The Odyssey, Ep. 6: Circe

About this episode

The episode discusses leadership in The Odyssey and features a lecture from Dr. Benedict Whalen about Odysseus's journey and challenges.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss how Homer treats leadership in The Odyssey before introducing a lecture from Dr. Benedict Whalen. On the island of Circe, Odysseus rescues his men from being turned to pigs, but he himself falls to beastly temptations for a full year. The Odyssey  tells the tale of the cunning and crafty hero of the Trojan War on his journey home. After ten years of war, Odysseus faces another ten years of fantastic temptations, deadly monsters, treacherous seas, and impious men. Meanwhile, Ithaca is threatened by suitors who plague his wife and plunder his wealth. When Odysseus reaches home, he must slay the suitors, test the loyalty of his friends and family, and restore order to his marriage and his kingdom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Jeremiah, Juan

Topics covered

• leadership
• Homer
• The Odyssey
• Odysseus
• temptations
• mythology

Keywords

• Homer
• leadership
• Odysseus
• Circe
• temptations
• suitors
• Ithaca

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Odyssey

Places: Ithaca, Circe

More episodes of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast

• The Odyssey, Ep. 8: Return to Ithaca · September 9, 2026 · 26 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 7: Death and Woe · September 2, 2026 · 32 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 5: The Cyclops · August 19, 2026 · 34 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 4: The Kingdom of Phaeacia · August 12, 2026 · 25 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 3: Calypso · August 5, 2026 · 31 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 2: Rumors of Odysseus · July 29, 2026 · 29 min