Editing Penthesilea (section)

== Later portrayals ==

=== In the Middle Ages ===
[[File:Penthesilea as one of the Nine Female Worthie.jpg|thumb|upright|Miniature of Penthesilea as one of the [[Nine Worthies#Nine Worthy Women|Lady Worthies]], published in late [[medieval France]] between circa 1460 and 1470.]]
In [[Medieval Europe]], the Penthesilea legend was developed and recycled, with Achilles fading into the background. In illuminations that illustrated manuscripts, Penthesilea was cast as medieval warrior queen. A tradition developed where Penthesilea entered the Trojan War because of her reverence for the Trojan hero Hector. Penthesilea appears in the ''[[Roman de Troie]]'' (1160) by [[Benoît de Sainte-Maure]] as a chivalric heroine, and through this became part of the medieval genre ''roman antique,'' which recycled Greek and Roman myths in a [[chivalric romance]] context.

In late medieval Europe the legend was further popularised in [[Christine de Pizan]]'s ''[[The Book of the City of Ladies]]'' (1405) and [[John Lydgate]]'s ''[[Troy Book]]'' (1420). Penthesilea and Hector became romantic heroes. Penthesilea came to Troy because she had fallen in love with the virtuous [[knight]] Hector from afar.<ref name="confessio">{{cite book | title=Confession Amantis
| author=John Gower
| year=1390 }}{{rp|iv:2141}}</ref> Hector and Penthesilea were portrayed as personifications of the ideals of [[chivalry]]. When kneeling before Hector's corpse, Penthesilea promises to avenge his death. Penthesilea fights at the side of the Trojan army, killing many Greek soldiers, but is slain by Achilles' son. In this tradition of the legend, her body is taken to the Thermodon for burial. Along the [[Terme River]], various temple burial sites attest to the heroic status Penthesilea had as Amazon queen in the Middle Ages.<ref>{{cite book |author=Adrienne Mayor|title=The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World |publisher= Princeton University Press|date=2014 |page=302-302|isbn=9781400865130 }}</ref>

In [[John Gower]]'s [[Confessio Amanatis]] she travels to Troy from Pafagoine. She is slain by [[Neoptolemus|Pirrus]] the son of Achilles. Philemenis returned her body for burial. He was rewarded with three fair maidens per year.<ref name=confessio/>{{rp|iv:2177}}

Biographical lists of strong women were published, some included Penthesilea. The 1405 ''Chronicle'' (known as ''Haagse handschrift'') by the herald Baviere included Penthesilea and the two Amazons [[Semiramis]] and [[Tomyris]] among the strong women. A Netherlandish list of 101 strong women published between 1465 and 1480 included Penthesilea. This list of 101 women circulated at the court of [[Mary of Burgundy]] and was read by members of the Brussels administration. [[Philippe Bouton]] in 1480 published a ''Miroir des dames'', which included Penthesilea.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Karen Green |author2=Constant Mews |title=Virtue Ethics for Women 1250–1500 |publisher= Springer Science & Business Media|date=2011 |pages=180–181|isbn=9789400705296 }}</ref>

=== Boccaccio ===
Between 1361 and 1362 the Italian [[Giovanni Boccaccio]] wrote the first collection of biographies in Western literature that was devoted to famous women. The ''[[De Mulieribus Claris]]'' was published in Latin and dedicated to [[Andrea Acciaioli]], the Countess of [[Altavilla]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Virginia Brown |title=Introduction – Famous Women |date=2003 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=9780674011304 |page=xi}}</ref> According to Boccaccio, Penthesilea succeeded the Amazon queens [[Antiope (Amazon)|Antiope]] and [[Orithyia (Amazon)|Orithyia]]. She was in strength and skill superior to previous queens. According to Boccaccio, Penthesilea entered the Trojan War against the Greeks to impress Hector. But Penthesilea and her Amazon troops were slain at the end of a hard-fought battle with the Greeks.<ref>{{cite book |author=Giovanni Boccaccio |title=Famous Women |date=2003 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=9780674011304 |pages=64–65}}</ref> After recounting Penthesilea's accomplishments in ''De Mulieribus Claris'' Boccaccio wrote that "if we remember that practical experience can change natural dispositions" the legends of the Amazons become plausible. He wrote that "through practice, Penthesilea and women like her became much more manly in arms than those born male" who had been weakened through idleness and love of pleasure. The notion that upbringing and training were central to gender differences was discussed by [[Agostino Strozzi]] and [[Mario Equicola]] in 16th century Italy.<ref>{{cite book |title=Virtue Ethics for Women 1250–1500 |date=2011 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9789400705296 |page=149 |author1=Karen Green |author2=Constant Mews }}</ref>

=== Heinrich von Kleist ===
{{main|Penthesilea (Kleist)}}
The treatment of Penthesilea that has received most critical attention since the early twentieth century is the drama ''[[Penthesilea (Kleist)|Penthesilea]]'' by [[Heinrich von Kleist]], who cast its "precipitously violent tempo"<ref>John C. Blankenagel, ''The Dramas of Heinrich von Kleist: A Biographical and Critical Study'' (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press) 1931, p 145.</ref> in the form of twenty-four consecutive scenes without formal breaks into [[Act (theater)|acts]]. In Kleist's ''Penthesilea,'' however, Achilles is slain by Penthesilea. When she realizes that she and her pack of dogs have mangled the object of their desire, she dies herself through "a crushing feeling".

The Swiss composer [[Othmar Schoeck]] wrote a 90' one-act opera, ''[[Penthesilea (opera)|Penthesilea]]'' (Dresden, 1927) based on Kleist's drama. The French composer [[Pascal Dusapin]]'s opera based on Kleist's work premiered in 2015 at La Monnaie in Brussels under the baton of [[Ludovic Morlot]].<ref>[http://memeteria.com/2013/11/15/stairway-to-heaven-a-major-seattle-symphony-premiere/ Thomas May, "Stairway to Heaven: A Major Seattle Symphony Premiere," November 15, 2013], accessed November 15, 2013</ref>

[[File:Pentesilea by Arturo Michelena.jpg|thumb|A 19th century interpretation of Penthesilea fighting, by [[Arturo Michelena]]]]

=== Hugo Wolf ===
Austrian composer [[Hugo Wolf]] (1860-1903) wrote a [[symphonic poem]] on the legend entitled ''Penthesilea'' (1883–85).<ref>{{IMSLP|work=Penthesilea (Wolf, Hugo)|cname=Penthesilea (Wolf, Hugo)}}</ref>

=== Edward Bellamy===
In Edward Bellamy's 1888 book ''[[Looking Backward]]'', the main character (Julian West) is transported in time from 1887 (discovery date of the [[271 Penthesilea|asteroid Penthesilea]]) to 2000. There, in the year 2000, the main character reads a book by one of the 20th century's most famous writers by the fictional name of Berrian. The title of this book is "Penthesilia" [sic] and it is a romance that supposedly exposes the true power and fullest extent of love.

=== Robert Graves ===
In [[Robert Graves]]' short poem "Penthesileia", Achilles becomes infatuated with Penthesilia immediately after killing her, and then slays [[Thersites]] for his mockery of Achilles' behavior.<ref>Robert Graves. "Penthesileia". Collected in ''Selected Poems''. Faber & Faber, 2013. {{ISBN|0571283845}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=HJuKys2EgLkC&pg=PT148 (Google Books)]</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Robert|last=Graves|title=Penthesilea|url=http://www.webopera.nl/v2_05_00_submenu_analecta/0203_carnets/0203_crnts_03_analecta/0203_crnts_03_anlct_03_overige/0203_crnts_03_anlct_03_0003-graves.html|work=Webopera|access-date=10 October 2020}}</ref>  The last verse is open to interpretation, some have interpreted it that Penthelisea's ghost thanks Thersites for standing up for her honour, but it has been suggested that she thanks Achilles for killing Thersites.<ref>{{cite web|first=Charlotte|last=Higgins|title=Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes review – rescuing women in Greek myths|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/08/pandoras-jar-by-natalie-haynes-review-rescuing-women-in-greek-myths|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=8 October 2020|access-date=10 October 2020}}</ref>