Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Justine Fontes, Ron Fontes, Thomas Yeates

The myth of Atalanta is retold here to familiarise young people with her myths and with ancient Greek culture more broadly. Atalanta is exposed as an infant, reared by a bear, then taken to live with hunters. She learns from the Delphic oracle that she will 'lose [her]self' if she marries. She takes part in the Calydonian boar hunt, challenges potential suitors to race her for her hand in marriage, and experiences metamorphosis once she finally marries. Chapter Headings:AbandonedFou(...)

literary

YEAR: 2007

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aphrodite Apollo Architecture Argo Argonauts Artemis Atalanta Athena Centaur(s) Demeter Divination Eros Fate Gods Hera Jason Meleager Metamorphoses (Ovid's) Metamorphosis Minotaur Moirai Nestor Oracles Ovid Poseidon Theseus Zeus

Jo Graham

Black Ships

This is the story of the fictional Pythia, from her birth to adulthood. Gull was a girl born to a Trojan slave woman who was brought to Pylos, to King Nestor's palace after the fall of Troy (which is named Wilusa in the book, the name comes from Hittite texts and is associated with Troy; thus the author shows her proficiency with classical archaeology). The background of the Trojan cycle is referred to in the book, especially the sacrifice of Iphigenia and the curse it incurred on the house (...)

literary

YEAR: 2008

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aeneas Anchises Aphrodite Iphigenia / Iphigeneia Neoptolemus Nestor Persephone Pythia Troy

Manuela Adreani

Odyssey [Odissea]

The book is based on the plot of the original Homeric epic – it is the story of Odysseus, who after the fall of Troy wanders the seas trying to come back to his home island of Ithaca. At the same time on Ithaca, Odysseus’ son Telemachus and his wife – Penelope, are struggling with the suitors who attempt to force the Queen into re-marriage. Telemachus decides to leave Ithaca to find some news about his father. Odissea in the adaptation of Giorgio Ferrero, presents the same thre(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: Italy

TAGS: Aeolus Antinoos (Penelope's Suitor) Argos (Dog) Athena Calypso Charybdis Circe Cyclops / Cyclopes Demodocus Eumaeus / Eumaios Eurymachus Helen Hermes Iros / Arnaios Ithaca Laertes Menelaus Nausicaa Nestor Odysseus / Ulysses Odyssey Ogygia Olympus Penelope Polyphemus Poseidon Pylos Scylla Sirens Sparta Tiresias Trojan Horse Troy Zeus

Stanisław Srokowski

The Adventures of Odysseus [Przygody Odyseusza]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp.Designed in the same manner as Stanisław Srokowski’s Wojna trojańska [Trojan War], Przygody Odyseusza is an abridged and simplified version of Homer’s Odyssey; it retells Odysseus’ adventures in twenty-four chap(...)

literary

YEAR: 1994

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Achilles Aeolus Agamemnon Athena Charybdis Circe Cyclops / Cyclopes Helen Homer Menelaus Nestor Odysseus / Ulysses Odyssey Penelope Scylla Sirens Telemachus

Eric Freeberg, Kathleen Olmstead

The Iliad

This retelling of Homer's epic tale begins with a prologue that describes the judgement of Paris and how that led to the generals of ancient Greece marching on Troy. We are introduced to each of the gods of Olympus and told that we will learn of a great warrior Achilles, and his rage. The prologue ends with a picture page depicting the key characters in the narrative. The narrative begins with a clash between Achilles and Agamemnon which leads to Achilles withdrawing from battle and seeking (...)

literary

YEAR: 2014

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Achilles Agamemnon Ajax / Aias Aphrodite Apollo Athena Diomedes (Son of Tydeus) Hector Hephaestus Hera Hermes Nestor Odysseus / Ulysses Odyssey Patroclus Poseidon Thetis Trojan War Zeus

Roger Lancelyn Green, Betty Middleton-Sandford

The Tale of Troy

Roger Lancelyn Green’s The Tale of Troy stresses that the origins of the Trojan War go right back to the beginning of Zeus’ reign, when Prometheus prophesised that the sea nymph Thetis would give birth to a son who would grow up to be greater than his father. In order to preserve his power, Zeus changed his mind about being Thetis’ consort, and instead arranged for her to be married to the minor hero Peleus. All the Olympians attended the celebration, except for Eris, the godde(...)

literary

YEAR: 1958

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Achilles Aeneas Aeneid Agamemnon Ajax / Aias Andromache Antenor Aphrodite Apollo Athena Calchas Circe Clytemnestra Cyclops / Cyclopes Diomedes (Son of Tydeus) Epic Cycle Eris Hector Hecuba Helen Hera Heracles Hercules Hermes Hermione Homer Iliad Iphigenia / Iphigeneia Laocoon Menelaus Neoptolemus Nestor Odysseus / Ulysses Palamedes Paris (Trojan Prince) Patroclus Peleus Philoctetes Priam Prometheus Sinon Sirens Thetis Tiresias Trojan Horse Trojan War Troy Zeus

Jerzy Flisak, Anna M. Komornicka

The Thread of Ariadne, or Finding Your Way [Nić Ariadny, czyli po nitce do kłębka]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp., online: http://omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/omc_catalogue. This is the second volume in the series The Legacy of Antiquity, based on radio programs and plays for children, where the author explains phrases, sayings, and(...)

literary

YEAR: 1989

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Achilles Alexander the Great Amazons Amor Argonauts Argos / Argus Panoptes (Giant) Ariadne Ariadne's Thread Asclepius Augean Stables Augeas Cerberus Charybdis Cornucopia Daedalus Echo Eros Fortuna Golden Fleece Helen Hephaestus Hercules Hydra Icarus Mars Mentor Minotaur Moirai Morpheus Muses Narcissus Nestor Nike Odysseus / Ulysses Olympus Pandora Parcae Penelope Phoenix (Bird) Scylla Sphinx Stentor Tantalus

Stanisław Srokowski

The Trojan War [Wojna Trojańska]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp.The book is an abridged and simplified version of Homer’s Iliad; it retells the whole Trojan War in twenty-four chapters imitating the composition of the original epic. It is written in prose; a map of Ancient Greece shows (...)

literary

YEAR: 1994

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Achilles Aeneas Agamemnon Ajax / Aias Andromache Aphrodite Apollo Athena Diomedes (Son of Tydeus) Hector Helen Hephaestus Hera Homer Iliad Nestor Odysseus / Ulysses Paris (Trojan Prince) Poseidon Thetis Trojan War Zeus

Evi Pini, Elisa Vavouri

The Trojan War. The Beginning of History [Τρωικός Πόλεμος. Η αρχή της ιστορίας (Trōikós Pólemos. Ī archī́ tīs istorías)]

Evi Pini explains how the Trojan War started. The text is in the form of a fairy tale, as implied by the standard phrase “once upon a time” (my translation) at the very beginning. The book begins with Eris and ends with Iphigeneia’s last-minute rescue from being sacrificed to Artemis. Neither fighting nor bloodshed is presented. Instead, we have an account of human and divine passions and emotions, as well as a description of logistical preparations for going to war.&nbs(...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: Greece

TAGS: Achilles Aeolus Agamemnon Aphrodite Argos (City) Artemis Athena Athens Boeotia Calchas Clytemnestra Crete Diomedes (Son of Tydeus) Eris Euboea Gods Greek History Helen Hera Hermes Idomeneus Iphigenia / Iphigeneia Ithaca Lykomedes Menelaus Menestheus Mycenae Nestor Odysseus / Ulysses Paris (Trojan Prince) Peleus Phocis Priam Pylos Skyros Sparta Thetis Troy Tyndareus Zeus