2004
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Volume 59, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0165-8204
  • E-ISSN: 2667-1573

Abstract

Abstract

This article responds, in the form of a diptych, to the portrayal of Penelope as presented in the 2025-26 final examination syllabus for Greek. The first part taps into a tradition that challenges the standard image we have of Penelope. After all, few women in classical literature can lay claim to a more consistent image of marital steadfastness than Penelope, an image cultivated by ancient writers from Homer to late antiquity. Yet although Penelope is famously celebrated for her unwavering fidelity to her husband Odysseus, a considerable number of ancient sources nonetheless suggest otherwise, or at least problematize their mutual bond.

The first part of this article (§1-7) examines this remarkable alternative tradition, in which the supposedly ever-loyal wife looks far more like a Jezebel than a paragon of faithfulness. The second part (§8-9) takes as its point of departure the ‘shadow text’ included in translation in the syllabus. It offers a closer look at Penelope’s own perspective on her situation, as presented by Ovid in the first letter of his , written from Penelope to Odysseus. Here we encounter a Penelope who upholds her reputation for chastity and fidelity, yet positions herself with striking independence from Odysseus. Thus, while both parts inevitably engage with Homer, they also each exhibit a degree of independence that casts Odysseus’ famous spouse in a new light.

© Bé Breij & Floris Overduin
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2026-02-01
2026-02-20
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/content/journals/10.5117/LAM2026.1.003.BREI
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Heroides; Odyssee; Ovidius; Pan; Penelope

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