Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle in Ad Navseam Episode 66 for a special interview with Jillian Noe. Discover how Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series is sparking a new love for the Latin language and Greek mythology. From the “Mist” that hides monsters to the real-life experience of growing up with a Classicist dad, this episode explores the fun side of the ancient world.
Introduction: A Stranger in the Vomitorium
Welcome back to the “Vomitorium,” listeners! It is Episode 66 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, and things are a little different in the studio today. Your hosts, Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle, are usually the only occupants of this echoing chamber of classical commentary, but today, they have been joined by a “stranger.” Dr. Winkle jokes that it looks like a “bum off the street” wandered in, but Dr. Noe quickly corrects him. It is none other than his own daughter, Jillian Noe.
Jillian is here to offer a fresh perspective—specifically, the perspective of a college student who grew up under a “classical tutelage.” While the professors often discuss high theory and ancient grammar, today they are pivoting to the literature that is actually getting kids excited about the ancient world: Young Adult Fiction. Specifically, they are diving into the phenomenon that is Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is a conversation about how ancient myths are being remixed for a modern audience, and what it’s really like to have a dad who stops to read every Latin inscription on every building in Rome.
Shout-Out: The Mathematician Pastor to Be
Before chatting with the demigod-in-training, we have a shout-out to a dedicated listener and friend: Sheni Adeyemi. Sheni was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Arizona State University. He is a member of the Phoenix Reformed Presbyterian Church, where he served as a pastoral intern for two years. Dr. Noe highlights a beautiful quote from Sheni about his philosophy of ministry: faithful preaching must “instruct the intellect… direct the will… and stir the affections to greater love for Christ.” Dr. Winkle, ever the pragmatist, notes that “stirring the affections” can get a little messy—there is always some “backsplash” when you start stirring things up. Sheni has been a subscriber to LatinPerDiem since 2016 and is a dedicated Moss Method student. He even met Dr. Noe in Phoenix for a photo op. To Seani, who appreciates a “digestible introduction to the classics,” we say: Macte virtute!
The Opening Quote: The Warning
Jillian Noe takes the lead on the opening quote, which comes directly from Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. It is spoken by Chiron, the centaur and Latin teacher, to the protagonist Percy:
“What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive.”
This sets the stage for the entire series. The premise is simple but brilliant: The Greek gods aren’t dead; they have simply moved. They follow the heart of Western Civilization, which means Mount Olympus is currently located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building in New York City.
The Hook: “Don’t Read This Book”
Jillian explains how she got hooked on the series. She picked it up around age 12 or 13, originally skeptical because she was a “Greek mythology purist” who didn’t need “fake Greek myth” . However, the very first page changed her mind. The narrator, Percy, explicitly tells the reader: “Stop reading this book.” He warns that if you recognize yourself in these pages, you should close the book immediately and believe whatever lie your parents told you about your birth. Dr. Winkle compares this hook to Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which similarly warns readers to turn back if they want a happy ending. He jokes that he often tries to use this “misanthropic” technique on the podcast—telling listeners to turn it off because it will be subpar—but Dr. Noe always talks him off the ledge.
Identity and “Disability” as Superpower
One of the most profound aspects of the series is how it handles identity. Percy Jackson is a “demigod” or “half-blood”—the son of a mortal woman and the Greek god Poseidon.
In the mortal world, Percy is an outcast. He has ADHD and Dyslexia.
Jillian explains how Riordan flips the script on these learning disabilities:
- ADHD: It isn’t a deficit; it’s “battlefield reflexes.” Demigods are hardwired for combat, not sitting still in a classroom.
- Dyslexia: It isn’t an inability to read; it’s because their brains are “hardwired for Ancient Greek.” Dr. Noe notes that this turns a source of shame into a superpower. It gives kids a reason to feel special about their differences.
The Remixed Myths: Auntie Em and the Lotus
The hosts and Jillian discuss how Riordan modernizes classic myths, often with hilarious results. Jillian notes that growing up with “insider info” made reading the books a different experience. For example, when Percy meets a woman named “Auntie Em” who runs a Garden Emporium full of statues, Jillian knew immediately it was Medusa (M for Medusa). She jokes that you just want to scream at the characters, “Don’t go in there! She’s wearing a turban to hide the snakes!”
1. Ares the Biker: Instead of a guy in hoplite armor, Ares (the god of war) appears as a biker in a leather duster, riding a massive Harley-Davidson with a seat made of “human skin” (according to Jillian). He wears sunglasses to hide eyes that are balls of fire. Dr. Noe appreciates this update; Ares is the god of bloodlust and brawling, so a tough biker persona fits him perfectly. He is the “snidely whiplash” villain who acts as misdirection for the true antagonist.
2. The Lotus Hotel and Casino: This is a riff on the Lotus Eaters from Homer’s Odyssey. In the original, Odysseus’s men eat a flower and lose the desire to go home. In Percy Jackson, this becomes the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The kids enter, get a credit card with unlimited money, and lose all sense of time playing video games. They think they have been there for hours, but five days pass. Dr. Winkle notes the brilliance of this update. The modern “lotus” isn’t a plant; it is the sensory overload of Vegas luxury and digital entertainment.
3. Cerberus and the Easy Death Line: Dr. Noe reads a favorite passage where Annabeth distracts Cerberus, the three-headed dog of the Underworld, using a red rubber ball. While the monster plays fetch, Percy and Grover sneak through. They also discuss the logistics of the afterlife. Souls can choose the “Easy Death Line” (no judgment, but you end up in the boring Fields of Asphodel) or face the judges (risk/reward for Elysium vs. punishment). Dr. Noe compares this to the grocery store: do you take the “Express Checkout” or risk the long line with the surly cashier?
Hades: The Banality of Evil?
Dr. Noe brings up a pet peeve: the portrayal of Hades. In movies like Disney’s Hercules, Hades is often a blue-flamed, satanic figure. Dr. Noe argues that in Greek myth, Hades is just a guy with a gloomy job. He isn’t “the devil.” He is the god of wealth (Pluto) and the dead. Jillian confirms that Riordan’s Hades is more bureaucratic than demonic. The Underworld is described like the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)—endless lines, boredom, and frustration. Dr. Noe loves this interpretation. The “banality of evil” (or at least the banality of death) is far more terrifying—and Greek—than a mustache-twirling villain.
Growing Up Noe: Homeschooling and The “Flex”
The conversation turns personal. Dr. Winkle asks Jillian about growing up homeschooled and having a Classicist for a father.
Jillian admits that being homeschooled used to make her feel like an outcast, but now, as a Classics major at Baylor University, it is her “flex.”
“I talk to people… and they’re like, ‘Oh, did you do this in school?’ And I’m like, ‘Actually, I was homeschooled.’ And I have this quiet moment of, ‘Ha, you couldn’t tell.'”
She recounts a family trip to Greece when she was 11. While she admits to being incredibly jet-lagged and unable to stop yawning in the Theater of Dionysus, the trip was formative. She explored the Acropolis and even crawled into the oracular chasm at Delphi, scaring some French tourists in the process. Now, when people ask the dreaded question, “What are you going to do with a Classics degree?”, she resents it a little. Her dream isn’t just a career, but a study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a rolling ladder—a vision Dr. Noe heartily endorses.
Sponsors: Fuel for the Demigods
This episode is brought to you by:
- Hackett Publishing: Whether you want to read the Ovid translation Jillian loves (Lombardo or Ambrose) or a modern textbook, Hackett is the place.
- The Deal: Visit hackettpublishing.com and use code AN2021 for 20% off.
- The Moss Method: Want to learn the language that Percy Jackson is hardwired for? Dr. Noe’s self-paced Greek course takes you from “Neophyte to Erudite.”
- The Deal: Visit mossmethod.com.
- Ratio Coffee: Dr. Noe says the Ratio 8 (his “plutonium monster” carafe) is the only machine worthy of Olympus. It brews with the precision of Hephaestus.
- The Giveaway: Enter code 6567 at ratiocoffee.com/anco to win a free Ratio 6!
The Gustatory Parting Shot: The Michigander
Dr. Winkle wraps up the episode with a quote from Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States.
“The nourishment is palatable.”
It is a tepid compliment, perhaps suitable for a tombstone. But Dr. Noe pairs it with a fun fact about Abraham Lincoln and their home state.
When Lincoln visited Kalamazoo, Michigan, he looked out at the crowd and coined the term “Michigander”—combining “Michigan” with “Gander” (a male goose). He was essentially calling them silly geese.
Dr. Winkle agrees: “That guy could turn a phrase.”
Valete! (And watch out, you Michiganders!)
Resources for the Young Latin Learner:
- Percy Jackson & The Olympians: If you haven’t read them, start with The Lightning Thief.
The Moss Method: Inspired by Jillian’s journey? Start your own into the Latin or Greek language at LatinPerDiem.com.
