The Elusive Etruscans
Predominantly situated between the Tiber and the Arno Rivers—west and south of the Apennine Mountains—is the area known as Etruria (today’s Tuscany, western Umbria,
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The Many Faces of Circe
With a penchant for turning men into swine, it is no wonder that Circe is having a moment right now. In Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film
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In Search of Aspasia
Much of what has been attributed to Aspasia comes to us through the filtered lens of writers whose accounts reflect the gendered biases of the day. Over the years, historians have frequently regarded these slanted narratives as established truths; yet, can ancient chroniclers, many of whom were comedic playwrights parodying Aspasia, have accurately recounted the life of a powerful woman without inherent bias?
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The Curse of Athena Parthenos: Lord Elgin and the Parthenon Plunder
Twas thus She spoke—”that blush of shame proclaims thee Briton, once a noble name; First of the mighty, foremost of the free, Now honoured
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Briseis: The Sound of Silence
Before Achilles’ fatal war cry shattered her world, Briseis was a princess living a life of privilege. She was married to Mynes, the son
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Livia Drusilla: Mother of the Country or Evil Stepmother?
Livia Drusilla (58 BCE–29 CE) was portrayed as the quintessential Roman matrona (mother)—modest, devoted, and virtuous. This image shaped imperial propaganda and earned her an extraordinary amount of public statuary as well as a considerable cult following during her lifetime, particularly in the Greek East, where she was worshipped as a goddess.
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The Elegies of Electra
Not every Greek character has a complex named in their honor, and few are more deserving of such recognition than Electra. Coined by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung to name a female counterpart to Freud’s famous “Oedipus Complex”, the “Electra Complex” describes a daughter’s longing for her father, coupled with deep resentment towards her mother. This term effectively encapsulates the myth of Electra, the princess of Mycenae and the second daughter of King Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Imbued with themes of vengeance, loyalty, and the complex dynamics of familial relationships, her story resonates profoundly in Western literature and psychology.
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Unsung Penelope
For thousands of years, women everywhere have had Penelope to thank for playing the indelible role of a loyal and stalwart wife to Odysseus, her devious, vengeful and violent-prone husband. Displaying a keen intelligence and an unwavering constancy for endless hard years, Penelope is often depicted in the epic as weeping and wailing while she confines herself to the bedroom during critical moments—apropos of any intelligent and strong woman.
The Emperor’s Mother
Had Julia Agrippina Minor (Agrippina the Younger, 15 CE-59 CE) known that her son Nero would ultimately have her killed, she might have reconsidered giving
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Caligula’s Sisters in the Plot of the Three Daggers
At long last, Tiberius was dead. After twenty-three long years marked by fear, mistrust, and paranoia, the grim and utterly unlikable Emperor Tiberius met
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