Myths of Ancient Greece: from Odysseus to Hercules

Olga Davydova is a specialist in Ancient History, an Egyptologist, junior researcher at the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a lecturer of the course "Ancient Religions of Europe: Greece and Rome" at the Russian State University for the Humanities. Why do the myths of Ancient Greece, archaic and often very convoluted, continue to evoke lively interest? What makes a modern person return to the stories of Zeus, Athena, and Perseus – now, when we are surrounded by books and films about modern heroes? Greek mythology addresses universal themes: the struggle of good against evil, familial and romantic relationships, large-scale natural catastrophes, and subtle human experiences. The reader will not only learn about the most famous plots of ancient Greek mythology but will also become acquainted with the cults of local gods and heroes that were venerated in specific city-states. The fates of these characters have remained outside the canonical collections of myths, although their adventures are no less epic than the tales of the Trojan War and the misadventures of Odysseus: Aphrodite's love for the mortal youth Anchises, the heated disputes between the divine siblings Apollo and Artemis, tales of women warriors - the Amazons, as well as myths about the establishment of sporting games and much more.