Heroes of Olympus

by Philip Freeman, Laurie Calkhoven (Adapted by), Drew Willis (Illustrator)

Overview

Fast-paced and action-packed retellings of the most important Greek and Roman myths.

Ancient myths continue to have modern relevance—for thousands of years they have been the basis for plays, operas, paintings, and movies. And in these retellings from acclaimed writer and scholar Philip Freeman, classic tales from Greek and Roman mythology find new life and inspire aspiring writers, artists, and musicians. Adapted from the lengthier Oh My Gods and specially tailored to a younger audience, these irresistible stories of philandering gods, flawed heroes, and tragic lovers portray the fundamental aspects of humanity and are filled with entertaining drama and valuable insights.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442417298
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	05/01/2012
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Philip Freeman is the Fletcher Jones Chair of Western Culture at Pepperdine University and was formerly professor of classics at Luther College and Washington University. He earned the first joint PhD in classics and Celtic studies from Harvard University, and has been a visiting scholar at the Harvard Divinity School, the American Academy in Rome, the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, and the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC. He is the author of several books including Alexander the Great, St. Patrick of Ireland, Julius Caesar, and Oh My Gods. Visit him at PhilipFreemanBooks.com.

Laurie Calkhoven is the author of many books, including George Washington: An American Life and Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom. She lives in New York City. Visit her at LaurieCalkhoven.com.

Drew Willis is an art director and illustrator working in New York City. Visit him at DrewWillis.com.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

I love stories about ancient gods and heroes. Magical stories set in strange and ancient worlds were my favorite bedtime reading when I was young, and they still are today. What could be better than Zeus wielding his mighty thunderbolt or Hercules slaying monsters?

When we use the word “myth” today, we usually mean a story that isn’t true. The ancient Greeks used the word “mythos” to mean anything spoken—tales told by great bards and poets in story and song. The Greek and Roman myths were traditional tales that held important meanings, whether they were true or not.

The Greeks had their own stories, but they were also a people of the wine-dark sea. Everywhere Greek colonists settled, the stories of their gods and heroes flourished. They were quick to adopt new tales, and stories flowed into Greece from places like Asia Minor, the Nile valley, and Mesopotamia. When Phoenician traders introduced their alphabet to the area around the Aegean Sea, the Greeks adapted the symbols to their own language and began to write their stories down.

Sometime around the year 750 BC, a poet named Homer recorded the greatest of all the Greek stories: the story of the Trojan War. Others wrote down other tales as well, and throughout Greece, festivals were devoted to tragedies and comedies about the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters of ancient times.

Far to the west, a small village on the banks of the Tiber River in Italy had begun to expand beyond its seven hills. The Romans inherited a rich mythology from their own ancestors, but they added many of the Greek stories and made them their own. As Rome grew and its power extended across the Mediterranean and beyond, the Romans spread the ancient myths throughout their empire.

In this book you’ll find modern retellings of all the major Greek and Roman myths. These stories are so full of beauty and magic and disturbing twists that today’s readers can still find truths in the ancient tales.

May you never lose your love for old stories.

Editorial Reviews

A numbing catalog of "Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals" from Greek and Roman mythology, condescendingly "adapted" for younger audiences from a juicier version for adults. Spun off from Freeman's Oh My Gods! (2012) but hardly differing in page count, Calkhoven's methodical treatments of 60-some classical myths and legends only rephrase and tone down Freeman's language. She leaves most of the (nearly continual) sex and violence in but describes it euphemistically or in dryly factual ways. The retellings arbitrarily blend Greek and Roman versions of names (Zeus, Hercules) and inconsistently render some in English ("Sky" rather than Uranus and "Earth" rather than Gaia, but only proper names for all of their offspring). The dozens of headed entries begin with "Creation" and, after Cronus castrates his father (or, as it's put here, "slashed Sky's flesh") the war between gods and titans. Thereafter in no particular order (except that the Roman entries come last) come short accounts of individual gods and demigods mixed with topical overviews ("Goddesses," "Heroes"), genealogical recitations and short summaries of epic tales ("Troy") or legends ("Scaevola"). Original sources for all of these get scarcely a mention, and though many of the tales are not among the usual suspects, readers needing reminders of who Despoina, Otus, Ephialtes and dozens of less familiar figures are will get no help from the spotty annotated cast list at the end. An opening promise of "beauty and magic and disturbing twists" goes unfulfilled in this monotonous parade of ancient names and detached barbarism. Illustrations not seen. (Mythology. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews