Drawing on a wealth of classical references
Green’s gift is to draw on the most authoritative classical Greek authors – Homer, Ovid, Apollonius of Rhodes – representing 2,000 years of Greek literature, and present them in simple but exciting language for readers of all ages. While other collections depict the stories in isolation, Green creates drama and tension by presenting his myths as a sequence of events, so that the Heroic Age is relived as a complete historical era.
Woven among the best-known myths – Perseus, Jason and Apollo – are briefer adventures, such as those of King Midas, and Orpheus and Eurydice. The result is a fascinating introduction to the characters (gods and mortals) and tales that comprise some of literature’s most important foundational texts.