Literature and History
With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, the birth of Christianity, Late Antiquity, and dawn of the Middle Ages. The show's current season is on early Islamic history. A typical episode (they average about two hours) features a general introduction to a work of literature, then a full summary of that work that expects no prior knowledge, and finally, an analysis of the cultural, biographical, and historical forces that gave rise to the work in question. Original symphonic and ambient background music is woven throughout each show, and all episodes offer free full, illustrated, footnoted transcriptions as well as quizzes for purposes of review. The show has no advertisements, and its host takes pride in a professional approach that avoids chitchat and ephemera and gets straight to the educational content. You can listen to the episodes in any order, although most listeners begin at the beginning and proceed from there, as the podcast itself is chronologically organized. Doug Metzger finished his Ph.D. in literature in 2011. His chief scholarly interest, following his dissertation work, continues to be 19th-century realism and postbellum American philosophy.
Episodes
Leading up to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in about 570 CE, the Arabian Peninsula was an increasingly populous and globally interconnected region.
Episode 111 Quiz
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-111/
Episode 111 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-111-pre-islamic-arabia
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
In Episode 110, Literature and History host Doug Metzger answers dozens of listener questions about making the show, books, and how and why the podcast came to be.
Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons:
https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/
The Actual First Novels Bonus Series:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn
Episode 110 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-110-questions
...
Episode 109 brings our long season on Late Antiquity to a close, reviews the past 24 programs on the beginnings of the Middle Ages, and introduces our new season on early Islamic History.
The Actual First Novels Bonus Series:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content#tafn
Literature and History's Upcoming Seasons:
https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/
Episode 109 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.co...
One of the great scholars of Late Antiquity, Isidore (c. 560-636) left behind a compendium called the Etymologies, an encyclopedia of his epoch’s knowledge, a book second only to the Bible during the Middle Ages.
Episode 108 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-108
Episode 108 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-108-isidore-of-seville
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Pa...
The Merovingian court poet Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530-600), at work in Francia in the late 500s, shows us the world of the Middle Ages blooming from Roman ruins.
Episode 107 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-107
Episode 107 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-107-venantius-fortunatus
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhi...
The second half of the History of the Franks (591) is a deep dive into the grime and intrigue of the Merovingian dynasty, written in a style that's as medieval as it is classical.
Episode 106 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-106
Episode 105 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-106-gregory-of-tours-part-2
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon....
Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594) completed The History of the Franks in 591. The long book's account of Clovis and the Merovingian Dynasty has been one of our most important sources on early Medieval History, ever since.
Episode 105 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-105
Episode 105 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-105-gregory-of-tours-part-1
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-c...
Second only to the Tanakh, the 63 Tractates of the Talmud are the main text of Rabbinic Judaism, containing the teachings of thousands of ancient rabbis.
Upcoming Seasons:
https://literatureandhistory.com/upcoming-seasons/
Episode 104 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-104
Episode 104 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-104-introduction-to-the-talmud
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.c...
In the twilight of the Western Empire, Boethius (c. 476-523) served as consul, but ended his life imprisoned by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric, writing The Consolation of Philosophy.
Episode103 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-103
Episode 103Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-103-boethius
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literaturea...
Augustine’s City of God, Part 2 of 2. The second half of the City of God contains some of Late Antiquity’s most influential writings – most notably Augustine’s take on Original Sin.
Episode 102 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-102
Episode 102 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-102-an-old-mans-book
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/li...
Augustine’s City of God, Part 1 of 2. The first half of the City of God is a broadside against paganism – its culture, religion, and history, subjects about which Augustine had much to say.
Episode 101 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-101
Episode 101 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-101-against-the-pagans
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patr...
Augustine’s Confessions, Part 2 of 2. The second half of Augustine’s Confessions contains some of the most famous theology in Christian history.
Episode 100 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-100
Episode 100 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-100-late-have-i-loved-you
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Augustine’s Confessions, Part 1 of 2. The first half of Augustine’s Confessions tells of his wayward early years, his intellectual journey, and his spiritual awakening.
Episode 99 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-099
Episode 99 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-099-the-boy-who-stole-pears
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatur...
Polyglot Jerome (347-420) had a gigantic impact on all subsequent Christian history, leaving behind a huge body of works, including the Latin Bible.
Episode 98 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-098
Episode 98 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-098-saint-jerome
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Ancient Greece Dec...
The Dionysiaca, Part 2 of 2. The last surviving Greek epic of antiquity draws to a close with Dionysus fighting wars far to the east, in India.
Episode 97 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-097
Episode 97 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-097-blood-and-ivy
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
The last epic from Greco-Roman antiquity that survives in full, Nonnus’ fifth-century Dionysiaca tells of the wine god Dionysus’ journey eastward, to India.
Episode 96 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-096
Episode 96 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-096-the-last-pagan-epic
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
In 417 CE, the Roman poet Rutilius Namatianus journeyed from Rome back to his homeland of Gaul, not knowing whether there was a home to return to.
Episode 95 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-095
Episode 95 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-095-rutilius-namatianus
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
One of the later Latin poets of the Empire, Ausonius’ expansive body of work gives us a window into the changing world of fourth-century Roman culture.
Episode 94 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-094
Episode 94 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-094-ausonius
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhistory
Sulpicius Severus’ (c. 363-425) life of St. Martin is one of the great hagiographies – a portrait of a timeless saint, but also of a human being and working bishop.
Episode 93 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-093
Episode 93 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-093-severus-life-of-st-martin
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literaturea...
Athanasius (c. 297-373) wrote a wildly popular biography of the desert hermit St. Anthony, touting the ideals of asceticism and triumph over demonic temptation.
Episode 92 Quiz:
https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-092
Episode 92 Transcription:
https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-092-athanasius-life-of-antony
Bonus Content:
https://literatureandhistory.com/bonus-content
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/literatureandhi...
Popular Podcasts
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.