All the Violet Tiaras: Queering the Greek Myths (Inklings)

Ancient Greece was rich with stories of queer love and genderfluid identity―but what can these ancient stories tell us about our contemporary world?

Tales as old as antiquity―whether the love affair of Achilles and Patroclus, the genderfluid Tiresias, or the infamous Heracles―are still capturing our imaginations thousands of years later. But was antiquity's relationship with queer folk more complicated than we now imagine? Historian Jean Menzies dives into the world of queer readings and retellings of Greek mythology, inviting readers to discover the power to be found in remaking these narratives, time and again.

From explorations of gender and identity across millennia, to celebrating queer love in its many forms, All the Violet Tiaras carves a space for queer stories to be told with all the complexity and tenderness they deserve―and a goddess or two thrown in for good measure.

Jean Menzies is an ancient historian and author from Scotland. Jean completed her PhD in classics at the University of Roehampton in 2022, with a focus on gender, myth, and rhetoric in Ancient Greece. Meanwhile, her first novel, The Flames of Albiyon, is a sapphic adult fantasy about dragons and found family. She can usually be found online harping on about queer literature and ancient history over on her YouTube channel Jean’s Thoughts.