WISDOM OF THE MYTHS, THE

“The apple of discord,” “a Herculean task,” “taking the bull by the horns,” “the labyrinth,” “Pandora’s box,” “a Cassandra”: all expressions we use in everyday discourse. But few are aware that the origins of all these allusions are found in Greek mythology. This new book from Luc Ferry tells the fascinating stories that are their colourful source. Mythology is above all a representation of the world as a universe that is harmonious, just, beautiful, and good -- at the outset. But if such perfect balance were established, there would be no life, for “the Gods would be bored.” So it is that the struggle against chaos, the first Gods, and the Titans constitutes a major theme of Greek mythology. As does the profound meaning of the motto inscribed upon the temple of Delphi: “know thyself”-- in other words, “do not take yourself for a God". A plunge into the myths of ancient Greece is fascinating and riveting, the more so because they are interrelated. As spell-binding as the fairy tales of Grimm or Perrault, they are, moreover, an indispensable source of culture that sheds light and depth upon the bases of our way of perceiving the world and our fellow man. Publisher: HARPER COLLINS PAPERBACK ISBN: 9780062215451 Dimensions: 20.30 and 13.50 cm Publish Date: Feb-14 Page Count: 416