resources
The stories in the Songs and Lies series were shaped by years of study in Greek myth, ancient tragedy, religion, and Bronze Age Greek history.
These are some of the ancient texts, historical resources, and books on writing craft that influenced Iphigenia and the House of Atreus.
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Ancient Sources
Agamemnon by Aeschylus
A foundational tragedy of guilt, sacrifice, and inherited violence, Agamemnon captures the moral collapse at the heart of the House of Atreus. Richmond Lattimore’s translation preserves much of the original’s poetic grandeur and ritual weight.
the cypria
Part of the lost Epic Cycle surrounding the Trojan War, The Cypria preserves crucial traditions absent from Homer, including the sacrifice of Iphigenia and the origins of the Trojan expedition. Its surviving fragments offer valuable insight into early Greek mythology and Bronze Age heroic tradition.
Electra by Sophocles
Sophocles’ Electra is a sharp, psychologically intense portrait of grief hardened into obsession. David Grene’s translation emphasizes the play’s emotional clarity and relentless dramatic tension.
Electra by Euripides
Euripides presents a more unsettling and human vision of vengeance, stripping heroic myth of much of its grandeur. Emily Townsend Vermeule's translation dwells in ambiguity, discomfort, and the emotional cost of revenge.
The Iliad by Homer
Emily Wilson’s translation of The Iliad brings fresh immediacy and emotional precision to Homer’s epic of rage, mortality, and war. Her rendering highlights both the brutality of conflict and the humanity buried within it.
Iphigenia In Aulis by Euripides
A haunting exploration of duty, ambition, and sacrifice, Iphigenia in Aulis dramatizes the impossible choices that launch the Trojan War. Euripides allows each character’s motives to remain painfully human and tragically conflicted.
Iphigenia In Tauris
This later Greek tragedy imagines Iphigenia’s life after Aulis, transforming her from sacrificial victim into survivor and priestess. Set within the wider mythology of the House of Atreus, the play explores identity, exile, and the possibility of escape from inherited violence.
The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus
The second play in Aeschylus’ Oresteia trilogy follows Orestes and Electra as they seek vengeance for Agamemnon’s murder. Ritual, grief, and divine justice collide in one of the defining works of ancient Greek tragedy.
Modern Scholarship
A Companion to Women in the Ancient World
This wide-ranging scholarly collection examines the lives of women throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, including Greece, Rome, and the Near East. Covering topics such as religion, politics, labor, sexuality, and family, it offers an essential overview of gender in antiquity. It is edited by Sharon L. James and Sheila Dillon.
The Attack on Troy
Rodney Castleden examines the historical and archaeological foundations behind the Trojan War tradition, blending Bronze Age evidence with Greek myth and legend. The book offers an accessible exploration of Homeric archaeology, Mycenaean Greece, and the possible realities behind the fall of Troy.
Confronting the Classics
Mary Beard challenges modern assumptions about the ancient world through essays on Greek and Roman history, literature, archaeology, and reception. Combining sharp scholarship with accessible prose, the book explores why the classics continue to shape contemporary culture.
Female Acts in Greek Tragedy
Helene P. Foley explores the portrayal of women in ancient Greek tragedy, examining how playwrights used female characters to confront questions of power, justice, family, and civic order. The book is a foundational study of gender and performance in classical literature.
Female Mobility and Gendered Space in Ancient Greek Myth
Ariadne Konstantinou explores how women move through physical, social, and sacred spaces in ancient Greek mythology and literature. Combining gender studies with classical scholarship, the book offers valuable insight into women’s agency, restriction, and visibility in the ancient Greek world.
Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves
Sarah B. Pomeroy’s landmark study examines the lives of women across ancient Greek society, from religion and marriage to labor and sexuality. Widely regarded as a foundational text in women’s history and classical studies, it reshaped modern scholarship on gender in antiquity.
Greece in the Bronze Age
Emily Townsend provides an accessible introduction to Bronze Age Greece, exploring the cultures, politics, warfare, and archaeology of the Minoan and Mycenaean worlds. The book offers useful historical context for readers interested in Greek myth, Homeric tradition, and Aegean civilization.
Greek Religion
Walter Burkert’s influential study remains one of the definitive works on ancient Greek religion, ritual, myth, and sacred practice. Drawing on literary, archaeological, and anthropological evidence, the book explores how religion shaped every aspect of Greek life and culture.
Minoan and Mycenaean Art
Reynold Higgins provides a foundational overview of the art, symbolism, and material culture of Bronze Age Greece. Covering both Minoan Crete and Mycenaean civilization, the book examines frescoes, pottery, sculpture, weapons, and religious imagery central to Aegean archaeology.
Where to Buy (Out of print, but you can find used copies online)
The Oxford Classical Dictionary
A cornerstone reference work for the study of the ancient Mediterranean world, The Oxford Classical Dictionary offers authoritative entries on Greek mythology, classical history, literature, religion, and archaeology. It remains one of the most widely used resources in classical studies.
Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece
Joan Breton Connelly reexamines the religious roles of women in ancient Greece, arguing that priestesses held far greater cultural and spiritual authority than is often assumed. Drawing on archaeology, inscriptions, and Greek literature, the book reshapes modern understanding of women and ritual in the classical world.
When Women Ruled the World
Kara Cooney examines the lives of powerful women rulers in the ancient world, exploring how queens and female leaders navigated patriarchal systems across multiple civilizations. Blending accessible history with gender analysis, the book offers broader context for understanding women, authority, and power in antiquity.
Women in Ancient Greece
Sue Blundell surveys the social, legal, and religious lives of women in ancient Greece, combining literary evidence with archaeology and historical analysis. The book provides an accessible overview of gender, family, and daily life in the classical Greek world.
Women in greek Myth
Mary R. Lefkowitz examines the portrayal of female figures in Greek mythology, exploring how myths reflected ancient Greek attitudes toward gender, power, and social order. The book offers a clear introduction to women’s roles within classical myth and literature.
Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years
Elizabeth Wayland Barber traces the history of textile production and women’s labor across the ancient world, arguing that weaving and cloth-making shaped economies, trade, and daily life. The book remains an influential resource for understanding women’s work in prehistoric and ancient societies.
Writing Craft
Bird by Bird
This book is the reason I finished my first novel. Anne Lamott combines humor, honesty, and practical writing advice in this beloved guide to the creative process. Bird by Bird explores drafting, revision, perfectionism, and the emotional realities of becoming a writer, making it a modern classic among books on writing craft.
On Writing
Part memoir and part writing guide, Stephen King’s On Writing offers practical advice on storytelling, discipline, revision, and the craft of fiction writing. Widely regarded as one of the most influential books on creative writing, it remains a staple resource for novelists and aspiring authors.
Write Iconic Characters
Claire Taylor focuses on the fundamentals of character development, helping writers create memorable protagonists, emotionally resonant arcs, and psychologically compelling relationships. The book offers practical tools for fiction writers seeking stronger characterization and deeper emotional storytelling.