[Allen Tice]

Today I got an invitation to an NYC symposium on Ovid. It featured a poor reproduction of a semi-prurient Mannerist painting by Francesco Primaticcio in the Toledo (Ohio) museum of Ulysses with Penelope. The hair in the repro was highly emphasized so that she looked like she had spiral horns as if she was more tetrapod than biped, and also so that her hair was light brown. She also has an intent look, or an amazed one. Now, I do recall lyric references to Jeanie with the light brown hair, but classicists, I don’t recall anything about the hair color of Homer’s heroine. My inadequacy. I should know. Youth wants to know. What natural color was Penelope’s hair?

Aaron Poochigian went after me once about my description of the hair fragrance for my feminine personification of Time. I was working with “like raisins”. I’m more interested in things like these than hull circumference near the bowsprit. Here’s a better picture of that painting:
look at her hair, otherwise: avert your eyes.

[Claudia Gary]

Oh dear. Haven’t we seen that hairdo on Princess Leia?

[John Isbell]

Penelope's hair was wine-dark.

[Ann Drysdale]

In those days it was probably still a matter of don't ask, don't tell.

As...

https://www.poemtree.com/poems/OhWhoIsThat.htm

[Allen Tice]

John, thanks, but are you joking or sure? Can you give a citation? This is more important than it is obvious. If I provided a link to the view that I was sent, you would see how the hairdo and certain facial details on the female figure are reminiscent (within reason) of those of a lurid sculpture from Pompeii of a faun rogering (sorry anyone) a contented goatess. But that work of supreme eroticism had not yet been unearthed when this was painted. (Perhaps an obvious motif.) Those here who know the Odyssey, the Iliad, or the minor epics much better than I, if you could swing by with a ruling and a quote, I would be more than four-dimensionally gratified. I’d ask Chris Childers, my slight acqaintance, or another Greek savant or savantess or two, but I see that Chris is publishing articles right and left, and might not have time. My own off the cuff take is that, unlike “deep-bosomed” etc Homeric ladies with “fair ankles” etc, the classic epithets for Penelope refer to her astuteness and modesty, not her appearance. Ann and Claudia, you are quite right, but that was in a far-off galaxy, not our lovely planet. Even so, your observations are both more profound than it might seem at first glance.

[John Isbell]

Hi Allen,

I am joking, but you might try this link: https://camws.org/meeting/2007/progr...5%20Nguyen.htm
Wikipedia has an entry listing epithets for Penelope and none of them specifies any physical attribute.

Cheers,
John

[Roger Slater]

You should ask Emily Wilson on Twitter. She is very approachable, and if anyone would know, she would.

[Allen Tice]

“Roger Wilco”, as it were, John. I ought to have gone to Wikipedia first. I
just did so: Penelope:
cautious, careful, circumspect, discreet, wise, self-possessed.
Ευχαριστο πολυ.

[John Isbell]

You're very welcome.

John