I'm a new subscriber, I came across your work recently and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Hope you don't mind if I ask a question about an episode from five years ago!
In Young Heretics episodes 9 (“The Beginning of the End”) and 17 (“Chaos”), you discuss the Gracchan disturbance in the late Roman Republic and Euripides’ Bacchae, respectively. My question concerns the close connection between Dionysus/Bacchus and the god Liber in Roman mythology. Liber was associated with the plebeians that the Gracchi rallied against the patricians, and I believe our word “liberty” is derived from him. How are we to make sense of the relationship between chaos and liberty?
It also fascinates me that the Latin word "liber" translates to both “book” and “free.” I think that’s evidence for the liberating power of education. But it also makes me curious about the connection between the word "liber" and the Roman god. You seem to have dedicated much of your life to books, and to liberty. But if there is a connection between "liber" and the god Liber, and it seems to me that there is, then how far are “liberating books” from Bacchus and his chaos?
Thank you so much for all that you do. I look forward to reading your book!
I'm a new subscriber, I came across your work recently and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Hope you don't mind if I ask a question about an episode from five years ago!
In Young Heretics episodes 9 (“The Beginning of the End”) and 17 (“Chaos”), you discuss the Gracchan disturbance in the late Roman Republic and Euripides’ Bacchae, respectively. My question concerns the close connection between Dionysus/Bacchus and the god Liber in Roman mythology. Liber was associated with the plebeians that the Gracchi rallied against the patricians, and I believe our word “liberty” is derived from him. How are we to make sense of the relationship between chaos and liberty?
It also fascinates me that the Latin word "liber" translates to both “book” and “free.” I think that’s evidence for the liberating power of education. But it also makes me curious about the connection between the word "liber" and the Roman god. You seem to have dedicated much of your life to books, and to liberty. But if there is a connection between "liber" and the god Liber, and it seems to me that there is, then how far are “liberating books” from Bacchus and his chaos?
Thank you so much for all that you do. I look forward to reading your book!