In an attempt to examine the notion of unstable difference in Herodotus as part of the presentation of an unstable world, this article focuses on the stories involving Atossa, Darius’ wife. In the stories of Atossa, obvious markers of difference appear, only to come into question, especially in Herodotus’ stories. Never in these stories, though, does Herodotus completely subvert the audience’s expectations of sexual or cultural difference—the differences between men and women become unstable in the stories,yet those differences (...) do persist. In presenting stories like those of Atossa, Herodotus confronts his reader with a complex and unstable world. By refusing to add artificial stability to his narrative, Herodotus allows his reader the experience of that world in all of its complexity. (shrink)

Itis a strange chance that our whole conception of that scene of the Persae in which Atossa and the Chorus evoke from the lower world the spirit of Darius should be dependent largely on the interpretation or the restoration of a single line. πιστ πιστν λικς θ' βης μς Πρσαι γεραιο, τνα πλις πονε πνονον; στνει, κκοπται, κα χαρσσεται πδον. λεσσων δ' κοιτιν τν μν τφου πλας ταρβ, χος δ πρευμνς δεξμην. μες δ θρηνετ' γγς σττες τφου κα ψυχαγωγος (...) ρθιζοντες γοις οκτρς καλεσθ μ' …. (shrink)