Most people think that myths are just stories. In addition to thinking myths are factually untrue, they are also old and irrelevant. This is evident in the everyday use of the word: “That’s just a myth.” We are taught that it is bad to “perpetuate” myths, but a cause for celebration to “debunk” them. James Sale doesn’t agree with this assessment. He thinks the entire modern world has gone down a wrong path, precisely because it has forgotten the lessons that myths can teach us.
In “Gods, Heroes, and Us: Greek Myths in the Modern Era,” Sale argues that the Ancient Greek myths are still relevant. The stories about Apollo, Herakles, and Odysseus represent timeless truths about human nature and the moral order. As Sale puts it, “Myths are making the invisible visible,” so that people can better understand reality. In doing so, we can combat the widely held views of relativism and scientism that are undermining our civilization.
