This is a comprehensive study of a figure deeply embedded within the artistic, social and political culture of Rome. In her exploration of Jupiter in the Augustan poets H. eschews reading the god as a Roman Zeus and instead spotlights his value as a focal point for discussions of topics such as power, governance, sexuality and religion. The increasing number of connections drawn between rulers in heaven and on earth in the politics of the day further advocates such an approach. After an introduction in which H. lays out some of the general parameters of the interpretation and role of Zeus and Jupiter in the literature and broader culture of Greece, the Roman Republic and the reign of Augustus, she turns in five chapters to examine the portrayal of Jupiter through analysis of Virgil, Horace, Tibullus, Propertius and Ovid. The book's main strength rests in its close, rewarding readings of Jupiter's appearance in Augustan poetry, and as such it will be a very valuable resource for those working on a specific author or passage. The larger conclusions of the study do not signal radical shifts, and the structure of the book can frustrate, but H.'s breadth and detail underscore the subtlety with which the Augustan poets engaged the sovereign god and the various opportunities this provided.

H.'s analysis of Virgil highlights her argument that political developments and genre frequently underpin depictions of Jupiter. In the unsettled times during which the Eclogues were composed, for instance, Octavian is not the obvious Jupiter figure. At times the poet draws others, such as Pollio in Eclogue 3, into the comparison. In the Georgics, after a strong presence of Jupiter within the religious dimensions of the theodicy and reading of signs in Book 1, in Book 2 his role diminishes with the generic shifts introduced through echoes of Lucretius and various personifications and allegories. The more established political climate of the Aeneid produces a more dominant Jupiter. H., developing some of her earlier work, demonstrates how extended analysis of Jupiter can flesh out, or at least reaffirm, existing interpretations. Through readings of passages such as Jupiter's prophecy to Venus, the consolation of Hercules and the reconciliation with Juno, H. more firmly situates Jupiter within the dynamics of polarity characteristic of the poem's interpretation and emphasises the attractive pull empire offers and the implications of this for writing poetry.

Genre and history are also guiding principles for H.'s survey of Jupiter in the poetry of Horace. In the Satires, for instance, Jupiter often serves comic ends, while the political turn in the Epodes foregrounds Jupiter's connections with justice and order. H. discusses all of Horace's work, but it is the Odes, and especially the Roman Odes, that receive the most extended treatment. For H., the later publication date of the Odes means a more sustained connection with political developments. Her review of Books 1–3, for instance, draws attention to the theme of reconciliation in the poet's depiction of Jupiter, while in Odes 3.2 and 3.3 she notes that the appearance of tyranny, violence and storms suggests that Jupiter is not a straightforward vehicle to celebrate or glorify Augustus. In her discussion of Virgil and Horace to this point, H. follows chronological order and more or less works her way through each poem. In her treatment of the Odes H. turns to a more thematic organisation, based around such rubrics as ‘Jupiter the Lover’, ‘Philosophy and the Weather’ and the ‘Divinity of the Poet’, incorporating a variety of different Odes in her analysis of each. In the introduction H. explains her choices regarding the structure of the book and her author-based and largely chronological approach. But these thematic engagements better affirm H.'s strengths as a reader and are more compelling than other sections of the book that can at times come across as lists of examples rather than the sustained pursuit of a larger argument.

Although Jupiter is not a prominent character in Tibullan poetry, H., in a short chapter, illustrates how the god allows the poet to tap into and explore concepts such as power and weakness and thus draw attention to some of the contradictions of the elegiac world.

In her analysis of Propertius H. observes how his depiction of Jupiter as lover and rival for Cynthia's affections in the first two books (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, 2.13), and the accompanying human traits expressed therein, help to bring the god down to earth. Books 3 and 4, however, signal a change, with a greater emphasis on the disgrace love affairs might bring and the dangers of love (e.g. 4.4). To account for this shift in the portrayal of Jupiter, H. points to historical and political transformations, primarily the adultery legislation of Augustus, although these connections with the contemporary political context are occasionally a little light on detail.

The chapter on Ovid is the longest, hardly a surprise given his output and the potential overlap between Ovid, Augustus and Jupiter on the subjects of war, religion and love. In works such as the Heroides, the Amores and the Ars amatoria H. shows how Ovid mines the comic and ironic opportunities available to him for his depiction of Jupiter as lover or rival. Negative dimensions do come to light, but this is a quality more associated with the Metamorphoses, where H.'s discussion of Ceres in Book 5 or of a variety of Jupiter's affairs in Book 6 draws attention to the qualities of the fear, deception and heartlessness often associated with the Ovidian Jupiter. This autocratic edge softens a bit in the Fasti, through portrayal of Jupiter's infancy and youth and his relationships with other gods. These strands continue in the exile poetry; H. does trace some distinction between the pre- and post-exilic poetry, and she situates her readings alongside those that compare Jupiter and his thunderbolt to Augustus and his edict. Yet the breadth of H.'s analysis adds nuance to this interpretation, demonstrating that, as the exile poetry develops, positive elements increasingly appear, such as in Tristia 3 and 4 and the Epistulae ex Ponto, where some examples of Jupiter's more serene behaviour offer a more favourable model for emulation. The chapter closes with a wonderful analysis of the Callisto myth as it appears in the Metamorphoses, the Fasti and the Tristia, that explores its connections with narrative biography and the issues of power, punishment, silence and speech, a section that further demonstrates the possible benefits of a thematic rather than chronological framework for the book.

H.'s survey of Jupiter in Augustan poetry reveals a truly multivalent figure. As a character, Jupiter can appear as a model or rival for love, authority figure, tyrant, scoundrel, guarantor of Roman power, autocrat or father figure, to name just a few of his manifestations. Moreover, these depictions are often governed by a variety of factors, including genre, context and contemporary political developments. This kaleidoscope of shadings and roles of the god underscores H.'s argument for the very literariness of Jupiter in Augustan poetry. He is a literary, as much as a religious or political, creation, and our understanding of Jupiter must bear this in mind. Moreover, the multidimensionality of his depiction also prevents us from positing a straightforward equation with Augustus. These are among the main conclusions H.'s wide-ranging study generates. They are not radical departures in our understanding of Jupiter in Augustan poetry, but the breadth of H.'s study helps refine and finesse these conclusions and prevent generalisations about Jupiter's roles in Augustan literature and culture. Moreover, H.'s emphasis on individual readings and the power of the encounter between text, author and reader produces rich returns throughout.