Illustrations
Preface
1. The Problem of Female Beauty
2. Helen, Daughter of Zeus
3. Self-Blame and Self-Assertion: the Iliad
4. Happily Ever After? The Odyssey
5. Refractions of Homer's Helen: Archaic Lyric
6. Behind the Scenes: Aeschylus' Oresteia
7. Spartan Woman and Spartan Goddess: Herodotus
8. Playing Defense: Gorgias' Encomium of Helen
9. Enter Helen: Euripides' Trojan Women
10. Two-Faced Helen: the Helen of Euripides
11. Helen MacGuffin: Isocrates
Epilogue
Bibliographical Notes
Bibliography
Index
Ruby Blondell is Professor of Classics at the University of Washington.
"the book is a good survey of Helen in Greek literature and a
decent introduction to Helen for undergraduate Classics students,
but is a bit thin for those seeking more advanced, in-depth
analysis." -- Stephanie L. Budin, Collingswood, New Jersey, Journal
of the American Oriental Society
"These brief summaries do not begin to do justice to the subtle
twists and turns of Blondell's analysis, but I hope that they at
least give an idea of the kinds of issues she deals with repeatedly
throughout this challenging and rewarding book. While the absence
of the Greek texts and the traditional scholarly apparatus is
occasionally frustrating, I would not hesitate to recommend this
book either to an advanced undergraduate or to a professional
scholar. In
fact, I have already done so." --Deborah Lyons, Bryn Mawr Classical
Review
"This excellent volume takes the reader on a tour with Helen of
Troy, as she journeys from
the Archetype (Pandora) through her complex identities in the
Iliad, the Odyssey, the Oresteia, the lyric poets, Herodotus'
Histories, Gorgias' Encomium of Helen, Euripides' Trojan Women and
Helen, and finally Isocrates' Encomium of Helen. The book is
descriptive in its focus, and shows that Helen, 'who is a concept,
not a person' (p. xi), occupied roles that are important both in
themselves and also for understanding the works in
question. ... [Blondell] has achieved a miracle of lucid, useful
and responsible accessibility. This jargon and footnote free volume
will benefit scholars and students in classics, the humanities and
beyond." --The Classical Review
"Blondell's stimulating and provocative book demonstrates how Helen
is 'an ever-refreshing screen for the projection of ideas and
ideals about beauty, women, sex and power.' Demonized, idolized,
allegorized, or humanized, Helen of Troy remains no woman and every
woman." --Bookslut
"A compelling new portrait of the most famous femme fatale in
history as she appears in Greek myth and literature." --Publishers
Weekly
"Readers need not be scholars of Greek poetry and culture to
appreciate this engaging look at an epic tale with modern
resonance." --Booklist
"If you have an appreciation for the classics or even just strong
feminine roles, you will want to pick this book up. It will easily
become a favorite amongst the rest of your library for years to
come." --citybookreview.com
"An entertaining and lively narrative...." --Library Journal
"An insightful book, filled with salacious tales of morality that
the ancient Greeks did better than anyone since, Blondell's Helen
of Troy is a real beauty." --Clifford Cunningham, Sun News
Miami
"A marvelously comprehensive look at Helen of Troy and her
interpretations--literary, dramatic, and historical--through the
ages. Every dimension of the myth of Helen, the most beautiful
woman in the world and immortal in memory, is explored and
analyzed. It leaves you awed and enlightened." --Margaret George,
author of Helen of Troy and The Memoirs of Cleopatra
"Helen's face launched not only a thousand ships but also thousands
of texts and artworks: Blondell's lucid, learned, but light-handed
study shows why." --Glenn Most, University of Chicago
"A broad, subtle, and beautifully-written study that deserves a
large and varied readership. Combining shrewd analysis with
lightly-worn expertise, Blondell shows how Greek culture turned
again and again to the myth of Helen to confront the disquieting
power of female beauty." --Sheila Murnaghan, University of
Pennsylvania
"Blondell has written a rich and penetrating study of the Helen
myth in the Greek world."
--New Republic
"This book is a fine demonstration of the way in which textual
accounts of a Greek
legendary icon can be probed in depth to reveal nuances of cultural
history that could
easily be overlooked. While it is no surprise that a study of Helen
should uncover ways
in which the masculine agenda of patriarchal Greece was confirmed,
Blondell has also
exposed the often self-serving and illogical measures taken by
Greek writers to accomplish
this. She does this with a freshness often quickened by humour"
--Phoenix
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