Examines how ancient goddesses, transformed by historical context, became textual and cultural artifacts embedded in Western cultural memory.

How have the goddesses of ancient myth survived, prevalent even now as literary and cultural icons? How do allegory, symbolic interpretation, and political context transform the goddess from her regional and individual identity into a goddess of philosophy and literature? Emilie Kutash explores these questions, beginning from the premise that cultural memory, a collective cultural and social phenomenon, can last thousands of years. Kutash demonstrates a continuing practice of interpreting and allegorizing ancient myths, tracing these goddesses of archaic origin through history. Chapters follow the goddesses from their ancient near eastern prototypes, to their place in the epic poetry, drama and hymns of classical Greece, to their appearance in Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy, Medieval allegory, and their association with Christendom. Finally, Kutash considers how goddesses were made into Jungian archetypes, and how some contemporary feminists made them a counterfoil to male divinity, thereby addressing the continued role of goddesses in perpetuating gender binaries.

"This book is powerful and engaging. Its range of expertise is striking, not only in relation to primary texts and archaeological findings, but also in its understanding and presentation of the complex secondary literature. Its ability to bring archaeological evidence, history, politics, religion, and theology into mutual conversation is compelling and its capacity to evaluate such evidence in a fair and balanced way is attractive throughout." - Kevin Corrigan, Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities, Emory University, USA

"Emilie Kutash has composed, with passion and erudition, a cultural portrait of female divinity in the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean throughout the ages." - Svetla Slaveva-Griffin, Associate Professor in Classics, Florida State University, USA