GREAT WOMEN OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY
A woman’s weak and timid in most matters. The noise of war, the look of steel, makes her a coward. But touch her right in marriage, And there’s no bloodier spirit.
Medea, Euripides, 265. Translated by Philip Vellacott
Where tenderness meets rage and sweet peace meets hideous war: this is where the women of Greek mythology find themselves, some proud, others deeply wounded.
The ancient Greek woman is mother, daughter and sister. She is loving and monstrous, reckless and ingenious; she lurks in the shadows of night and shines with the bright joy of the Sun. She stands at the side of the warrior men, but is also trailblazing and – when necessary –leads from behind. Along with the spirit of matriarchy of the Aegean, she gave birth to amazing characters that stand tall to this day in Greek literature and theatre, and feels more relevant now than ever.
Made by soil and sea, the mythological women of Greece are Earth itself.
Through Great Women of Greek Mythology , we present the most iconic women of our ancient history: Medea, Electra, Circe, Antigone, Helen, Ariadne and Medusa. And there’s more to come! With simple, comprehensible texts compiled and edited by a great team of writers, editors and scientists, we invite you to meet the famous daughters of mythology and their universe.
Elena Spandoni
With both her parents dead, her two brothers fight for rule of the Greek city of Thebes. The story takes place in the aftermath of that civil war. Antigone’s brother Polynices has been killed outside the walls of Thebes. When she shows his body the proper rites, thus defying a decree issued by the city’s ruler, Creon, she is arrested and condemned to death. The central tension of the book lies between her respect for the unwritten laws of the gods and Creon’s for those of the city.
Medea is a princess in faraway Colchis. She is married to Jason of the Argonauts, but now that he has no more need for her, Jason wishes to be rid of her in favour of a wife from a more civilised land. Most of Medea’s story takes place in a single day in the palace at Corinth where she, Jason and their children are staying. This is the 24 hours during which Jason is meant to marry the Corinthian princess Glauce. Despite all the help Medea has provided Jason, he has decided to discard her, something Medea will not take lying down.
Medea and Ariadne’s aunt, Circe, is the daughter of the Sun god, Helios. She lives alone on the island of Aeaea. Odysseus’ ship lands there on his journey home. When 23 of his men seek her out, she promptly turns them into pigs and locks them up in a sty. An immortal goddess herself, Circe is not to be trifled
‘That’s so him. It’s the game he’s always playing. Making all those moves and ending up in a slightly different position but not all that far ahead of where you started. Although I suppose he had no chance with Helen.’
‘Not at all,’ her companion agreed. ‘You think that short blocky man could outwrestle Menelaus? Philoctetes? Pah!’
The two lapsed into silence as they recalled the great competition that had lit up Sparta just a few months back. All those heroes coming there with one aim in mind: winning Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. Every new feat was dissected the next day as the suitors were ranked then reranked according to how they had performed. The whole city had been abuzz with a festive atmosphere. Fortunes had been made and lost betting on who would win. Scores of women were just now discovering they were pregnant from that time when inhibitions had flown to the winds, and a new generation of Spartan boys would be named after Helen’s suitors.