He's just a Big Guy who does Big Guy things! Joined by special return guest, Amy Pistone, we unpack this true gem of a Greek myth adaptation that's really just a delightful D&D excursion. Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the titular hero, Hercules, it's no surprise that we all come away loving this quirky film produced at a time when every one else is trying to be gritty with their mytho-historical retellings. All it really needs is one more living-breathing female character and a good heist to make it the greatest film of all time! And maybe drop the random date. Just sayin'.

You can learn more about Amy and her research at https://www.amypistone.com/ or find her on Twitter under the handle @apistone.

And if you like what you hear, please be sure to like, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For the latest updates on the show, check out our social media pages available here.

Returning to our debut topic, we dig into the 2004 attempt to keep the Gladiator train going, Wolfgang Petersen's Troy. Joined by super-special guest Joel Christensen (of Sententiae Antiquae fame), we revisit this oddly situated film. Spurned by many, beloved by some, and forgotten by most, this film sits at an interesting crossroads in Hollywood and classical reception. Is it a secret masterpiece? Probably not. Is it an interesting mirror of what had and was yet to come? Definitely.

Podcasters, what is your profession? If it's bragging about how you don't have a job, then you might be a Spartan! We return once again to the film that launched a thousand memes: Zack Snyder's 2006 adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300. Joined by super-special guest and military history extraordinaire, Roel Konijnendijk, we approach this film as the revealing study of masculinity it really is. Why did this movie stick in our collective cultural craw like it did? What does it's enduring appeal say about our own cultural ideals and aspirations? Why is something so beloved by self-described alpha-males so homoerotic? Listen now to find out.

Follow Roel on Twitter and read his posts as Iphikrates on r/askhistorians

Straight from the Oracle's mouth! Once again, we have the great pleasure of chatting with the Parlapanides Bros about the second season of Netflix's Blood of Zeus. We discuss everything from the season's delayed production, themes of justice and forgiveness, and all our favorite mythological, archaeological, and Classics media Easter eggs! The Fates also offer a glimpse of a future spin-off...but we must all make a sacrifice the the God of Streaming (Hermes? Apollo?) in the form of watch-time to make it happen! Spoilers abound, so be sure to watch Season 2 if you have not already!

And show your love to Vlas and Charley by following the official Blood of Zeus social media pages:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodofzeus/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BloodofZeus

Long awaited and much anticipated, we return for the second season of Netflix's anime fantasy series Blood of Zeus. We dig into this show's many references and Easter-eggs, both ancient and modern, along with its larger themes on godhood, humanity, vengeance and forgiveness. And the Hades+Persephone of it all. How could we leave that out?

Pack your bags because we are headed to St. Louis for the Classical Association of the Midwest and South’s annual conference! That’s right, your hosts are not just nerds who really enjoy Classically-inspired media; they’re also serious scholars! Our host Christie talks to various participants (some of which are old friends of the podcast) to learn what they love about CAMWS. It’s not all serious academic talk though, because at the end of the day, we’re ALL big nerds that love to discuss film and Antiquity! Plus, you’ll get to learn a little more lore about your hosts!

Special thanks to everyone who sat down for an interview, including Christina Hotalen, Michael Hall, Sami Cronin, Andrea Stehle, Jeremy Swist, Amy Norgard, and Abigail Bradford! We have done our best to link their names with sites where you can learn more about them and their work. Be sure to let them know we sent you their way!

If you want to learn more about CAMWS, check out the website here: https://camws.org/

And if you would like to attend an online conference all about the ancient world in media, be sure to check out AIMS (Antiquity in Media Studies)! Maybe we’ll see you there;) https://antiquityinmediastudies.wordpress.com/

This special episode also required a little more ambience, so thanks to music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/light-patterns/grassland for helping to set the tone!

We all knew Spartacus and his followers would meet a tragic end, but damn if they didn't make it look sexy as hell! Joining us for one final Girls' Night at MWD are the hosts of Ancient History Fangirl podcast, Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy. Listen as we laugh and discuss the terrible outfit choices, surfer-boy Julius Caesar's dubious alias , and the apparent apotheosis of Gannicus . While we had our doubts at the beginning of this series, War of the Damned brings the story to a satisfying conclusion and successfully makes us view Rome in a whole new (admittedly dim) light.

If you want to learn more about Genn and Jenny's podcast, check out their website: https://www.ancienthistoryfangirl.com/

You can also check out Jenny's personal website https://www.jennywilliamsonauthor.com/ to get details and updates about her upcoming historical romantasy novel, Enemy of My Dreams.

What happens when a bunch of gladiators break out of a ludus? They loot villas, burn down an arena, and party with some Germans, that's what! And all in the name of lov... I mean "VENGEANCE!" The ladies of MWD are joined by special return guest, Christina Hotalen, to discuss the second season of Starz's Spartacus. This season might be the most fun of them all! Now if certain characters would just stay dead...

If you want to check out Christina's work, both academic and otherwise, use this link: https://linktr.ee/infestissima