Tales of the Greek Heroes

by Roger Lancelyn Green

Explore the real Greek myths behind Percy Jackson's story - he's not the first Perseus to have run into trouble with the gods . . .

These are the mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the adventures of Perseus, the labours of Heracles, the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, to Odysseus and the Trojan wars.

Unknown Binding

Published May 7, 2013

About the author

Roger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Born in 1918 in Norwich, England, Green studied under C. S. Lewis at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a B.Litt. degree. He delivered the 1968 Andrew Lang lecture. Green lived in Cheshire, in a manor which his ancestors owned for over 900 years. He died in October 1987. His son was the writer Richard Lancelyn Green

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today I am going to review the book called Tales of the Greek Heroes. The author is Roger Lancelyn Green and he is said to be very good at retelling myths to young readers. Some of the main characters are Heracles: Known for his incredible strength and the famous Twelve Labors, Perseus: Famous for slaying Medusa and rescuing Andromeda, Theseus: A hero from Athens known for defeating the Minotaur, Jason: The leader of the Argonauts who sought the Golden Fleece, Odysseus: The cunning hero of The Odyssey, known for his intelligence and long journey home after the Trojan War, Achilles: The greatest warrior of the Trojan War, Bellerophon: Known for defeating the Chimera with the help of Pegasus, Atalanta: A skilled huntress and athletic princess, Orpheus: A legendary musician who journeyed to the underworld, Zeus: The king of the gods, Poseidon: The god of the sea and Athena: The goddess of wisdom and a patron of heroes. The central theme is that Greek heroes become legendary not because they’re perfect or magically chosen, but because they keep pushing through hard challenges. It’s about how your choices, courage, and effort matter way more than fate. This book is important because it makes ancient Greek myths easy to read and understand for a younger age (Lower Teens). Here is a summary of the book. The book follows the early lives and big adventures of famous Greek heroes, showing how they grow from regular kids into legendary figures. It dives into their tough challenges, from fighting monsters to dealing with stubborn gods, and shows how their bravery, mistakes, and choices shape who they become. The book explores their personalities, their fears, their strengths, and the things that push them forward, giving a deeper look at what really makes a hero. It also shows how their actions affect their world, from kingdoms and battles to friendships and the gods themselves. The general topic of the book is a detailed look at the journeys and challenges of Greek heroes, exploring how their stories helped define ancient myths and the meaning of heroism. The main idea of the book is that heroes become legendary by facing huge challenges, making brave choices, and showing courage and cleverness, not just because of fate or strength. My favorite parts were the 12 labours of Heracles and Jason and the Golden fleece. Tales of the Greek Heroes was published in 1958. Even though the book hasn’t won any awards, many famous mythology authors say it inspired them to write their own mythology books, like Rick Riordan and James Treadwell. There is even a Foreword from Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus series, where he talks about how this book inspired his love for Greek mythology and helped mostly shape the stories he writes today. Roger Lancelyn Green is best known for retelling old myths and legends and making them easier for people to understand and enjoy. Roger Lancelyn Green was born on December 12, 1918, in London, England. He studied at Oxford University and became a fellow at Merton College. In the 1940s and 1950s, he worked as a writer and editor, publishing collections of myths and legends. During that time he also published Tales of the Greek Heroes (1952) and King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (1953). Later, he continued publishing books for children and young adults, including Robin Hood (1956), King Arthur’s Knights (1956), and Tales of the Norse Gods (1960). He remained a major figure in retelling classic myths until his death on October 8, 1987, at Merseyside, England. Although Roger Lancelyn Green did not earn any awards, some honors he received include being a fellow at Merton College, Oxford, recognition as a leading reteller of myths and legends for children, and widespread praise from authors and scholars for making classical mythology accessible and engaging. His books, like Tales of the Greek Heroes, have also been cited as inspiration by modern mythology writers. Roger Lancelyn Green’s impact on society comes from retelling myths and legends in a way that inspired generations of readers and future writers. 5 key points addressed by Tales of the Greek Heroes are how heroes face huge challenges with courage and bravery and make choices that shape their destinies and consequences. It also explores their strengths and flaws, their interactions with the gods, and what true heroism really means. 5 key points addressed by Tales of the Greek Heroes are the courage heroes show in challenges, the choices they make and their consequences, their strengths and flaws, their interactions with the gods, and the meaning of true heroism. Some key takeaways Roger Lancelyn Green wanted to leave readers with are the importance of courage and bravery, learning from one’s mistakes, understanding the consequences of choices, appreciating the human qualities of heroes, and recognizing that true heroism comes from character and effort, not just strength or luck. The overall tone of the book is adventurous, exciting, and full of wonder. The book changed me because it taught me that people that really want to do something can happen. The book changed me because it showed me how bravery, clever choices, and determination can make someone truly heroic, even when they’re not perfect. Tales of Greek Heroes provided me with a perspective where whatever I do, sports, business, school, etc, I always try my best to get what I want. The book inspired me to be less scared and more confident and trust myself that I can do whatever I want. The book gave me knowledge on how Greek gods and Greek heroes influenced each other and how Greek mythology evolved from Chaos and Gaia to the 12 Labours of Heracles and Jason and the Golden Fleece. I would recommend Tales of the Greek Heroes to a young age like 8-14 and mostly anyone who can read and is interested and likes Greek mythology or basically just likes mythology. This text is 1004 words excluding this sentence.