First published 2005
Historian Bettany Hughes strips away myth to find the actual woman who may have inspired the legend of Helen of Troy. Hughes examines Bronze Age Greece through archaeological evidence and historical records to reconstruct what life would have been like for a real Helen. She places this enigmatic figure within the political and social realities of her time, exploring how a flesh-and-blood woman could have become history's most notorious beauty. The author builds a case for Helen as an actual historical person rather than pure legend, drawing on her expertise to recreate the world that shaped her. Hughes offers readers a grounded look at one of antiquity's most famous figures, revealing the human story behind the mythological icon.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, archaeology, ancient-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figure, mythological-figure
Setting: Greece
Period: Bronze Age
496 pages · Paperback · CCV