Today, Simon and Schuster released Colm Toibin's latest novel, House of Names, about Clytemnestra and the murder of Agamemnon.  Anybody who knows me knows I've had this on pre-order since I heard about it months ago.  Because I live on the West Coast, I received my copy at midnight Eastern Daylight Time, and managed to finish it around 3 a.m ( Read more... )

The Agamemneion is a shrine located on the left bank of the Chavos river at Mycenae.  It was first erected in 700 B.C., though it is unclear whether Agamemnon was the original focus of devotion.  The first votives, such as the inscribed pot below, appear much later, after the shrine was refurbished in the fourth century B.C.

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Well, my Kickstarter donation to Greek Myth Comix finally paid dividends, and I received my pack of Trojan War Playing Cards today.

These are slick, professionally packaged cards, glossy and colorful, and as durable as any traditional casino pack you might buy.  Check out the spread:

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The big news this week is that a group of Greek archaeologists and astrometrologists compared meticulous astronomical observations with a careful reading of Homer to calculate Patroclus's death as occurring at noon on June 6, 1218 B.C.  You can read the full paper hereHomer describes a solar eclipse taking place during the battle for Patroclus's ( Read more... )

Homer's Iliad opens not with fighting, but with Chryses, priest of Apollo, entering the Greek camp at Troy to beg Agamemnon for the release of his daughter, Chryseis.  The girl, captured by Achilles in a raid, has since become Agamemnon's concubine.  Chryses offers a generous ransom which Agamemnon refuses out of hand.  Worse, the son of Atreus ( Read more... )

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Going through my bookshelves, I stumbled across this little gem of a book I read several years ago. Fans of Achilles talk about Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles, but this is a work that might appeal to them, too ( Read more... )

While browsing the Internet the other night, I stumbled across a reproduction of the corselet Agamemnon is described as wearing in Book 11 of the Iliad. This was a private commission done by smith Jermey Hildebrandt:


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I spent this week thinking about the sad, ignominious ways some of the Greek heroes met their ends. Why such pathetic deaths for these great men? The more I looked into each individual legend, the more the death appeared to be a comeuppance for some sin the hero committed in life.
Let's take a look at the ends of five great and lesser heroes and ( Read more... )

Some lovely clay/terracotta tubs have come out of Minoan and Mycenaean sites. This pretty example equipped with painted decorations and a handy drain comes to mind:

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