The Greek Myths That Shape the Way We Think

🔸古典學名家 Richard Buxton 跨時代巨作：精選 8 大最深刻的希臘神話人物
不同於泛泛而談的神話故事集，本書由知名古典學專家精心挑選出對現代文明影響最深的八位神話主角，深度剖析其核心故事，讓讀者精準掌握希臘神話精髓。

🔸剖析跨領域的文化影響力：從古典藝術到現代心理學與流行文化
書中詳盡梳理神話從古羅馬、中世紀、文藝復興，一路演進至當代電影、歌劇、時尚與心理學的歷程。探討這些古老傳說如何跨越世紀 censure（審查）與批判，持續在各領域掀起文化浪潮。

🔸直指現代人性困境：探索直擊心靈深處的普世價值
透過普羅米修斯、美狄亞與伊底帕斯等人的戲劇性抉擇，本書深入解答「為何古老神話仍能引發現代人的恐懼與渴望」。對於神話愛好者、文學讀者及文化研究者來說，這是一本絕佳的當代心靈與人文指南。

A sophisticated look into the eight Greek myths that remain the most relevant to us today, exploring their powerful cultural impact from their ancient origins to the present.

The Greek myths have been retold countless times, first by the conquering Romans, then through the medieval and Renaissance eras of Europe, and finally finding new expression in masterworks of art, literature and cinema on the global stage. Classical scholar Richard Buxton explores the stories at the heart of this ancient mythology and how they have come to influence our society today.

The Greek legends seem to speak to us universally, their deities tantalizingly human - often indulging in behaviours morally ambiguous at best and obscene at worst - and their heroes dealing with dilemmas and destinies that echo, if exaggeratedly, conflicts in our own lives. The dramatic choices that such figures as Prometheus, Medea and Oedipus face have resonated with audiences over thousands of years. Each chapter focuses on a mythical character and the powerful stories and interpretations that surround them. Yet the myths’ relevance has not been uniform; they shift with the cultural tide. They have endured moments of censure, criticism, and even ridicule, but now their influence can be recognized almost everywhere, from opera to psychology, from fashion to contemporary art.

How is it that these tales have retained their power to connect with our own fascinations, fears and desires, though they came from a world very different from our own? Here Buxton charts their cultural impact through a rich variety of re-imaginings, examining the many guises they have taken through the ages and the profound truths that they continue to illuminate.