The Roman Mistress
Ancient and Modern Representations
Published on 1. April 2002
Book
Hardback
462 pages
978-0-19-815075-6 (ISBN)
Description
From Latin love poetry's dominating and enslaving beloveds, to modern popular culture's infamous Cleopatras and Messalinas, representations of the Roman mistress (or the mistress of Romans) have brought into question both ancient and modern genders and political systems. The Roman Mistress explores representations of transgressive women in Latin love poetry and British television drama, in Roman historiography and nineteenth-century Italian anthropology, on classical coinage and college websites, as poetic metaphor and in the Hollywood star system. In a highly accessible style, the book makes an important and original contribution simultaneously to feminist scholarship on antiquity, the classical tradition, and cultural studies.
Reviews / Votes
The Roman Mistress is a useful read for anyone who wishes to understand the feminist perspective on Roman elegy ... Wyke's index and bibliography are exceptionally helpful ... essential reading for those who wish to learn how the Classics have been adapted for twentieth and twenty-first century audiences. New England Classical Journal The book contains many fascinating insights and sheds new light on some old debates. The Journal of Classics Teaching It is extremely convenient to have these papers brought together in one volume ... an extensive bibliography rounds out this rich collection. Journal of Roman Studies The material that Wyke has unearthed ... is an extraordinary mixture of kitsch, glamour and classically inspired wit. Mary Beard, London Review of BooksMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
num. halftones
numerous halftones
ISBN-13
978-0-19-815075-6 (9780198150756)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
1. MISTRESS AND METAPHOR IN AUGUSTAN ELEGY; 2. Written Women: Propertius' scripta puella (2. 10-13); 3. The Elegiac Woman at Rome: Propertius Book 4; 4. Reading Female Flesh: Ovid Amores 3. 1; 5. TAKING THE WOMAN'S PART: GENDER AND SCHOLARSHIP ON LOVE ELEGY; 6. Meretrix regina: Augustan Cleopatras; 7. Oriental Vamp; Cleopatra 1910s; 8. Glamour Girl: Cleopatra 1930s - 1960s; 9. Meretrix Augusta: Messalina 1870s - 1920s; 10. Suburban Feminist: Messalina 1930s - 1970s