Who were the unsung heroes? Seldom seen and rarely heard in the hyper patriarchal ancient world, the only women written about were those who were maligned. Through extensive research and detailed analysis, Mary Naples has unearthed women’s stories chronologically beginning from the dawn of ancient Greece to the last vestiges of the Roman Empire.
Author Event with Mary Naples Read More »
Conjuring up mystical images of secret initiation rites held under cover of darkness, the Eleusinian Mysteries had a reputation as a dark and dangerous festival.
The Mysterious Eleusinian Mysteries Read More »
As any self-respecting Greek hero knows, sacking a city and raping its female inhabitants is hard work. So it is no wonder that after Agamemnon
Clytemnestra: Twilight of the Matriarch Read More »
“Let her be banished for life,” Augustus (63 BC-14 AD) is recorded as saying about the harsh exile of his only biological child, Julia, to
Augustus’ Draconian Marriage Laws And The Banishment Of Julia Augusti Read More »
At the legendary nuptials, the aroma of exotic spices and the sound of raucous laughter filled the air as guests were feted on savory
The Madness of Messalina Read More »
On the face of it, Spartans might have felt right at home living under the iron fist of the Third Reich given that this city-state—more
The Slaveholding City-State Of Sparta’s Liberated Women Read More »
With a name that defines incredulity itself, it is no wonder that Cassandra—the cursed Trojan prophetess—has a hard time being taken seriously. Scorned throughout the ages, Cassandra was infamously disregarded and frequently reviled by her countrymen. Even her own mother ridiculed her.
The Curse of Cassandra Read More »
The playwright Sophocles (497 – 405 BCE) might have been amused to find that nearly twenty-five hundred years after writing about his eponymous heroine, the
Analyzing Antigone Read More »
It was love at first sight when Achilles locked eyes with the famed Amazon warrior queen, Penthesilea. Romance, however, was the last thing on his
Advance of the Amazons Read More »
The streets of Rome were drunk and riotous with delight in the summer of 29 BCE on the final, most opulent day of Octavian’s three-day-long
Cleopatra Selene: A Dynasty’s Last Breath Read More »
Celebrated as the most beautiful woman in the world, the allure of Helen of Troy née Sparta was the yardstick for which all women were
The Bronze Age Queen—Helen of Sparta Read More »
Of all the unhappy couples in Greek literature perhaps the unhappiest is that of the Olympian first couple themselves. As the goddess of marriage,
Hera: Suppression of the Native Queen Read More »
History has long been unkind to Fulvia (85/80 BCE-40 BCE)—the notoriously jilted wife whom Mark Antony abandoned for the Queen of the Nile. The
Fulvia: The “Fourth” Triumvir Read More »
