Our guest will be Max Dashu, founder of the "Suppressed Histories Archives" whose latest book  "Women in Greek Mythography: Pythias, Melissae and Titanides" (publisher: veleda.net) explores the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses for clues as to their "instructions" about the place of women in Classical Greek society.

Max Dashu's investigagations of Greek Mythography led her to conclude that the rape and subjugation of women--both goddesses and mortals-- is omnipresent in Greek mythology and lays the foundation for the suppression and oppression of women in Western civilization. Also appearing in her book are female figures who resist rape, abduction and forced marriage--but often are forced to succumb -- and for the most part do not defend other females, but often uphold the patriarchy.

Her research draws on the writings that have survived, on paintings on pottery and vases (the popular "media" of the time on which myths were illustrated) as well as the the myths themselves, Dashu's careful explorations and multi-layered use of sources and historic commentaries as well as the myths themselves (and many of their variations) and presents a convincing case that rape was the NORM in Greek mythology. From Zeus, to Appollo to Hades to Poseidon, and many other major and minor gods, male deities routinely abducted and raped both goddesses and mortal women, employing trickery and force and punished those who resisted.

In Greek mythology, wars took place, dynasties were founded and popular entertainment was provided by the the rapes of goddesses and mortal women. These myths contributed to rape being  being seen as an inevitable and natural and event by succeeding western societies. Along with rape came conquest--also laying the foundations for conquest and colonization for Greek-influenced cultures such as our own.

This program will begin with the Feminist News Roundup

Max Dashu bio and book information

Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document global women's history. She built a collection of 50,000 images, and has created over a hundred visual talks on female cultural heritages from the most ancient times to the present. She is internationally known for her expertise on ancient iconography; matricultures and female spheres of power; patriarchy and allied systems of domination; medicine women, female shamans, witches—and the witch hunts. www.suppressedhistories.net

Her latest book is "Women in Greek Mythography: Pythias, Melissae and Titanides", which can be ordered from https://Veleda.net--to be followed in 2024 by Women’s Power in Greek Patriarchy: Priestesses, Amazons and Witches. These books belong to a 15 volume series Secret History of the Witches.