11-year Hercules research project bows out with publication of final volume titled Hercules Performed
11-year Hercules research project bows out with publication of final volume titled Hercules Performed
A sprawling 11-year research project exploring the legend of classical hero Hercules in western culture has come to an end with the publication of a final volume edited by Emma Stafford, Professor of Greek Culture at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.
Hercules Performed (Brill) explores the reception of the ancient Greek hero Herakles – the Roman Hercules – on the western stage from the sixteenth century to the present day, focusing on live theatre, including tragedy, comedy, and musical drama. Each chapter considers a particular work or theme in detail, exploring the interplay between classical models and a wide variety of modern performance contexts.
The volume is one of four to be published in the Metaforms series examining Herakles-Hercules in western culture, drawing together scholars from a range of disciplines to offer a unique insight into the hero’s perennial appeal.
The publication of Hercules Performed marks the end of the AHRC-funded Hercules Project, a project which began in 2013 with the aim of charting and accounting for the significance of Hercules in western culture, from late antiquity via the Renaissance to the present day.
The Hercules Project has involved more than 70 scholars and practitioners of visual and performing arts, led to two conferences and the publication of four books, and worked with printmaker Marian Maguire on the international touring exhibition The Labours of Herakles and composer Tim Benjamin on the musical drama Herakles.
Professor Emma Stafford said:
“A fundamental issue for any study of classical reception is that you need expertise in both the original Greek/Roman material and the ‘receiving’ culture – no one person could possibly cover the extraordinary range of contexts in which Herakles-Hercules has appeared since antiquity! Hence the need for a collaborative project like this.
“It’s been a great privilege to work with scholars from a variety of disciplines, and with practitioners from the worlds of theatre, music, and the visual arts, each able to offer a unique perspective on the hero. I’d like to thank my fellow editors of the volumes, all our contributors, and the team at Brill for their patience and good humour in finally bringing the project to such a successful conclusion.”
Parts of Hercules Performed, including the preface, epilogue and abstracts for individual chapters, are free to access on Brill’s website.
Follow the project on X (Twitter) @Hercules_Leeds or as a friend of Hercules Stafford on Facebook.
