The Retrospective Muse showcases the celebrated work of Froma I. Zeitlin. Over many decades, Zeitlin's innovative studies have changed the field of classics. Her instantly recognizable work brings together anthropology, gender studies, cultural studies, and an acute literary sensibility to open ancient texts and ideas to new forms of understanding. A selection of her luminous essays on topics still timely today are collected for the first time in a volume that shows the full range and flair of her remarkable intellect. Together, these illuminating analyses show why Zeitlin's work on ancient Greek culture has had an enduring impact on scholars around the world, not just in classics but across multiple fields. From Homer to the Greek novel, from religion to erotics, from myth and ritual to theatrical performance, she expounds on some of the most important works of ancient writing and some of modernity's most significant critical questions. Zeitlin's writing still sheds light on the durable aspects of classics as a discipline, and this book encapsulates her achievement.

Froma I. Zeitlin is Ewing Professor Emeritus of Greek Language and Literature and Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at Princeton University. She is the author of several books including Under the Sign of the Shield and Playing the Other and coeditor of Before Sexuality and Nothing to Do with Dionysos?

Froma I. Zeitlin provides a treasure trove of meticulous close readings and deeply influential insights, creating a resource and inspiration for new generations of readers and scholars. The Retrospective Muse tracks the intellectual history of the past half century as it presents new perspectives using multiple viewpoints, from the philological to the sociopoetic.