Without a knowledge of mythology much of our elegant literature cannot be understood today. When Byron calls Rome the Niobe of nations or says of Venice that she looks a Sea-Cybele fresh from the ocean he calls up images which would be lost to the reader ignorant of mythology. The practice of borrowing illustrations from mythology is also widespread among Baroque and modern composers: knowledge of the myths and legends of ancient Hellas would prove helpful in understanding such titles as Die Liebe der Danae by Richard Strauss or L'enlevement d'Europe by Darius Milhaud. And how about The Garden of the Hesperides, an artwork by Frederick, Lord Leighton? Here is an attempt to present the Greco-Roman mythology as a source of entertainment. [ - ]

Without a knowledge of mythology much of our elegant literature cannot be understood today. When... [ + ]