Kristin Swenson

300, Awesome Ancient Women, and the Perils of Historical Fiction

ancient Near East, Atossa, Babylon, Bible, Breast Cancer, Creativity, Cyrus II, Historical Fiction, movies, Persian Empire, War, Women in the Ancient World / kswenson

Here’s what I just posted on Huffington Post… and then, here’s the problem with it. Now if only there were about three hundred more 300‘s. Maybe not in blood and gore but movies with kick-ass women from ancient Persia and Greece. Then, more people would get what has so captivated me about Amytis, Cassandane, and […]

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Bathsheba’s Breast… Cancer

Cyrus’ daughter Atossa has captivated me for all sorts of reasons, not least: she may be the first woman to have had a mastectomy and survived. Whether she did or didn’t is a matter of some debate. Only a brief note by Herodotus informs us of her condition and treatment. The author of Bathsheba’s Breast,