Alcestis is it to die. She will pay the ultimate price. Her husband Admetus was to be killed for slighting the goddess Artemis, but Alcestis will give her life instead. So the matter should rest – but the unexpected appearance of the hero Heracles complicates things. Alcestis finds herself defying her natural order of Hades, returned to life but unable to speak and unrecognized by her household. Can she break free or is she doomed to exist only as a shade?

GREAT WOMEN OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY is a series of short books for young and old introducing readers to the ancient world through its heroines. These books aim to bring readers on a journey filled with excitement, drama, death, and love, all while focusing on the women that have played such an important role in our history yet are still remembered as mere bystanders.

While each book can be read separately, and in any order, there is an underlying thread that ultimately connects all these characters and provides a wider view of what it was to be a woman in the ancient Greek world.

The Creators Vittorio Mattioli and Mike French are authors, translators, and editors of texts and books. Cosmopolitans in the truest sense, they founded Read Panda Editing, a company based in Estonia. Vittorio, of Greek-Italian heritage, resides in Athens, while Mike—despite his surname—is British and currently lives in Brussels. They primarily offer their services in English, though communication is also possible in Italian, French, Greek, Icelandic, and Spanish.

Their publishing initiative Great Women of Greek Mythology marks their first editorial venture in Greece. The distinctive covers of the series are the work of the talented illustrator known as Little Miss Grumpy. A native Athenian, she once aspired to become an actress, but ultimately emerged as one of the most promising illustrators of her generation. She draws, sketches, and paints for books and newspapers, and creates objects imbued with character and personality.

Text edited by: Elena Spandonis