Recently, Greek myths have been on the rise with books such as The Song of Achilles, Circe and Ariadne being published in recent years. Many of these books fall into the Young Adult (YA) genre which is also currently very popular. But why are they becoming so widespread?

Many of the prevalent titles have been written by women adding a new perspective to forgotten characters of ancient mythology. After The Song of Achilles was released in 2012, retellings became very popular. Famous authors including Stephen Fry, Natalie Haynes and Pat Parker have all released books within the genre.

Many retellings are women or LGBTQ+ centred. This brings forgotten characters and hidden story lines out of the shadows. Many figures particularly women are now presented as heroines rather than mere females married to heroic men ready to be cursed by the Gods or produce more heroes. Characters such as Medusa are presented as victims rather than malevolent villains they were often originally presented as in male dominated Greek mythology and ever since in patriarchal western culture. Other women such as Ariadne are being credited for their importance in the success of heroes such as Theseus. Without Ariadne, Theseus would never have overcome the mighty Minotaur.

Greek myths have themes that are common to us and the ancient Greeks. These themes include power, loss and love. Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles shows how what we might consider more modern have always been within the ancient tales that have helped shape our society.

Over the years, the classics have been something that mark the elite as different. Retellings including books like Percy Jackson build bridges making mythology and Ancient Greece more widely available to everyone. A lot of the culture and many of the morals of the Western world stem from Ancient Greece and it is important to understand where we come from. This can simulate discourse and widen horizons for all.

Overall, these new retellings have made ancient more accessible and given a new perspective on such old and significant mythology.