Just Finished Reading: A Thing of Beauty – Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece by Peter Fiennes (FP: 2021) [264pp] 

If there’s one thing my recent reviews have taught me, it’s that I REALLY need to pay much more attention to books before I purchase them. I had been looking for 'country history' books, especially outside the usual Anglo-American axis and preferably additional to the usual tomes of French history, so this seemed perfect. I’d already read a reasonable bit about Ancient Greece but my knowledge of anything approaching modern Greece was (and still is) almost non-existent. The sub-title in particular got my hopes up but hope, such as it was, stubbornly stayed in Pandora’s Jar. The only ‘modern’ aspect of this book was the fact that the author was driving around modern Greece and occasionally chatting to locals about Hope. Such conversations definitely seemed to be required as fires ravaged the countryside and the early effects of Covid where beginning to show their hand. 

This does not mean that I was disappointed with this volume – FAR from it. Once my all too typical misunderstanding had been accepted, I found this book, and the author, to be fascinating, informed and often funny. It all started, as you might well imagine, with Lord Byron who, after a dissolute youth, decided to aid Greece in her fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire. This journey, by one of the most famous Brits of the era, seemed like a good ‘peg’ to hang a travel book on – and it is. Somewhat strangely, except for some fascinating chunks of the Lord’s life early on, Byron himself features less and less as the book progresses. [Note to Self: Read a good book on Byron!] 

As alluded to earlier, the focus of the book was on Hope – the last thing to emerge from (or to remain in, depending on which version of the Myth you’re reading) Pandora’s jar – it was never a ‘box’, that was a mistranslation which took wings and became the ‘truth’. This naturally led to who Pandora was, why she had (or opened) the jar, who ‘created’ her, why and who for... and we’re off into the wild and complex world of the Greek mythic world. This is where, as also alluded to previously, we are introduced to modern Greece. The author drives around – sometimes with wife and son – to locations where the myths ‘happened’ where variations are teased out – and teased about – as well as museums, galleries, various ruins and more than a few quips in the direction of the British Museum and other European ‘collectors’ who in the 18th and 19th centuries “picked up a few things” on their journey around the country. 

After my initial (brief) disappointment that this wasn’t the book I was looking for, I found myself completely captivated and loving pretty much every minute of it. There are a few things that some readers might find annoying (personally I didn’t) when the author comments on excessive tourism, exploitation and the effects of Global Warming on Greece in particular but they are very minor diversions from the main thrust of the narrative. I’ve already added his book about walking around Britain – referencing various authors as he goes – to my Wish List. I’m really looking forward to that one! Definitely recommended for anyone interested in Myth, Greece and even Lord Byron. 

Just Finished Reading: Heroes by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (FP: 1994) [274pp] 

The War is finally over. After long years of conflict Troy has fallen and is burning. Eager to leave the Greeks know that the Gods will not approve of the killings and desecration of temples, the result of years of tension and disappointment. They are not wrong. The journey back home is cursed for many. Some will not make it back alive. Others are blown off course and spend years in far off lands complete with new unwanted adventure and loss. Others, the hero Diomedes among them, manage to complete their journeys only to find that their home has changed beyond recognition and that only death and betrayal await them. Knowing that his wife wants him dead and her lover to take the throne, Diomedes manages to convince part of his fleet to follow him to unknown lands and, eventually, to far off Hesperia to build a new city and begin a new life. Meanwhile, back in Greece Menelaus plots his revenge against his brother's wife while a deeper conspiracy begins to unfold. After years of war there will be no peace for the heroes of the Trojan Wars. 

I’ve read a few books by this author and this was one of his earlier works – his fourth book. I found it to be essentially a book of two parts. The primary tale was of Diomedes and his band of warriors wandering up and down Hesperia – which we know today as Italy – looking for a new home, fighting primitive tribes and coming to terms with their fates. I did find this rather pedestrian to be honest and very little seemed to happen. The second thread was, I thought, much more interesting – the intrigue and plotting back home in Greece involving Menelaus and others in revenge over the death of Agamemnon and the political machinations that followed from it. I enjoyed that a great deal and would have ranked this book highly if it had been the primary (or only!) plot line. 

A few other things interested me – the fact that Diomedes had an, almost fatal, encounter with a warrior wielding an IRON sword which made very short work of his BRONZE sword and armour! Another thing was the ‘true’ role of Helen in the Trojan War... I’d heard it before when reading other books on myths so it didn’t come as a huge surprise. In a previous work I learnt that there is no agreed upon ‘canon’ in Greek myths and there are MANY variations on a theme none of which is the ‘correct’ version. The myths we know these days are just one ‘agreed upon’ version. The BIG thing that I’d never come across before (which, to be honest, the author may have created out of whole cloth) was the ‘REAL’ reason for the war itself – which wasn’t what we had been led to believe. It was, taking into account the beliefs of the time, a creditable one. I’ll see if I can find reference to it elsewhere. 

Overall, this was a fair read. I was a little bored at times by the Diomedes story but the Menelaus plotline more than made up for it. An interesting look at a timeless story. Recommended and more to come from both this author and this Myth series. 

Translated from the Italian by Christine Feddersen-Manfredi

Just Finished Reading: Divine Might – Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes (FP: 2023) [277pp] 

You would thing, or at least I would, that when we created gods to explain our world, we would have imagined them to be better than us. Sure, we often ended up making them stronger and faster than us but in other ways we were much their superiors. Greek gods (and goddesses) tended to have the morals of feral teenagers and the emotional temperaments of toddlers. Being noticed by a god was bad enough – even when they liked you (mostly a fleeting thing) - but being disliked, well THAT was often a death sentence or worse! The main reason they were worshiped (it seemed) was not to get on their bad side. They were deities who firmly believed that it was much better to be feared than to be loved. I suppose the fact that they were immortal and couldn’t easily be hurt never mind killed helped explain much. If you had almost unlimited power and an eternity to use it in then it's not surprising that you would end up pulling wings off flies, starting years long wars (for entertainment purposes) or meddling in the lives of short-lived mortals. Oh, and then there was the fun of turning said mortals into trees, cows or magpies when they offended you... Anything really to have something to distract you for a moment or (if lucky) two. 

It's difficult not to be fascinated with them though, and I definitely share the authors interests if not (maybe) to the same degree. We tend to absorb the tales of the Greek gods without even thinking of it. Like the author I grew up with movies like ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ and ‘Clash of the Titans’ which couldn’t help colour my appreciation of later divine encounters in books, comics and more modern cinematic interpretations. Greek gods, and honestly to a somewhat lessor extent goddesses, are a pervasive recurring theme through our culture so it’s nice to have someone like the author looking at the original stories (in MANY variations) who can put them into their original context, draw out more modern interpretations and then place them within western cultural thought down the ages.  

A goodly portion of the details of the goddesses portrayed here were new to me – despite being pretty familiar with the individual icons themselves – which was a plus and I’ll be following this up with more investigations both in fiction and non-fiction. We do seem to be living through a new revival of all things Greek mythish which is fun. It’s especially good that we’re seeing many of the lessor known or ignored mythic characters (oddly mostly women – who'd have thought it, right?) which I know several of my readers (and I!) have been enjoying. Hopefully at some point we’ll move beyond the Greek world into other areas like Egypt or points East. We’ll see (I hope). Anyway, if you have any interest in Greek gods and goddesses this is definitely the book for you. Full of interesting stories, strange characters and quite a bit of humour. Definitely recommended and much more to come. 

Just Finished Reading: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (FP: 2021) [386pp] 

As a princess of Crete young Ariadne knew her place, not that she liked it much. Her role was to marry someone important, someone wealthy and someone who could help her father, King Minos, consolidate his power. Minos held Crete in his grip in part by fear, fear of his wrath, fear of his palace guard but mostly through fear of the monster he controlled – the Minotaur. Ariadne knew it, him, by another name – Asterion – her brother. Trapped on Crete, just like the greatest engineer of the age, Daedalus, she was suddenly presented with an alternative, a chance to change her Fate. Each year the recently defeated city of Athens sent a number of its youth to serve as tribute and as meat to feed the Minotaur. This year amongst them was Theseus, prince of Athens. Ariadne had never seen anyone quite like him. He was quite simply a Hero who had walked out of the songs being sung in the great halls. Here was hope personified, here was her way out of her island prison and a way to rid the world of a monster. 

I can see why the retellings of Greek myths have become so popular. Most people, I think, have at least a nodding experience with these stories if only from Hollywood movies and stories from childhood. What’s different in the present retellings, apart from the language modernisation, is that the focus has generally shifted from the male heroes to the female characters often either ignored or sidelined previously. The other difference I think is that despite the existence of gods and other fantastical creatures, these stories are told very much from the human level – rather than exclusively from the viewpoint or sorely focused on gods and heroes. This particular tale is definitely one of two halves. The first 130 pages covers the well-known story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Despite the different Ariadne viewpoint, I did find this a little bit dull because it was so well known. The second part of the novel was split into two points of view – Ariadne herself and her younger sister Phaedra who becomes Queen of Athens. Although somewhat long and at times rather drawn out – especially with Ariadne’s relationship with the god Dionysus – I did find this more interesting than the first half because this part of the story/myth was unknown to me. The ending, in typical Greek tragedy fashion all rather grim and bloody, was I thought well done and did surprise me a few times with its very dark path. Much like the plays of Shakespeare there more than enough misunderstanding, grief and death to go around. 

Although this could’ve been at least 50 pages shorter without losing any of its style and impact I still liked this retelling quite a bit. I couldn’t help but think that the author essentially tacked two stories together (possibly after finding the first tale wasn’t quite long enough for the full novel treatment) but I might be being a bit harsh there! The two connected stories worked well together, and it was interesting (for me at least) to find out about what happened after the Minotaur incident. Despite a few minor quibbles this was an impressive first novel and I’m looking forward to the authors future works and I have her next book already. Recommended for all lovers of Greek myths.     

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Just Finished Reading: Amazons – The Real Warrior Women of the Ancient World by John Man (FP: 2017) [273pp] 

Just like the Ancient Greeks, I have long been fascinated by stories of Amazons. Even today women in combat roles can seem odd or even wrong but to the Greeks they seemed positively bizarre. The norm of Greek society at that time was that women stayed at home – they were either daughters or wives. The idea of them riding horseback in armour, complete with bow or spear and (incredibly) not only fighting but besting male warriors was somewhere between obscene and deeply alluring. The word ‘Amazon’ was full of negative meaning and was not used in a positive way – quite the opposite. Yet, the Greeks kept coming back to the idea even incorporating Amazons into several of their founding myths.  

We know now of course that the mythical race of Amazons were just that – a myth. But, the author argues, they did have at least some basis in fact. Several tribes in East Asia – most notably the Scythians – did indeed use female warriors on horseback to great effect. Why, after all, relegate up to half of your available force to the kitchen and the hearth when they can ride and use a bow just as well as their male counterparts? Such a practical use of resources was well outside the Greek experience. Archaeological evidence exists in abundance (once unthinking sexist assumptions about the gender of interned skeletons had been challenged) for celebrated female warriors throughout Asia. This idea was so powerful that the myth of the Amazons lasted long after the Greek civilisation that gave it birth had fallen. The land of the Amazons continued to be looked for and continued to remain just over the next mountain range or beyond the next forest. Both the Amazon River and the state of California bare the mark of the Amazon myth. Real-life ‘amazons’ have indeed existed though with examples of massed female troops in Africa, female fighter and bomber squadrons in Soviet Russia during World War 2 (the fabled ‘Night Witches’ amongst them) and the Kurdish female fighters in Syria and elsewhere. 

Probably the most interesting chapter for me – especially as I am no fan of the present Superhero genre – was on Wonder Woman herself (that’s ignoring the short chapter addressing the ‘missing’ breast issue). I knew something of her comic creation but had no idea about the strange life of her creator and how his interests in both feminism and bondage produced the hero we know today. It was all very illuminating and so much about Diana Prince makes total sense now. I’ll be following up that particular thread in a book already on my Wish List – watch this space! 

Overall, this was an interesting and often fascinating read of how a myth (or misunderstanding) became such a powerful idea in Western culture and survived largely intact to the present day. Although it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting – as it wasn’t exclusively concentrated on the Ancient World – this was still a fun and very informative read. If you’ve ever wondered about the Amazons or about Wonder Woman herself, this is definitely the book for you. Recommended and more to come on this intriguing subject. 

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Just Finished Reading: Pandora’s Jar – Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes (FP: 2020) [288pp] 

First off, I have to say that this was an excellent ‘companion’ read to my previous book ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller. It wasn’t exactly planned that way, but I’ll take it. I’d read a non-fiction work by this author previously so knew something of her style. Here though we had a mix of deep knowledge and obvious love of the subject mixed with a fair bit of humour and topped off with a feminist vibe. 

The thing that most jumped out at me throughout this book was the idea that the Myths we know (or think we know) exist in multiple versions. Those that have made it to the modern day have either been cherry-picked from a range of examples or have simply been the one that survived the passage of time down the ages. Other versions, presently lost, are hinted at by ancient authorities but we have nothing more. Those facts alone give me pause for thought when people try to talk about the ‘real’ myth as opposed to other versions with different endings or different outcomes for some characters. Greek myth, I realised or had been prompted to remember, is a very fluid thing. 

Unfortunately, like most people I imagine, my ‘knowledge’ of Greek myths is generally derived from Hollywood movies (along with some random reading over the decades). This means that generally the female characters in these myths are all too often relegated to love interests, helpers (usually quickly disposed of), people to be rescued or all too sexualised villain's and temptresses. Of course, some of this at least is taken straight from the myths themselves where the female characters – created it must be remembered in a time and place that allowed women very little space to become individuals in their own right – were (often but not always) very much sidelined or presented as an example or a danger to the male heroes. But what we would regard today as strong or nuanced female characters did exist in plays of these mythic stories and many of those roles are eagerly sought after by modern actresses (it’s interesting to note that, much like Shakespeare’s time, all stage roles in Classical Greece were played by men). 

I think the first surprise, which handily got me prepared for the rest of this excellent book, was the tale of Pandora. I thought I knew this tale and quickly learnt that I simply didn’t. For a start the ‘box’ was a much later invention and she started out with a jar – as in a Greek style vase. The other thing that really jumped out at me was the fact (if we can talk about facts within myths) was that Pandora was *designed* by the Gods as a living weapon in retribution for Prometeus giving humans fire and therefore, by extension, a comfortable life. Pandora was sent in order to make men miserable again, just as Zeus wanted. She was programmed to open the jar thus releasing all the bad stuff. It wasn’t her fault. THAT puts a whole other gloss on things and changes the whole story. That was just the first chapter! After that we had tales of Jocasta, Helen (lots of weird stuff there including the Helen in Troy being a hologram!), Medusa (very badly treated by all and sundry), The Amazons (more later!), Clytemnestra, Eurydice, Phaedra, Medea (who, of course, everyone loves to hate) and Penelope. Needless to say, not only has my knowledge and appreciation of Greek myth increased by leaps and bounds but I’m also looking at those myths in some interesting and, for me, new ways. If you have any interest or curiosity about the Greek myths – and most especially the place of women in them – this is most definitely the book for you. Told with a fair bit of humour as well as modern cultural references from movies – Clash of the Titans (original), Troy (naturally), Wonder Woman (ditto) - literate reinterpretations and Star Trek I enjoyed this a LOT. It was largely from a feminist perspective which, no doubt will annoy/irritate some readers, but the perspective is a valid one and works well here. Highly recommended and much more to come.  

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Just Finished Reading: Circe by Madeline Miller (FP: 2018) [333pp] 

Maybe it was her youth, but Circe seemed to be the only one with a heart, the only one who saw Prometeus in pain and who wanted to do something about it. The other Titans looked on with a mixture of boredom and disdain. It was, after all, his own fault. Giving mortals the ‘gift of fire’ wasn’t in the plan envisioned by Zeus for mankind. But it was too late now. But that act of disobedience wasn’t the thing that caused her exile, THAT was much worse. The problem with Circe was that she had power, the power to change things, the power to heal and the power to kill. Circe, just like her siblings was a witch – the first in the world and even the gods themselves feared that kind of power in the hands of an Immortal. Trapped, isolated and alone Circe did the only thing she could, she perfected her art and found that she was actually quite good at it once she stopped trying too hard and felt her way by instinct towards the results she wanted. Her isolation, however, was never total – despite the agreement between her father and Zeus. Hermes, messenger of the Gods, visited to gently torture her whilst passing along morsels of information of the outside would. There were other visitors too, some welcome, most not. Although the unwelcome visitors regretted their arrival, at least briefly, before they died – or worse. Then there was Odysseus...   

I enjoyed the author’s previous book ‘The Song of Achilles’ very much so had high hopes for this one. I was definitely not disappointed. Impressively I thought this was even better than her first work and am looking forward already to her future output. Many things impressed me about the book. One of the things that really stuck out for me was the fact that, seemingly like most celebrities from any age, Circe seemed to have more than a nodding relationship to almost every famous (or infamous) hero/ine of the Ages and not just that most central hero Odysseus. Oh no, she had dealings with Daedalus (father of Icarus), was a friend of Ariadnne (of Minitour fame), sister to the Minitour’s mother Pasiphaë, Medea the lover and later wife of Jason (of the Argonauts fame) was her niece, she was the creator of the sea monster Scylla and much else besides. She had one HECK of a life, which isn’t all that surprising considering just how long she lived! Certainly, if you have only a passing knowledge of Greek Myth and, like me, gleaned a goodly chunk of that knowledge from children's books and Hollywood movies you’ll have a much deeper and wider knowledge of the subject after reading this wonderful novel. I did almost at times think it was bordering on too much information coming my way, but the writing was so masterful as well as more than occasionally either laugh out loud funny or poetically beautiful that I couldn’t help but forgive the authors exuberance and love of the subject. If you’ve ever wondered about the Greek Mythical world but couldn’t face a potentially dry tome listing gods and heroes and their deeds or misdeeds, then this is most definitely the book for you. But be warned, this just might make you into an avid fan of Mythology and those heavy tomes you’ll end up buying aren't cheap! Highly recommended. 

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Just Finished Reading: God’s Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (FP: 2007) [277pp] 

The End of the World began with a chance encounter, on London’s Hampsted Heath, with a tree called Kate. Of course, Kate hadn’t always been a tree. She used to work in PR until she too had a chance encounter with Apollo and refused his offer of sex. Artemis wasn’t mostly annoyed about the tree thing or, to be frank, the offer and rejection of sex thing, it was the waste. After so long out of the limelight, so to speak, none of the Gods had that much energy they could waste on petty tree making. What they really needed right now was a cleaner. The house they all lived in was a wreck and it hadn’t had a proper cleaning for far too long – centuries maybe. But Zeus was dead set against having any mortals in the house. Then, as luck would have it, Alice arrived. Alice already knew Apollo, unfortunately, but she had no idea that a trick had been played on her by Aphrodite. What Aphrodite didn’t realise was that her trick had already gone wrong. Apollo was in love with Alice but Alice was already falling in love with Neil who worked in the same building she had previously been contracted to clean. As both Neil’s and Alice’s lives become more entangled with the ex-Gods of Mount Olympus, they slowly begin to realise that such encounters do not generally end well for the mortals in the mix. 

As usual, I picked this up in a bookshop offer because it looked different and interesting. It was certainly both. Because the premise is a little on the strange side (or ‘delightfully original’ as one comment puts it) it did take a little getting into. It reminded me at times of Douglas Adams in its humour and I smiled quite a lot throughout the first third or so. At this point I began thinking of this short novel as a bit of entertaining fluff. What I didn’t realise was just how good it was going to get and, looking back, how good this actually was from the beginning. Not only was it an interesting ‘take’ on the Greek Gods – that oh, so, dysfunctional family – but it was an equally interesting musing on the question of what happens to Gods when people stop believing in them? Another aspect of the novel I really liked was the unlikely relationship between Alice and Neil. Not only was it very well told (and at times painfully sweet) it also had a great binding effect on the overall story and helped to drive the story forward. Both Alice and Neil were honestly great characters and I really felt for their predicament. I was on the edge of my seat a few times when things got a bit rough and cheered Neil on as he struggled to become a hero. The Gods themselves were an interesting bunch. I’m not 100% familiar with all of the Greek myths but it's clear that, generally, the Greek Gods are not nice ‘people’ - except Artemis who I liked quite a lot and Athena who I could sympathise with at times. The only, small, warning is that there is a bit of moderately explicit sex (or sexual conversations) from time to time around Aphrodite, naturally, but that can be easily skimmed over. The book actually gets better as the story progresses and I thought the descriptions of the Underworld were quite fascinating. All in all, this was a read unlike any other in my experience and I can honestly say that I really, really liked it. Highly recommended for all Fantasy, Greek myth and/or offbeat humour fans.   

Just Finished Reading: The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M Harris (FP: 2014) [296pp] 

He certainly had hopes when Odin pulled him from the void that was Chaos. Loki saw becoming corporeal, real, with its pains (that he would’ve liked to do without) as well as its pleasures (which he rather enjoyed) as an opportunity. He was also promised something he had never had and, because of that, wondered if he was missing out – family, well kind of family if you could call a dysfunctional bunch of wannabee gods family. But, he thought, there’s no harm in giving it a ‘go’ for a while, a few centuries maybe, just to see. Leaving Chaos without permission (not something Chaos really considered much) he had burnt his boats anyway. Binding himself by oath to Odin didn’t seem so bad, at least at first. But he felt it as soon as he arrived in the fabled (and surprisingly run down) Asgard - the suspicion, the sideways glances, the mistrust. He would, Loki realised, never be ‘one of them’. He would always be an outsider, an ‘other’. But he could live with that. What he couldn’t live with was being blamed for everything that went wrong. OK, he was responsible for *some* of it but that wasn’t really his fault. But it wasn’t long before Loki decided that he had had enough of the ‘gods’ and their petty ways. It was time to teach them a thing or two, to bring them down a peg, to make them, in the end, ask for his help to save them. Then he could look them in the eye, smile sadly, and say: No. He would be there to watch Asgard fall. Luckily, there was a prophesy for that.... OK. Work to do.... 

I’ve been a fan of the Norse myths for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest heroes was Thor (WAY before Hollywood got hold of him) and one of my long-time heroes is Odin (ditto). So naturally, on seeing this in my local franchise shop, I snapped it up. Essentially this is a modern retelling (complete with numerous modern anachronisms in speech/comments which Loki knowingly scatters throughout the narrative – very ‘meta’) of the Norse myths but from the point of view of Loki. He is the narrator throughout and it’s no real surprise that I ‘heard’ the voice of Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in the Marvel series of movies and TV shows) in my head the whole time I was reading this. Likewise, I ‘saw’ the other gods played by their movie counterparts – I really couldn't help it. Rather dark in places – as you might imagine from Norse culture – these are stories full of intrigue, lying, sex (how Sleipnir, Odin’s 6-legged horse, came into existence is HILARIOUS), violence and death (not always permanent). There is a rather convoluted plot – based around the prophesy of Ragnarök - which binds the whole thing together which is interesting to see play out. The ‘feel’ is very cinematic and there’s plenty of laugh-out-loud moments (of course!) including the teenage werewolf Fenris hanging out with his pack looking tough! Needless to say, I thought this was a delight from beginning to end. It’s prompted me to read up more about the actual myths/stories themselves and I have a few (rather old) tomes I can dive into when I can slot them in. So, if you’re a fan of Norse myths, Loki or Tom then this will be the book for you. Definitely recommended – although I do feel it might annoy Norse purists a bit! [..and I’ve just discovered there’s a sequel! Yeah!]  

Just Finished Reading: Eureka! - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Ancient Greeks but Were Afraid to Ask by Peter Jones (FP: 2014) [372pp] 

If you’ve ever wondered about what all the fuss is about regarding the Ancient Greeks and were wondering just exactly how to ‘get into’ the subject in a ‘try before you buy’ kind of way, well, this is definitely the book for you! If you’re either starting from a fairly low knowledge point, refreshing your knowledge base or making sure that you have missed anything major so far in your other reading this excellent volume will take you through the civilisations major moments, major achievements and central characters in easily digestible, bit-sized chunks. 

Starting from the earliest days – 2000-800 BC – until the end of Alexander the Greats empire the author (who taught Classics at Cambridge before retiring in 1997) picks out developments large and small from the beginnings of writing, the production of epic poetry, the development and expansion of Philosophical thought in all directions (essentially THE basis of ALL Western Thought!), political structures – including (naturally) the emergence of the first Democracy and what it represented (and who it didn’t involve!), the rise of the city-state and its export to the coast of Asia, North Africa, Italy, France and Spain, internal Greek conflicts (although people living in what we now call Greece wouldn’t have thought of themselves as ‘Greek’ at that time!), as well as the classic fight between Sparta & Athens in what we now know as the Peloponnesian War, the equally momentous war(s) with Persia which effectively saved Western civilisation from Persian domination, discussion of The Trojan War and, of course, Homer himself, Tales of ‘The Gods’ and how the Greeks saw them in quite different ways to how we see our ‘Gods’ today, views on slavery and the place of women in various city-states (there was no single Greek ‘culture’ as such until much later. Each city-state had its own views on religion, politics and much else besides), and, of course, the Alexandrian impact of the region together with the series of ‘encounters’ with the rising Roman Republic and, later, Empire. It’s a LOT of ground to cover but the author covers it with authority and quite a bit of humour mixed in – including a rye nod at the contemporary surge of ‘reinterpretations’ of Greek stories/myths. 

All in all, this was a fun and interesting read and I was pleased that very little was completely new to me. I’ve been reading (and in various ways studying) the Ancient World for some time now so I think I have a pretty good layman’s appreciation of the subject. But this doesn’t mean that I found this work boring or uninteresting – FAR from it. Not only did the author’s love of the subject shine through again and again he was also sure enough of his subject to see the often-funny side of things as well as to call into question older interpretations of archeological findings and appreciate that more modern views of objects and textual findings might be overturned in the future. We may be looking at long dead civilisations and dead languages but the subject itself is far from a dead one. I shall look forward to other books from this author on Rome and the Ancient World as a whole. Definitely recommended. 

[Side Note: FINALLY, the virtual World Tour is back up and running. One more book on Greece to come and then we move on to India. See you there...!]

Just Finished Reading: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (FP: 2011) [352pp]

He is anything but a hero in the Age of Heroes. Indeed, especially to his father, he is nothing short of an embarrassment. But an opportunity arose to get rid of that particular torn when, completely by accident, the young Patroclus kills a high-ranking guest. Now his father, the King, has two choices. He can kill his son to supplicate the offended family or he can exile his son forever. Being a practical man the King chooses exile. After all paying the child’s weight in gold to King Peleus – well known for taking in waifs and strays – is far cheaper than an elaborate funeral required for the death of a prince. So Patroclus begins his journey into Myth and Legend for King Peleus has a son too, although one who is the very antithesis of Patroclus – Achilles. Already spoken about in whispers despite his youth, Achilles is a golden child whose mother Thetis is a cruel sea goddess. Being half man and half god great things are expected of Achilles and anyone in his orbit is assured a place in perpetuity merely for handing him a cup or for holding his spear. Competition to be his companion is fierce and everyone is surprised when he chooses the newcomer Patroclus. Now tied together by Fate despite everything Thetis can do to keep them apart Achilles is persuaded against his better judgement to accompany the Greeks to the gates of Troy to take part in the greatest battle in history. Achilles is already aware that he will not be returning to Greece but knows he cannot die until the greatest amongst them falls. As Hero after Hero is incapacitated and the war starts to go badly for the Greeks Achilles begins to wonder, if the greatest has yet to fall are the Gods content to let mere mortals battle forever for their entertainment or, as is often the case, is the awful truth being hidden from them. Only time and blood will tell….

It’s interesting how, sometimes, coincidence throws up a set of books on a similar subject. That being the case here, where The Trojan Wars have now popped up in my reading three times in the past three months. Interestingly the two modern fiction adaptations look at the conflict through the very different eyes of Odysseus and, in this case, Patroclus. I haven’t read the original yet (in translation of course!) but I’m even more intrigued to compare these modern versions to the original. I decided fairly early on to classify this book as Fantasy rather than Historical (knowing that the original tale is most probably not completely based on historical fact) because of the presence of Gods and other fantastical creatures. The previous book, Odysseus – The Oath by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, certainly referenced the Gods but, as far as I can remember, none actual appeared. Here in this work the Gods (particularly the mother of Achilles) are meddling all of the time. Also in the Manfredi book even Achilles was more human than divine – if a particularly impressive version of humanity – whereas here Achilles is most definitely part supernatural in his abilities even, on one occasion, engaging a full god in personal combat and not being immediately bested and destroyed. Quite beautifully told from beginning to end this was essentially a love story between Patroclus and Achilles – usually shied away from in more modern adaptations (I’m looking at you Wolfgang Peterson) – against the backdrop of the Trojan War. But saying that there’s plenty of room not only for the battles, siege and internal Greek politics but also for a fascinating look at an ancient world both mysterious and familiar. Definitely worthy of its accolades and awards and definitely recommended if you have any interest in the legends of Achilles and Troy.

Awards

2012 Orange Prize (Winner)

2012 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (Winner)

Just Finished Reading: The Mighty Dead – Why Homer Matters by Adam Nicolson (FP: 2014) [251pp]

This was, as you might expect, an impulse buy. Although I know of (as does just about everyone in the West) the existence of the Illiad and the Odyssey I’ve never read either (although I have of late been dipping into an old – 1950 – translation of the Illiad) and the closest I’ve come to them so far is a few modern interpretations and the epic movie Troy which I honestly enjoyed a great deal. I’d heard that Homer might not be an actual person who wrote these iconic tales of western cannon but that he was, possibly, either a composite of several writers, a generic term for those who told the tales (prior to them finally being written down) or even the name of the first person to translate them from the spoken word to the written text. The author goes over each of these theories and shows on multiple occasions and in multiple ways just how far back in time – literally to the days before History – the tales go, teasing out individual word use, descriptions of weapons and armour and so on to show that the tale existed LONG before the age that finally immortalised it. But that was just the beginning.

I won’t even try to precis this book but will, instead, look at some of the themes the author covered. Naturally both tales are central to the books overall narrative but many questions need to be asked (apart from where they came from and did the Trojan War actually happen for real). When the Illiad is considered the first question that needs to be raised is ‘Which Illiad?’ Not only have there been, over the centuries since it was first written down, many, many translations of varying quality but there are multiple versions of the original text dating back far into antiquity. The Librarian’s at Alexandria tried to produce an ‘authorised’ version but were not wholly successful. Then there’s the question of just how it was possible to remember and ‘sing’ such a long and complex narrative – which naturally leads on to the many quirks and repartitions in the text that allow such a prodigious feat of memory to be achieved.

The thing that jumped out at me most however was not really about the text but about the war itself. Troy was a comparatively minor city – rich as it was – on the edge of an Asian empire. The Greeks, in contrast, were a rabble of squabbling tribes barely out of the Stone Age. Rather than the heroes of the piece, despite thousands of years of propaganda to back their case, they were in fact the bad guys – most literally the barbarians at the gate. That, of course, flips the whole narrative on its head. I wonder if there are books out there telling the siege of Troy as a tragedy from the Trojan point of view?

Coincidentally I have just finished a relatively recent updated narrative about the Trojan War told from the point of view of Patroclus, lover and friend of Achilles. As stated previously I dipped into the 1950 Penguin translation of the Illiad that I’ve had for years/decades and it looks very readable (and is, therefore, probably a rather ‘free’ translation!) so there’s more Homeric texts to come. It almost feels like Fate…. But if you’re a fan of two of the truly great classics of western literature this is definitely the book for you. Starting from an admittedly low base I definitely learnt a lot about the background to the stories and their ongoing importance in the western cannon. Most definitely more to come. Highly recommended.

Awards

Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2014

Just Finished Reading: Odysseus – The Oath by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (FP: 2012) [357pp]

It was, when he thought about it, all his fault. Or maybe it was the gods playing a trick on him to show his friends and the rest of Greece that he wasn’t half as smart as they thought he was. Not that any of that made much difference now. It had all started, as these things often did, with a beautiful girl. Despite being just a girl, and not yet of marriageable age, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She was, without doubt, dangerous. Not only was she almost too painful to look at she knew full well the effect she had on men and would use that to get what she wanted. Odysseus knew full well that meant men would die, both for her and to possess her. Her very existence was a threat to the whole of Greece. If only he could think of a way to stop her attaining of marriageable status leading to an inevitable bloodbath. His idea, so he thought, was both elegant and brilliant. He would get her father to break tradition and allow Helen to choose her own husband and then force everyone, before the choice was made, to make an unbreakable oath to protect her and her husband come what may. As everyone would, naturally, think that they could (or even would) be the lucky one they each and every one pledged their sword to Helen – the most beautiful woman in the world…. And she chose – Menelaus. After the shock the celebration. Odysseus had averted a war and all was well with the world. No doubt the gods themselves laughed at the pride of mankind. When Helen was abducted and taken to Troy Odysseus was beside himself, appalled at the consequences of this thoughtless act. Menelaus wanted her back, of course, and now had an oath he could call on to gather the largest army to world had ever seen to back his claim. Meanwhile his brother Agamemmon saw an even bigger prize than Helen – the destruction and sacking of the richest city in the world. The Trojan War had begun…..  

I think just about everyone knows the basic outline of the Trojan War – even if only from blockbuster films and TV series. In this interesting novel we have what ‘really’ happened from an historical rather than mythical standpoint. Naturally it covers the same ground but although the gods are talked about, invoked and even ‘seen’ in dreams and visions it is the story of men’s ambitions, men’s desire for immortality and ultimately men’s lusts for power, wealth and the possession of a beautiful woman. Of course knowing the broad outlines of the story meant that some of the tension of the tale was missing. We pretty much know who lives, who dies and the wars outcome from the start. What is interesting though are the details and working out how ‘history’ became legend and then became the myth we know. Of course with a story that has lasted this long and which has had such an impact on the western psyche there’s plenty of excitement to go around and the siege of Troy itself is well handled as are the fights between the opposing heroes. All very nicely done and I shall be looking forward to part 2 as Odysseus makes his way home – the long way round. Recommended.   

Translated from the Italian by Christine Feddersen-Manfredi

Just Finished Reading: The Trojan War – A Very Short Introduction by Eric H Cline (FP: 2013)

It’s probably one of the greatest stories ever told – a war to retrieve on of the most beautiful women ever to have lived, fought over 10 years with Heroes on each side, laying siege to the greatest city of the age and ending in its utter destruction. These events resonate down the centuries and make up two of the all-time classic pieces of western literature which have given rise to a host of books, movies, poems and much else besides. But did any of it really happen? Did Hector, Paris, Achilles and the rest really exist? Did Troy fall as related in the story, did it even exist in the first place or was the whole thing an elaborate work of fiction? Did Homer even exist? This small volume aims to answer at least some of those questions. The answers will both intrigue and, undoubtedly frustrate you – I know they did me!

The short answer is yes, Troy existed although it was called by many names by the numerous cultures surrounding it (including Ilium where we get Iliad). The more complete answer is that a city had existed on the agreed site of Troy for a great span of time with city built on top of city as each fell (often due to earthquake as well as war) and was rebuilt. Frustratingly none of them quite match up with the apparent timelines of the books. Likewise some of the heroes seemed to have existed but others (Ajax in particular) seem to have been imported into the story from earlier sagas complete with outdated armour and weapons. Did the war exist and what about the infamous Trojan Horse? There is certainly evidence for some kind of military defeat in the ruins of Troy but nothing definitive – again not in the proposed timescales of the books. Unfortunately there’s no direct evidence for the famous equine and the story itself seems to have been added later by other authors.

The tales themselves betray the fact that they were spoken epics long before they were finally written down – there’s even a theory that the Greek written language itself might have been created (modified from an existing written language) to transfer a spoken story to something a little more solid. Tales grow in the telling and anomalies or embellishments creep in over time. Both the Iliad and Odyssey show this happening as existing tales and myths are incorporated or adapted into a new story which show up as anachronistic elements that were presumably accepted for what they were – plot devices and homages to previous tales of honour, glory and tragedy.

Of course none of the finds are without controversy, argument and counter argument, reputations made and destroyed, lies told and academic flame wars fought as fiercely as the Trojan War itself might have been. It’s all grist to the mill and makes a fascinating tale all the more interesting if that’s possible. Recommended for anyone who wondered what all the fuss was about.      

Just Finished Reading: Classical Mythology – A Very Short Introduction by Helen Morales

I have been interested and often fascinated by Myth for as long as I can remember. I think I grew up hearing about and then reading about Norse and Greek myths before I knew exactly what they were or what they meant. I’m guessing that’s something else I can thank my father for.

This excellent little volume isn’t one of those that retells or catalogues the myths of the ancient world. There are certainly enough of those around and the already crowded market doesn’t need another. What this well written, thoughtful and sometimes surprising book does is look at where myth comes from, what it means to those who create it – and live inside it – and how it shaped both the ancient and the modern world. Starting with the Greek myth of Europa the author shows how the original Greek tale has been modified, reinterpreted and used by political movements (and others) as a metaphorical social glue to advance their idea of Europe – both to its inhabitants and to the rest of the world. Of course myths have always been pliable, able to be moulded to the needs of those who would seek to use them to influence others or simply to make money (from, for example, Hollywood blockbusters). Purists protest at this lack of ‘mythological correctness’ but variations on a theme has always played its part in classical mythology. After all they have come down to us literally by word of mouth and no one version can be viewed as ‘gospel’. Without giving a synopsis of the whole book I’d have to focus on several chapters I found particularly interesting. One was on heroes which are a particular interest of mine at the moment in which the author digs deep into what makes and, of equal importance, what does not make someone a hero. The other was on sex and sexuality in classical myth (quite a lot as anyone who has read Greek mythology will know) and how this has often been covered up – quite literally in the many mythic paintings adorning the walls of galleries around the world – and how the often sanitised versions presented today make much less sense compared to the original unexpurgated versions.

If you already have a passing knowledge of classical myth this is definitely the book for you. It will most certainly help you, as it helped me, to interpret things a little more clearly. If you are new to the world of myth it will definitely whet your appetite for a deeper knowledge of the subject. Recommended.       

Just Finished Reading: Last of the Amazons by Steven Pressfield


Greece - 1250 BC. At the edge of history, Theseus King of Athens leads an expedition into the fabled land of the ‘Free People’. Known to some as the Amazons they are regarded as amongst the most deadly of foes. Initially welcomed as fellow warriors the mood of women changes when their Queen elopes with the Greek King. As anger grows amongst the Amazonian tribes a leader emerges who promises them the end of the Athenian upstart nation and its experimental democratic system. Acquiring allies eager for booty and slaves, a massive army the like of which the known world has never seen before moves against the Greeks destroying everything in its path. Can Theseus and his citizen army stand against such a horde or will Athens fall and with it all hope of free men?

After reading several of the authors books – notably Gates of Fire – I was looking forward to a gripping historical read. I wasn’t exactly disappointed but found this particular book to be my least favourite of his so far. The narrative was interesting enough and the characters varied but I did find this a bit of a slog at times. It might be the fact that it was 500 pages long. Losing 100 pages out of this would not have affected the story but might have tightened things up a bit. The siege of Athens lasted for 7 months but I don’t think it should have felt like that. The fighting was intense but failed to grip me in the way his previous novels did. I couldn’t help thinking that his depiction of the Amazons themselves relied far too much on him channelling ideas of the Native Americans of the Plains. I suppose that this was understandable as the Amazons themselves are, as far as I know, myths rather than a real people so the author would have had very little to go on. Whilst hardly a great page turner this was, on the whole, still entertaining enough without being particularly memorable. I have several more of his books in ‘the Pile’ and this hasn’t put me off reading them. Maybe he was just having a bad few months. I do hope so.

Just Finished Reading: Egyptian Myth – A Very Short Introduction by Geraldine Pinch

I’ve touched on the mythology of the Ancient Egyptians over the years and have always found the subject fascinating. It seems – amongst the myths that have influenced European culture the most – to be the strangest of the bunch by far. Central to this strangeness, for me anyway, is the number of deities who are partially or wholly animal in nature. I suppose that this is understandable given the proximity and importance of wildlife to both the Egyptian economy and environment but it still takes some getting used too. The many, many Gods and Goddesses mentioned throughout the millennia long history of Egypt – a surprising number which are familiar – stem from the names given to them dependent on who was giving the name, where they were located at the time and the particular aspect of the God being addressed. Sometimes it is enough to make your head spin. Being used to Gods with single names – no matter who was addressing them and no matter which of their aspects were being expressed - it is confusing at best for deities to have five, ten, even fifteen names. Sometimes though you simply have to accept the facts and learn them.

An interesting thing I learnt from this book is the common misunderstanding, which I shared, that the Ancient Egyptians where obsessed with death. They were in fact dedicated to life – as they believed that it was only their ritual actions that kept the world in existence. They believed that the natural order of things was Chaos – not Order – and that every day it was the responsibility of the great, the good and the commons to make sure that existence continued. The Gods themselves were an important part of this process and humanity was central to giving the Gods the power to ensure that Chaos did not triumph in the short term.

This was a well written and often fascinating little volume. Easy to read and informative I actually read it in a single day (without a great deal of effort). Obviously such a short volume can only really give you a taste of the subject – especially one so large as this – so don’t expect to become an expert on the subject on the back of it. However, this book does give you a grasp of the basics and does provide a useful bibliography to follow things up. You’ll soon pick up the details of the major players (especially if you’ve ever watched Stargate SG-1) and you’ll be surprised at how familiar some of the stories are. Recommended to anyone with an interest of our ancient past.

Just Finished Reading: Black Ships by Jo Graham

Decades after the destruction of Troy the survivors have started to rebuild as best they can. When raiders arrive from the West the defences are overwhelmed and many are taken as slaves. Within a year one of the slave girls gives birth to a daughter who she calls Gull to remind her of home. Crippled in an accident which results in a permanent limp, Gull is given to the local oracle and soon shows her talent for seeing the future. Years later – as she saw as a child – five black ships appear off the coast and begin to burn the town. Rushing to the centre she confronts the raiders who speak her own language. Now a servant of the Lady of the Dead, Gull takes control of the situation freeing the slaves and joining the raiding party as they escape to the open sea. Guiding them across the Sea using her visionary powers the band of warrior refugees eventually hire themselves out to the super-power in the region – Egypt. After they win a series of successful battles for their new masters a decision must be made – to stay and fade into history or strike out on their own. The outcome is a split judgment with less than half of the ships sailing even further West to the edge of the known world. There they intend to found a new city - one that will be known to all of history as Rome.

This book was a great read. It was all the more surprising as this was the author’s debut novel. As such it was simply outstanding. Told with real passion for the period – part myth and part ancient history – Jo Graham put the reader at the centre of things seen mostly through her delightful main character the seer Gull. At other times and in other places – be it the sumptuous palaces of Ramses II or the fighting decks of ancient warships - it felt as if you were placed just over the shoulder of the character in the spotlight. Gull was in fact far from the only character of note. The rest of the rag-tag band were almost equally fleshed out and fully three dimensional. Unless your heart is made of stone you cannot help to be moved by the plight of a people without home or possession except for their own determination to survive and prosper in a very hostile world. I found myself virtually cheering them on as the defeated their enemies and made new fast friends to help them in their quest for a home city. This book was actually frighteningly good and a cracking page turner. Based on several myths of the era this novel managed to flesh out the legends and make the heroes real. If you want a wonderful and honestly haunting read that will stay with you for weeks after you turn the final page then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.

My Favourite Movies: Troy

This is certainly not a great film even in its own sword and sandal epic genre. Yet despite its many faults I have to admit that there are elements within the movie that I really liked. That being the case it just managed to nudge itself over the line to get my coveted Gold Award.

Now I haven’t read The Iliad – the Greek epic poem on which it was based – but I am aware enough of the story. In a nutshell the action takes place over 3000 years ago when King Agamemnon (played in rather over the top fashion by Brian Cox) is unifying Greece under his rule. His brother – Menelaus King of Sparta (played by Brendan Gleeson) – has just signed a peace treaty with the greatest city in the East, the legendary Troy. Unfortunately his new wife Helen has fallen in love with the Trojan prince Paris (played rather badly by Orlando Bloom) who steals her away to his home city thus sparking the Trojan War. Agamemnon puts together a huge armada of 1000 ships and sets sail to conquer the last remaining threat to his power. Of the 50,000 Greek soldiers he commands are heroes whose names have travelled down the ages – Ajax, Odysseus and the greatest warrior of the age Achilles (played by Brad Pitt).

It is the character of Achilles that sold me on this movie. Pitt, I thought, played him superbly. As I’ve said I haven’t read the original text so can’t comment on the accuracy of the characters portrayal but just loved the way it came across. Achilles was more than aware that he was the greatest warrior who had ever lived, who was undefeated and almost untouched in battle. Yet he was at the same time a deeply tragic figure who passionately hated his fate. He had a disregard for just about everything except that he was determined – driven even – to be remembered down the ages. At one point his mother told him that he had a choice between a long happy life with many children but ultimate obscurity or a short bloody life with eternal fame. Well, we all know which life he chose.

The other thing I liked very much about the film was Achilles’ fight with Hector (played competently by Eric Bana) outside Troy’s city walls which was quite superbly choreographed. I do remember though that at this point in the legend that Paris shot an arrow from the battlements which hit Achilles in his only vulnerable spot (his heel of course). The filmed however added a love story between Achilles and Briseis (played by the delightful Rose Byrne) which meant that the death of Achilles was delayed until after Troy fell care of the infamous Trojan horse.

Of course there was many things wrong with the film but they didn’t really add up to very much in my view. I do know people who took an instant dislike to the film – especially with its truncated timeline but textual accuracy has never really been a Hollywood priority. Whilst being far from a perfect film or even a great one Troy is still entertaining enough but it is the central character of Achilles that pushes this film into my favourite category. OK, only just but it still counts.