Women of Greek Mythology

Description

Pandora. Artemis. Athena. Penelope. Aphrodite. And Hera, queen of them all. These names have echoed through Western culture for millennia, from the plays of the ancient Greeks to the works of William Shakespeare and James Joyce to the brand names of modern pop culture. They are the stories that we return to time and again; they are parts of our very selves. In this sweeping new work, Maria Petros reintroduces the reader to these vital cultural touchstones with fresh and vivid tellings. We see how the Phrygian king Tantalus sought to trick the harvest goddess Demeter into eating the flesh of his own son, and how Artemis, chaste goddess of the hunt, punished the mortal who dared to spy on her as she bathed. We read how Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, and how Penelope cunningly kept her suitors at bay in the long absence of her husband Odysseus. And we read how Queen Hera tormented her unfaithful husband’s son Heracles throughout his life, unintentionally making him the greatest of all the Greek heroes. A perfect introduction for students or a re-introduction for those who simply love great stories, Women of Greek Mythology shows these iconic characters in all their terrible glory.