My Top 5 Greek Myths, In No Particular Order
The story of Andromeda. So, as a little kid, I was always fascinated by stars, but I really struggled to identify constellations in the actual night sky. I loved the planetarium show and begged to go every time we went to the science museum in OKC, and when I found out there was a princess with a constellation named after her that had a whole GALAXY inside it? I was so obsessed. I googled the name and learned everything I could understand, which at 9 turned out to mostly be the story of Andromeda. Andromeda's mom Queen Cassiopeia pisses off the gods by being really vain. To knock her down a peg, the gods decide that Cassiopeia should sacrifice he daughter Andromeda to the Hydra. She's chained to a rock in the ocean, when suddenly Perseus rides in on his Pegasus to save her, and take her far away from her weird family.
The myth of Cassandra. I don't know what it is about the concept of a woman burdened with truth in a world of unbelief.... Oh wait....
Persephone, as a mythological figure. I think her myth is actually quite tragic, though in the end she becomes incredibly powerful. However, I don't think we're supposed to find this power aspirational. While she is both goddess of spring and death, my personal interpretation, particularly as someone with chronic illness, has generally been that a death/rebirth cycle godhood might come with some sort of physically painful cost.
Artemis, as a mythological figure. I like the idea of an immortal feral thirteen-year-old girl roaming the forests of Europe armed with her bow and an army of tween girls. Rick Riordan nailed that interpretation of her, I think.
The Fates. I love the concept of the Fates. I love the idea of the thread of life, the idea that we may be individually different but could be woven into something greater, and that we don't get to decide how long our lives are, so we should make the most of them.
Looking forward to seeing the movie! What are your favorite Greek myths?