Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Natalia Kapatsoulia, Filippos Mandilaras

Leonidas and the Battle at Thermopylae [Ο Λεωνίδας (O Leōnídas)]

As we read in the opening page, this book is about a person who left his mark on Greek history. We learn about his family background. Leonidas’ father, Anaxandridas, was king of Sparta. Leonidas, like other Spartan boys, received military training. When he became king, he had to take action against the Persians who invaded Greece. Leonidas consulted an oracle about what to do, and gathered together leaders from other Greek city-states to discuss whether or not to surrender to the Persians.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: Greece

TAGS: Anaxandridas Ephialtes Leonidas Persians Sparta Thermopylae Xerxes

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

TAGS: Achilles Acrocorinth Alexander the Great Argolid Argos (City) Athena Athens Epaminondas Isthmus of Corinth Leonidas Miltiades Mycenae Nauplius Nemea Palamedes Persians Phocion Poseidon Themistocles Thermopylae Tiryns

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

TAGS: Aesop Ancient Religious Practices Ancient Sacrifice Ancient Warfare Aristophanes Aristotle Athens Cleopatra VII Democracy Egypt Egyptian Mythology Founding Legends Greek Philosophy Homer Plato Ptolemaic Egypt Pythagoras Sparta Sphinx Symposium Thermopylae Trojan Horse Trojan War Zeno of Elea