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Articles on Greek mythology

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Increasingly, Americans seem to have irreconcilable differences over the pandemic, the economy – even the result of the 2020 election. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Ancient Greek desire to resolve civil strife resonates today – but Athenian justice would be a ‘bitter pill’ in modern America

Homer and Aeschylus turned to the divine to write their happy endings. But no gods are conspiring above the US, ready to swoop down and save humankind from itself.
Donald Trump’s helicopter landing at the White House, Oct. 5, as he returns from being hospitalized at Walter Reed. Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images

‘What goes around comes around,’ or what Greek mythology says about Donald Trump

A classics scholar and poet turns to Greek mythology, especially the story of Oedipus the King, to explain the drama – or perhaps tragedy – that is taking place in the highest office in the land.
Statuette of a female vulve called Baubo, terracotta, from Priene, Asia Minor, 4th century BC. Reddit

When did the vulva become obscene?

An ad alluding to the vulva is sparking controversy, but there are few objections to phallic symbols. What explains this difference in treatment?
Heintz Joseph the Elder, The Rape of Persephone, circa 1595. Wikimedia Commons

Explainer: the story of Demeter and Persephone

Like many Greek myths, the story of Persephone’s descent into the realm of Hades, and her emergence from it, has resonances in contemporary arts, most especially the notion of death and rebirth.
James Comey in 2017. AP Photo/Cliff Owen

What Greek tragedy illuminates about James Comey

Greek tragedies shed light into human nature’s darker corners. They can also illuminate the character of former FBI chief James Comey, whose unbending adherence to principles evokes ancient themes.
A central convention of Greek mythological narratives called katabasis, the hero’s journey to the underworld or land of the dead. Marcella Cheng/The Conversation NY-BD-CC

Essays On Air: Journeys to the underworld – Greek myth, film and American anxiety

Journeys to the Underworld – Greek myth, film and American anxiety The Conversation36.9 MB (download)
Our new podcast, Essays On Air, features the most beautiful writing from Australian researchers. Today, classics expert Paul Salmond explores how modern cinema directors borrow from Greek legends.

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