With his new book, Dimitris Kyrtatas invites us to rethink love in Greek and Roman antiquity. Commenting on selected and characteristic examples, he argues that declarations of absolute confinement of women and strict surveillance of them are quite misleading. It concerns a special category of daughters and wives of financially strong families with usually strong political participation. But even in classical Athens, daughters and wives of reputable citizens and politicians often found ways to violate and surpass the restrictions imposed on them. However, issues of love life were intertwined with legislative regulations and the institution of slavery, which allowed for sexual exploitation and mass prostitution of enslaved women. The resulting intense competition also led to the widespread use of magical love potions.
The central theme of the book is the systematic and intense presence of women in the harsh conditions of military confrontations. Thus, the loves between conquerors and the conquered are particularly highlighted. Tracing Greek and Roman antiquity from the Homeric era to late antiquity, the author gathers and comments on information regarding the erotic behaviors of military leaders that caused sensation in their time. Citing the relationship between Achilles and Briseis as the central example, he seeks successive examples that shaped consciousness and contributed to the formation of ethical behavioral standards.