In my previous book, Greek Myths and Beyond, I had deliberately avoided dealing directly with the gods of Olympus, promising myself that I would do so in the following volume — telling the stories of the Olympians carefully and with due respect. So here I am!
In this volume, I have tried to find a way to do so by entrusting their portrayal to an old and distinguished university professor, Andrea Tafani — an imaginary character, though not entirely (we’ve all had a charismatic professor! Mine was named Prof. Pantè). His interlocutor, and the story that eventually binds them together, are indeed imaginary.
These two generations, and the seemingly vast distances that separate them, dissolve within a relationship that unites and transforms them both. In the background loom the inhabitants of Olympus, with all their weaknesses and peculiar traits. We are no longer — or at least not entirely — in the realm of mythology. What we have heard so masterfully recounted (by Tafani) was once the official religion of the known world, that is, of the peoples bordering the Mediterranean Sea — the very center of human civilization for centuries.
Professor Tafani speaks of all this with the utmost respect, and at times with such emotion that he is moved to tears. The bond between the two “friends” goes beyond conventional human relationships; I would call it a relationship of love. Fabrizio absorbs the message of the elderly professor, transforming his mind and his destiny — and this should make us reflect: if even today, after more than two millennia, these ancient tales still have the power to captivate our minds, then there is still hope — for myths, for the young, and, ultimately, for our society itself.
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