- monatlichErscheinungsrhythmus
- 2 h 14typische Länge
- 15. Okt.letzte Folge
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, and the early 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.
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Episode 130: An Introduction to Early Medieval Literature
NEW BONUS CONTENT CHANNEL (https://literatureandhistory.supercast.com/) (100 hours of stuff. Episodes on your favorite app. First week free, $9/month, cancel any time.) Bonus Content (Buy it the normal way): https://literatureandhistory.com
Episode 129: We Are the Grass
NEW BONUS CONTENT CHANNEL (https://literatureandhistory.supercast.com/) (100 hours of stuff. Episodes on your favorite app. First week free, $9/month, cancel any time.) Bonus Content (Buy it the normal way): https://literatureandhistory.com
Episode 128: Early Sufism
Sufism emerged in the 700s and 800s as a powerful part of Islam's development under the caliphates. This episode covers its early history, focusing on a generation of thinkers who lived between about 850 and 920. Episode 128 Quiz: https://l
Episode 127: Bashshar ibn Burd
DOUG'S NEW BOOK - The Odyssey: An Illustrated Guide COLORING BOOK VERSION - The Odyssey Coloring Book Bashshar ibn Burd, feisty, restless, brilliant, and wise, was one of the founding figures of Classical Arabic poetry. Learn about his wife
Episode 126: Kalilah and Dimnah
Kalilah and Dimnah, a cornerstone of Classical Arabic literature, is one of the most beloved story collections in history. DOUG'S NEW BOOK - The Odyssey: An Illustrated Guide COLORING BOOK VERSION - The Odyssey Coloring Book NYU PRESS KALIL
Episode 125: The Zoroastrian Bundahisn
The Bundahisn is the Zoroastrian creation story. At once an epic and encyclopedia, it's also a window into the end of Zoroastrianism's ascendancy in Iran. Episode 125 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-125/ Episode 125 Transcriptio
Episode 124: The Last Great War of Antiquity
DOUG'S NEW BOOK - The Odyssey: An Illustrated Guide COLORING BOOK VERSION - The Odyssey Coloring Book Episode 124 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-124/ Episode 124 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/episode-124-the-l
Episode 123: An Introduction to the Hadiths
The hadiths are second only to the Qur'an in Islam. Short narratives about the Prophet Muhammad - the things he said and did - hadiths have been a source of wisdom and inspiration for Muslims for more than a thousand years. Episode 123 Quiz
Episode 122: The Early Abbasid Caliphate
From 750-861, a dynasty of ten caliphs seated in modern-day Iraq ruled one of history's largest empires. The territory they lost and won, the wars they fought, and the cultural renaissance that they helped usher in all had far reaching impa
Episode 121: The Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate, from 661-750, became the largest empire the world had ever known, even as it suffered through two civil wars and significant internal divisions. This episode covers its overall military, political, and cultural histor
Episode 120: The Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun caliphate, from 632-661, completely changed the history of the world. Learn the story of the greatest imperial expansion of the first millennium, together with the complex political and theological history behind it. Episode 12
Episode 119: The Qur'an, Part 3: Origins
The Qur'an has deep roots in the Bible and in the unique religious climate of Late Antique Mecca. Learn about its many references to the Bible and ancient Arabian religion in this episode. Kevin Stroud's The History of English: https://hist
Episode 118: The Qur'an, Part 2: Ordinances
Learn about the foundations of Islamic Law in the Qur'an - the 350 or so verses that tell believers what they're required to do, and what's prohibited. Episode 118 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-118/ Episode 118 Transcription:
Episode 117: The Qur'an, Part 1: Overview
Learn the basics of the Qur'an - its size, structure, how and when it came together, and the book's most important contents. Episode 117 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-117/ Episode 117 Transcription: https://literatureandhistor
Episode 116: The Life of Muhammad, Part 3: Conquest
During the final years of the Prophet Muhammad's life and the immediate aftermath of his death, the Muslims conquered Mecca, the first caliph Abu Bakr came to power, and the stage was set for the great Islamic conquests of the seventh centu
Episode 115: The Life of Muhammad, Part 2: Community
Between 622 and 628, Muhammad and the first Muslims made a home from themselves in Medina, fended off assaults from the Quraysh and others, and changed the course of history forever. New Spotify Bonus Content Channel: https://creators.spoti
Episode 114: The Life of Muhammad, Part 1: Cobwebs
An orphan and caravan trade agent, Muhammad (570-632) lived a fairly ordinary life up until the age of 40. Then, everything changed. New Songs Page: https://literatureandhistory.com/songs/ Episode 114 Quiz: https://literatureandhistory.com/
Episode 113: Antarah ibn Shaddad
Antarah ibn Shaddad, a killer, a lover, and an epic hero, was also one of early Arabic literature's most famous poets. Parker's Song: https://youtu.be/bTVWrxfb5wk Episode 113 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-113/ Episode 113 Trans
Episode 112: Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry
Prior to the dawn of Islam, the Arabian Peninsula had a great poetic tradition, with many genres, and many poets who are still celebrated and studied today. Episode 112 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-112/ Episode 112 Transcripti
Episode 111: Pre-Islamic Arabia
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: h
Episode 110: Questions
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/
Episode 109: Cornerstones
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://litera
Episode 108: Isidore of Seville
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://li
Episode 107: Venantius Fortunatus
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 Tran
Episode 106: Gregory of Tours, Part 2
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: Gregory of Tours, Part 1
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
Episode 104: An Introduction to the Talmud
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
Episode 103: Boethius
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. Episode 103 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-10
Episode 102: An Old Man's Book (Augustine's City of God, Part 2 of 2)
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 101: Against the Pagans (Augustine's City of God, Part 1 of 2)
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/
