arrow_upward
Pattern Pattern Pattern

Showing 93 entries for tag: Athens

Pattern Pattern Pattern

Lewis Helfand , Lalit Kumar Singh

400 BC. The Story of the Ten Thousand

400 is a graphic novel retelling of the March of the Ten Thousand, a historical event which took place at the beginning of the fourth century BCE. Greek mercenaries found themselves stranded in what is now Iraq after the failure of a coup by Cyrus the Younger who was attempting to seize the Persian throne. The event is known to history largely because of the thorough account written by a participant in the events, the philosopher-historian Xenophon. His Anabasis, or journey up country, was writt(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: India


Marian Grześczak, Zbigniew Łoskot

About a Boy Whom You Also Are [O chłopcu, którym jesteś i ty]

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.Daedalus and his inquisitive and lively son, Icarus, travel from Athens, from where they were banished, to Crete. Icarus dreams about being able to fly, so he and his father could travel much faster than they do, walking on the g(...)

literary

YEAR: 1981

COUNTRY: Poland


Nikos Kazantzakis

Alexander the Great / In the Time of Alexander the Great [Μέγας Αλέξανδρος / Στα χρόνια του Μεγαλέξανδρου (Mégas Aléxandros / Sta chrónia tou Megaléxandrou)]

The novel covers Alexander the Great’s life, beginning with his famous taming of the wild horse Bucephalas at fifteen and ending with his death in Babylon in 323 BCE. The novel focuses primarily on Alexander’s twin ambitions, to unite Greece and to conquer Asia and how he made them a reality. He shared these aspirations with his father Philip II of Macedon, who is an important character in the early part of the book. This covers Alexander’s early life at his father’s cour(...)

literary

YEAR: 1940

COUNTRY: Greece


Jamila Gavin, David Parkins

Alexander the Great. Man, Myth, or Monster?

Alexander the Great. Man, Myth, or Monster? introduces young readers to ancient history via biography. The birth to death format follows the traditions of biography, while the narrative also moves forward and backwards in parts, with the narrator recalling previous events or anticipating events that will occur later. The story is punctuated by mythic tales which are introduced as if being told to soldiers in the story. These embedded myths are well chosen to reflect what is happening in the main(...)

literary

YEAR: 2011

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Richard Bonson, Stewart Ross

Ancient Greece

The book’s main story takes place in 416 BC Greece. It is the story of a young man competing in the Olympic Games, told in the form of a graphic novel. After a brief plot overview and the historical background, the story continues around the border of every page, whilst the centre of each page is filled with factual information. The plot of the story focuses on a young Athenian man named Kinesias and his journey to and attendance of the Olympic Games. Kinesias dreams of personal succe(...)

literary

YEAR: 2004

COUNTRY: United States of America


Cath Senker

Ancient Greeks

Ancient Greeks is an educational, introduction to ancient Greek culture aimed at children aged 7+. This title is one of several titles in the Ladybird Histories series, including Kings and Queens, Tudor and Stuarts, Ancient Egyptians, The Vikings, Romans, and Anglo-Saxons. Each is written in a similarly serious tone. Through the combination of titles, the series presents the Ancient Greeks as an important non-British historical society. Ancient Greeks focuses on the Classical period, w(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


George O'Connor

Aphrodite. Goddess of Love (Olympians, 6)

Aphrodite is the sixth instalment of the tremendous Olympians series. It is narrated by the Charites and begins in a time before time, with the ancient Greek creation myths – Gaea and Ouranos, unfocused Eros, and the rise of the Titans leading to Kronos' castration. "The seat of Eros' power in Ouranos" is depicted falling into the sea in a mass of pink foam. The foam churns while more of the creation story plays out. The Olympians, humans, and animals all develop and(...)

literary

YEAR: 2014

COUNTRY: United States of America


Christophe Chaffardon

Aristarchos' Manuscript [Le manuscrit d’Aristarque]

The action takes place in the 3rd century B.C. Athens and later Alexandria in Ptolemaic Egypt. A physician practicing advanced and not yet sanctioned medicine is forced to flee Athens with his daughter Ophelia as stowaways on a small ship going to Alexandria. He dies suddenly, having been poisoned when the ship reaches its destination. Before he dies he manages to tell his daughter to look for a certain Aristarchus, who turns out to have been a revolutionary astronomer who believed that the Eart(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: France


Shirin Yim Bridges, Albert Nguyen

Artemisia of Caria

This is an illustrated history book for young readers which tells the story of the Persian Wars with focus on the role of Artemisia of Caria and the social history of her life and times. Artemisia opens with sixteen names in a pronunciation guide and an invitation to try saying them aloud, before moving on to an introduction.The introduction begins with an account of the traditional superstition that it is bad luck to have women, or at least upper class women, on board ship, and the general expe(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: United States of America


Ubisoft , Ubisoft Montréal

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Please note, this entry will contain spoilers for the game.Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a game set in ancient Greece, during the Peloponnesian War. It is the prequel to the other games in the Assassin’s Creed series. It follows the adventures of the “tainted one”, who is either named Kassandra or Alexios. The player has the choice to play either as Kassandra or as Alexios. For this entry, the protagonist will be referred to Kassandra as she is the “canon” chara(...)

electronic

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: United States of America


René Goscinny , Albert Uderzo

Asterix at the Olympic Games [Astérix: Astérix aux Jeux olympiques] (Astérix, 12)

"In 50 BC, Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well… not entirely. One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders." The Gauls are aided by a magic potion which gives them superhuman strength, and is brewed by the druid Panoramix (Getafix in English). In late spring, the inhabitants of the village learn that the neighbouring Roman camp of Aquarium is preparing to send its champion – Claudius Cornedurus (corne d'urus, Gluteus Maximus in (...)

literary

YEAR: 1968

COUNTRY: France


Heather E. Schwartz, Susan C. Shelmerdine

Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War

This book is part of a Legendary Goddesses by Capstone publishing, a set of short informational books on ancient goddesses, which includes books on Aphrodite, Hera, Diana, Freya, Hathor and Isis. The book provides numerous facts on the goddess Athena, such as myth and cults, supplemented by photos and illustrations (from various picture archives such as Alamy, Getty and many more listed in the book’s inner cover). The photos in the book are accompanied by explanatory notes which describe t(...)

literary

YEAR: 2019

COUNTRY: United States of America


George O'Connor

Athena. Grey-Eyed Goddess (Olympians, 2)

These tales of Athena are narrated by the Moirae, the Fates. They are all-seeing and know what happened in the earliest times, and even what happened inside Zeus' head. They know who Athena is, and here they tell stories of her birth, followed by three stories of Athena establishing her identity: young Pallas, monster Pallas, Perseus and Medusa, and finally a story of fully-established Athena – the myth of Arachne.The Fate Klotho narrates at first. She recaps the myth of the triumph of(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: United States of America


David Hair, Catherine Mayo

Athena’s Champion (Olympus, 1)

Athena’s Champion begins Hair and Mayo’s Olympus trilogy, which follows the early stages in Odysseus’ story. This novel details his discovery of his true parentage and divine lineage, and awakening to the world of the Gods as Odysseus is selected as Athena’s champion. As her champion, he is required to fight for her on earth alongside – and eventually against – Theseus, another of her celebrated servants. Odysseus begins the story as he attends a coming-of-age(...)

literary

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Stewart Ross

Athens is Saved!

Athens is Saved! opens with a note To the Reader from the author. The note explains that the story is based on a real event, with some invented parts added to make the story more fun. The author adds his wish that the story will encourage the reader to find out more about ancient Greece and perhaps to run their first marathon.Notes on The Story So Far are divided into three sections: Ancient Greece, The Persians, and Athens. Ancient Greece explains that "Before the time of Jesus Christ"(...)

literary

YEAR: 1997

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Marian Cholerek

Bolek and Lolek in Europe [Bolek i Lolek w Europie] (Series, S01E02): In the Kingdom of Poseidon [W królestwie Posejdona]

At the beginning of each episode of the series, Bolek and Lolek study a wall map. This time they decide to travel to Greece. They fly in their own small plane and arrive in Athens, where they visit the Athenian Acropolis. They meet a strange man who somehow seems to be destroying the columns of the Parthenon, but he turns out to be doing the opposite as he works as a renovator. He explains to the boys which factors destroy the ruins the most, and recommends that they should visit the Greek islan(...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 1984

COUNTRY: Poland


Richard Woff

Bright-Eyed Athena in the Stories of Ancient Greece

In the women’s quarters of a house in ancient Athens, a young woman learns the art of spinning from older women as they create intricate tapestries while narrating inter-related stories about deities, creatures, heroines and heroes. The stories bear especially upon Athena, the goddess whose cult the women serve as creators of the Panathenaic robe. The young woman – herself to be an initiate in the Mysteries of Athena – listens spellbound to the stories which include Athena&rsqu(...)

literary

YEAR: 1999

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


David Elliott

Bull

Bull is a unique retelling of the Cretan mythic cycle in the form of a verse novel. The story is related through monologues by Poseidon, Minos, Pasiphae, Asterion, Ariadne, Daedalus and Theseus. Poseidon takes control of the narrative, relating how Minos prays to the gods for a sign to justify his right to rule. The god obliges by sending a beautiful milk-white bull out of the ocean. But when Minos conceals the creature within his herds and sacrifices an inferior animal in its place, he incurs P(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United States of America


Geoffrey McSkimming

Cairo Jim and the Alabastron of Forgotten Gods (Cairo Jim, 4)

Cairo Jim is a young archaeologist who is already an established member of the fictional Old Relics Society at the commencement of the series. He is always seen wearing a pith helmet and his desert sun-spectacles. Cairo Jim and the Alabastron of Forgotten Gods is located in mid-to-late 20th-century Greece, moving from Athens to Delphi to Samothrace (Samothraki). It is a whimsical adventure in which the hero and his companions (a talking macaw named Doris and a telepathic wonder-camel named Brend(...)

literary

YEAR: 1996

COUNTRY: Australia


Natalia Kapatsoulia, Filippos Mandilaras

Crete – From Minos to Today [Κρήτη – Από τον Μίνωα ως σήμερα (Krī́tī – Apó ton Mínōa ōs sī́mera)]

The narrative starts by making a point of Crete’s unique geographical location. The island resembles a bridge between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The book explains that Crete has seen lots of activity ever since its first inhabitants arrived eight thousand years ago. Crete has been far from a quiet place also because of its mythological connections. We are told that Zeus grew up here and brought Europa to the island. The giant Talos protected Crete end to end. Later, King Minos built the lab(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: Greece


Marcia Dorothy Williams

Daedalus and Icarus & Orpheus and Eurydice

This short book contains two stories previously published in a longer collection by the same author. Like other books in the same series, the main body of the book is taken up with one story, while around a third of the book comprises a shorter retelling. The first story, Daedalus and Icarus, is told in a series of short chapters. Daedalus is presented as a craftsman renowned for his skills who boasts about his achievements. When his nephew, Talos, turns out to be a craftsman whose skills e(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Natalia Kapatsoulia, Filippos Mandilaras

Daedalus and Icarus [Δαίδαλος και Ίκαρος (Daídalos kai Íkaros)]

Daedalus was a celebrated sculptor who produced life-looking statues in Athens. People admired Daedalus’ work, but praised also Daedalus’ nephew, Talos. When Talos was found dead, the Athenians thought that Daedalus might have been envious and killed Talos. Daedalus left for Crete. King Minos asked Daedalus to build a prison to confine the Minotaur, a monster with a human body but a bull’s head and tail. For many years Daedalus lived in King Minos’ palace. He had a b(...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: Greece


Annie Di Donna, Abraham Kawa, Alecos Papadatos

Democracy

Democracy is set in 490 BCE, just before the Battle of Marathon. One of the men fighting for the Athenians, Thersippus, fears that Athena would abandon them and this would cause Athens to fall. A second soldier, named Leander, approaches Thersippus and tells him that they will win as Athena would help them; he proceeds to tell a story of how he once saw Athena and how she helped him. Leander begins by explaining that when he was 16, he was living with his father, councilman Promachus, when (...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America


Imogen Greenberg , Isabel Greenberg

Discover… The Ancient Greeks

Discover...  began in 2016. It is part of a series offering a light-hearted introduction to a range of ancient cultures, including The Roman Empire, The Ancient Aztecs, and The Ancient Egyptians.Discover... The Ancient Greeks opens with the stated intention of exploring who the ancient Greeks really were. The book is divided into 2-page sub-sections, each discussing a different aspect of ancient Greek culture.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United States of America


Robin Bridges

Dreaming of Antigone

Dreaming of Antigone is the story of sixteen year old Andria Williams, whose twin sister, Iris, died of a heroin overdose six months ago. Her father suicided when the girls were very young, and she lives with her mother and step-father Craig. Still deep in grief, Andria has withdrawn from her friends Natalie and Trista at school, but finds solace in stargazing in the middle of the night and reading poetry with dark, philosophical themes, including the work of American poets Robert Frost, an(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States of America


Ian Jenkins, Kate Morton

Explore the Parthenon: An Ancient Greek Temple and Its Sculptures

This book provides a thorough overview of the sculptures of the Parthenon along with contextual details including on ancient Athenian politics, mythology, deities and festivals. The book is divided into clear sections, each of which starts with a brief introduction in bold type, followed by an overview of the topic under discussion. Ian Jenkins’s text is complemented with photos of the sculptures and illustrations by Kate Morton. Morton’s illustrations support and clarify to some of (...)

literary

YEAR: 2009

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Graham Annable, Gregory Benton, R.O. Blechman, Vera Brosgol, Graham Chaffee, Eleanor Davis, Chris Duffy, Ulises Farinas, Tom Gauld, Sophie Goldstein, Charise Harper, Jaime Hernandez, John Kerschbaum, James Kochalka, Braden Lamb, Roger Langridge, Simone Lia, Jennifer L. Meyer, Corinne Mucha, Mark Newgarden, George O'Connor, Shelli Paroline, Israel Sanchez, Robert Sikoryak, Ricardo Siri, Maris Wicks, Keny Widjaja

Fable Comics

Fable Comics is a fun and diverse collection of comics retelling fables in a lively, modern style. As many author/illustrators were involved, the fables have many different visual styles; many are rendered in a simplistic or impressionistic style, others are highly illustrated. The majority are told in a humorous tone. Most of the fables are from Aesop, while some are from other traditions. The origin of the story is given as a note at the beginning of each story, e.g. "From Aesop", &q(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America


Henryk Sienkiewicz

Fairytales and Legends [Baśnie i legendy]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue (accessed: June 11, 2021), Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp., section by Agata Więcławska and Michał Kucharski, pp. 346–347 and 350–353.The collection is divided into three thematic parts: tales about Hinduism’s origins and the legends of Ancien(...)

literary

YEAR: 1967

COUNTRY: Poland


Jan Parandowski

From the Ancient World [Z antycznego świata]

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. This is a collection of short, varied essays introducing young readers to the fascinating world of Antiquity. Topics are very diverse, ranging from archaeology, Greek art, culture, architecture, history, and the Roman Empir(...)

literary

YEAR: 1958

COUNTRY: Poland


SIE Santa Monica Studio

God of War

God of War is a video game series created by Santa Monica Studio, an exclusive title for the PlayStation consoles (with the exception of God of War: Betrayal). Individual games have their separate entries, see under the name of each gameIt tells the story of a Spartan warrior – Kratos – and his adventures in the world of ancient Greece.* The series consists of the following games:God of War, 2005 for PS2;God of War II, 2007 for PS2;God of War: Betrayal, 2007 for Mobiles (Ja(...)

electronic

YEAR: 2005

COUNTRY: United States of America


Mattel, Inc.

Grecian Goddess™ Barbie® Doll (2001)

This collector’s edition doll depicts the ‘Grecian Goddess’. Although not clear from her name, the doll is supposed to represent the goddess Athena, as distinct from the 2010 Barbie as Athena doll and the 2001 Goddess of Wisdom doll (both surveyed on this database). The doll is dressed in a white pleated dress (identified by the box text as an Ionic chiton) with tulle overskirt and a scalloped tunic (referred to on the box as a peplos), all gold-bordered. She also wears a purpl(...)

material

YEAR: 1996

COUNTRY: United States of America


Carole Hénaff, Hugh Lupton, Daniel Morden

Greek Myths: Three Heroic Tales

Greek Myths: Three Heroic Tales is a highly illustrated retelling of the myths of Demeter and Persephone, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Orpheus and Eurydice. There is at least one illustration on almost every facing pair of pages with the illustrations setting the events in antiquity. Each myth is divided into chapters in the manner of a novel.Demeter and Persephone begins by prompting the reader to imagine a tri-part world, Olympus above, the world of mortals, and the realm of the dead below. P(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Baby Professor Series

Greeks and Persians Go to War: War Book Bestsellers: Children’s Ancient History

Greeks and Persians Go to War opens with a conundrum: how did the Greeks win the Persian Wars when Persia was so much bigger and wealthier? The following pages combine text and large images – particularly maps – to explain the answer.Fifty Years of War. The first section explains that Persia was a "huge empire centred on what is now Iran", while the Greeks lived on mainland Greece and in colonies around the Mediterranean. A modern map of Greece and Asia Minor either side of(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United States of America


John Bankston

Hercules

This book is part of a series of eight on different Greek deities. It tells the story of Hercules, half-man, half-god who with his god-given strength was able to overcome great obstacles. However, he was not able to overcome the greatest internal obstacle of his own anger. Starting with the episode of Hercules’ cattle being stolen, Bankston launches into a discussion of myth and the place of the myth of Hercules in the ancient world. Each chapter contains selections of the myths with other(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States of America


Dominic Brigstocke, Steve Connelly, William Terence Deary, Chloë Thomas

Horrible Histories (Series)

A sketch show based on the books of the same name by Terry Deary, focussing on many aspects of history not just the Classical areas. Each episode includes parodic songs teaching children about aspects of history, with both live-action and animated sections often working in conjecture to form the full picture of the sketch. Each sketch is accompanied by the narrative character Rattus Rattus who is used as an accuracy marker for the jokes within the series. The show takes a non-linear format (...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 2009

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Kalliope Kyrdi, Evi Pini

Icarus Tells Stories about Statues in the National Archaeological Museum [Ο Ίκαρος αφηγείται ιστορίες για αγάλματα στο Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο (O Íkaros afīgeítai istoríes gia agálmata sto Ethnikó Archaiologikó Mouseío)]

A talking animal, a duck called Icarus, takes us through the galleries with sculpture at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Icarus shows us statues of males, females, and animals (as we notice also on the front cover), prompting us to pay attention to their style, meaning, and material.The value of experiential learning is emphasised in the introduction (page 3), so that teachers and parents can prepare for the museum visit. Throughout the book, Evi Pini and Kalliopi Kyrdi address bot(...)

literary

YEAR: 2008

COUNTRY: Greece


Blair Drawson, Sheldon Oberman

Island of the Minotaur. Greek Myths of Ancient Crete

This is an interesting take on the myth of the Minotaur which places it within a wide context by telling a selection of myths that build up to the Minotaur's demise. This creates a multi-generational story which arcs from the days of Cronos until Phaedra's departure from Crete as the last queen of Knossos. The myths of Medea and Ariadne are told in contrast to each other. The work begins and ends with historicising interpretations of the myths, relating the myths' connections to Mino(...)

literary

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: Canada United Kingdom


Bob Lentz, Kate McMullan , Denis Zilber

Keep a Lid on It, Pandora! (Myth-O-Mania, 6)

Keep a Lid on it, Pandora! Tells the story of Pandora’s box and Prometheus stealing fire with a contemporary twist, narrated by Hades, and is part of a series of Greek myths told from Hades’ point of view. Hades claims that Zeus edited all the original myths in order to make himself look more powerful. He goes on to give a different explanation for the myth of Pandora’s Vase, specifically that he and Zeus had made a bet on whether Pandora would open it or not. Since Zeus b(...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: United States of America


Halina Rudnicka

King Agis [Król Agis] (Spartan Trilogy [Trylogia spartańska/Trylogia antyczna], 1)

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue (accessed: June 11, 2021), Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp., section by Helena Płotek, Joanna Grzeszczuk and Michał Kucharski, pp. 311–323.King Agis is the first book of Halina Rudnicka’a Spartan Trilogy. 3rd century B.C., Sparta. Young Agis succeeds(...)

literary

YEAR: 1963

COUNTRY: Poland


Marisa De Castro

Let’s go to Nafplio [Πάμε στο Ναύπλιο; (Páme sto Náfplio?)]

The book starts with an illustration of a typical nuclear family in a car. The mother in the front, father at the wheel, and the daughter son at the back. The mother and son’s red-blond hair could imply a family of foreign visitors to Greece, driving to Nafplio from other Greek cities. Subsequently, we see a simplified map of the Peloponnese and southern central Greece, dotted with places of interest, such as the Corinth Canal. Nemea is marked with a drawing of a man, presumably Her(...)

literary

YEAR: 2009

COUNTRY: Greece


Joe Infurnari , Boaz Yakin

Marathon

Marathon tells the story of the Battle of Marathon, which was fought in Greece in 490 BCE. The book's focus is placed on the traditions around extraordinary running feats relating to the battle, with the runner, Eucles, acting as protagonist.The book opens in the years before the Battle of Marathon, when Athens was ruled by the tyrant, Hippias, son of Peisistratus. Eucles, at this time, is a child slave. After Eucles being noticed for his speed, Hippias takes him on as his messenger, but war(...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: United States of America


Ollie Cuthbertson, Gary Smailes

Marathon (EDGE: Battle Books, 4)

This is a choose-your-own-adventure story in which the basic premise is established and the reader then makes choices that determine the development and out-come of the story. In Marathon the reader plays as Miltiades the general. Based on the choices made, the reader will then receive a ranking on their performance as general, poor, ok, good, or great, and the outcome of the battle will be either death, partial victory, or complete victory. The reader will be prompted to consider many aspects o(...)

literary

YEAR: 2011

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Bohdan Wróblewski, Jadwiga Żylińska

Master Daedalus [Mistrz Dedal]

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.It is the life story of Daedalus beginning from his first visit to an Athenian blacksmith. The young Daedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus, king of Athens, starts to learn his craft locally and still, as an apprentice, quickly bec(...)

literary

YEAR: 1973

COUNTRY: Poland


Roy Knipe, Geoffrey Trease

Mission to Marathon

Mission to Marathon immerses the young reader in the tense events of the Battle of Marathon campaign in 490BCE. The story follows a fictional protagonist, Philip, the young son of an Athenian sculptor. When Philip's father hears in the Assembly that the Persians have reached Euboea he anticipates that they will land at Marathon to make their invasion. Philip is tasked with hurrying to the village of Marathon to warn their extended family and urge them to seek safety. Philip's elder broth(...)

literary

YEAR: 1997

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Coffee Powered Machine

Okhlos

Okhlos' protagonist is an unnamed philosopher, enraged with the gods' indifference towards mortals and their well-being. The breaking point comes with the destruction of the School of Athens (obviously based on Raphael’s famous frescoes) - one of the Olympians crashes it with his foot, leaving almost no survivors. The only one left alive, the philosopher, says "enough!" and mobilizes the Athenians to overthrow Olympus' cruel regime and start a new life with freedom th(...)

electronic

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: Argentina


George O'Connor

Olympians (Series)

Olympians is a series of graphic novels that takes one deity per volume as the focus, retelling numerous myths related to that god.Volume 1. Zeus. King of the Gods. Featuring creation myths and the war between the Titans and Olympians. Narrator unspecified.Volume 2. Athena. Grey-Eyed Goddess. Featuring the myth of Athena's conception and birth; Pallas; the attack of the Giants; Medusa and Perseus; Arachne. Narrated by the Moirae (The Fates). Volume 3. Hera. The Goddess and her Glory. Fe(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: United States of America


Thetis Authentics Ltd.

Ostrakon [Óστρακον (Óstrakon)]

The Thetis Authentics Ostrakon game challenges people to "excavate" a slab of plaster to discover reproductions of pottery fragments (ostracons or "ostraca"). One of the fragments will be an imitation of an ostracon used in a political ostracism – an occasion when adult male Athenians of the classical period would scratch (or get someone else to scratch) onto a sherd of pottery the name of an individual whom they wished to see exiled from the city for a certain limited (...)

electronic

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: Greece


Weng Chen (Jade), Carolyn Hennesy

Pandora Gets Jealous (Mythic Misadventures, 1)

This is the first instalment in a series of books called "Mythic Misadventures" that takes the classic story of Pandora's box and gives it a young, adventurous, partly contemporary twist - Pandora is Prometheus' thirteen-year-old daughter. In Pandora Gets Jealous, she brings the box Zeus had given her father to school for her annual school project. When she accidentally unleashes all the evils inside, she is tasked with recapturing them all before the entire world is ruine(...)

literary

YEAR: 2008

COUNTRY: United States of America


Christos Kondeatis, Sara Maitland

Pandora’s Box: A 3-Dimensional Celebration of Greek Mythology

"Open this box…and enter a world of marvels" invites the blurb of Maitland and Kondeatis’ Pandora’s Box. Fastened with a golden ribbon, the book/box opens to reveal hidden compartments, pop up pages, and other interactive elements alongside a textual commentary of the myths, culture and history of the ancient Greek world. It includes a labelled portrait of the major Olympians with their symbols and accoutrements and a map of Odysseus’ wanderings. On one page lo(...)

literary

YEAR: 1995

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


George O'Connor

Poseidon. Earth Shaker (Olympians, 5)

Poseidon. Earth Shaker has Poseidon himself as its narrator and it tells stories of the god’s offspring and of his contest to be the patron of Athens. As a first generation Olympian, Poseidon was part of the overthrow of Cronos, and the graphic novel opens with the brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades looking down into the great chasm into which Cronos has been hurled. The division of the realms takes place, and "of course" (p. 4), Poseidon receives the seas as his domain. There ar(...)

literary

YEAR: 2013

COUNTRY: United States of America


Mattel, Inc.

Princess of Ancient Greece™ Barbie® Doll

This collector’s edition doll depicts the ‘Princess of Ancient Greece’. Unlike many of the ancient Greece inspired dolls produced by Barbie (including three versions of Athena (here, here and here), two versions of Aphrodite (here and here), Medusa, and Flora/Chloris, all also surveyed on this database), this doll does not depict a mythical character but a representation of a real (royal) woman. The doll is dressed in a tight-fitting coppery pleated dress (identified by the box(...)

material

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: United States of America


Terence (Terry) David John Pratchett

Pyramids (Discworld, 7)

Pyramids is set in the fictional Djelibeybi (or the Djel), the tiny, powerless remains of an empire whose only importance is as a strategic block between its neighbours, Tsort and Ephebe. Pteppic/Teppic, the crown prince, has been training at the Assassin’s Guild in Ankh-Morpork. Returning to the kingdom following his father’s death, Teppic discovers that he has no real power, and the real ruler is Dios, the ancient high priest. After an unfortunate series of misunderstandings in whi(...)

literary

YEAR: 1989

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Anna M. Komornicka

Shattered Vase [Stłuczona czara]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue (accessed: June 11, 2021), Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp.Athens during the times of Socrates. Potter Blepyros dreams that his son Leagros lost at sea fifteen years earlier asks him to make a vase decorated with a painted boy running after a hare, the same Leag(...)

literary

YEAR: 1972

COUNTRY: Poland


Yann Le Bras, Salim Mokaddem

Socrates in Love [Socrate est amoureux]

Socrates heads to Agathon’s banquet on the occasion of the poet’s victory in the city’s competition. The guests eagerly await his arrival and begin a discussion on Eros, the god of Love. The artist Phaedrus calls him the oldest of the gods and notes that he inspires lovers to show courage, for example, on the battlefield, since nothing could shame more than to be seen as a coward in the eyes of a beloved one. The writer Pausanias specifies that there are two Erotes and two Aphr(...)

literary

YEAR: 2011

COUNTRY: France


Natalia Kapatsoulia, Filippos Mandilaras

Solon. The Wise Statesman [Σόλωνας, ο σοφός νομοθέτης (Sólōnas, o sofós nomothétīs)]

Solon is presented, right from the book’s opening page, as a wise and well-travelled individual who set the foundations of Athenian democracy. The city-states of Solon’s time were governed by tyrants. Solon travelled around the world, studying the laws of different places. When he returned to Athens, the book continues, people were distressed that the Megarians had taken over Salamis. After Solon’s motivational speech in the Agora, the Athenians followed his crafty plan to figh(...)

literary

YEAR: 2011

COUNTRY: Greece


Lisa Jane Gillespie , Emi Ordas

Sticker Greek Myths

Each 1 or 2-page section of Sticker Greek Myths presents a scene of figures within an ancient environment, accompanied by approximately fifty words of explanatory text. The child reader/viewer is invited to use stickers that are specific to that section to build-up the scene. The stickers typically feature clothing and accessories such as weapons and ropes, and scene-specific items such as Heracles' lion-skin cloak and the Chimera's heads.1. Mount Olympus: This section introduces th(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


TED , Tim Hansen, Melanie Sirof

TED-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing, Series Behind the Curtain: 1) Music and Creativity in Ancient Greece / 2) The Battle of the Greek Tragedies

Music and Creativity in Ancient GreeceThe video states that contemporary society is obsessed with music – it is present in our religion, entertainment, emotional expression. Things worked this way also for ancient Greeks, even more so, as importance of music in their lives makes us “tame by comparison.” Then the ancient myth about Muses is introduced: they were the deities inspiring the artists and each of them had a specific area of interest, which included not only musical ar(...)

ephemeral

YEAR: 2013

COUNTRY: Online


TED , Alex Gendler, Melissa Schwartzberg

TED-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing, Series Government Declassified: What Did Democracy Really Mean in Ancient Athens?

The video shows a young woman surprised by the information that she won a lottery with an all but typical (at least for today’s standards) prize – a position in her country’s national legislature. This may seem strange, as today we understand democracy as a political system based on elections, not lotteries. Yet in ancient Athens things worked differently: elections were organized only for positions requiring high competences, such as generals; all of the other magistrates &nda(...)

ephemeral

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: Online


TED , Wisecrack , Addison Anderson, John R. Dilworth, Alex Gendler, Mathias Richard Horhager, Conor Neill , Pilar Newton , Alec Opperman, Jason Permenter, Asparuh Petrov , Massimo Pigliucci , Saschka Unseld, Rebecca Whipple Silverstein, Mia Wood

TED-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing, Series The Big Questions: What Aristotle and Joshua Bell Can Teach Us about Persuasion / Plato's Allegory of the Cave / Plato's Best (and Worst) Ideas /The Philosophy of Stoicism /

What Aristotle and Joshua Bell Can Teach Us about Persuasion?The video's first scene presents a concert of a world famous violinist Joshua Bell at Boston Symphony Hall on January 9, 2007. We are told that Bell at this time was “at peak of his abilities”; then he is shown standing and playing at the top of a sky-reaching mountain among clouds, which can bring to mind Parnassus. But soon the mountain disappears, Bell falls down and suddenly we see him performing on a subway platfor(...)

ephemeral

YEAR: 2013

COUNTRY: Online


William Terence Deary, Dave Smith, Michael Tickner

Terry Deary's Best Ever Greek Legends / Top Ten Greek Legends

This is a collection of humorous retellings of myths for children designed to introduce them to Greek mythology and to ancient culture more broadly. Many of the stories are told from unusual perspectives and they are delivered in a variety of literary forms and fonts.Contents:Introduction.Legend 1: Zeus. Hera's Tale. The myth of Io told with Hera narrating events from her perspective.Fantastic Facts 1: 10 Best Victims. Summaries of myths of: Semele, Aphrodite, Echo, Nemesis, Europa, Danae, T(...)

literary

YEAR: 1998

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Zofia Kaliska

The Amazing Journey to Antiquity [Niezwykła podróż do Starożytności]

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. Contemporary Poland: Igor receives an old history book as a birthday present. He and his sister Iga realize they can travel in time using the book. Each time they begin to read a new chapter, they are transported to the cor(...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: Poland


Aleksei Simukov, Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaia

The Argonauts [Аргонавты (Argonavty)]

Two Greek boys playing on the seashore notice a wrecked ship and an old man sitting nearby. The man, Jason, tells them the story of the ship (“Argo”) and recalls some of his friends the Argonauts (Theseus, the Dioscuri, the Boreads, Orpheus, and Heracles). He tells how the ship was built and how they journeyed to Colchis in order to find the golden fleece. Among the adventures Jason recalls moving rocks of Symplegades, Stymphalian birds, and sirens.In Colchis in order to win the gold(...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 1971


Stuart Hill, Sandra Lawrence

The Atlas of Heroes. A World of Heroes from Myth and Legend

This atlas is large in scale (at 28x34 cm) and sumptuously illustrated with hand-drawn maps decorated with numerous heroes associated with each location. The figures on the maps are numbered, and these correspond to a companion page which features summaries of each hero. The maps are double-framed within an introductory story communicated via text and illustration; a young girl discovers the atlas as part of a stash of items in an attic, and the atlas features notes added by her as she uncovers (...)

literary

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Natalia Kapatsoulia, Filippos Mandilaras

The Battle of Marathon [Η μάχη του Μαραθώνα (I máchī tou Marathṓna)]

The textual and pictorial narrative starts with a contemporary setting: parents and children enjoy the sun and the sea in a crowded beach, ‘Marathon Beach’. As we read in red letters, this is the place where an important battle in history happened. We turn the page, and we are introduced to the Persian Empire, its geographical vastness and its great King, Darius I. By contrast, the reader comes to appreciate, Greece is much smaller. In the Greek city-states decisions were reached dem(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: Greece


Delphine Dumont

The Battle of Marathon. The Decisive End of the First Greco-Persian War

This short educational book uses a combination of short text sections and inset text boxes to communicate the events and context of the Battle of Marathon to teenagers and young adults. The publisher asserts that this style makes the information easier to absorb and remember, serving as a sort of short course in the subject. The sections included are as follows:The Battle of Marathon: Key Information.Political and Social Context:Expansion of the Persian EmpireThe Ionian RevoltThe Aegean Strategy(...)

literary

YEAR: 2013

COUNTRY: France


Aliakseĭ Lialiaŭski , Leanid Paŭlionak , Liudmila Skitovich

The Birds [Птицы (Ptitsy)]

The director diligently preserves the plot proposed by Aristophanes, but eliminates many moments that reveal ancient realities and issues that could require search for relevant phenomena in contemporary life. Two residents of Athens leave the city in search of a better place to live. The road brings them to Hoopoe, the king of birds, and his servants. The two convince the birds that their purpose is to rule the world and propose an idea to build a city of birds between the sky and the earth. The(...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: Belarus


Maciej Słomczyński

The Black Ships [Czarne okręty]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue (accessed: June 11, 2021), Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp.The action takes place around 2000 BC. The main character is a Trojan teenager (he is fourteen when the story begins), called Białowłosy (Towhead, literally “White-haired”) because of the col(...)

literary

YEAR: 1972

COUNTRY: Poland


Yann Le Bras, Jean Paul Mongin

The Death of Socrates [La mort du divin Socrate]

The Plato and Co. publications explore the lives and works of ancient and modern philosophers in highly illustrated slim volumes. This contribution to the series addresses the trial and subsequent death of Socrates following Plato's account and in doing so presents a number of Socrates' ideas as a narrative of this period of his life. The Death of Socrates opens with an enquiry, apparently from the narrator, to the Delphic Oracle as to who is the wisest man in Greece. The oracle ans(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: France


Heinrich Joachim Friedrich Karl Hans Stoll

The Dream of Troy [Der Traum von Troja]

The novel tells the story of the life and work of Heinrich Schliemann, whose entire life was dedicated to the realisation of his childhood dream – discovering the city of Troy and proving that Homer was not just a storyteller but also a reliable source of historical truth. The novel is divided into seven books of three chapters and ends with a concluding epilogue.Book one, Der Traum eines Dorfjungen [The dream of a village boy], depicts Heinrich’s childhood at the Ankershagen vicarag(...)

literary

YEAR: 1956

COUNTRY: Germany


Daniel Minter , Susan Reynolds

The First Marathon. The Legend of Pheidippides

The inner covers of The First Marathon depict a map of Greece and of the Persian Empire up to the Euphrates and down to Sidon. Persian territory is coloured orange, Greek yellow. The opening of the story shows Pheidippides as a child, running. The text explains that "before there were telephones, cars, or computers, there was a boy named Pheidippides." (p. 1). Pheidippides loved to run, even running around his mother as she shopped. As he got older he ran the hills around Athens a(...)

literary

YEAR: 1997

COUNTRY: United States of America


Justyna Jastrzębska

The Graeco-Persian Wars [Wojny Greków z Persami]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue (accessed: June 11, 2021), Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp.The text describes the history of armed conflicts that took place in 499–449 BC. between the Persian Empire and Greece, a country, metaphorically, tiny as the surface of a shield, but capable of ac(...)

literary

YEAR: 1912

COUNTRY: Austro-Hungarian Empire Congress Poland Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Russian Empire


Renae De Liz , Ray Dillon

The Legend of Wonder Woman: Origins

The Legend of Wonder Woman: Origins is a graphic novel retelling an updated origin story for the iconic superhero Wonder Woman. The story follows her journey from her island home of Themyscira into the outside world during World War II.In ancient times, Zeus granted the Amazon Hippolyta and her sisters immortality. They created an island of women free from greed and hatred. Their island, Themyscira, is kept secret from the rest of the world in an unknown location. As an immortal, Hippolyta is un(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States of America


Stefan Weinfeld , Jerzy Wróblewski

The Legends of Maze Island [Legendy Wyspy Labiryntu]

The Legends of Maze Island include classical Greek myths associated with the island of Crete: the abduction of Europa by Zeus, his numerous love affairs, the whole story of Daedalus and Icarus, the reign of Minos, insane passion of Pasiphae for the bull of Poseidon, the construction of a labyrinth to house the monstrous Minotaur. The comic book contains also related myths such as those associated with the life of Theseus, Medea, and the son of Poseidon.(...)

literary

YEAR: 1989

COUNTRY: Poland


Jim Whiting

The Life and Times of Herodotus

Ch. 1. A Historic First, and the First History opens with an image of the Battle of Salamis accompanying a novelistic account of the Athenian army rushing to return to Athens following, as the reader discovers, the Battle of Marathon. Without knowing it, the Athenians are "competing in history's first marathon" (p. 9). The Persians left once they saw the Athenians at their city. "Centuries later, a legend would arise" about a messenger running from the battlefie(...)

literary

YEAR: 2006

COUNTRY: United States of America


Mary Renault

The Lion in the Gateway. The Heroic Battles of the Greeks and Persians at Marathon, Salamis, and Thermopylae

Ch. I. The Arrow of Ormuz. The Lion opens with a description of the mountainous Greek landscape. We hear of boys guarding flocks from wolves and the presence of many more dangers from pirates and raiders. Many Greeks seek land through colonisation, with many going east to settle Ionia. The ancient Greek disposition is described – an independent spirit that rejects kings in favour of oligarchies and democracies, inquiring minds which ask questions and seek answers about all manner of things(...)

literary

YEAR: 1964

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Russell Punter

The Minotaur

This book is a retelling of the traditional myth of Theseus and the Minotaur (for which see e.g. Diodorus of Sicily, Library, book 4; Plutarch, Theseus; Apollodorus, Epitome, 1.7; Apollodorus, Library, 3; Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8.155–182). It opens with Aegeus receiving a letter from Minos, and closes with Theseus back in Athens having completed his mission but having lost his father in the process. The primary function of this retelling of ancient myth. is to provide children with read(...)

literary

YEAR: 2009

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Paul Oskar Höcker, Maria Konopnicka

The Olympian. A Historical Tale from the Age of Pericles, According to Oskar Höcker written by M. K. [Olimpijczyk. Opowiadanie historyczne z czasów Peryklesa podług Oskara Höckera napisała M. K.]

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 action takes place in the 5th century B.C., in Athens. Cimon’s military successes ensure the support of Athenian citizens; aristocracy remains in power in the city-state. Pericles keeps away from politics, but he is con(...)

literary

YEAR: 1900

COUNTRY: Congress Poland


Jan Lewis, Saviour Pirotta

The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths

This is a very popular collection of ten retellings of ancient myths, attractively laid-out and well-written for a young audience. There is an illustrated Table of Contents at the start, which enables pre-literate children to participate in choosing the story that will be read, as well as teaching them how to use a ToC.Each story begins with an elaborate fronts-piece full of details from the story, and each story concludes with a small image that contains a key element of the myth. Both elements(...)

literary

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Tony Bradman , Tony Ross

The Orchard Book of Swords Sorcerers and Superheroes

Chapter 1. Voyage to the Edge of the World. The Story of Jason and the Golden Fleece.Chapter 2. The Magical Sword. The Story of King Arthur.Chapter 3. The Fabulous Genie. The Story of Aladdin and his Magical Lamp.Chapter 4. An Apple for Freedom. The Story of William Tell.Chapter 5. Superhero. The Story of Hercules and the Monstrous Cacus.Chapter 6. The Fantastic Voyage of Sinbad. The Story of Sinbad the Sailor and The Roc.Chapter 7. The Fearsome Dragon from the Lake. The Story of George and the (...)

literary

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


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


Geraldine McCaughrean

Theseus

The book unfolds the adventurous life of the Athenian hero Theseus from his birth to his old age. We learn of his different exploits and acts of bravery (slaying giants, fighting the Minotaur), as well as his mistakes and flawed relationship with others (the Amazon queen Hippolyta, his son). Through the story of Theseus expedition to Crete, to fight the Minotaur, two more characters are introduced, Daedalus and Icarus. Their story, especially their fatal flight is interwoven with Theseus’ (...)

literary

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: United States of America


Colm Lawton , Simon Spence

Theseus

Theseus is part of a series of storybook myths aimed at very young readers. Each two-page spread combines a full-page illustration and a page of text. The text is presented in an informal style, in a Comic Sans-like font, while the illustrations present the characters as wide-eyed and childlike. The story begins with an introduction to Theseus, including the information that ion that he grew up without his father. We learn that Theseus eventually became strong enough to lift the rock that covere(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Rafik Bougueroua, Yann Damezin

Theseus according to Plutarch [Thésée d’après l’œuvre de Plutarque]

The short story is based on the eponymous chapter from Plutarch’s Parallel Lives (Plut. Thes. 1–22). The focus is placed on the figure of Theseus, in particular on his childhood, growing up, and his relationship with his parents. Theseus’ duel with the Minotaur and his emerging feelings for the young Ariadne constitute the culmination points of the story. The narration ends with the hero’s return from Crete to Athens, following a victory over the Minotaur.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: France


Marcia Dorothy Williams

Theseus and the Minotaur & Arachne versus Athene

Like other books in the set of retellings of ancient Greek myths taken from Marcia William’s 1991 collection Greek Myths for Young Children, the current volume is divided into two sections. The first contains Williams’ retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur. The second, shorter, section, derails with Arachne’s’ contest at spinning with Athene. In the first section, divided into short chapters, Theseus sails from Athens to Crete as one of the set of young men and women(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Anna Gkoutzouri

Theseus and the Minotaur [Θησέας και Μινώταυρος (Thīséas kai Minṓtavros)]

On the cover of this charming board book which has four double-page spreads in total, Ariadne stands with her string, ready to help Theseus who stands to her right. With the pull of a small lever, a Minotaur appears sandwiched between the two figures, waving a tiny toy drum. On the first page of the story we encounter Minos, who demands that he receive fourteen youths to serve him each year. Seven female-presenting youths are holding little boxes with the numbers 1–6 on them. When a lever (...)

literary

YEAR: 2019

COUNTRY: Greece


Natalia Kapatsoulia, Filippos Mandilaras

Theseus [Ο Θησέας (O Thīséas)]

This book aims to educate young learners about Theseus, presenting episodes from Theseus' life in a compact and entertaining manner. The textual and visual narrative starts with Theseus’ parents, Aegeus and Aethra, and ends with the hero’s long rule as a wise king of Athens. The plot unfolds like a fairy tale, appropriate for a story about the four kings mentioned: Aegeus, Theseus, Pittheus, and Minos. There is constant action, and we move on swiftly from one event to(...)

literary

YEAR: 2008

COUNTRY: Greece


Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski

Tytus, Romek and A’Tomek. Book 19: Tytus Becomes an Actor [Tytus, Romek i A’Tomek. Księga XIX: Tytus aktorem]

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.Three main characters, Tytus – a chimpanzee, and his human friends: Romek and A’Tomek are going to the theatre, but Tytus does not know how to behave there so the two boys decide to show him the history of performance(...)

literary

YEAR: 1992

COUNTRY: Poland


Anthony ("Tony") Robinson, Del Thorpe

Weird World of Wonders: Greeks

This work is a humorous introduction to the history and culture of ancient Greece. There is significant focus on classical Greece, although there is also some material on the career of Alexander the Great, followed by brief sections on the Hellenistic world and the coming of Rome. In keeping with book's title and the rest of the series of which it is a part, the representation of ancient culture focuses on things that appear eccentric, funny, cruel, or disgusting by modern Western standards.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: United Kingdom


Małgorzata Karkowska , Monika Warneńska

We’ll Meet on Atlantis [Spotkamy się na Atlantydzie]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue (accessed: June 11, 2021), Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp., section by Helena Płotek, pp. 406–407.The story begins when the young protagonist Alekos Dragumis is travelling to Greece by train. He is the son of a deceased Greek father and a Polish moth(...)

literary

YEAR: 1988

COUNTRY: Poland


Russell Peabody Calabrese

What’s New, Scooby-Doo? (Series, S02E14): It’s All Greek to Scooby

The episode titled It’s All Greek to Scooby begins in contemporary Greece. The opening scene presents two field researchers, Lysander Damas and Susie Smythe, exploring a mysterious cave. Susie wants to persuade Lysander to go back and leave the cave, afraid of a mythical tale of a dangerous Centaur who put a curse on the place. Lysander is determined to stay, however, and goes further by himself, as he considers the tale to be a foolish fable. Whereas Susie does not want to take any chance(...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 2004

COUNTRY: United States of America


Irini Savvides

Willow Tree and Olive

Olive Alexandropoulos is in her final year of high school at prestigious Clare College in Sydney. In spite of the support of her teachers and her best friend Kerry, she is feeling the pressure, and her ambivalence about her Greek heritage doesn’t help. When a lecture on the sexual abuse of children triggers repressed memories of being raped as a five year old by an old man in her family’s village back in Greece, Olive falls apart. Although she tries to keep her revelation hidden, an (...)

literary

YEAR: 2001

COUNTRY: Australia


Dennis Nolan, Jane Hyatt Yolen

Wings

Wings can be classified as a picture book, in that Yolen’s written story is accompanied by Nolan’s full page watercolour paintings. But the sophistication of both textual and visual messages makes the work suitable for a mature readership. It tells the story of the craftsman Daedalus. It opens with him living as a celebrated inventor in Athens, before his role in the death of his nephew Talos forces him to go into exile. Making his way to Crete, he is welcomed by the unscrupulous Kin(...)

literary

YEAR: 1990

COUNTRY: United States of America