A new episode of Ancient Rome Refocused is coming soon!
Episode 25 (Season 4) is a rant by Rob Cain on the nature of heroism. Rob discusses his childhood, the heroes of literature and mass media. Hercules, Robin Hood and the pantheon of DC and Marvel comic book heroes are discussed. Included in the show are real heroes such as Ensign George H. Gay, who completed a torpedo run at the Battle of Midway. Gay was shot down and while floating in the ocean watched as 3 out of 4 Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk by American dive bombers.
Joseph Campbell, the author of the timeless book The Hero with the Thousand Faces proposes the importance of mythology in living a good life. Campbell was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. If you have seen Star Wars, you have seen the influence of Joseph Campbell.
The show concludes with a nod to the Syrian archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad. He was the head of antiquities at the ancient city of Palmyra. He held this position for over 40 years Al-Asaad was publicly beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on 18 August 2015, at the age of eighty three.Rob proposes that Al-Asaad was a hero in the modern and classical sense. Not only displaying bravery against unsurmountable odds, but a willingness to pay a price for his ideals. At the end of the podcast is a musical ode to his memory.