The Meaning of Myth in Uncertain Times: How Classical Mythology Helps Us Navigate a World in Crisis

This book reveals how sociocultural and political debates today are still heavily influenced by ancient mythology. It explores how ancient stories shape how our modern secular society thinks about the interconnected geopolitical, technological, and ecological issues we are facing, and our potential futures. Classical myths like those of Achilles, Medea, and Odysseus are ubiquitous, from films and books to social media and games. But how and why are we still fascinated with them now? Can these strange and often painful stories from societies so radically different from our own offer us genuine insights today? This expanded English edition of Evelien Bracke’s award-winning Dutch book Leidraad door het labyrint explores how and why Greek and Roman myths, despite their ancient origins, have become surprisingly meaningful in times of uncertainty. Bracke offers a contextualisation and literary analysis of classical mythology – through both texts and visual media. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of how people draw inspiration from the past for a better future, and how these stories provide both collective and individual guidance in navigating the turbulent twenty-first century. The Meaning of Myth in Uncertain Times is suitable for students, scholars, teachers, and general readers interested in mythology and ancient Greek history and culture, providing insights that are relevant to the challenges we all face today.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Heracles in the Congo; Part 1: The meaning of myth in the digital age; 1. Definitions of myth: On the sexuality of Achilles; 2. A megaphone for mythology: Europa on Twitter; 3. Zeus in the multiverse: Are all myths true?; 4. Gaia in dystopia: Doomsday thinking in nuclear times; 5. Is Sisyphus happy? Meme culture and the absurdity of existence; Part 2: Uncertain times; 6. (Self)destructive man: On the eternal Trojan War; 7. Witch hunt from Kamala to Medea; 8. The monstrous climate: The Minotaur in the political imagination; 9. Hephaestus in the uncanny valley: Artificial Intelligence and the limitations of being human; 10. To live is to suffer: On the complex actions of Oedipus; Part 3: Together through the labyrinth; 11. On clay, fire, and tears: Prometheus’ visionary progress; 12. Medusa and the masses: The monster as manifest; 13. Activism in the shadow realm: On the barricade with Antigone and Ismene; 14. Weaving and waiting: Crisis management with Penelope; 15. Tentacles of kinship: Ode to an unlikely hero; Conclusion. A future for Pandora.

About the Author :
Evelien Bracke is an award-winning scholar of classical mythology and education. Through her research and public engagement, she is committed to widening access to the study of antiquity and demonstrating the enduring impact of ancient stories on modern life. She is currently affiliated with Ghent University and University College Dublin.

Review :
Praise for the Dutch edition: "[The book] testifies to a deep-seated conviction that classical mythology not only bridges Antiquity and the present but also offers a way of thinking about the fundamental big questions of our time. In times of uncertainty and major social challenges, such as the climate crisis, the author offers mythological stories as a guide to existential thinking: how do we keep hope when the world is changing? How do we find direction in a maze of complex problems?" - OIKOS (Onderzoeksinstituut Klassieke Oudheidstudiën) Praise for the English edition: "Evelien Bracke’s new book ‘The Meaning of Myth in uncertain times’ is a breathtaking read, providing unexpected, subtle, and brilliant analyses of the power classical mythology holds in a globalized and digital world. From a submarine named Agamemnon to the Minotaur as a symbol for climate change, and from Young Adult-Persephone to Kamala Harris as Medea: myth can be made to send all kinds of political messages, also destructive ones. Yet, like Ariadne, Bracke also throws us a lifeline, demonstrating how these same myths can be dynamic and hopeful instruments for thinking about the many ‘wicked problems’ of our own times." - Jacqueline Klooster, Professor of Greek Philology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg