The mad, bad and over-sexed gods of Olympus
In Egypt they claimed to have given birth to pharaohs, while in Rome they were said to have led respectable citizens into orgiastic rituals of drink and sex. Now, a new book traces the history of the Greek Olympian gods and their transformations from antiquity to the present day.
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In Egypt they claimed to have given birth to pharaohs, while in Rome they were said to have led respectable citizens into orgiastic rituals of drink and sex. Now, a new book traces the history of the Greek Olympian gods and their transformations from antiquity to the present day.
Written by Barbara Graziosi, The Gods of Olympus: A History reveals how under Christianity and Islam the Gods survived as demons, allegories, and planets, and in the Renaissance emerged as ambassadors of a new, secular belief in humanity.
Graziosi, a professor of classics at Durham University, draws on a range of literary and archaeological sources to open a new window on the ancient world and its lasting influence.
