The Transvestite Achilles: Gender and Genre in Statius' Achilleid

Book Details

• Author: P. J. Heslin

• Brand: Cambridge University Press

• Binding: Hardcover

• Number of Pages: 370

• Release Date: 11-08-2005

• Languages: English

• ISBN: 9780521851459

About the Book

Statius' Achilleid is a playful, witty, and open-ended epic that emulates the style of Ovid. The narrative follows Achilles' transformation from a wild boy to a demure girl and finally to a heroic lover. Through this fascinating metamorphosis, the poet explores contrasting codes of behavior—male and female, epic and elegiac—through the lens of the Achilleid.

This first full-length study of the poem delves deeply not only into the story itself but also into the broader interpretive framework surrounding the myth of Achilles on Scyros. Heslin's exploration extends across various disciplines, covering topics such as Ovidian reception, psychoanalytic theory, and gender theory in antiquity. The study also examines the reception of the Achilleid in Baroque opera and the anthropological parallels that have been drawn to explain Achilles' cross-dressing.

This expansive approach makes the book essential reading for students of Statius, Latin literature, and gender studies in antiquity, offering a rich and multifaceted perspective on one of ancient Rome’s most intriguing works.