Undying Glory: The Solar Path of Greek Heroes

by Tom Billinge

Undying Glory by Tom Billinge explores a common thread running throughout the Hellenic mythos. The Solar Path is walked by Perseus, Jason, and other heroic figures of the canon – but only one reaches its end.
In this practical treatment of Greek mythology, Billinge highlights the Solar Hero archetype, advancing it as an ideal for men to aspire to. He explains in detail the symbolic meaning of relevant myths, along with valuable lessons they impart. Truly priceless however is his unparalleled analysis of the Solar Path itself.

This is an essential addition to the Heroic Solar current within European spirituality.

226 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2020

About the author

Tom Billinge grew up in England enveloped in Ancient Greek mythology. Between trips to his mother's homeland of Cyprus and going on his father's field trips to Crete, Tom was surrounded with archaeology and Greek culture from a young age. After graduating with a degree in archaeology, he moved to Asia, where he explored temples and immersed himself in the martial and spiritual traditions of the East.

Following several years travelling the world and writing for a living, Tom returned to the West with a longing for something deeper. This eventually brought him back to his roots and the Greek mythology of his childhood. Re-reading the hero myths of his ancestors, Tom began to see a common thread that ran throughout them. There were hidden messages from the ancients that could be deciphered and utilised by men today.

Tom currently resides in New England with his wife Kristin. In addition to authoring books, articles, and essays, he also teaches Muay Thai at Radius Martial Arts Academy (a 10th Planet affiliate) and works as an editor in combat sports media.

Reviews

[Chris Healey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been fascinated by mythology since I was a boy, so it was a very easy decision to pick up a copy of Tom Billinge’s book which comprehensively, lucidly & accessibly recounts the famous heroic Greek mythology.

Each myth is retold in full, followed by a commentary & then abstracted into a lesson that the reader can then apply to their own heroic journey.

I appreciated this structure, rather than disrupting the narrative with interpretation & analysis which is often the case. The analysis & lessons I found very thought provoking, often leading to greater rumination, speculation & insight. Instead of reducing the message of the myths, Bilinge condenses them to inspirational jumping off points for the reader.

The only criticism I’d have is that I tend to find the familial relationships of a lot of characters in mythology difficult to keep track of, and this is obviously a very significant part of the symbolism & narratives. A family tree type diagram of the main figures would’ve been appreciated, perhaps with a more detailed map of the locations.

Still, I don’t think that’s an omission & would only go to enhance the utility of a brilliant book that I would’ve really appreciated as a younger man, as well as now. It’d make a great gift for a teenager wanting to deepen his knowledge of mythology as well as learn how to apply it.

Have to give huge credit for the truly epic artwork too. Brilliant & well presented book I’ll likely go back to regularly.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book is a touch dry and written in a fair straight forward almost plodding manner. Not a lot of editorializing or color commentary, just a direct telling of the Solar Hero myths with a breakdown of each one and lessons to be gained. Not a bad book but also could have been a series of articles on Medium.