Athena and Hera

Dec 02, 2012 18:23


Athena and Hera from Peter Connolly's amazing younger reader's book, The Legend of Odysseus.  Athena's breasts aren't visible because she's wearing Homer's "tasseled aegis."  Hera is wearing a polos headdress.



If you can get your hands on a used copy of Connolly's book, it's worth it, as it covers not only The Odyssey, but The Iliad, too.  Some things are left out, for the sake of younger readers, such as the sacrifice of Iphigenia, and Odysseus's various amatory conquests.

Some adult readers who left reviews complained that they could not use the book with students because of the naked breasts.  Seriously?  Younger students I can understand, but older students should be able to comprehend that women dressed differently at the time of the Trojan War, and for religious purposes.  In fact, Connolly explains the distinction he makes between mortal women (breasts covered, as they probably were most of the time) and goddesses (breasts exposed).

Is our culture that put off by a pair of mammary glands that it can't handle a discussion about historical fashion?

My only complaint about the book is that there aren't enough of the late Mr. Connolly's paintings (what, no Helen of Troy?)

rant, mycenaeans, artwork, the iliad, fashion, the odyssey

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