Troy, Carthage and the Victorians: The Drama of Classical Ruins in the Nineteenth-Century Imagination by Rachel Bryant Davies

Rachel Bryant Davies's work reveals how Victorian Britain engaged with the legends of Troy and Carthage, blending myth, archaeology, and popular culture. The study demonstrates that burlesque dramas, often dismissed as parodies, played a crucial role in diffusing Homeric and Virgilian narratives, preserving and updating these ancient stories for diverse audiences. By analyzing early maps, archaeological debates, journalism, and visual arts—spanning from 1715 to 1912—Davies shows how public perception of Troy and Carthage evolved alongside scientific excavations and societal shifts. Her focus on burlesque, a lesser-explored lens, contrasts with previous works that emphasized biblical or Roman themes, offering a unique perspective on the integration of classical antiquity into Victorian cultural imagination.

Mayer, D. (2019). Troy, Carthage and the Victorians: The Drama of Classical Ruins in the Nineteenth-Century Imagination by Rachel Bryant Davies. Theatre Journal, 71(3), 400–401. https://doi.org/10.1353/tj.2019.0069