Here at Autocrat, we quite often cover a lot of mythical beasts. Examples would include the Lernaean Hydra which Heracles and Iolaus dealt with, the sphinx tormenting Thebes, and the sea monster Cetus which Perseus rescued Andromeda from.

However, how possible would some of these creatures really be? Take, for example, the griffin and the hippogriff. We know what species create these two, so could we see whether the number of chromosomes they have make them feasible?

Well, on today's episode, we re-release episode 67 of Biopedia to answer this very question!

Sources for this episode:

• Ewart, J. C. (1910), Are Mules Fertile? Nature 2143(85): 106.Geldenhuys, M. E. (1989), Die kariotipering van di lieu (Panthera leo). Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 60(1): 41-49.
• Johnson, F. (1976), Mythical Beasts Coloring Book. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
• Mead, D., Ogden, R., Meredith, A., Peniche, G., Smith, M., Corton, C., Oliver, K., Skelton, J., Betteridge, E., Doulcan; J., Holmes, N., Wright, V., Loose, M., Quail, M. A., McCarthy, S. A., Howe, K.,Chow, W., Torrance, J., Collins, J., Challis, R., Durbin, R. and Blatter, M. (2021), The genome sequence of the European golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 (version 1; peer review: 3 approved). Wellcome Open Research 6: 112.
• Rodriguez, M., Understanding Genetics, The Tech Interactive (2007), Chimeras, Mosaics, and Other Fun Stuff: Why can't mules breed? I understand that a horse and a donkey make a mule but why can't 2 mules have a baby mule? (online) (Accessed 29/07/2023).
• Rosen, B. (2009), Mythical Creatures Bible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
• Ryder, O. A. (1993), Przewalski`s Horse: Prospects for Reintroduction into the Wild. Conservation Biology 7(1): 13-15.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Golden eagle (online) (Accessed 20/07/2023).

On today's installment of the Trojan War, Apollo lands a well-aimed shot to finally lay Achilles low. Oh, and also a debate about chariots. That, and Vince may have rediscovered the reverb function on his Audacity. Either that, or we've been graced with a visit from the Greek gods. One of these two things.

Sources for this episode:

• Arrian (1805), Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea (etc.). Oxford: S. Collingford.
• Graves, R. (1981), Greek Myths: Illustrated Edition. London: Cassell Ltd.
• Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
• Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nereids (online) (Accessed 13/05/2025).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Periplus of the Euxine Sea (online) (Accessed 13/05/2025).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Snake Island (online) (Accessed 13/05/2025).

Source for the cricket noises:

• Sampled from Crickets by freesound_community (https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/crickets-26444/). Licence under the Pixabay content licence (https://pixabay.com/service/license-summary/) (Accessed 25/05/2025).

Quintus Smyrnaeus may have been the least favourite child according to Autocrat lore, but he did give us a new source called the Posthomerica- a.k.a. the Fall of Troy- which takes us all the way to the end of the Trojan War! Our first two books of the Posthomerica see two different attempts by outside armies to rescue Troy- and they both go the same way...

Sources for this episode:

• Quintus Smyrnaeus (1934), The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Terme River (online) (Accessed 02/04/2025).

It's finally the end of the Iliad! But before we wrap up, we still have time for a few questions. For instance, are all Achilles' funeral games either problematic or rigged? Will Cassie pointing out errors in the script lead to an increasingly irate Vince? And will the Jingle-Jangler make a cameo? All that to come on the final part of the Iliad!

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
• Author unknown, Theoi (date unknown), Sperkheios (online) (Accessed 03/04/2025).
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Spercheios (online) (Accessed 03/04/2025).

It's been a long time in the making, but we finally get the fight between Achilles and Hector. Tune in for Priam and Hecabe trying to make their son see reason, a surprise cameo from Eddie Redmayne and how not to be respectful to your enemy's corpse...

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.

A shorter episode today discussing book XXI of the Iliad! Achilles goes round murdering people like there's no tomorrow, and one of the rivers he keeps flinging people into objects to this. Not only that, but we get more partisanship from the gods and an honouring of a grisly promise.

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Scamander (online) (Accessed 03/04/2025).

As also stated in the episode audio, there will be no episode for the next two weeks as Autocrat is on a bit of an Easter break.

Patroclus is dead and Achilles is feeling seriously unhappy about it. And the Trojan army is going to know about it. But along the way, join us to give a sulking Odysseus a video game controller as a distraction and watch two grown men negotiate over a woman! Yay...

Sources for this episode:

• Homer (1965), The Iliad. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth; Penguin Books Ltd.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antenor (Trojan) (online) (Accessed 22/02/2025).

We're sorry.

Sources for this episode:

• Apollonius of Rhodes (1972), The Voyage of Argo. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

• The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2018), Linus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).
• The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2021), Lake Avernus summary (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).
• Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.

• Ovid (1968), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

• Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Oeagrus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).