It’s also a fairly good warning on the dangers of losing oneself in intoxication—always a nice lesson to share with your kids. My personal favorite is the Lotus casino in The Lightning Thief, a modern-day spin on the episode from Homer’s Odyssey in which the hero gets caught in the land of the Lotus eaters. A character like Firenze, the centaur who becomes a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, harkens back to the tutor of heroes, the classical centaur Chiron. This is but one example of the enormous collection of knowledge embodied in classical mythology that authors and artists return to again and again.Many kids of today are finding entry to classical myths via the books of Rick Riordan—the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series. They’re fun, light entertainment that has some clever updates of classical mythology.
![]() ![]() ![]() The story takes place after environmental disaster has caused the fall of Western civilization. It’s this idea that Collins uses in The Hunger Games. Seven youths and seven maidens are being chosen from Athens to be sent to the powerful sea-kingdom of Crete, where they will be sacrificed to the horrible monster, the Minotaur. Accounts vary as to why the Tributes must go, but in one version Crete has defeated Athens in a war and demanded the Tributes as evidence of Athens’ submission. Tp link tl wn727nJuvenal was decrying the Roman population’s abandonment of civic values and responsibilities in exchange for government-provided appeasement and base entertainment (bread and circuses). The Capitol is largely modeled on our worst ideas of the worst of ancient Roman society. The denizens of the Capitol sport names like Seneca and Plutarch, and the nation of the book is named Panem, a reference to Panem et Circenses, the Latin phrase coined by Juvenal, a Roman poet. As a reminder of their defeat, once a year each District must provide a female and a male Tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 to fight to the death in the Hunger Games, which are broadcast live—a source of melodramatic entertainment in the Capitol, and of vicious oppression in the Districts.The Hunger Games deals out its child-on-child violence and the political implications of such without too much gore, but with plenty of horror. The books’ mix of ancient and modern ideas created a powerful story with compelling characters. Paul Getty Museum, 71.AH.106)I found The Hunger Games fascinating and thought-provoking, though some commentators have questioned their appropriateness for young people. Lacking that knowledge of ancient history, however, the books might come off as merely remote imaginings that could never happen in reality.Mosaic with boxers: A scene from the Aenied in which two boxers fight to a bloody end for the watching crowd. Then I began to review my history—not just of the ancient Mediterranean, but the world in general, even up to today, when child soldiers still face each other on battlefields. Yes, humanity can be that callous and brutal. Part of the point the books make for young adults today is how fine a line there is between civilization and barbarism, and it has nothing to do with sophistication—in the books it is the erudite citizens of the Capitol who are the barbarians. Paul Getty Museum, 78.AA.261 and 80.NH.152.133)When I began the books, I had trouble suspending my disbelief at how cavalierly the Capitol citizens enjoyed watching children murder each other. Get lucky guitarExploring Mythology at the Getty MuseumIf you’re interested in introducing your kids to the ancient world, here’s a few works of art in the Getty Museum’s collection to get you started.Storage Jar with Herakles Attacking a Centaur—In ancient mythology, centaurs are wild beasts more likely to carry off your wife than teach you valuable knowledge.Statuette of Poseidon—A 2,000-year-old bronze sculpture of the god of the sea, Poseidon, who Rick Riordan makes the father of his young demigod hero, Percy Jackson.Jug with Man and Bull—The influence of ancient Cretan culture can be seen on this small jug.Gladiator—This small statuette depicts a gladiator striding into combat. These men were usually slaves or criminals put into the arena to fight for the entertainment of the Roman crowd.Ulysses at the Palace of Circe—A vivid episode from Homer’s Odyssey.The Banquet of Cleopatra—Depictions of Cleopatra in art have tended to be influenced by Roman author Plutarch’s unflattering description of her as decadent, as we see here. Without that discussion, without an understanding of the ancient culture which informs both the books and our own modern life, not only is a lot of the potential meaning of the stories lost, but so is much of the potential meaning of our own day-to-day world.
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