Ancient World: New Voices

Meet the team

Dr Giovanna Di Martino, Co-Host

Hello! I’m a research fellow in Ancient Greek Literature at UCL working on translations, adaptations, and performances of ancient Greek drama in the early modern period. I am very excited to be hosting this podcast series and to learn about exciting new areas of research in the ancient world from our wonderful guests!

Sofia Bongiovanni, Producer

Hi, all! I am a PhD student at the Department of Greek and Latin at UCL; alongside producing this podcast, I chair the Lyceum Classics Community Seminar and am a Latin tutor. I received my MA at UCL and throughout my postgraduate experience, I have had the chance to meet many amazing graduate students who are investigating various aspects of the ancient world. I hope that you will enjoy listening to their voices as much as I do!

Mateen Arghandehpour, Co-Host

Hello! I’m a PhD student at UCL and I host the podcast with Giovanna. I love talking to people about their research and am very pleased to publish such talks as podcasts. I believe that the ancient world was a wonderful world and am excited to see so many facets of that from everyone’s research!

Melissa Pires Da Silva, Producer

Hi there! I’m a PhD student at UCL, working on the reception of Homer and Virgil’s epics in twentieth-century French and German literature. I previously hosted the UCL Lyceum Seminar, and am now excited to be a host on UCL’s new Podcast Series, to continue building a space of exchange for fellow ancient world researchers and passionates from all areas!

• Full playlist

Season One Podcasts

In this season, you can listen to some exciting and fascinating individual research projects being conducted on aspects of classical antiquity and its reception. Feel free to drop your comments in the feedback form provided below if you have a few minutes to spare!

Episode 1: Culture and Politics of the Achaemenid Empire

Production: Giovanna Di Martino
Music: Anna Marcanio

Episode 2: Violence in Seneca the Younger

Guest Speaker: Sofia Bongiovanni
Production: Sofia Bongiovanni
Music: Anna Marcanio

Episode 3: ‘Family’ in Broch and Giraudoux’s receptions of the Homeric and Virgilian epics

Guest Speaker: Melissa Pires da Silva
Production: Sofia Bongiovanni
Music: Anna Marcanio

Episode 4: Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura

Guest Speaker: Marta Martín Díaz
Production: Sofia Bongiovanni
Music: Anna Marcanio

Episode 5: (Mis)understanding heroes: from Achilles to Superman

What do Achilles and Superman have in common and how do they differ? What is heroism in Homer and in modern times? Why is Achilles the best of ancient heroes? A fascinating interview with Homerist Dr Antony Makrinos who talks about heroism and his favourite Homeric hero, the mighty, swifty footed Achilles sharing the same heroic qualities with our own Superman. 

Host: Mateen Arghandehpour
Guest Speaker: Dr. Antony Makrinos
Production: Sofia Bongiovanni
Music: Anna Marcanio

Season Two Podcasts

In this season, you can listen to some of the exciting, international collaborative research projects our staff are engaged with here at UCL. Feel free to drop your comments in the feedback form provided below if you have a few minutes to spare!

Episode 6: Comparative Classics: Greece, Rome, and India

Season Two begins with a discussion with Prof. Phiroze Vasunia who talks about his new inter-institution research project ‘Comparative Classics, Greece, Rome, and India’. You can see more about Prof. Vasunia at the Departmental People page and more on the project is situated on the Departmental Research pages. 

Host: Mélissa Pires Da Silva
Guest Speaker: Prof. Phiroze Vasunia
Production: Giovanna Di Martino
Music: Anna Marcanio

Episode 7: The History and Literature of the Cuneiform World

In the Second Episode of Season Two Professor Mark Weeden talks about his current research across the Cuneiform World from hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Turkey to cuneiform tablets found in Iraq. You can see more about Prof. Weeden at the Departmental People page.

Host: Sofia Bongiovanni
Guest Speaker: Dr. Mark Weeden
Production: Mélissa Pires Da Silva
Music: Anna Marcanio 

Episode 8: Ancient Greek Women Philosophers

In this Third Episode of Season Two, Dr Caterina Pellò talks about her current research on Ancient Greek Women Philosophers and offers a sneak peek at the volume she is co-editing on Ancient Women Philosophers: Recovered Ideas and New Perspectives for Cambridge University Press. See more about Dr Pellò here. 

Host: Giovanna Di Martino 
Guest Speaker: Caterina Pellò 
Producer: Sofia Bongiovanni  
Music: Anna Marcanio  

Feedback

Enjoying these podcasts? Have you any recommendations, thoughts to share or questions to pose? Drop us a line!