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Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, Through the Women Written Out of It
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Did you love Madeline Miller’s Circe? Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls? Jennifer Saint's Elektra? Natalie Haynes� A Thousand Ships?
But did you ever wonder who the real women behind the myths of the Trojan War were?
Now award-winning classicist and historian Emily Hauser takes readers on an epic journey to uncover the astonishing true story of the real women behind ancient Greece’s greatest legends � and the real heroes of those ancient epics, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.
Because, contrary to perceptions built up over three millennia, ancient history is not all about men � and it's not only men's stories that deserve to be told . . .
In Mythica Emily Hauser tells, for the first time, the extraordinary stories of the real women behind some of the western world’s greatest legends. Following in their footsteps, digging into the history behind Homer’s epic poems, piecing together evidence from the original texts, recent astonishing archaeological finds and the latest DNA studies, she reveals who these women � queens, mothers, warriors, slaves � were, how they lived, and how history has (or has not � until now) remembered them.
A riveting new history of the Bronze Age Aegean and a journey through Homer’s epics charted entirely by women � from Helen of Troy, Briseis, Cassandra and Aphrodite to Circe, Athena, Hera, Calypso and Penelope � Mythica is a ground-breaking reassessment of the reality behind the often-mythologized women of Greece’s greatest epics, and of the ancient world itself as we learn ever more about it.
But did you ever wonder who the real women behind the myths of the Trojan War were?
Now award-winning classicist and historian Emily Hauser takes readers on an epic journey to uncover the astonishing true story of the real women behind ancient Greece’s greatest legends � and the real heroes of those ancient epics, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.
Because, contrary to perceptions built up over three millennia, ancient history is not all about men � and it's not only men's stories that deserve to be told . . .
In Mythica Emily Hauser tells, for the first time, the extraordinary stories of the real women behind some of the western world’s greatest legends. Following in their footsteps, digging into the history behind Homer’s epic poems, piecing together evidence from the original texts, recent astonishing archaeological finds and the latest DNA studies, she reveals who these women � queens, mothers, warriors, slaves � were, how they lived, and how history has (or has not � until now) remembered them.
A riveting new history of the Bronze Age Aegean and a journey through Homer’s epics charted entirely by women � from Helen of Troy, Briseis, Cassandra and Aphrodite to Circe, Athena, Hera, Calypso and Penelope � Mythica is a ground-breaking reassessment of the reality behind the often-mythologized women of Greece’s greatest epics, and of the ancient world itself as we learn ever more about it.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 17, 2025
3,615 people want to read
About the author
Emily Hauser
11books218followersEmily Hauser is an award-winning ancient historian and the author of the acclaimed Golden Apple trilogy retelling the stories of the women of Greek myth.She has been featured on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour andThe Guardianalongside Colm Tóibín and Natalie Haynes, and her novelFor the Winnerwas listed among the "28 Best Books for Summer" inThe Telegraph.Her next book, Mythica: A New History of Homer’s World, through the Women Written Out Of It, is coming out internationally in April 2025.
To find out more, visit her website:
To find out more, visit her website:
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 28, 2025
We need to get this out of the way first and foremost: what this book is. And what it is not.
It is NOT a retelling of The Iliad, The Odyssey, or any other Greek myth. It is NOT a work of fiction.
This book is an unflinchingly honest, real look at some historical, scientific, archaeological, and mythological canon information about some of the the key female characters within Homer, such as Helen, Aphrodite, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and Andromache along with others. This is not a "girl boss" examination of their character, making them superheroes or modern culture of 2025 appropriate figures. This book looks at the women in the context of the world and time in which they lived. And it was an ugly, brutal, harsh world indeed for women, and especially non-Greek women during the Trojan Wars.
The Aphrodite and Hera chapter in particular was incredible to me, but honorable mentions to the Thetis, Bryseis, and Circe chapters for being especially impactful to me as a lover of Greek myth, religion, and history. I've been thinking about some of the the DNA evidence factoids within the book for days now, and I suspect that they will continue to haunt me for weeks. The text is beautifully written and when it's fully published should have some detailed maps and art. I can't wait to see those diagrams!
This is a MUST BUY for anyone who wants more historical context around the Iliad and the Odyssey. Even though this book is focused around the women, it grants a lot of insight into the characters of Achilles, Odysseus, Hektor, Paris, and Telemachus to name a few.
I will absolutely be buying this when it releases later this year and telling all my Hellenic polytheist/Greek pagan friends and history lovers to pick this book up!
Thank you so very much to Emily Hauser, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
It is NOT a retelling of The Iliad, The Odyssey, or any other Greek myth. It is NOT a work of fiction.
This book is an unflinchingly honest, real look at some historical, scientific, archaeological, and mythological canon information about some of the the key female characters within Homer, such as Helen, Aphrodite, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and Andromache along with others. This is not a "girl boss" examination of their character, making them superheroes or modern culture of 2025 appropriate figures. This book looks at the women in the context of the world and time in which they lived. And it was an ugly, brutal, harsh world indeed for women, and especially non-Greek women during the Trojan Wars.
The Aphrodite and Hera chapter in particular was incredible to me, but honorable mentions to the Thetis, Bryseis, and Circe chapters for being especially impactful to me as a lover of Greek myth, religion, and history. I've been thinking about some of the the DNA evidence factoids within the book for days now, and I suspect that they will continue to haunt me for weeks. The text is beautifully written and when it's fully published should have some detailed maps and art. I can't wait to see those diagrams!
This is a MUST BUY for anyone who wants more historical context around the Iliad and the Odyssey. Even though this book is focused around the women, it grants a lot of insight into the characters of Achilles, Odysseus, Hektor, Paris, and Telemachus to name a few.
I will absolutely be buying this when it releases later this year and telling all my Hellenic polytheist/Greek pagan friends and history lovers to pick this book up!
Thank you so very much to Emily Hauser, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Want to read
March 20, 2025New book coming for fans of Natalie Haynes & Madeline Miller. 👀
👉 Publishes June 13, 2025 👈
I'm so excited for this book. Can't wait to explore its pages!
👉 Publishes June 13, 2025 👈
I'm so excited for this book. Can't wait to explore its pages!
April 7, 2025
A fascinating and incredibly well researched look into how Bronze Age women lived, loved, and died.
Each chapters contains a singular character from either the Iliad or Odyssey (sometimes from both), and dives into the historical basis of the character. It’s such an interesting way to study the Bronze Age, combining archaeological evidence with translated poetry. I really enjoyed unpicking the reality of women’s lives in this period, both the good and the bad.
I particularly loved reading about each women’s historical context in a very engaging and interesting way. By looking at what we actually know about Bronze Age women, and applying it to the mythical women in Homer, I had a much better understanding of why Homer’s poems would have been so important to ancient audiences. It also interesting to read about how misused these epics are in more modern study for people’s own agendas (as I didn’t study classics at university).
This book is not just challenging the masculine version of Homer, but of the Hellenic-only version too. In these chapters, Hauser looks past prior western readings of Homer to look at true multicultural bonds between ancient societies. Hauser dives into how connected societies were, and how women had similar experiences, no matter their home country.
It’s always so hard to retrace the steps of women past, but it’s incredibly important to do this because it can really change how the historical narrative is influenced and changed by those that dictated it before hand.
Thank you to the publishers for this arc. All thoughts are my own.
Publishes; 17th April
Each chapters contains a singular character from either the Iliad or Odyssey (sometimes from both), and dives into the historical basis of the character. It’s such an interesting way to study the Bronze Age, combining archaeological evidence with translated poetry. I really enjoyed unpicking the reality of women’s lives in this period, both the good and the bad.
I particularly loved reading about each women’s historical context in a very engaging and interesting way. By looking at what we actually know about Bronze Age women, and applying it to the mythical women in Homer, I had a much better understanding of why Homer’s poems would have been so important to ancient audiences. It also interesting to read about how misused these epics are in more modern study for people’s own agendas (as I didn’t study classics at university).
This book is not just challenging the masculine version of Homer, but of the Hellenic-only version too. In these chapters, Hauser looks past prior western readings of Homer to look at true multicultural bonds between ancient societies. Hauser dives into how connected societies were, and how women had similar experiences, no matter their home country.
It’s always so hard to retrace the steps of women past, but it’s incredibly important to do this because it can really change how the historical narrative is influenced and changed by those that dictated it before hand.
Thank you to the publishers for this arc. All thoughts are my own.
Publishes; 17th April
April 6, 2025
A really detailed, informative, and insightful account of the lives of women through Homer's epics.
It is very clearly grounded in archaeological evidence, and I liked how it highlighted lesser-known or overlooked women who have contributed to research in this area, too. Textual evidence from The Iliad and The Odyssey are frequently drawn upon, and whilst some context is provided, I think knowledge of these poems is helpful to not only recognise the women being analysed and how they might reflect the lives of women more broadly, but also understand the wider significance of their placement in a male narrative.
Sometimes in the book's archaeological rigor, it felt like it took a while to get back to the main discussion about how it relates to women in Homer's epics, but the author is very intentional with the structure of the book, and it works well.
I'd recommend particularly to anyone with a background in Classical Studies looking for a more in-depth look at women not only in Homeric texts but the Late Bronze Age in general. I wouldn't say this is necessarily introductory, though - as mentioned, I think knowledge of the two texts and the women within them is helpful to appreciate this book.
It is very clearly grounded in archaeological evidence, and I liked how it highlighted lesser-known or overlooked women who have contributed to research in this area, too. Textual evidence from The Iliad and The Odyssey are frequently drawn upon, and whilst some context is provided, I think knowledge of these poems is helpful to not only recognise the women being analysed and how they might reflect the lives of women more broadly, but also understand the wider significance of their placement in a male narrative.
Sometimes in the book's archaeological rigor, it felt like it took a while to get back to the main discussion about how it relates to women in Homer's epics, but the author is very intentional with the structure of the book, and it works well.
I'd recommend particularly to anyone with a background in Classical Studies looking for a more in-depth look at women not only in Homeric texts but the Late Bronze Age in general. I wouldn't say this is necessarily introductory, though - as mentioned, I think knowledge of the two texts and the women within them is helpful to appreciate this book.
Currently reading
March 20, 2025Pre-Read
Publication date: 17/04/2025
Emily Hauser is an award-winning classicist, set to release her newest non-fiction book, Mythica, on 17th April. In it, she reinterprets Homer's women through a feminist viewpoint (or perhaps, more accurately, a non-misogynistic perspective), while also crediting female trailblazers who have made unparalleled contributions to rreclaimingthe voice and importance of many female leaders and figures, long obscured by misogynistic writing. In the author's notes, Hauser mentions using quotations from Emily Wilson's translation (if you're not aware, Wilson translated the Iliad and the Odyssey from the source material, shedding new light and interpretations on long-dated and gender-biased translations), alongside her own translations (she mentions studying ancient Greek for over twenty years). There are chapters on Hecuba, Calypso, Penthesilea (!), Circe, and many other misrepresented female Greek figures.
Publication date: 17/04/2025
Emily Hauser is an award-winning classicist, set to release her newest non-fiction book, Mythica, on 17th April. In it, she reinterprets Homer's women through a feminist viewpoint (or perhaps, more accurately, a non-misogynistic perspective), while also crediting female trailblazers who have made unparalleled contributions to rreclaimingthe voice and importance of many female leaders and figures, long obscured by misogynistic writing. In the author's notes, Hauser mentions using quotations from Emily Wilson's translation (if you're not aware, Wilson translated the Iliad and the Odyssey from the source material, shedding new light and interpretations on long-dated and gender-biased translations), alongside her own translations (she mentions studying ancient Greek for over twenty years). There are chapters on Hecuba, Calypso, Penthesilea (!), Circe, and many other misrepresented female Greek figures.
March 20, 2025
Wow wow wow! This book was everything I anticipated and more!
Emily Hauser’s ‘Mythica� is a breathtaking journey into the world of Homer, but from a perspective too often ignored - through the eyes of the women. As an archaeologist and classicist, I was immediately drawn to how Hauser weaves together myth and material culture, bringing fresh perspective to figures like Helen, Briseis, Cassandra and so on.
Hauser does more than retell familiar myths, she reclaims them! She places these women back in their historical and archaeological contexts, using recent discoveries and research to shed light on their realities beyond the work of Homer.
This book integrates evidence from excavations, inscriptions, and even DNA studies to challenge long standing assumptions about the role women played in this world. It’s a reminder that history isn’t just what survives in literature, it is also what we unearth, reinterpret, and rediscover.
This book is one I will forever keep picking up and dipping into.
Emily Hauser’s ‘Mythica� is a breathtaking journey into the world of Homer, but from a perspective too often ignored - through the eyes of the women. As an archaeologist and classicist, I was immediately drawn to how Hauser weaves together myth and material culture, bringing fresh perspective to figures like Helen, Briseis, Cassandra and so on.
Hauser does more than retell familiar myths, she reclaims them! She places these women back in their historical and archaeological contexts, using recent discoveries and research to shed light on their realities beyond the work of Homer.
This book integrates evidence from excavations, inscriptions, and even DNA studies to challenge long standing assumptions about the role women played in this world. It’s a reminder that history isn’t just what survives in literature, it is also what we unearth, reinterpret, and rediscover.
This book is one I will forever keep picking up and dipping into.
April 6, 2025
"So, Muse: tell me about a woman."
With this inversion of Homer's famous invocation, Emily Hauser sets the tone for "Penelope's Bones," a work that dares to center women not as literary devices or symbolic placeholders but as historical agents whose lives shaped and were shaped by the world behind Homer's epics. Hauser's aim is not to embellish or fictionalize; instead, she anchors her inquiry in hard evidence, pulling from archaeology, ancient DNA analysis, and literary criticism to recover the lived realities of women in the Late Bronze Age. This is not mythologizing; this is historical reconstitution.
For readers who assume this is another fictional reimagining of the Homeric world, it is not. Penelope's Bones is nonfiction, through and through. Its narrative is guided not by invention but by inquiry, and its revelations come from imaginative flourish and painstaking research. It is quite deliberately a reckoning with Homer, history, and the stories we have too long told at women's expense.
Hauser argues that women are indispensable, not peripheral, to the Iliad and Odyssey. Helen, Briseis, Hecuba, and Penelope are not background figures. They are narrative catalysts, cultural symbols, and historical enigmas worth serious scholarly attention. The book turns traditional Homeric interpretation on its head: instead of using the epics to illuminate the past, Hauser uses what we know of the past, from skeletal remains to palace tablets, to interrogate Homer. She challenges the long-standing literary and historical practice of relegating women to the margins of myth and memory.
The scope of the book is impressively wide-ranging. Hauser moves fluidly between discussions of Bronze Age political structures and the mechanics of international trade, from the intricacies of Linear B tablets to the spiritual roles of goddesses like Thetis and Athena. She draws from Mycenaean grave goods, Hittite diplomatic letters, shipwrecks, and isotopic bone data to reconstruct ancient women's material and social lives. Themes of war, slavery, kinship, inheritance, and cultural exchange are threaded through each chapter, with mythic figures serving as gateways into broader historical realities. Framed around individual women from Homer's epics, the book's organization grounds this interdisciplinary sweep in human stories, giving the reader a point of emotional and intellectual entry into each new domain of inquiry.
One of the book's most sobering and original contributions lies in its discussion of malnutrition among women in the Bronze Age Aegean, a subject Hauser handles with rigor and empathy. She presents a picture of widespread, systemic nutritional inequality by drawing on skeletal analysis, isotopic data, and administrative records from Linear B tablets. Women, particularly those enslaved or of lower status, were consistently underfed relative to men. This disparity left visible traces on their bones and teeth, from enamel hypoplasia to pelvic deformation. The consequences were harrowing: a narrowed pelvic structure, the result of childhood malnourishment, drastically increased the risk of death in childbirth. This biological fragility, coupled with social expectations of repeated pregnancies, created a deadly feedback loop. Hauser presents this as a parallel to the glorified deaths of men in battle, except here, the battlefield is the domestic sphere, and the death toll is quiet, private, and largely erased. It's one of the book's most potent arguments: that silence, too, is a form of historical violence.
Throughout, Hauser resists the temptation to romanticize the past. Her feminist lens is clear, but so is her historical discipline. She acknowledges where the evidence is fragmentary, where interpretations must remain speculative. Still, the interdisciplinary breadth of her research—combining archaeological data, literary analysis, and cutting-edge genetics, grounds her narrative in substance rather than sentiment. The result is a book that asks urgent questions about how we read ancient texts and the priorities and prejudices of the cultures that have shaped their interpretation.
At a time when the politics of storytelling are under intense scrutiny, "Penelope's Bones" offers both a challenge to inherited narratives and a blueprint for reimagining them. Hauser doesn't simply retell old tales; she interrogates the conditions that shaped them and the ideologies that preserved them. “Penelope's Bones� doesn't just reframe the Homeric world; it reclaims it.
This review is of an advance reader copy provided by NetGalley and University of Chicago Press.
With this inversion of Homer's famous invocation, Emily Hauser sets the tone for "Penelope's Bones," a work that dares to center women not as literary devices or symbolic placeholders but as historical agents whose lives shaped and were shaped by the world behind Homer's epics. Hauser's aim is not to embellish or fictionalize; instead, she anchors her inquiry in hard evidence, pulling from archaeology, ancient DNA analysis, and literary criticism to recover the lived realities of women in the Late Bronze Age. This is not mythologizing; this is historical reconstitution.
For readers who assume this is another fictional reimagining of the Homeric world, it is not. Penelope's Bones is nonfiction, through and through. Its narrative is guided not by invention but by inquiry, and its revelations come from imaginative flourish and painstaking research. It is quite deliberately a reckoning with Homer, history, and the stories we have too long told at women's expense.
Hauser argues that women are indispensable, not peripheral, to the Iliad and Odyssey. Helen, Briseis, Hecuba, and Penelope are not background figures. They are narrative catalysts, cultural symbols, and historical enigmas worth serious scholarly attention. The book turns traditional Homeric interpretation on its head: instead of using the epics to illuminate the past, Hauser uses what we know of the past, from skeletal remains to palace tablets, to interrogate Homer. She challenges the long-standing literary and historical practice of relegating women to the margins of myth and memory.
The scope of the book is impressively wide-ranging. Hauser moves fluidly between discussions of Bronze Age political structures and the mechanics of international trade, from the intricacies of Linear B tablets to the spiritual roles of goddesses like Thetis and Athena. She draws from Mycenaean grave goods, Hittite diplomatic letters, shipwrecks, and isotopic bone data to reconstruct ancient women's material and social lives. Themes of war, slavery, kinship, inheritance, and cultural exchange are threaded through each chapter, with mythic figures serving as gateways into broader historical realities. Framed around individual women from Homer's epics, the book's organization grounds this interdisciplinary sweep in human stories, giving the reader a point of emotional and intellectual entry into each new domain of inquiry.
One of the book's most sobering and original contributions lies in its discussion of malnutrition among women in the Bronze Age Aegean, a subject Hauser handles with rigor and empathy. She presents a picture of widespread, systemic nutritional inequality by drawing on skeletal analysis, isotopic data, and administrative records from Linear B tablets. Women, particularly those enslaved or of lower status, were consistently underfed relative to men. This disparity left visible traces on their bones and teeth, from enamel hypoplasia to pelvic deformation. The consequences were harrowing: a narrowed pelvic structure, the result of childhood malnourishment, drastically increased the risk of death in childbirth. This biological fragility, coupled with social expectations of repeated pregnancies, created a deadly feedback loop. Hauser presents this as a parallel to the glorified deaths of men in battle, except here, the battlefield is the domestic sphere, and the death toll is quiet, private, and largely erased. It's one of the book's most potent arguments: that silence, too, is a form of historical violence.
Throughout, Hauser resists the temptation to romanticize the past. Her feminist lens is clear, but so is her historical discipline. She acknowledges where the evidence is fragmentary, where interpretations must remain speculative. Still, the interdisciplinary breadth of her research—combining archaeological data, literary analysis, and cutting-edge genetics, grounds her narrative in substance rather than sentiment. The result is a book that asks urgent questions about how we read ancient texts and the priorities and prejudices of the cultures that have shaped their interpretation.
At a time when the politics of storytelling are under intense scrutiny, "Penelope's Bones" offers both a challenge to inherited narratives and a blueprint for reimagining them. Hauser doesn't simply retell old tales; she interrogates the conditions that shaped them and the ideologies that preserved them. “Penelope's Bones� doesn't just reframe the Homeric world; it reclaims it.
This review is of an advance reader copy provided by NetGalley and University of Chicago Press.
February 19, 2025
2.5⭐️
pros �
- very interesting, did feel like i was learning things
- horrible (but interesting) to find out that incels weaponise the odyssey & ancient greece in general to promote a misogynistic agenda
- AI being good for reimagining how Helen of Troy (& other ancient people) might have looked based on actual bits of skull, interesting
- christopher marlowe originated the “face that launched a 1000 ships� line in Dr Faustus? that was news to me
- child rearing and infant mortality was devastatingly sad
- geographical confusion between modern Ithaki and Homer’s Ithaca were interesting because we’d always been told Ithaca was rocky and mountainous but it’s actually Ithaki that is, Ithaca “lies low�
cons �
- ancient tin/bronze section deeply boring. there were a handful of sections like this that dragged a lot
- “more than a hundred suitors� please, for the LOVE of god, SAY 108. THERE WERE 108.
- i was relieved to be done with it - not because parts of it weren’t interesting - but because it felt like work. i wasn’t sitting down to relax, this was hard work for my brain at points
- a lot more geography / science than i had bargained for
- ugly cover
- really stagnated my reading progress for this year. eight days on one book? let’s keep this moving please
- i do think that putting “did you love Madeline Miller’s ‘Circe�? Pat Barker’s ‘Silence of the Girls�? Jennifer Saint’s ‘Elektra�? Natalie Haynes� ‘A Thousand Ships�?� on the back of the book is a really silly thing to do. Mythica is NOTHING like those four examples - ALL of which are fiction. This is non-fiction! The only thing they all have in common is centring greek women’s stories, but that is where the similarities end. If she’d put on the back - “did you love Natalie Haynes� ‘Divine Might� or ‘Pandora’s Jar�?� then YEAH, that would have been a bit more relevant!
pros �
- very interesting, did feel like i was learning things
- horrible (but interesting) to find out that incels weaponise the odyssey & ancient greece in general to promote a misogynistic agenda
- AI being good for reimagining how Helen of Troy (& other ancient people) might have looked based on actual bits of skull, interesting
- christopher marlowe originated the “face that launched a 1000 ships� line in Dr Faustus? that was news to me
- child rearing and infant mortality was devastatingly sad
- geographical confusion between modern Ithaki and Homer’s Ithaca were interesting because we’d always been told Ithaca was rocky and mountainous but it’s actually Ithaki that is, Ithaca “lies low�
cons �
- ancient tin/bronze section deeply boring. there were a handful of sections like this that dragged a lot
- “more than a hundred suitors� please, for the LOVE of god, SAY 108. THERE WERE 108.
- i was relieved to be done with it - not because parts of it weren’t interesting - but because it felt like work. i wasn’t sitting down to relax, this was hard work for my brain at points
- a lot more geography / science than i had bargained for
- ugly cover
- really stagnated my reading progress for this year. eight days on one book? let’s keep this moving please
- i do think that putting “did you love Madeline Miller’s ‘Circe�? Pat Barker’s ‘Silence of the Girls�? Jennifer Saint’s ‘Elektra�? Natalie Haynes� ‘A Thousand Ships�?� on the back of the book is a really silly thing to do. Mythica is NOTHING like those four examples - ALL of which are fiction. This is non-fiction! The only thing they all have in common is centring greek women’s stories, but that is where the similarities end. If she’d put on the back - “did you love Natalie Haynes� ‘Divine Might� or ‘Pandora’s Jar�?� then YEAH, that would have been a bit more relevant!
March 17, 2025
I don't read much non-fiction due to my short attention span, however I find the bronze age to be absolutely fascinating, so this book hit the spot.
Not only does this title present the bronze age Aegean world in a digestible and understandable manner, but it also presents this period of history through the eyes of women which is a perspective not often written about or talked about. The world presented in this title is not the grandiose bronze age world that Homer sings of, but rather an intimately connected lived in world not too dissimilar to our own modern world.
This title does not hold its punches when it discusses the often incredibly difficult lives of women at the time, and I think it is all the better for it. It is an important part of the stories and evidence presented.
Overall, if you have any interest in ancient Greece, or find yourself asking questions about the real world of Homer, and especially the female characters of his stories, this is the book for you. The main focus of this title is on bronze age women but there are some more general history and archaeological things dotted throughout that I found also particularly interesting. Together, these elements work to create a non-fiction piece that tells the history of the interconnected and incredibly complicated bronze age world through the eyes of its Women who have often been ignored in both our history, and our stories of that history. Give it a read.
Not only does this title present the bronze age Aegean world in a digestible and understandable manner, but it also presents this period of history through the eyes of women which is a perspective not often written about or talked about. The world presented in this title is not the grandiose bronze age world that Homer sings of, but rather an intimately connected lived in world not too dissimilar to our own modern world.
This title does not hold its punches when it discusses the often incredibly difficult lives of women at the time, and I think it is all the better for it. It is an important part of the stories and evidence presented.
Overall, if you have any interest in ancient Greece, or find yourself asking questions about the real world of Homer, and especially the female characters of his stories, this is the book for you. The main focus of this title is on bronze age women but there are some more general history and archaeological things dotted throughout that I found also particularly interesting. Together, these elements work to create a non-fiction piece that tells the history of the interconnected and incredibly complicated bronze age world through the eyes of its Women who have often been ignored in both our history, and our stories of that history. Give it a read.
February 15, 2025
A non-fiction look at the female characters in Homer's works and the world in which they inhabit.
This was an enthralling, engaging look at the Late Bronze Age world, through the lens of women and the many different facets in which they offered the world. We cover archaeological evidence from a shipwreck to a baby's grave, to a waste pit of pig bones, and so much more.
By the time I had finished the first section on Helen (the face) I was already considering it a five star read, and it never let me down. Even chapters which might, at first glance be redundant - there is a chapter on Andromache (the wife) and much later, on Nausicaa (the bride) - are anything but, showing us the many different stages of life a woman could experience.
I loved the sheer range of knowledge on offer here, little nuggets offered up, especially the asides about where certain words and meanings come from. We range from where English gets the word 'mentor' to why copper has the chemical name on the periodic table of 'cu' and everything in-between.
A tour de force of truly epic proportions and well researched, witty writing.
Each section could have been a book in of itself.
I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this book.
~thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review of this book~
This was an enthralling, engaging look at the Late Bronze Age world, through the lens of women and the many different facets in which they offered the world. We cover archaeological evidence from a shipwreck to a baby's grave, to a waste pit of pig bones, and so much more.
By the time I had finished the first section on Helen (the face) I was already considering it a five star read, and it never let me down. Even chapters which might, at first glance be redundant - there is a chapter on Andromache (the wife) and much later, on Nausicaa (the bride) - are anything but, showing us the many different stages of life a woman could experience.
I loved the sheer range of knowledge on offer here, little nuggets offered up, especially the asides about where certain words and meanings come from. We range from where English gets the word 'mentor' to why copper has the chemical name on the periodic table of 'cu' and everything in-between.
A tour de force of truly epic proportions and well researched, witty writing.
Each section could have been a book in of itself.
I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this book.
~thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review of this book~
February 19, 2025
Easily one of my top five non-fiction books on the Aegean myths, the women in Homer's work and the ancient world of Greece.
I admit I enjoyed this more than the many fictional books about the women in mythology, which have become a subgenre in their own right, because of its balanced, no-nonsense, engaging and thrilling prose.
In Mythica, Emily Hauser, who has every right to speak about the above topics as a competent expert. She knows how to tell a great story using her expertise.
For readers who like detailed explorations, scientific research crosses storytelling,
It is everything what some lacklustre, sensation-oriented, weak fictional books are not. (This comes from my disappointment in many of the women-led mythology inspired fictional books starting off well and then turning into illogical messes - yet, there are many great examples which were excellent reads. More disappointment than awe and praise in my experience, though).
In other words, it is so good, accessibly intellectual, entertaining and analytical that it is much better than some ambitious literature on these topics, and it is nf!
Thank you to #netgalley, and the publisher for the ARC, and I will surely be on the lookout for Dr Hauser's future work. Much admired.
I admit I enjoyed this more than the many fictional books about the women in mythology, which have become a subgenre in their own right, because of its balanced, no-nonsense, engaging and thrilling prose.
In Mythica, Emily Hauser, who has every right to speak about the above topics as a competent expert. She knows how to tell a great story using her expertise.
For readers who like detailed explorations, scientific research crosses storytelling,
It is everything what some lacklustre, sensation-oriented, weak fictional books are not. (This comes from my disappointment in many of the women-led mythology inspired fictional books starting off well and then turning into illogical messes - yet, there are many great examples which were excellent reads. More disappointment than awe and praise in my experience, though).
In other words, it is so good, accessibly intellectual, entertaining and analytical that it is much better than some ambitious literature on these topics, and it is nf!
Thank you to #netgalley, and the publisher for the ARC, and I will surely be on the lookout for Dr Hauser's future work. Much admired.
March 25, 2025
(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
Writing as someone who thoroughly enjoyed Madeline Miller’s Circe and Natalie Haynes� A Thousand Ships, but has since slogged through at least half a dozen works in a similar vein since then, Penelope’s Bones felt like a breath of fresh air. Through in-depth and well-research contextualization of various aspects of life in Bronze Age Greece framed through a selection of several female characters from The Iliad and �he Odyssey, Emily Hauser has frankly made these women come more alive to me than many, if not most of the mythological retellings I’ve read. The range of topics covered here in detail made for not just a wonderfully informative experience, but at times a genuinely eye-opening one as well.
Seriously, this book feels like an absolute must-read for those who have been hungering heavily for a hearty serving of history to go along with their contemporary rewrites of great Greek myths and epics.
Writing as someone who thoroughly enjoyed Madeline Miller’s Circe and Natalie Haynes� A Thousand Ships, but has since slogged through at least half a dozen works in a similar vein since then, Penelope’s Bones felt like a breath of fresh air. Through in-depth and well-research contextualization of various aspects of life in Bronze Age Greece framed through a selection of several female characters from The Iliad and �he Odyssey, Emily Hauser has frankly made these women come more alive to me than many, if not most of the mythological retellings I’ve read. The range of topics covered here in detail made for not just a wonderfully informative experience, but at times a genuinely eye-opening one as well.
Seriously, this book feels like an absolute must-read for those who have been hungering heavily for a hearty serving of history to go along with their contemporary rewrites of great Greek myths and epics.
February 23, 2025
Let's start with a bit of clarification: if you prefer your Greek mythology to remain fictional, this is not the book for you. This is a non-fiction look at the women depicted through Homer's works that breaks apart what we're used to reading about Helen, Circe, Athena, Calypso, and more. The research and care that was put into this book is highly apparent, and the sections are each compelling.
There are maps and other images added throughout that work nicely to add another layer to the book. That is one feature that I do think I'd enjoy more with a physical copy than via e-book, so if you're the same way, that is something to keep in mind.
All in all, this is a great book for anyone who is interested in a historical deep dive. It's written in a way that is refreshing and intriguing, and keeps clear focus on the subject matter.
((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, University of Chicago Press, & Emily Hauser for this complimentary copy.))
There are maps and other images added throughout that work nicely to add another layer to the book. That is one feature that I do think I'd enjoy more with a physical copy than via e-book, so if you're the same way, that is something to keep in mind.
All in all, this is a great book for anyone who is interested in a historical deep dive. It's written in a way that is refreshing and intriguing, and keeps clear focus on the subject matter.
((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, University of Chicago Press, & Emily Hauser for this complimentary copy.))
April 7, 2025
Mythica is a fascinating and impressive work, offering a detailed study of the women in Homer’s epic poetry. The author brings fresh and modern insights by drawing upon a wide range of studies, including archaeology, microbiology, genetics, linguistics and geology. Many aspects of women’s life in the ancient world are considered, taking each female character or group of characters as a starting point. It also considers the wider picture of the Bronze Age and the world beyond the Mediterranean, highlighting how interconnected the various civilisations were.
It’s lengthy but very readable and anyone wanting to refresh their knowledge of the Classical world, or seeking to gain an understanding of Homer beyond the traditional male-centred viewpoint, will find it worthwhile.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
It’s lengthy but very readable and anyone wanting to refresh their knowledge of the Classical world, or seeking to gain an understanding of Homer beyond the traditional male-centred viewpoint, will find it worthwhile.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2025
As a huge fan of Greek mythology, ancient history, and archaeology, this book was the perfect read. I loved that each chapter alternated between observing a different woman in Homer, and a topic related to that figure. The sheer range of topics - geography, textiles, architecture, weaponry, and more - was so fascinating. I had no idea that the Ithaca we know is practically the geographic opposite of Homer's Ithaca, or that the enamel on teeth could be used to figure out ancient diets. This book was so rich with information and I devoured all of it! I'm really looking forward to reading more of Emily Hauser's work in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and University of Chicago press for the eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and University of Chicago press for the eARC!
March 17, 2025
"The gleaming epic of heroes like Achilles is, when you flip the coin to its grittier side, powered by the oppression of women"
I was given an advance copy in exchange for a review.
I've had the privilege of hearing Dr Hauser teach, and this book perfectly encapsulated her ability to bring ancient myths to life. While I'm not usually much of a non-fiction reader, Mythica touches on questions that are sure to appeal to any fan of the ancient world, and draws storytelling, history, and archaeology into one narrative.
The key thing that struck me was how much this book expands upon ancient societies. Rather than just focusing on the Greeks themselves (an approach which has long-since been used to whitewash this period), this draws in a range of civilizations, showcasing the interconnectivity and cultural trade found in antiquity. One thing I would note is that it is not quite introductory material, and would probably appeal more to those with some experience with Classics!
Bringing in her perspective as an academic, Dr Hauser offers a fresh outlook on seemingly innocuous moments from Homeric epic. For anyone with a passion for the classical civilizations, Mythica is an eye-opening exploration into a world of gods, heroes, and forgotten women.
Books with similar vibes - Divine Might by Natalie Haynes, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes.
I was given an advance copy in exchange for a review.
I've had the privilege of hearing Dr Hauser teach, and this book perfectly encapsulated her ability to bring ancient myths to life. While I'm not usually much of a non-fiction reader, Mythica touches on questions that are sure to appeal to any fan of the ancient world, and draws storytelling, history, and archaeology into one narrative.
The key thing that struck me was how much this book expands upon ancient societies. Rather than just focusing on the Greeks themselves (an approach which has long-since been used to whitewash this period), this draws in a range of civilizations, showcasing the interconnectivity and cultural trade found in antiquity. One thing I would note is that it is not quite introductory material, and would probably appeal more to those with some experience with Classics!
Bringing in her perspective as an academic, Dr Hauser offers a fresh outlook on seemingly innocuous moments from Homeric epic. For anyone with a passion for the classical civilizations, Mythica is an eye-opening exploration into a world of gods, heroes, and forgotten women.
Books with similar vibes - Divine Might by Natalie Haynes, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes.
Want to read
April 2, 2025Oh I'm excited for this
April 12, 2025
I really, really enjoyed this. @emilyhauserauthor not only looks at the Homeric basis of this but draws in the actual historical facts that we have discovered through archaeology over the years and the new things being revealed through new scientific processes and research. Hauser explores the roots, the kernels of truth in each of the legendary myths and unveils real recorded and fascinating women of the ancient world across the Mediterranean and the modern middle east from Hittite queens, great royal wives of Egypt, and the remains of royalty and aristocracy uncovered at sites like Mycenae, and Hisarlik - the most likely site of ancient Troy.
I'm not normally a non-fiction reader but I devoured this and my bestie was getting weary of my frequent exclamations and info dumping about fascinating things I was learning.
Mythica is a fantastic ride, it doesn't just talk about the myths and recast them from imagination - Hauser has already done that as have many other excellent authors - but reaches into historical fact to look at how these stories not only generated but have stuck with us for so many millennia.
If you're a Greek Mythology and ancient Greece history nerd, I can wholly recommend this book. It's utterly fascinating, brilliantly and engagingly written.
Massive thanks to @penguinukbooks for the approval on@netgalley!
I'm not normally a non-fiction reader but I devoured this and my bestie was getting weary of my frequent exclamations and info dumping about fascinating things I was learning.
Mythica is a fantastic ride, it doesn't just talk about the myths and recast them from imagination - Hauser has already done that as have many other excellent authors - but reaches into historical fact to look at how these stories not only generated but have stuck with us for so many millennia.
If you're a Greek Mythology and ancient Greece history nerd, I can wholly recommend this book. It's utterly fascinating, brilliantly and engagingly written.
Massive thanks to @penguinukbooks for the approval on@netgalley!
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