博客來The stories that built Western civilisation. Told as the Greeks told them.
From the impossible labours of Heracles to Odysseus wandering across wine-dark seas, these myths have captivated humanity for three millennia. Gods scheme on Olympus while heroes battle monsters below. A single golden apple ignites history’s greatest war. A jar is opened, and suffering enters the world.
What you’ll discover inside:
- Heracles wrestling madness across twelve impossible trials. Why Stoic philosophers saw his labours as allegories for self-mastery
- The archaeological evidence suggesting the Trojan War actually occurred around 1180 BC
- Why the Eleusinian Mysteries remained secret for two thousand years and what we know of their rituals today
- The tragic mathematics of the Judgement of Paris, where choosing love over power doomed a civilisation
- How Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon each faced creatures and monsters embodying specific Greek fears
Heroes like Achilles, Jason, and Atalanta stride through these pages alongside the cautionary tales of Icarus, Narcissus, and King Midas. Divine punishment falls on Prometheus and Arachne. Orpheus and Odysseus descend into the underworld and return changed.
Perfect for: mythology lovers seeking deeper understanding, students of ancient history, and readers who want vivid storytelling with real substance.
These ancient voices still have something to teach us.
