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Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics Podcast
Homer: The Iliad

Homer: The Iliad

Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics vor 6 Jahren

Natalie Haynes stands up for Homer's Iliad.

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27:15

Natalie Haynes stands up for Homer's Iliad, in an extraordinary
tour-de-force performance recorded in the BBC's Radio Theatre in
Broadcasting House. The original epic story would most probably
have been performed from memory, and Natalie does the same: her
only prompt is the voice of Dr Adam Rutherford to number the
twenty-four books.

It's a vivid, cinematic tapestry of extraordinary stories: of
gods, Greeks and Trojans, men and women, mothers and fathers and
lovers. There's fighting and trickery, and touching domestic
detail (when Hector's wife Andromache and son Astynax bid a final
goodbye to him). The great Greek hero Achilles spends quite a lot
of time in a sulk, refusing to fight, because King Agamemnon
forces him to give up his trophy girlfriend, Briseis. But his
vengeance is merciless when he hears of the death of his beloved
Patroclus at Hector's hands. There's a child frightened by the
plumes on his father's helmet; a magic bra, which Hera uses to
seduce Zeus (unnecessary encouragement, to be honest) and there's
the reason why the phrase 'rosy-fingered dawn' is so-often
repeated. It's a breathtaking story that echoes down the
centuries, inspiring each generation with new interpretations of
this epic work.

Natalie is a reformed comedian who is a little bit obsessive
about Ancient Greece and Rome. Each week she takes a different
figure from the ancient world and tells their story through a mix
of stand-up comedy, extremely well-informed analysis, and
conversation. Natalie picks out hilarious details and universal
truths, as well as finding parallels with modern life, or those
parts of life which are still influenced by ancient thought.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery