Prometheus’ Fire; Somehow Humanly Divine with Prof. Richard P. Martin (Part 1)
What is a myth? What do we get out of them? Do myths die? Do gods die? In this episode dedicated to Greek mythology, Richard P. Martin, Antony and Isabelle Raubitschek Professor of Classics at Stanford, will guide us through the story of Prometheus, the legendary rebel who defied the gods by stealing fire from Mount Olympus to give to mankind. Through his storytelling we will learn about Prometheus’ own mythic torment and explore the symbolism of his eternal punishment and sacrifice and its relationship to the mysteries of divination and Zeus’ scorn at Prometheus’ ability to tell the future.
Get ready to let your imagination run wild as we picture ourselves in the incredible theatre of Dionysus in Athens! And listen to Prof. Martin on how in Athens the people refused to bow to a tyrant. You’ll also get to learn what Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound has to do with tyranny and democracy! We’ll delve into the fascinating implications of the new Pandora, as represented by AI, for humanity. And will be discussing the muses, creativity and the role of the human heart!
Professor Richard Martin’s major publications include Healing, Sacrifice and Battle. Amechania and Related Concepts in Early Greek Poetry; The Language of Heroes: Speech and Performance in the Iliad (Myth and Poetics); and Mythologizing Performance, published in 2020. In addition to several articles on Greek, Latin and Irish literature, he’s the author of publications for general audiences, such as Classical Mythology, the Basics; Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of the Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne (The most complete compendium of mythology ever published); and Myths of the Ancient Greeks, published in 2023.
An authority on Greek poetry and myth, Prof. Richard Martin has produced an internet version of Homer’s Odyssey with a team at Stanford.
https://classics.stanford.edu/people/richard-p-martin
https://shc.stanford.edu/stanford-humanities-center/about/people/richard-martin
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/287398/myths-of-the-ancient-greeks-by-richard-p-martin/
