GREAT WOMEN OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY …Γυνὴ γὰρ τἄλλα μὲν φόβου πλέα κακή τ᾽ ἐς ἀλκὴν καὶ σίδηρον εἰσορᾶν· ὅταν δ᾽ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικημένη κυρῇ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν μιαιφονωτέρα.
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