Arachne's Threads

From a leading expert, a fascinating introduction to ancient Greek myths and why we can’t stop retelling them in new ways

Did the ancient Greeks really believe in their myths? Arachne’s Threads addresses this and other questions as it explores why the Greeks created myths and why we still love them more than two millennia later. Sarah Iles Johnston, one of the world’s leading experts on Greek mythology, offers an engrossing and provocative account of Greek myths and their capacity to convey ideas, in antiquity as well as now.

Although Greek myths may seem eternal and unchanging, Arachne’s Threads demonstrates that it is in fact their striking malleability that ensures their continuing relevance: the Persephone we meet in today’s novels and comics is decidedly different from the one the Greeks knew. Along the way, the book discusses the important cultural work that Greek myths did by considering how they helped to build belief in the gods’ existence, why those gods were so often portrayed as treating humans badly, and how the Greeks tweaked cross-cultural stories such as that of the Great Flood. It challenges some popular misunderstandings of myths, narrates surprising versions of familiar tales, traces the changing stories of Arachne and Icarus across the centuries, and considers contemporary reinterpretations of myths. The book ends with a close look at how the Odyssey works, arguing that Odysseus creates his own myth and emphasizing the enigmatic nature of his wife, Penelope, who has her own tales to tell.

Enlightening and entertaining, Arachne’s Threads will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the enchanting stories and characters of Greek mythology.