Hercules by Alastair Blanshard
From Ovid and Virgil to the muscle beaches of Malibu, Hercules has made an indelible impression on western culture Hercules is the original hero: half-god, half-man; strong, handsome and virile; triumphant in his twelve labours yet ultimately victim of his tragic destiny. He has been variously portrayed for thousands of years in sculpture, painting, and verse, and more recently depicted on stage and screen. Roman emperors, renaissance princes, and totalitarian dictators have all attempted to appropriate his image. This unconventional biography of Hercules charts his life from his dramatic birth in Thebes to his agonizing death on a flaming pyre. Along the way, it recounts many long-forgotten yet revealing adventures and shows Hercules to be much more than just a muscle-bound hero. His life story, which mixes elements of tragedy and comedy, often makes uncomfortable reading: a rapist, drunkard, and transvestite, Hercules' excesses explore some of the darkest recesses of human nature.
Alastair Blanshard is a Greek cultural historian who has taught classics at the universities of Oxford and Reading. He has recently taken up a position at the University of Sydney. This is his first book.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781862076532 |
| ISBN 10 | 1862076537 |
| Title | Hercules |
| Author | Alastair Blanshard |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Granta Books |
| Year published | 2005-10-03 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |