322. There is no real version of a Greek Myth with Emily Hauser | Gloucester History Festival Special

2026-08-12

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Are you sure there is a single, "real" version of Achilles, Helen, or the Odyssey?In this episode, classicist and author Emily Hauser (creator of Mythica) joins Paul Bavill to dismantle one of the biggest misconceptions in classical literature: the search for a single, definitive "truth" behind ancient myth. From Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to modern cinematic interpretations, myth was never meant to be a static rulebook. It is a living, flexible oral tradition shaped by who is telling the story, why they are telling it, and which voices—especially those of women—are writt...

Are you sure there is a single, "real" version of Achilles, Helen, or the Odyssey?

In this episode, classicist and author Emily Hauser (creator of Mythica) joins Paul Bavill to dismantle one of the biggest misconceptions in classical literature: the search for a single, definitive "truth" behind ancient myth. From Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to modern cinematic interpretations, myth was never meant to be a static rulebook. It is a living, flexible oral tradition shaped by who is telling the story, why they are telling it, and which voices—especially those of women—are written into or out of the narrative.

Together, Emily and Paul explore how figures like Penelope, Cassandra, Helen, Briseis, and Andromache offer richer, more complex insights into the ancient world than any rigid timeline ever could. They unpack the ancient concept of Xenia (guest-friendship), the tragedy of divine curses, and why asking "why was this myth told this way?" is far more powerful than chasing a "canon" that never existed.

Key Takeaways & Discussion Highlights

The Myth of the "Correct" Myth: Why searching for the "real" Achilles or Helen misses the core purpose of fluid, evolving oral storytelling.
The Silencing of Women: How Telemachus’s rebuke of Penelope in Book 1 of the Odyssey marks one of the earliest Western literary examples of silencing female speech—and how female writers resist it.
The Real Meaning of Xenia: Why host-guest relationships act as the social glue of ancient Greece, and how both the suitors and Odysseus himself violate these sacred rules.
Agency and Curses: The tragic dimensions of Cassandra’s truth-telling curse, Helen’s balance of agency and divine intervention, and how Briseis evolved from Homer to Shakespeare.

Featured Guest: Dr. Emily Hauser

Dr. Emily Hauser is a classicist, academic, and author of Mythica: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It.

Book: Buy Emily's book Mythica at the official History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804992791

Gloucester History Festival: Emily is speaking live at the festival on Thursday, 17th September at 6:00 PM. The Gloucester History Festival runs from 12th – 20th September. Get your tickets here:

https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

Related History Rage Episodes

Continue exploring Ancient Greece, historical myths, and classical voices with these recommended episodes:

Episode 257: Natalie Haynes rages that Greek myth is a lot less male-centric than we think.
Episode 305: Adrian Goldsworthy rages that Ancient Greece is not all poets and philosophers.

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