--- product_id: 225220561 title: "CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY VSI" price: "€ 10.35" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 6 url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/225220561-classical-mythology-vsi store_origin: IT region: Italy --- # CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY VSI **Price:** € 10.35 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY VSI - **How much does it cost?** € 10.35 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/225220561-classical-mythology-vsi) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From Zeus and Europa, to Diana, Pan, and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do those myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? Why do they seem to be such a potent way of talking about our selves, our origins, and our desires? This imaginative and stimulating Very Short Introduction goes beyond a simple retelling of the stories to explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical mythology. It is a wide-ranging account, examining how classical myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, taking the reader from the temples of Crete to skyscrapers in New York, and finding classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from Arabic poetry and Hollywood films, to psychoanalysis, the Bible, and New Age spiritualism. Review: Five Stars - Mind blowing. Review: Demystifying the myth - Emphatically not a narrative survey of Classical myths, this guide is firmly analytical. For Morales, 'Myth is a complex game of production and reception'. It is a game which invites reinvention and reinterpretation, selection and manipulation, and is one which is very much alive today. Her approach is radical and invigorating. One modern 'myth' tackled early on is that of Greek 'cultural purity'. Martin Bernal's controversial study, 'Black Athena', is discussed and found wanting, as one of its its central arguments about the value of myth in helping to reconstruct cultural origins is rejected. Morales references her points convincingly. Her argument about the malleability of myths, whose meanings depend on context, is illustated by examining the myth of Marsyas. To the Greeks, the myth can be interpreted as a warning that mortals 'know their place' and do not challenge the authority of the gods. To Romans of the Republic, however, Marsyas is a laudable figure, a freedom-fighter who resists the authority of the patrician class. In the myth's Roman guise, he is not killed by Apollo but rescued by Liber (god of liberation) and taken to Italy. As with Beard and Henderson's 'Classics' in the same series, every effort is made to present the subject in a lively and topical way. Some characters make it onto the A-list of mythological heroes (Theseus), while others, despite their positive qualities, do not (Lycurgus). Trying to find out why A-listers 'make it' (John Lennon) while others remain resolutely B-list (John Major) makes for an absorbing discussion. Morales is succinct and perceptive on the impact of Christianity, philosophy and psychology upon Classical myth (and vice versa), while her style is incisive, even provocative: the grand tradition of Western art, with its 'alibis' and its lascivious depiction of rape, has contributed to a view 'that ancient Greece and Rome were pornotopias.' By such means is a potentially dead(ly) subject brought vividly to life. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #55,834 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #196 in History of Civilization & Culture #892 in Literary Theory, History & Criticism #1,188 in Society & Culture (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 194 Reviews | ## Images ![CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY VSI - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81PfVRDjpKL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five Stars *by M***I on 27 June 2017* Mind blowing. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Demystifying the myth *by J***S on 8 June 2009* Emphatically not a narrative survey of Classical myths, this guide is firmly analytical. For Morales, 'Myth is a complex game of production and reception'. It is a game which invites reinvention and reinterpretation, selection and manipulation, and is one which is very much alive today. Her approach is radical and invigorating. One modern 'myth' tackled early on is that of Greek 'cultural purity'. Martin Bernal's controversial study, 'Black Athena', is discussed and found wanting, as one of its its central arguments about the value of myth in helping to reconstruct cultural origins is rejected. Morales references her points convincingly. Her argument about the malleability of myths, whose meanings depend on context, is illustated by examining the myth of Marsyas. To the Greeks, the myth can be interpreted as a warning that mortals 'know their place' and do not challenge the authority of the gods. To Romans of the Republic, however, Marsyas is a laudable figure, a freedom-fighter who resists the authority of the patrician class. In the myth's Roman guise, he is not killed by Apollo but rescued by Liber (god of liberation) and taken to Italy. As with Beard and Henderson's 'Classics' in the same series, every effort is made to present the subject in a lively and topical way. Some characters make it onto the A-list of mythological heroes (Theseus), while others, despite their positive qualities, do not (Lycurgus). Trying to find out why A-listers 'make it' (John Lennon) while others remain resolutely B-list (John Major) makes for an absorbing discussion. Morales is succinct and perceptive on the impact of Christianity, philosophy and psychology upon Classical myth (and vice versa), while her style is incisive, even provocative: the grand tradition of Western art, with its 'alibis' and its lascivious depiction of rape, has contributed to a view 'that ancient Greece and Rome were pornotopias.' By such means is a potentially dead(ly) subject brought vividly to life. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The meaning of myth *by P***E on 24 November 2010* Two other entries in this Very Short Introduction series can be seen as companion volumes to the present one. They are Classics, by Mary Beard & John Henderson, and Myth by Robert A. Segal. I would recommend reading those two - in either order - and then this one, although they each stand very well alone. Morales discusses various interpretations of the role of myth in Western culture, its functions and significance. Although she distances herself from works that restrict themselves to narrations and summaries of the myths themselves, she does include a list of Classical deities and their attributes, unapologetically admitting, "I am having my cake and eating it by including this". But the focus throughout is very much on the nature and function of myth rather than its content. The chapter on Freudian psychoanalysis is particularly interesting. She writes very well, often with a light touch and with frequent popular culture references. The book concludes with a useful 5-page Timeline - from 800 BC, "Early Greece" to 2007, the publication of this book - a comprehensive Reference section, and a very useful Further Reading section. If you want an understanding of myth, how it evolves and how it continues to be relevant, you should read this book. [PeterReeve] --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/225220561-classical-mythology-vsi](https://www.desertcart.it/products/225220561-classical-mythology-vsi) --- *Product available on Desertcart Italy* *Store origin: IT* *Last updated: 2026-07-24*