Greek religion is filled with strange sexual artifacts, including stories of mortal women's couplings with gods, rituals like the basilinna's "marriage" to Dionysus, beliefs in the impregnating power of snakes and deities, and the unusual birth stories of Pythagoras, Plato, and Alexander. In this provocative study, Marguerite Rigoglioso suggests that such details are remnants of an early Greek cult of divine birth, similar to that of Egypt. Scouring myth, legend, and history from a female-oriented perspective, she argues that many in the highest echelons of Greek civilization believed that non-ordinary conception was the only means of bringing forth individuals who could serve as leaders, and that special cadres of virgin priestesses were dedicated to this practice. Her book adds a unique perspective to our understanding of antiquity and has significant implications.