Review: Twilight Cities by Katherine Pangonis

★★★★☆ | Book 48 of 2024 — another exquisite book from Katherine Pangonis.

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Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean is Katherine Pangonis’s second book, with her first being Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule. Twilight Cities is dedicated to the history of five prominent and ‘lost’ cities from history: Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna, and Antioch. This book seamlessly blends Katherine’s personal experiences and travels through the modern areas and ancient remains of these once glittering jewels of the ancient and medieval world, and the sweeping histories of each of the cities from their inception to their decline and transition into modern spaces. Interwoven through the historical and archaeological evidence for these places are the myths and legends, most significantly their founding stories and legendary figures associated with them. Katherine’s sparking prose sweeps the reader along for the ride, as if you were walking alongside her.

The book has been dedicated both to the people of the Mediterranean that Katherine came across on her travels, but also those who lost their lives and livelihoods during the devastating earthquakes of 2023. This catastrophic event that rocked the city of Antakya (ancient Antioch) is often referred to through her own personal experience with the natural disaster, and essentially becomes another layer in the long history of the city. It gives the reader a feeling both of sadness, and of heightened awareness of the ‘sameness’ of the ancient world and the modern.

The names of Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna and Antioch have endured, but the true reality of the ancient cities have been lost. These cities are not the same as they were, and their glory has dimmed. But a city only dies when the ideas it was built with fade, as much as when fires tear down its walls or earthquakes shatter them. The ideas of these cities have persisted. Their memories remain. Not always necessarily in the minds of the residents, but preserved in texts, and the stone monuments that still grasp the earth around the Mediterranean. The air in these cities hang heavy with legend. (254)

Each chapter, which is dedicated to a different city, begins with Katherine’s personal history of the city. This includes her first visit to the city (such as her first visit to Syracuse at the age of twenty-one), and also gives the reader an insight into the city today and what you might expect to see if you were to visit. Then, each city is explored chronologically, starting with the founding of the city (both real or mythological), and then moves through time to the present day. By the end of the chapter, the reader is left with an intimate knowledge of the changes the city has gone through, it’s periods of strength and weakness, and all of the different groups of people who one called it home. This breadth of information is conveyed through the use of surviving texts with the archaeological remains of the cities.

The book is supplemented with a map at the beginning to orient the reader within the wider region, and the geographical spread of the five cities of interest, as well as an insert of colour images depicted some of the key places and people explored in the book. Additionally, each chapter starts with a quote to set the scene, and a lovely illustration. If you listen to the audiobook (well-narrated by Katherine herself), a PDF is also supplied with these supporting graphics.

I thought this was a wonderful book, beautifully written (and narrated), bringing these once glorious cities back into the limelight. Their long, and sometimes arduous histories, are recounted in a way that lets each city have its own moment to shine, but also highlights its interconnectedness with the other cities featured in this book (as well as the wider Mediterranean world). Many figures pop up numerous times and some events are mentioned in multiple chapters which allows the reader to grasp how interlinked this part of the world is, and has always been.

Review: Buried: An Alternative History of the First Millennium in Britain by Alice Roberts

★★★★☆ | Book 18 of 2024 — another wonderful book from Alice Roberts highlighting stories of the dead in Britain, and what bones and burials can tell us about past people.

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Buried: An Alternative History of the First Millennium in Britain by osteoarchaeologist and professor Alice Roberts is the second book in her trilogy unpacking Britains history through skeletal remains. Following from Ancestors which focuses on the prehistory of Britain in seven burials, Buried instead focuses on Britain in the first millennium CE, through Roman Britain, contact with the Vikings and the spread of Christianity across the country. Roberts utilises modern and up to date evidence including skeletal remains, archaeological evidence, and DNA research to interrogate what we know about Britain during this period, and how we know it.

Probably because it spans a period where there is more available evidence from various contexts, Buried, spends more time discussing the more general historical environment, and contextualising the burials within a wider picture. The first chapter delves into a fascinating Roman cremation burial at Caerleon called the ‘Caerleon pipe burial’ named so because of the lead pipe sticking out of the top of the lead canister full of cremated remains that would have once stuck out of the ground. Roberts discusses the potential explanations for this unique burial, while also highlighting the historical period of Roman Britain more broadly, and the history more specifically of Caerleon. You finish the chapter feeling as though you were taken along for the ride whilst Roberts evaluated the various possibilities of the person buried, and why they had a lead pipe connecting their burial to the living world above them.

This is the general set up for each chapter focussing on a different part of the United Kingdom, and a different burial. The second chapter explored a Roman villa associated with numerous infant burials, and another chapter introduces the overall concept of ‘deviant burials’ which essentially means irregular or strange burials, and this concept is introduced with the headless skeletons found at Great Whelnetham. These burials were decapitated, sometimes with the skulls found between the legs, and some were even prone or face down. Roberts discusses Anglo-Saxon history in Britain (and even delves into the issues of using the term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ in the first place) and broadens her discussion even further with the Staffordshire hoard and the issues archaeologists face when dealing with hoards of artefacts.

By the end of the book, after learning about Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon history, Viking connections and even the very first churchyards used as cemeteries, the reader truly feels well versed in the various and wide-ranging burial practices that were utilised in Britain during the first millennium. I think Roberts does a wonderful job at connecting the modern reader with the ancient inhabitants of Britain, reminding us that they, like us, were individuals who lived lives that didn’t necessarily fit a mould, as highlighted with the range of burial goods, and the numerous deviant burials. A wonderful addition to this book was the colour images insert, and the lovely illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that set the reader up for the kind of burials and artefacts featured in the coming section. As with Ancestors, I feel like having maps throughout, or one map at the beginning highlighting all the areas discussed would be really beneficial, especially for those not from Britain.

Overall, this was a fascinating, well-written and insightful analysis of Britain in the first millennium, utilising the most recent evidence and the authors incredible expertise.

Review: Ancestors: a Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials by Alice Roberts

★★★★☆.5 | Book 16 of 2024 — one for all my archaeology enthusiasts and those interested in what our bones can tell us.

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Ancestors: a Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials is a focused yet detailed look at the prehistory of Britain, and particularly what burials, skeletons, ancient DNA and human remains can reveal about the long-spanning time from the Palaeolithic right up to the Iron Age. Professor Alice Roberts is an osteoarchaeologist and physical anthropologist, and she brings her expertise in all things skeletal to the fore in this book. Roberts takes the reader on a journey through time and around the United Kingdom, from the Red Lady of Paviland Cave dating to the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic ‘Tomb of the Otters’, to visiting Rushmore Estate and essentially doing archaeology of archaeology, and exploring the possibilities of modern technologies and ancient DNA.
Alice Roberts has included so much information in this one book, analysing seven burials from Britain’s prehistory, but going far beyond just the skeletons and remains themselves, it’s quite astonishing. The author doesn’t simply explain the remains, the person likely buried and what we can learn from them, but goes beyond this to consider wider themes such as sex and gender, burial rites and customs, and cultural beliefs. Various modern archaeological techniques are explained and utilised including isotopic analysis, radiocarbon dating, and ancient DNA and genome testing.

Beyond this, Roberts highlights issues related to each of these burials, including preservation bias and explanations of different taphonomic processes affecting remains and the archaeological record more broadly, issues of confirmation bias and those biases archaeologists of the 19th and 20th centuries brought to their works and analyses, as well as the simple fact that often, we can ever truly be sure of many things when it comes to archaeology, and the importance of delving into each potential explanation.

As someone not from Britain, I personally got a bit lost with the whereabouts of cities, areas, and sites mentioned, but perhaps there are maps in the physical copy that supplement this. Further, the only detraction for listening to the audiobook is not having any sort of imagery to help illustrate points made by Roberts, but overall I would still recommend the audiobook. Roberts has such a great way of narrating that makes you feel like she’s bringing you along for the ride! Additionally, the book begins at the Crick Institute in May 2019 and spends the first chapter discussing the exciting new ancient DNA works with the sequencing of a thousand ancient genomes. However, because of COVID-19, the project was placed on hold which meant that the new DNA information was perhaps not available for this book - here’s hoping the second book Buried includes some of what I am sure will be fascinating discoveries!

When reading through this book, you not only get incredible archaeological and historical information about these burials, but you also get a firm understanding of the modern context of the remains (i.e. where they are kept, if there is modern research happening on them etc.), as well as their historical context. This includes who initially found the remains, how they were excavated and handled, and broad contextual information about the find site, essentially bridging between their discovery, and this book.

Roberts’ self-aware and detailed discussion and analysis of the burials, the associated grave goods, culture and history (both ancient and modern) coalesce into a detailed, informative and enjoyable book that all lovers of prehistory and archaeology should read.

Review: The Slavic Myths by Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak

★★★★☆.5 — I was provided a finished hardback copy from Thames and Hudson — thankyou!

Keep your eyes out for my interview with Noah and Svetlana that will be going up on YouTube with World History Encyclopedia very soon!

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The Slavic Myths by historian Noah Charney and anthropologist and historian Svetlana Slapšak is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated book delving into various Slavic myths, gods, and supernatural figures and the history behind them. The Slavic Myths is structured in eight chapters, including the introduction to the book, and the Slav Epic. Each chapter includes a new retelling of a myth, reimagined by Noah and Svetlana, followed by a section on the history of the myth and numerous important features within it. This is not a compilation of everything we know about Slavic mythology, but instead, seven hand-picked stories accompanied by accessible academic analysis, allowing the reader, whether they be well versed in Slavic myth or brand new to the corpus of tales, to enjoy the stories, and if they wish, develop their understanding of the myths and history further. Readers of The Slavic Myths can read the book from cover to cover, or they can jump in and just read a chapter at a time — they can just stick to the compelling reimaginings of the chosen myths, or they can dive into the historical analysis of each section. Either way, with the book being a combination of retelling and non-fiction, it can be enjoyed by all!

Slavic mythology is not as clear cut as classical Greek and Roman mythology, there is no equating the Greek king of the gods Zeus with any king of the gods figure in Slavic traditions. Noah and Svetlana had a huge task ahead of them with this book, with Slavic mythology originating first as an oral tradition, and then only being written down in the 19th century, but with specific goals for lending authority and adding history to new cities, and overlain with Christian morals and motifs. As mentioned in the book, a ninth-century Slav would not necessarily recognise their myths today in the form they now take — however, Noah and Svetlana have essentially added a new layer to this ever-developing and rich corpus of stories, deities, and creatures.

This book was a wonderful introduction to Slavic mythology. Upon picking it up, I had a vague familiarity with Baba Yaga, her house with chicken legs, and the creatures of firebirds. Beyond that, I was completely unfamiliar with the Slavic pantheon, or the history behind the myths and tales. What really captured my attention (beyond the stunning woodcut imagery throughout the book), was the first creature, the vampire, which has its roots in Slavic myth. And not only that but in Slavic tradition, the vampire and the werewolf were intrinsically linked creatures! I learnt so much about the history and development of Slavic myths, and particularly enjoyed the analysis of folklore versus fairytales versus mythology, and the creation of myths with ‘mythurgy.’ I was intrigued to find parallels with classical Greek tales such as Jason and the Argonauts, to find hints of well-known fairytales such as Cinderella and her horrible stepmother and stepsisters, and aspects of Ovid’s Metamorphosis with the trials Venus has Psyche complete, all solidly within the world of Slavic mythology. I didn’t know that throwing a coin over my shoulder into a fountain or body of water originated as a Slavic ritual in fear of the dead — did you?

I could not recommend this book enough for those looking to dip their toe into some new myths, or for those who are looking to read a new version of their old favourite Slavic myth.

Review: Lost Cities of the Ancient World by Philip 'Maty' Matyszak

★★★★☆.5 | — I was provided a finished hardback copy from Thames and Hudson — thankyou!

You can also watch my interview with Maty all about this book on YouTube with World History Encyclopedia!

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Lost Cities of the Ancient World by Dr Philip ‘Maty’ Matyszak compiles lost cities from around Europe, the Middle East and Asia into one volume, linking cities thousands of years and thousands of kilometres apart with the simple fact that in some way or another, they are or once were, lost. Following on from his earlier book Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World, Maty introduces and reacquaints his readers with cities that were abandoned, sunk or destroyed many years ago, and he does so in an engaging and exciting way. This book, aimed at the general history enthusiast, still includes pieces of fascinating history that those acquainted with the sites might not know. Despite being familiar with many of the sites explored in the book, I not only learnt something new about many of them, but was also introduced to various sites I had never heard of. Of particular fascination to me are the submerged cities of antiquity, lost to us beneath the waves and rising seas, which made learning about Thonis in Egypt one of the highlights of this book.

Lost Cities is a book that is so wonderfully accessible, so vibrant and full of incredible imagery, but also informative and a joy to read. The book is split up into general time periods ranging from the Neolithic and oldest cities of Çatalhöyük and Skara Brae to cities within and on the edges of the Roman world. This book could be read from beginning to end, travelling in time and space, or you could just as easily dip in and out, reading of Troy one day, and Palmyra the next. With that in mind, it would be difficult for this book not to capture everyone’s interest in some way or another, with the wide range of sites and civilisations discussed.

Considering the geographical and temporal range of the book, each city is presented drawing on a range of available evidence. Each place is shown on a map, and followed by the introduction of archaeological, and where possible, textual evidence of the city. For example, when discussing the infamous city of Troy, Maty draws upon the Iliad to discuss the mythological importance of the city, and for the city of Persepolis, texts composed by Darius the Great highlight the city's political importance. Overall, the interconnectivity of the ancient world runs as an undercurrent to the book with an emphasis on the trade and movement of people, things, and ideas.

Much like Egyptian Mythology - A Travelers Guide from Aswan to Alexander by Garry Shaw, Maty not only introduces the history of a city, its humble beginnings, times of strength and its descent into obscurity, but he also includes the city today. Great for those who want to know if these cities are still physically lost, or may want to visit them one day to check for sure that they really have been found, Maty divulges the current state of the city, and what a tourist today could expect to see when on a visit. This book does a wonderful job of introducing the most important sites in the relevant regions that have been lost in some way or another, and brings them back into the public consciousness. I thought this was a wonderful book introducing numerous important cities from the ancient world and would recommend it to those who love the ancient world, and those who love a book with incredible imagery.

Review: The Story of Tutankhamun by Garry Shaw

★★★★☆.5 | paperback | book twenty-four of 2022 — I was provided a free paperback Advance Uncorrected Bound Proof, and finished hardback copy from Yale University Press — thankyou!

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The Story of Tutankhamun by egyptologist Garry J. Shaw is a brilliantly written new biography of the boy king, spanning from his birth and early life under his father Akhenaten’s new religious regime, all the way up to his death and the discovery and subsequent treatment of his mummy and burial goods in the twenty-first century. This is truly a wonderful addition to the centenary celebration of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon.

The Story of Tutankhamun undertakes a monumental challenge of synthesising everything that we do and do not know about Tutankhamun and displaying that information in a digestible manner that readers of all knowledge levels could not only understand, but enjoy. Shaw’s book utilises the most recent scholarship and scientific data to construct a hypothetical narrative of the boy king’s life, which I absolutely adored. Shaw draws on archaeological evidence, images, texts and all sorts of available data and research to reconstruct Tutankhamun’s life beginning in Amarna under pharaoh Akhenaten. If you aren’t familiar with the reign of Akhenaten, Egypt under this particular pharaoh was radically different as Akhenaten raised the sun disk the ‘Aten’ as the supreme deity of the region. He closed the temples and moved the capital of Egypt to Akhenaten (known today as Tell-el-Amarna). So, Tutankhamun was probably born in Amarna and was definitely born into a unique and radical time in ancient Egypt’s history. Shaw introduces us to how Tutankhamun's early life may have looked, and then goes on to give a really intimate look into just how difficult it would have been for the young boy (because he really was only a boy when he acme pharaoh), to navigate his years as king of Egypt.

Shaw then basically reconstructs the rest of Tutankhamun’s life, and the important things he undertook during his very short reign, and he does this by including as many of the artefacts found in the young king’s burial as possible. There is something deeply intimate about reconstructing the life of a boy who died over three-thousand years ago using artefacts that he would have owned, touched, used, and were deemed important enough to be buried with him to take to the next life.

Shaw doesn't finish his book at the death of Tutankhamun, but goes on to describe ancient Egypt after his death, and the following destruction of his name and image by his successors. Then, he moves thousands of years into the future, and to the incredible discovery of the tomb, and the mummy. I loved reading about the steps involved not only to the initial discovery and why it took so long to be found, but also the arduous and somewhat destructive process it was cataloguing and emptying the tomb.

This new biography of the young king doesn't necessarily add any new information to the wealth of knowledge of Tutankhamun, but that’s not the point. Garry Shaw has done a remarkable job synthesising everything we know and don’t know about Tutankhamun and created a compelling narrative-style breakdown of his life. This book is both a wonderful place for those who are new to Tutankhamun to learn about not only what was found, but how it may have been used during the king’s life, but with all of the recent scholarship to back it up. Not to mention the book is full of stunning colour images of artefacts and historical images which just adds to the tale.

If you are a lover of ancient Egypt, or you would like to learn a bit more about the household name Tutankhamun, then I could not recommend this book enough!

Review: The Greek Vase - The Art of the Storyteller by John H. Oakley

★★★★☆.5 - more than just a coffee table book!

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The Greek Vase: The Art of the Storyteller by John H.Oakley is a richly illustrated guide to everything you need to know about Ancient Greek Pottery. This book has images on every single page of pottery from Ancient Greece, beautifully photographed and well described. This book has six main sections; Fabric, Form and Function, Potters and Painters, Depicting the Divine, Meeting the Myth Makers, A Life Well-Lived and Seducing the Senses. These sections take you through the different forms of pottery and in what contexts they would be used. They explain in detail the main decorative forms including red-figure, black-figure and white-ground, and the changes in preference for each of the design types. I absolutely loved the section ‘Potters and Painters’ which takes you through how some potters and painters have been identified and how analysing drawing styles isn’t as easy as it sounds. Pottery has been traced back to the workshop in which they were manufactured, and in some instances, pottery has been inscribed with names which makes it clear it was a family skill, passed from father to son. Honestly, the detail that was put into the designs of ancient pottery, and the fact that so many have survived so well for so long absolutely blows me away. I never thought I would love ancient pottery quite this much.

One of the most fascinating points made in ‘Meeting the Myth Makers’ is the fluctuation in preference for pottery designs, with the political changes in Athens which is clear in the decline of vases decorated Herakles and his labours (which were very popular prior to 508/7 BCE), and the increase in the depiction of Theseus during democratic Athens. The detail in which Oakley analysed the depiction of gods, goddesses and other deities was fascinating, and he posed the issue multiple times that most of the divine were depicted as humans, so pottery without the names of the figures depicted can often be analysed in multiple ways. From mythology to everyday life like sports and theatre, to weddings and funerals, the greek vase was present in every aspect of Ancient Greek life, and so much of life was depicted on them. We know so much about the daily life of the Greeks, and the Athenians specifically, from the decorative designs on pottery. The detail this book went into was an unexpected surprise, but a very happy surprise nonetheless. It truly broadened my knowledge of artistic features, function, development and ways in which to analyse Ancient Greek Pottery, and the sheer number of images accompanying the text elevates it that much more. I would recommend this book to any and all lovers of Ancient Greece, pottery, or ancient art in general!

Review: Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome by L J Trafford

★★★★☆ I was provided with this ARC for a review from Netgalley

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What’s the book about? 

With this one, the entire premise of the book is in the title- Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome. Trafford begins by outlining the language used in Ancient Rome that has anything to do with sex or sexuality, she introduces these concepts and then explains them so you aren’t left lost throughout the book when they inevitably come up again. She then travels through the intricate and somewhat scandalous history of sex in Ancient Rome from the perfect virtuous man and the ideal chaste woman, to how to find a woman and who you are and are not meant to be seen fondling in the forum. She details erotic wall paintings and statues, the concept of witchcraft, the tantalising beauty and fashion and what was all the rage to help you pull on the streets of Rome. Not to mention, Trafford takes it upon herself to tell us all about the sexual exploits of the most well-known figures from Ancient Rome, and she does all this with ample evidence (both textual and archaeological). In short, Trafford answers everything you have ever wanted (and really not wanted) to know about sex and sexuality in Ancient Rome! 

My thoughts on the book

Sex was very much on public display in ancient Rome. It was depicted in art, discussed in poetry, scrawled on walls and used in politics to smear your opponent. (x-xi)

This book was a massive undertaking, and may I say the L J Trafford understood the task and executed it incredibly well. In this book, you will find chapters named things like Getting Down to Business: Sex, Sexual Problems and Solutions, Undesirable Partners and How to be Sexy: Beauty and Fashion (just to give you an idea of the types of things discussed)! As a fairly short book (sitting at only 197 pages), Trafford condenses everything you need to know about the Romans in a way that is really easy to read. Her language is colloquial, and her quips and inputs into some of the debauchery that went on in Ancient Rome made me laugh out loud. With her hilarious commentary comes an obvious attempt to remove any modern bias that could be placed upon the way sex, marriage, relationships and all that was used and experienced in Ancient Rome. She reminds the reader over and over that there isn’t really any way we can fully understand the meanings behind the erotic images, or the social importance embedded into the rules and laws attached to relationships and sex, but we can do our best! I loved that as Trafford was discussing some facet of Roman sexual experience, she would then bring in detailed case studies and examples from history.

We simply cannot know because we do not share the same cultural background and baggage. The imagery and what it means is lost to us. (158)

Although sometimes Trafford seemed to take the poetry and writings of men like Ovid and Catullus at face value, often she used it to help build the whole picture around the topic she was handling at that time. It is unsurprising that the book was focused on men and boys and what was expected of them (both from an imperial lens, but also the freedmen and slaves) rather than women for the pure reason that we have a lot more information on men than women. With that being said, Trafford interspersed what we do know about women (imperial, slaves, prostitutes etc) throughout the book in what seemed like as much detail that was available. It was really wonderful to see different types of evidence (images, paintings, statues and literature), all used together to try and piece together just what sex was like in Ancient Rome, and although it was a quick tour, it was still detailed and highly enjoyable.

Review: Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess by Bettany Hughes

★★★★☆.5 I am only now getting into reading non-fiction books for fun, and not for uni or work so I’m still working on how I feel about rating them. With that being said, overall I really enjoyed reading this book.

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What's the book about?

Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess by Bettany Hughes is a light, easy read which follows the history of the goddess best known as Venus or Aphrodite, from her beginnings to the modern reception of the goddess. Using archaeological evidence with textual sources and more recent artworks and literature, Bettany traces the origins of the goddess of love, and both her movements and developments through history.

As some will know, Aphrodite is the Ancient Greek goddess of love, desire, beauty and sexuality, and Venus is the Roman counterpart to Aphrodite, and held dominion over fertility, prostitution and victory. However, as Bettany delves into in the first few chapters of her book, Aphrodite didn’t just appear in the artwork and literature of Ancient Greece suddenly, but evolved from both the Cypriot spirit of procreation and fertility, as well as the Near Eastern goddesses of war Inanna, Astarte and Ishtar. Beginning from both the mythological beginnings of Aphrodite (with the castration of Ouranos, and the goddess emerging from the sea foam caused by the god’s genitals falling into the ocean), as well as the archaeological beginnings, and moving all the way through the renaissance depictions and the morphing of her dominions and depictions through to the modern-day, Bettany has provided an accessible and easy to read guide to the goddess and her history.

“A potent idea, given a name and a face across five millennia, this deity is the incarnation of fear as well as love, of pain as well as pleasure, of the agony and ecstasy of desire”

thoughts and feelings

From the very first page, I knew this was going to be a far easier read than I was initially anticipating. Bettany has written this book as if she was just chatting to a mate, and honestly, I loved that. Although it initially caught me off guard, it made it so much more appealing, and tempted me to pick it up more often knowing that the language used was easygoing. The colloquial language, however, doesn’t take away from the importance of this goddess, and her significance throughout history, especially in ancient civilisations. What Bettany has done, is a thorough investigation on the goddess, and then turned that hard evidence into a book that is easily understood and accessible to anyone. Bettany has achieved the goal of bringing archaeological and historical facts into the world in an easy to read and enjoyable book, and I love it! Her addition of images throughout the book, both in black and white dispersed through the book, and in the middle which is full of coloured images, makes it all the more interesting, especially in the discussions around the changes in the physical depictions of the goddess.

“It [desire] is the life force that spurs us on to do, to be, to think.”

I love that it was a short, easy read. It means that there’s a far better chance that more people will pick it up (and I love the idea that the ancient world is becoming something more open and available). But, some points Bettany made, I felt like I wanted more evidence that backed up her conclusion. I am sure that she has done her research, and I don’t doubt any of the statements or conclusions she has come to in this fascinating history, but I would have loved just a bit more depth into some of the evidence (whether it be archaeological or textual), that she has used to form her conclusions. In saying that, I always want more out of my books, and I commend her for making this book so full of information, and yet so easy to read.

I definitely feel like the goddess Aphrodite/Venus has been simplified into the goddess of sex and desire with little substance, and this book is out here to remind the world that she is so much more. Bettany explores the goddesses roots in the war-goddesses of the Near East (Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte), and brings to the forefront the seemingly contradictory beginnings of this goddess through love, desire and war. This book details just how much the attitudes towards the goddess has developed throughout the millennia, and what her body and her symbols have meant throughout the years. The complexities of Aphrodite/Venus have been written and painted out of history in the last thousand years, and this book is bringing back the intricacy of this goddess, which will hopefully culminate in the respect and adoration she deserves.

Have you read Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess by Bettany Hughes? What did you think of it? I would love to chat about this book, either in the comments below, or find me over on Instagram @kell_read.

Review: The Odyssey by Homer (Translated by E.V. Rieu)

★★★★★

It does no good to utter empty words

I have been meaning to read this for a very long time, and now that I have, I wish I’d read it sooner. It was such an enjoyable read, and far easier to consume than I anticipated. I wish I had read it sooner, so that I could have known the entire story sooner, and engaged with this sources and its myths sooner. Before I get into my many thoughts, let’s have a look at the long history which encompasses the Odyssey. The Odyssey is a form of epic poetry which was written down in the 8th century BCE, however its history would date earlier than that, since its roots are in the oral tradition of Ancient Greece. This story would have initially been spoken orally before finally being written down. The story has been attributed to Homer, but is placed closer to the end of his life, since the style of it is a bit different than that of the Iliad, but it still contains classic Homeric features such as the repetition of epithets, phrases, and descriptors throughout the story. At it’s core, the Odyssey still retains its inherent Homeric-ness.

What is the Odyssey all about?

In summary, the Odyssey recounts the arduous, ten year voyage of Odysseus from Troy after the Trojan War, to his home in Ithaca. Overall, Odysseus was away for 20 years; 10 years at war and 10 years to get home. His voyage is full of adventures, mishaps and truly horrible events, and the 12,000 line poem recounts his journey, as well as the situation at home with his son Telemachus and wife Penelope. As Odysseus (our hero of the story), meets sorceresses who turn his men into pigs, travels to the underworld to talk to the ghosts of his friends, meets bloodthirsty cyclops and gets trapped on an enchanted island for 7 years (among other adventures), his wife Penelope is at home keeping many suitors at bay who wish to marry her under the assumption that Odysseus is not coming home. The men are eating Penelope and Telemachus out of house and home, and after 3 years, Telemachus goes to Pylos and Sparta to learn of any news Menelaus and Nestor may know of his father. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca, he is disguised as an old man by Athena, and pretends to be someone else until he gets the chance to kill the suitors and show himself to his patient wife.

There is a time for long tales, and there is a time for sleep

11.379

My Chaotic Thoughts

Right from the get go, I found this to be an easier read than the Iliad, although I thought that the first four books focussing solely on Telemachus (known as the Telemachy) was a bit boring. It definitely helped that I was prepared for Odysseus’ story to start after the first four books, though, so here’s your warning that it takes a bit to really get into the juicy bits. I found it so interesting that the story starts not at the beginning of Odysseus’ journey, but close to the end of it, and we learn about his misadventures as he tells his story to Alcinous of the Phaeacians. I loved the books detailing Odysseus’ journey, they were thrilling and somewhat disastrous, and I enjoyed it so much! His men though, were SO frustrating 😂 Here’s a run down of one of their adventures:

Odysseus: don’t eat the cows, they’re sacred.

His Men: okay …

Odysseus: wtf where’d this meat come from?

His Men: we ate some cows

Odysseus: *face palm*

Like, I couldn’t deal with them 😂😂 The section with Polyphemus was brutal and bloodthirsty, but Odysseus really was a smart cookie. The whole ‘nobody’ ruse (which I already knew from Percy Jackson, so thanks for that Rick), was clever and such a genius way out of a difficult situation! I was sort of expecting more in the section where Odysseus gets tied to his ship so he can listen to the sirens, so that was a bit anti climactic, but the rest was action packed and very enjoyable. I also thought, despite it being a prose translation, the whole thing still had such a poetic rhythm to it. Very well done in the translation department I think! I was also so surprised how much of the Odyssey was inspiration for the Percy Jackson books. I almost think that I enjoyed this story more, knowing how it’s been used as inspiration more than 2,000 years after it was written down! Towards the ending, we get more of Penelope and I loved it. I thought she was a bright, clever and perceptive woman who was strong, and kept her home and her son safe as best as she could. I thoroughly understand why she was seen as this ‘ideal woman’ in Ancient Greece, although definitely not for the same reasons they thought.

What a lamentable thing it is that men should blame the gods and regard us as the source of their troubles, when it is their own transgressions which bring them suffering that was not their destiny.

1. 33-34

This quote, from the VERY beginning of the epic really stuck with me throughout the reading of it. So many times did Odysseus and others blame their misfortunes on the gods, rather than their own choices and actions. For example here’s this quote '‘Father Zeus, you are the cruellest of gods. You have no compunction about dealing out misfortunes, misery and suffering to us men; yet it was you who caused up to be born’ (20.201-203). I mean, they blame everything on the gods, as if they have no free will, and of course they have the Fates, who they believed controlled the destinies of men, but still. It's so interesting to read their complete disbelief that the gods would treat them so badly, or cause such misfortune as if they forced every choice and action! The whole fate vs free-will concept in this epic is truly fascinating, and when I re-read it, it is definitely something I want to keep at the forefront of my mind.

Of course, I couldn’t help but comment on the way that women were talked about, referred to and treated in this story. One of the most hypocritical comments came from Agamemnon (what a shock… not!) who doesn’t hold back when talking about his wife and his death. When Agamemnon returned from Troy, he learnt that his wife had taken a lover, Aegisthus, and upon his arrival at Mycenae, he was killed by his wife, as was his concubine Cassandra. So, naturally, when Odysseus went to Hades, Agamemnon took the chance to whine to him about Clytemnestra the ‘treacherous schemer.’ Agamemnon states that ‘there is nothing more degraded or shameful than a woman who can contemplate and carry out deeds like the hideous crime of murdering the husband of her youth’ (11.428-430) and ‘in the depth of her villainy, she has branded with infamy not herself alone but the whole of her sex, even the virtuous ones, for all time to come’ (11.433-435). Not to mention that because of ‘women’s crooked ways’ (11.438) they are no longer to be trusted! So, let’s keep in mind that all of this, is coming from the man who literally KILLED THEIR DAUGHTER on the way to Troy, because HE had insulted Artemis (and also literally brought BACK a concubine from the war). Honestly, these men are such hypocrites and boy does it bug me 😂 Don’t even get me started on the way Telemachus speaks to his mother and the way Odysseus treats the maids and women who work for his household. The translation also uses the word ‘bitch’ as a descriptive of women quite a lot in this book, and I would be interested to know what the original word in Greek was. It seems like quite a violent word, and it was really jarring every time it was used, which was often thrown directly towards the woman in question. If anyone knows the Greek word used please let me know!!! One last point here, is at the very end, prior to killing the twelve women that Odysseus believes were disloyal to him and his home in the TWENTY years he was gone, he tells them to clean up the corpses of the suitors with the knowledge that they were about to die. That whole scene was barbaric and horrible and honestly, by the end of this story, I did not see Odysseus as a true hero, but definitely more morally grey than initially anticipated.

However, it is important to remember that we are reading these ancient epics from a completely different time than when they were composed, and it’s impossible to read these without bias, simply because there’s been over 2,000 years worth of change and development in the world since they were composed. BUT, this doesn’t mean you can’t have ISSUES with these stories, I mean really, you should have issues with them! They are working in an intrinsically misogynistic time which can be seen from the language and treatment used towards the women alone.

This is by no means all my thoughts, but they are the most prevalent ones that I wanted to write down! I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this epic! Did you enjoy it? Did you like it more than the Iliad? Lemme know in the comments or come find me on Instagram @kell_read!

So you want to learn about Greek Mythology?

Hey friends, and welcome to a different kind of post! I recently made a video for work called The 12 Olympians: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greek Mythology and for me, I had so much fun writing and filming it, and it was probably because I was already really familiar with the stories from Greek Mythology. I thought to myself, this would be a good place to start for people who are just starting to get into the wealth of stories that Greek mythology has to offer, but where should they go from there? So, this is a little post with some book recommendations for people who want to learn about Greek mythology but have no idea where to start, or are a bit overwhelmed with the number of books out there! I am absolutely going to be drawing on my own experiences from learning about Greek mythology, so if you have any suggestions or helpful tips for those people who want to learn more, please leave a comment down below!!

Books to Read (Fiction!)

I know this may sound weird, but the place I started on my journey to learning about Greek mythology and becoming completely obsessed with it was Percy Jackson. Unlike many other people, I didn’t read this until I was about 15 or16, and honestly, I wish I had read it sooner. Not because I thought that it was too young for me (I still adore it), but because it meant I would have been exposed to the world of Greek myths far sooner. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is the place I’d start for anyone wanting to dip their toe into Greek mythology. It’s a 5 book series but they’re all pretty short, easy to read and very entertaining. But, while you’re reading about Percy, Annabeth and Grover go on quests, you’re actually being exposed to a lot of the core gods, monsters and myths of Greek mythology. So much of these books were inspired by myths, and once you finish this series, you will be familiar with the basic family tree of the Greek gods (well, as familiar as a person could be with that incestuous mess), as well as key monsters and stories which you will find in the ancient sources such as the Odyssey by Homer and Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. If you’re looking for more of a Young Adult book with a bit of action, then I would recommend giving Lore by Aexandra Bracken a read. It isn’t as full of Greek stories as the Percy Jackson series is, but you do still get a good glimpse into some of the beliefs of the ancient greeks, and specifically the myths of the goddess Athena. Along these same lines would be A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (definitely more of an adult book), which is a re-imagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone, but it’s set in an alternate, urban setting. These books are fun, but also dive into a bunch of different myths concerning the goddess Persephone, the god Hades and a bunch others!

Online resources (Articles, Videos and Podcasts!)

This is the part of this blog post where I’m just going to hype up the company I have the pleasure to work for, as well as some of my friends who are doing an amazing job bringing Greek mythology and history to a modern audience, and making it accessible! Online resources are so handy, especially since they’re easily accessible and more often than not, they’re free! If you’d prefer to read some stuff, then I would recommend World History Encyclopedia (I am biased because I work for them, but they also do amazing work.) You can find an introductory article here on Greek Mythology which is such a great place to start, and from there you can find articles on all the main gods, goddesses, myths and legends! If you’re more of a video lover, then you’re in luck because we publish youtube videos twice a week, and so far we have published this video on the 12 Olympians, a video all about Hermes, a video on Artemis, and a bunch more! If you’re looking for some fun videos that combine cute makeup looks with greek myths, then you should definitely check out Hannah’s videos on YouTube! I LOVE her videos on the myths of Persephone and Hades, and Echo and Narcissus, they’re short and sweet, easy to follow and end up with a super cute makeup look! Finally, your one-stop-shop for videos on mythology, ancient history, philosophers, as well as interviews and book reviews is Erica’s incredible website Moan Inc. You can find Erica and Moan on Instagram, Youtube, podcasts and via her website, and she’s working so hard to bring the ancient world to a modern audience in an engaging and fun way!

Where to Next? Ancient Epics, Texts and Retellings!

Looking for something a bit more challenging? Already know the basics and you’re ready to dive in deeper? I would definitely recommend beginning with Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. It’s a really short read, and although it’s an ancient text, it’s easy to read and is a great intro to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks. If you want to know a bit more about Theogony and Works and Days you can have a look at my review here! From here, I would then recommend The Library of Greek Mythology (also known as Bibliotheca) by Pseudo-Apollodorus. It reads very similarly to Theogony and Works and Days, but it’s a bit longer and delves deeper into the stories and myths of Greek Mythology, and you will find the stories of heroes such as Heracles, Theseus and Jason. Then, of course, you have the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer! I would personally recommend the E.V. Rieu translation of these two which are written in prose but still keep their poetic roots, and they’re super easy to read for stories that are over 2000 years old. You can read my thoughts on the Iliad here! Just remember, every translation is different, so if you’re not clicking with the first translation you try, pick up a different one! If you’re a fan of theatre, then reading Ancient Greek theatre is an awesome way to become familiar with some of the important figures and stories from Greek myths, and even though only a handful survive from what would have been hundreds of plays, we still have plays about some of the most interesting figures from Greek mythology such as Medea, Jason, Antigone, Oedipus, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Orestes and Electra (just to name a few!) They’re definitely easier to read than something like Shakespeare, and many editions now give you fantastic commentary and background info on the plays! My favourites are Medea by Euripides, Antigone by Sophocles and the Oresteia by Aeschylus. One thing I’ve noticed particularly in the past year or so is a HUGE boom in retellings, especially feminist retellings or retellings from female points of view. This surge in retellings seems to have been pioneered by Madeline Miller with her books The Song of Achilles and Circe, which are both brilliant, but if you’re just starting to dip your toe into Greek mythology, give Stephen Fry’s books Mythos, Heroes and Troy a go! Fry has such an entertaining way of retelling the myths but making them feel new - and, his somewhat linear narrative of the foundational Greek myths in Mythos is truly a massive feat. I would definitely recommend Mythos as an easy and enjoyable first step in learning about Greek mythology. If you’re interested in reading Classical Greek stories from a females point of view, I have a bunch on my TBR pile which include Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships, Pandora’s Jar and The Children of Jocasta, as well as Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne. I haven’t read some of these yet, but I can only assume it would be helpful to come into them with a bit of a basis for the original stories and texts, so maybe hit these types of books once you’re nice and familiar with the core gods, goddesses, myths and monsters of Greek mythology.

Hopefully I have given you everything you could possibly need to start your journey with Greek mythology! As noted, this is from my personal experience, so if you have any book recommendations or tips on getting familiar with Greek mythology then please, leave a comment below or reach out on instagram where you can find me at @kell_read!

Bite Sized Ancient History - The Mycenaeans

Recently, I did a poll on my Instagram (@kell_read), asking all of you what you would like to see more of on this blog other than my non-spoiler reviews. From this poll, the two most requested types of posts were book recommendations and Ancient History/Educational posts. So, here we are! This is going to be the first of many ‘Bite-Sized Ancient History with Kelly’ posts, starting with an introduction to one of my favourite cultures, the Mycenaeans. if you have any requests for cultures/ events/ art/ people from the ancient world then please let me know either in the comments below or on my Instagram!

Who were the Mycenaeans?

The Mycenaeans were a culture that flourished on mainland Greece between c. 1700 - 1100 BCE. They had numerous centres on Mainland Greece which appear to have functioned in both the religious sphere, and the administrative, due to the discovery of storage jars, rooms used as workshops and administrative records at these sites. The most famous of these sites are Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos, with Mycenae and Tiryns being World Heritage Listed even though Pylos is the best-preserved site (don’t even get me started!). Many Mycenaean sites (excluding Pylos), were surrounded by Cyclopean walls which are so-called because they are so large that it was believed that only the race of giant, one-eyed cyclops could have possibly built them! The Mycenaeans constructed monumental palatial structures, with one of the most famous architectural feats being the Lions Gate at Mycenae, along with their tholos tombs made of corbelled roofs which were used for elite burials.

The texts that we have from the Mycenaean palatial sites are primarily administrative documents, and these texts, along with the archaeological evidence have informed a lot about our understanding of the function of the centres, and the trade which was taking place between each Mycenaean site and, to an extent, other cultures. The Mycenaeans are known as the more violent and war-driven predecessors of the initial Bronze Age Aegean influential power, the Minoans, who were (and still sometimes are) considered a more peaceful culture who lived on Crete and Santorini. This perception of the Mycenaeans being more inclined to partake in violence and warfare comes from both the remaining art and the archeological record uncovered in palatial sites and burials. They are known for their depiction of figures on pottery, often wearing boars teeth helmets (of which multiple have been uncovered intact or in fragments), and their frescoes showing figure of eight shields. Most famously recognisable is the so-called ‘Mask of Agamemnon,’ named by Heinrich Schliemann who was insistent upon his discovery of the burial of the legendary king of Mycenae, Agamemnon (he was wrong since the body doesn’t date to the period of Agamemnon and the Trojan War). They have also produced beautiful inlaid daggers which have hunting scenes decorating them, and it is now believed that one of the two Vaphio cups (the one decorated with the violent scene), was actually made by a Mycenaean craftsman.

Why do we care about the Mycenaeans?

Well, when it comes to the Mycenaeans, they are pretty much considered the first Greeks, and they were very influential on the people who lived during the time of Classical Greece. For one thing, their language known as Linear B is considered the earliest form of the Greek language which developed from the script of the Phoenicians. From the extant tablets found in a number of Mycenaean palatial sites, the names of a number of gods venerated during the Classical Greek period including Poseidon, Hermes, Zeus, Apollo, and Athena to name a few have been deciphered. So, although there is what is often considered a ‘dark age’ between c. 1100- c. 800 BCE when the palatial sites regressed to smaller villages and writing ceased in Greece, many of the gods continued to be worshipped into the Classical Greek period from the Mycenaean age.

Another reason the Mycenaeans are such an important culture which still generates so much interest is that the Greek heroes from Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey date not to the Classical Greek period but to the Bronze Age. That’s right, your favourite guys Achilles, Patroclus, Nestor, Menelaus etc. were all Mycenaeans! Agamemnon was the legendary king of Mycenae, and Nestor was the legendary king of Pylos (my favourite Mycenaean site). In Greek mythology, prior to Agamemnon being the king of Mycenae, the hero Perseus (son of Zeus and Danae) was the first king and founder of the city and the Perseid dynasty.

The Mycenaeans are a culture which is still providing new information and new archaeological finds. Most recently, the works on the mortuary landscape at Pylos in the last 6-7 years has provided a new shaft grave, two new tholos (or beehive) tombs, and hundreds of precious grave goods, two of which provide evidence for earlier contact with the Near East and Egypt than initially believed. Most interestingly is the shaft grave which was mere metres from Tholos III and Tholos IV, tombs which were excavated by Carl Blegen and his team in the 1950s and 60s. This single burial consists of one body, a male who died between the ages of 30-35 years and dates to c. 1500s BCE or LH IIA. This grave, excavated by Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker in May 2015, has provided us with the most amazing sealstone depicting a battle scene, known as the Combat Agate, four gold signet rings with Minoan religious iconography, a gold necklace and hundreds of sealstones. Preservation work is still being conducted on the finds of this burial, but its discovery has prompted some questions; who was this man? Why wasn’t he buried in the tholos tomb which was in use when he was interred and why was he buried with so many artefacts either made by a Minoan craftsman, influenced by the Minoan culture or depicting Minoan religious scenes? If you can’t already tell, I’m so obsessed with Pylos and the Griffin Warrior burial and I can’t wait for more information that the artefacts may provide! There is other evidence for cross-cultural transmission between the Minoans and Mycenaeans, but this being such a new discovery brings the conversation about the extent of the relationship and communication between these groups back to the forefront of discussions! I will never tire of writing about the Mycenaeans, but if you’re interested in reading a piece I’ve written comparing the Minoans and Mycenaeans, you can find it on World History Encyclopedia here.

Books I recommend to learn about the Mycenaeans!

There is SO much out there about the Mycenaeans, but here I’ll recommend some that I have used during my own research, and I’ll link each of the books to their Goodreads page if you wanted to have a better look at them! One of the best ones I have encountered has been The Mycenaeans by Louise Schofield, which gives a wonderful overview of the culture (with heaps of images). Along those same lines is Lord William Taylour’s book by the same name. I could never recommend a book more than I do The Oxford Handbook of the Aegean Bronze Age edited by Eric Cline. I love these handbooks because you get such a huge range of topics, and by a range of scholars. This one isn’t just the Mycenaeans but the Aegean Bronze Age in general, and I’m sure you’ll see me recommend this one again! One that I absolutely loved about the trade, commerce, and identity in Mycenaean Greece is Mycenaean Greece, Mediterranean Commerce, and the Formation of Identity by Bryan Burns. If you’re more interested in the art of the Mycenaeans (and also the Minoans) then I would definitely recommend Minoan and Mycenaean Art by Reynold Higgins. This one is another really easy-to-read book that has heaps of visual aids and also makes some great comparisons between the cultures. Obviously, our number one text about Mycenaean heroes is The Iliad by Homer, since the Greek heroes featuring in this epic tale are from the Mycenaean period, and I would highly recommend it! I read the translation by E.V. Rieu and I thought it was wonderful! If you’re more an online learner and want to learn more about the Mycenaeans without purchasing books, then I’d re commend checking out World History Encyclopedia, who I have been working for for a few years now! I have a super fun video on them which you can find here, and if you click here, you will be redirected to our main article on the culture!

Is there a specific part of the Mycenaeans you’d like to know more about, whether it be art, architecture, trade, burial practices or something else? Let me know! This is just a small snapshot of the fascinating culture of the Mycenaeans, I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you learnt something!