In this groundbreaking work, Claude Calame argues that the songs sung by choruses of young girls in ancient Greek poetry are more than literary texts; rather, they functioned as initiatory rituals in Greek cult practices. Using semiotic and anthropologic theory, Calame reconstructs the religious and social institutions surrounding the songs, demonstrating their function in an aesthetic education that permitted the young girls to achieve the stature of womanhood and to be integrated into the adult civic community. This first English edition includes an updated bibliography.

"This book is an absolute must for anyone working in women's history, Greek literature, or Greek religion . . . One of the masterpieces of late-twentieth century classical scholarship." - Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"There can be few classicists who are unaware of the impact that Calame's work has had on the study of archaic lyric poetry, and on our understanding of the central importance of choral performance in the cultural life of Greece. But this clear and elegant translation will now enable anglophone readers to appreciate Calame's contribution in all its detail and comlexity...Calame's book has profoundly affected the way we think about the nature and function of archaic lyric poetry and will continue to do so for many years to come." - The Classical Review