!

*Most* poetic devices in human culture are error-detecting codes.

One of our favourite bits of The Republic is when Plato, writing as Socrates, says that his ideal city would ban literature in which the poet writes in the voices of others. #classicsky #booksky #podcasts

It's time to think about thinking, fam. The first of our three-episode series on Plato's Republic (c. 380 BCE) is in feeds now! This philosophical dialogue, which interrogates morality and the just society, is the founding document of Western political theory . . . #booksky #philosophy #podcasts

Tomorrow! We begin a three! Episode! Journey! into Plato’s Republic, here accurately described by friend of the show Holly Wood (actual name), who has a Harvard PhD. #booksky #podcasts

Fascinated that In Our Time is one of the BBC’s most popular podcasts among under 35s. The young people demand three academics and a peer discussing Demosthenes, apparently. And they’re right to do so.

Actually, we were on track to release this on time, but a lizard shat on our head during a critical moment in the process, and it took a while to get back in the saddle. (This happened to Socrates, too, don't laugh!) #booksky #classicsky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

Actually, we were on track to release this on time, but a lizard shat on our head during a critical moment in the process, and it took a while to get back in the saddle. (This happened to Socrates, too, don't laugh!) #booksky #classicsky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

I wrote 34,000 words for just one of my clients in August, which is my excuse for this 5,500-word podcast being rather late (link goes to transcript, show should be in feeds soon): #booksky #classicsky #aristophanes booksofalltime.co.uk/2025/08/31/e...

We’re back tomorrow at last, no thanks to Montresor here.

You’re supposed to be helping me rewrite this podcast episode, bro. #ProofOfCat #Caturday

Eels are classic. And also classical! In fact, they're the only fish mentioned by name in Homer's Iliad. In Book 21, Achilles kills a Trojan in the River Scamander. Like ya do. And immediately, the eels begin to nibble on the dead man's kidneys. Nibble. 'Cause eels are dainty. 🗃️🧪

sir, sir he said, sir i've failed to avenge my lord, sir, i need you to be my kaishakunin. and i was his kaishakunin. i cut off his head very strongly and i did it better than anyone's ever done it before. no one's ever, the numbers, the numbers of heads are unbelievable

We’re no Terry Gross-level broadcasters, but reading anything with this level of attention adds so much to your life. (Our system for prepping BoAT episodes uses colour-coded highlighters.)

I love Terry Gross she is a top ten person

We’re on summer holiday this weekend, so our next episode releases on August 24. In the meantime, catch up with our most recent show on Aristophanes’s The Frogs, featuring an underworld rap battle between Aeschylus and Euripides:

🚨🚨🚨 MOMO UPDATE: untroubled

Mom: Come on then. Tell us one of your little stories Aesop: They’re called fables, Mom

*THE OPEN ACCESS COMPANION TO THE CANTERBURY TALES*, a free, scholer-produced onlyne resource for teachinge and learninge *The Canterbury Tales* at the universitye level: opencanterburytales.lsusites.org

We won’t be getting to Chaucer until 2030 or so, but if you’d like to read him now, this looks like a fabulous resource! #booksky

This is very depressing.

This isn’t an impoverished regional school – this is the University of Chicago. Devastating.

Currently reading a book about the Second World War (1937-1843) and I'm afraid it's dated very badly.

Reading ruts are real and you can always break out of them by setting yourself an insanely ambitious multi-decade reading list and podcasting about it. Or do as this poster suggests, your call.

Some Greek-ish mask details on the side of the convention center in Asbury Park, New Jersey. #classicseverywhere

Featuring a poetic battle royale between the ghosts of Aeschylus and Euripides, the play blends highbrow literary satire, bawdy sight gags, and more than a little bit of reactionary xenophobia. So nothing's changed there, then.

NEW EPISODE! Produced in 405 BCE, just months before Athens' disastrous loss of the Peloponnesian War, Aristophanes' Frogs is a comedy about how important — and ridiculous — great art can be. #booksky #history

NEW EPISODE! Produced in 405 BCE, just months before Athens' disastrous loss of the Peloponnesian War, Aristophanes' Frogs is a comedy about how important — and ridiculous — great art can be. #booksky #history

🎼"There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex You may have heard about his odd complex His name appears in Freud's index 'Cause he loved his mother"🎶 Farewell to a genius: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScd... #booksky

🎼"There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex You may have heard about his odd complex His name appears in Freud's index 'Cause he loved his mother"🎶 Farewell to a genius: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScd... #booksky

Honestly, I would not feel safe paragliding with a company named after Icarus 😅😅

Having just read this play, we are going around saying "them's the brekekekex" whenever possible.

Can I get a Brekekekex?

one of the crazy things about classics is that you could, at any moment, stumble onto massive accidental finds that would completely change our perception of something. so much of it is missing and enormous finds have often happened!

this goes both for literature and histories. we have, what, 18 out of 90 or so of Euripedes' plays. and that is unusually high!

18/92-ish for Euripides, 7/120 for Sophocles, 7/80-90 for Aeschylus, and 0 for all the other Athenian tragedy writers who frequently took first prize over those three guys in the annual Great Dionysia. We'd love to read the plays by Philocles that beat out Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, for instance.

This is a nice visualisation because you can spot the point at which novel-writing went from "frivolous, possibly stupidity-inducing female activity" to "serious art that only men can do well".

The other day I drew a subway-style map for The Hobbit, and it was very well received. Some of you asked if I could do one for LoTR, so I have! Forgive the eel watermark; I'm working on making these something you can buy, if you like.