Theseus, Tragedy and the Athenian Empire

This book traces the development of the Theseus myth and its importance for Athens. Mills examines all extant tragedies in which Theseus appear in order to assess the significance of his role as mythological representative of Athenian greatness. She argues that the Theseus of most Athenian tragedy is carefully drawn to exemplify the idealized image of the Athenian "national character" that was prevalent in the age of the empire.