The legend of the fountain of youth is one of humanity’s oldest pieces of lore. Tales of magical water sources that can reverse the aging process exist in dozens of different cultures around the world. But perhaps the person most associated with the fountain of youth is the Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon. For generations it was believed that he discovered Florida while on a hunt for the fabled waters. But is this story actually true? Tune in a find out how a land of darkness, the “father of lies”, and history’s most influential dick-joke all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

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Greenspan, Jesse. “The Myth of Ponce De León and the Fountain of Youth.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 Apr. 2013, www.history.com/news/the-myth-of-ponce-de-leon-and-the-fountain-of-youth.

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Peck, Douglas T. “Misconceptions and Myths Related to the Fountain of Youth and Juan Ponce de Leon’s 1513 Exploration Voyage” (PDF). New World Explorers, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-09. 

Spellman, Charles W., and Edward W. Lawson. “The Discovery of Florida and Its Discoverer, Juan Ponce De Leon.” The Hispanic American Historical Review, vol. 27, no. 3, 1947, p. 518., doi:10.2307/2507929.

Stoneman, Richard. Alexander the Great: a Life in Legend. Yale University Press, 2010.