We know all about the famous heroes of Greek myth, right? Brave Perseus, the slayer of the frightful snake-haired Gorgon, Medusa. Gallant Theseus, saviour of Athens from the vicious Minotaur. Wily Odysseus, with the brilliant mind that led his army to victory during the Trojan War. But what about the women that got in their way? Was Perseus really such a great hero to murder Medusa in her sleep, then fly away while her sisters grieved so terribly that their sobs moved the gods?
Theseus was happy to be remembered for his valiant effort in the labyrinth, but he never seems to talk about how he abducted a literal child to be his bride when he was a fully grown man. Odysseus might have been quick with a plan, but he was quicker still to drop his pants to anyone that looked in his direction, much to the annoyance of his long-suffering wife, Penelope.
The men of these myths might have stood in the spotlight for almost four-thousand years, but the recent surge of mythical retellings really inspired something in me. I knew I had to tell these stories from the women’s perspective. From the swelling power of Madeline Miller’s Circe to Natalie Haynes’ portrayal of the Gorgon sister’s devotion to each other in Stone Blind, I found myself wondering what else the ladies of lore got up to while the men were throwing their metaphorical and literal swords about.
I wanted to know everything about them, and once I dove into their world, I didn’t really come out again. I learned that the women are just as (if not more) interesting than their male counterparts – they’re wild, passionate, vibrant and by god(s) are they worth getting to know.
“I knew I had to tell these stories from the women’s perspective.”
That’s how my debut, Bad Girls of Ancient Greece, was born. I wanted to create a guide on the girls, and before I knew it I had a collection of 200+! Although I’ve always been a big reader, I’ve never had the ‘right type’ of brain that could absorb classical literature easily, so it was particularly important to me that Bad Girls Of Ancient Greece was written in an accessible way. This collection is for anyone who wants to learn more in a fun and empowering way. The whole thing from conception to today has been such a passion project for me and I’m so thrilled I get to tell these stories to the world.
I love my bad girls dearly (even you, Eris) and I really hope readers will too
– Lizzy T x
About the book
Available now
Bad Girls of Ancient Greece contains profiles of wayward wives, mad mothers, scandalous sisters and damsels, that quite frankly, caused others A LOT of stress in the ancient world.
With the ever-growing popularity of mythological retellings, Lizzy Tiffin has written THE guide to all of the baddies of ancient Greece. This book stands as a reminder that us women really have been bad – in the best way possible – from the start.
Written with humour and sass, Lizzy profiles the women in Greek myth and legend covering: mortals, goddesses, titans, nymphs (you name it, she’s done it). Here you’ll find the weird and wonderful escapades of the women we’re often lead to believe were minor characters.
Bad Girls of Ancient Greece is an accessible, intelligent, hilarious (sometimes spicy) guide to the women we love and know – Athena, Medusa, Aphrodite – and also those we may not, like Polyphonte, who was cursed with burning hot lust for a wild bear … imagine!
So dive into the stories you thought you knew with Bad Girls of Ancient Greece as your illuminating guide…
