num_pages: 448
description: Helen of Troy is the most famous of all heroines in poetry and romance.‘The face that launched a thousand ships’, she is preserved forever in myth and legend.But where did those myths originate?And why has she retained such a powerful presence over the centuries?In 'Helen of Troy' Jack Lindsay uncovers the woman behind the legend.He examines how she was portrayed in ancient literature and art, and her mythological origins.It traces the steps by which she changes front the daemonic creature of Homer into the vanity-crazed coquette of Euripides.Out of the narrative comes not only the story of Helen in all her variety, but also a story about the essence of Greek culture.Was Helen a goddess who became a heroine, or was she an historical person who drew multiple meanings from myth into herself as she became the symbol of men’s deepest desire?'Helen of Troy' is a fascinating, in-dept study of one of history's most legendary figures.Jack Lindsay (1900-90) was the son of a well-known Australian artist, Norman Lindsay. He took first class honours in Latin and Greek at Queensland University, and came to England in 1926, where he worked as a translator, editor and novelist. He is the author of ‘The Normans and Their World’, ‘Leisure and pleasure in Roman Egypt’, ‘Last days with Cleopatra’ and ‘The Ancient World’.Endeavour Press is the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.
language: English
title: Helen of Troy: Woman and Goddess
titlecomplete: Helen of Troy: Woman and Goddess
characters: Helen of Troy
genres: Nonfiction
ratings_count: 2
places: Troy
publisher: Constable