Lessons from Greek Myths

I recently tried counting the number of novels I have read that centre their tales on retelling ancient Greek mythology. I reached over twenty-five, if my bookshelf and memory serve me, with my most recent completion being Hera by Jennifer Saint. Some of my favourite authors in this particular genre include Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, and Natalie Haynes. These authors have caught my particular attention because they celebrate their characters with rich complexity and help us see ourselves, their faithful readers, within the ancient heroes and villains alike.

Others may disagree, but my record is fairly impressive. Given my experience, I might label myself as someone who is “in the know” about retellings of Greek mythology in novel form. Despite my devotion to these intricate narratives of divine intervention and human struggle, however, it took me some time to make the thematic connections between my pleasure reading and my professional work in religious studies. For far too long, I had been poring over the dramas of queens, gods, and goddesses without giving much thought to the real history, culture, and, of course, religion of it all.

In fact, some people of Greek background, along with others around the world, still identify with or draw inspiration from the traditions often grouped under the term “Greek mythology.” Many actively work to return artefacts to their Mediterranean homeland for reasons of religious and cultural reverence. Admittedly, I do not have an ounce of Greek blood in my veins, though my respect and appreciation run deep: in addition to my reading habits, visiting the Acropolis of Athens is certainly on my bucket list. In all honesty, sacred spaces have always fascinated me, but Greece offers a unique scope of religious, cultural, historical, and political history that have woven many of us across the world together in our distinct contexts. That is why I believe that Greek stories should be honored and carried with us into the future.

Countless generations of students have read the Iliad and the Odyssey, and these works retain the honour of standing among the world’s most treasured classics of literature. I just happened to be one of those students who could not get enough of the timeless themes presented in these epic tales: tragedy, heroism, divinity, and human nature. Personally, I am most drawn to stories that highlight the women of the ancient traditions whose voices may not have been truly heard or understood in the older texts and historical contexts.

If you’re looking for a retelling of the Battle of Troy that features accounts of the women—from goddesses, to queens, to enslaved relatives of fallen soldiers—who loved and lost, you have an excellently wide selection to choose from. I recommend starting with A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes.

This phenomenon of missing women’s perspectives is nothing new in the study of world history, and reading novels that bring those perspectives to light is just as important as recognising the historical and cultural significance of what, and how, we categorise as “ancient” and “myth.” What we are reading, even in the best-crafted retellings of these stories, is a kind of lived religion that has taken place in our world, not mere fantasy. As a scholar of religious studies, I am learning to see these narratives as windows into the religious visions of real communities, rather than only as material for modern entertainment. Firstly, Greek myths are part of a long and important cultural history. They should not be equated to stories like the tortoise and the hare, for example. Secondly, believing in divine entities and interpreting their roles in human existence remains a very serious and respected aspect of global society, and yet, it seems that there are those in our modern contexts who would view Greek traditions as outdated or wrong—this deeply disrespects a community of people who honor their heritage.

Even if it is not part of your own practice of faith to believe in the god of thunder and his large accompanying cast of other divine beings, holding a sense of reverence and respect for those who have believed—and, in some places, still do—is an essential part of sharing in their stories. For teachers, students, and practitioners, these novels can become an unexpected classroom or discussion space where we learn how to approach other people’s sacred stories with curiosity, empathy, and care.

Now that I have started to take a closer look at what I am reading and how it has related to my work in religious studies, I have pledged to think more deeply about the weight of these stories from Greek mythology. They have lasted through the centuries and continue to inspire audiences with a wide assortment of backgrounds with their profound religious, cultural, and emotional power. I respect the contexts and traditions from which these stories have originated and spread across time and space. I appreciate how the themes and lessons they reveal through their rich narratives remain relevant to the modern-day reader in so many important ways, while simultaneously offering a taste of a time long past. I certainly will not be getting tired of these novels anytime soon, so you can expect my record to continue to climb (as high as Mount Olympus, perhaps).

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© Jane C. Fitzpatrick, 2026.

This work is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Cover Image: Provided by the author.