Mythica

A bold and intellectually-thrilling book, blending history and science, rigorous scholarship and dazzling feats of imagination. – TOM HOLLAND, bestselling historian and co-host of The Rest is History podcastThis book is one of the most thought provoking I have read in a very long time … it absolutely blew me away. It is such a rich, evocative and original work … it’s just breathtaking . . . If you are interested in the ancient world I truly cannot recommend Mythica highly enough. I would go so far as to say you HAVE to read it - this book is quite wonderful. – ELODIE HARPER, bestselling author of The Wolf DenScholarly and witty, curious and lyrical - in Mythica, Emily Hauser offers a dazzling new way of thinking about the ancient world. Blending archaeology, literary criticism and historical detective work, Hauser shows us how to read against the grain of Homer’s epic poems to uncover the female experience of life in the Bronze Age. Mythica is a wonderful, beautifully written and important book. – DAN JONES, bestselling author of Henry VFrom the shadowy recesses of myth and epic poetry, step forth a host of women who once lived: mothers, daughters, wives, weavers, witches, slaves, queens and warriors. These women surface in Homer’s stories, but Dr Hauser puts flesh on their bones, finding a window to the past that allows us to imagine the true depth and breadth of their experiences … a stirring, enlightening and fascinating exploration. – JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of HeraA book the world has been waiting for. Reveals the brilliant foundation for the reality of the myths that make all of us … I loved it. – BETTANY HUGHES, bestselling author of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient WorldVividly brings the women of the Bronze Age to life, with a winning combination of sparkling, energetic writing and meticulous research into the archaeology of the time. – TIM WHITMARSH, Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge and author of Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient WorldA fascinating and empowering exploration of women in mythology. Hauser guides us on an epic journey through the Homeric world, drawing on her expert knowledge to challenge the male-dominated voices of the past and reclaim women’s rightful place in history. – ROSIE HEWLETT, bestselling author of MedeaEmily Hauser spotlights the fundamental contradiction in ancient epic: the stories rely on female protagonists but rarely put them centre stage to tell their stories in their own words. This book offers a brilliant riposte to that millennia-old dilemma … their stories are fascinating, enthralling and insightful – and help to recolour the world of epic for us for good! – MICHAEL SCOTT, Professor of Classics and Ancient History at Warwick University and author of X Marks the SpotA masterpiece. Emily Hauser … awakens in us a sense of wonder as these mythologized women come to life in stories that are woven into the fabric of Homeric poetry … shows us Homer in a new light: in a world inhabited by women uneclipsed by men. – GREGORY NAGY, Professor of Classics at Harvard UniversityA dazzling and compassionate achievement. Emily Hauser’s book … uses archaeology old and new to throw brilliant light on the world of Homer. Impressively researched and beautifully written, this account is dense but never dry, and full of astonishing revelations. Hauser has woven a vibrant tapestry of colour, scent, sound and texture: the best kind of scholarship. It deserves a place on every school and university bookshelf as well as in the home of anyone who loves mythology. – CAROLINE LAWRENCE, author of The Roman Mysteries

Dr Emily Hauser is an award-winning classicist and historian. She is the author of an acclaimed trilogy of novels retelling the stories of women of Greek myth: For the Most Beautiful, For the Winner, and For the Immortal.

She read Classics at Cambridge, where she received a double first with distinction and won the Chancellor’s Medal for Classical Proficiency. She holds a PhD in Classics from Yale and was a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows.

Dr Hauser is now a Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter, where she teaches and researches women’s writing, both ancient and modern. Her recent publications include How Women Became Poets: A Gender History of Greek Literature and Ancient Love Stories, a book for younger readers illustrated by Sander Berg.

Emily Hauser lives in Exeter.