“'Carpe Diem'. Let's take advantage of life. Let's enjoy it. This is the great teaching of myths. Emilio del Río (Logroño, 1963), university professor and author of 'Little History of Classical Mythology' (Espasa) says it smilingly and confidently. Illustrated by Jvlivs, it is a delight to entertain and teach “readers of any age the life lessons that myths give us, reconciling humor and rigor.”
“Chesterton taught us that serious is not the opposite of fun, that it is boring, and good dissemination must entertain while being rigorous,” insists Del Río. He wants to make it very clear that his new book – three editions in one month – “is not a manual or a mythological dictionary.” He invites you to participate in a fun and profitable journey through the classical world. “It is not necessary to have knowledge of mythology to enjoy it,” says its author, doctor in Classical Philology, responsible for the popular podcast 'Locos por los classics' (RNE) and author of 'Latín lovers' (2019), 'Calamares a la Romana' (2020) and 'Crazy about the classics' (2023).
He wants his readers to “have a good time, learn and understand the world better.” “We cannot understand our history or Western culture without mythology,” says Del Río. «Myths are in art, painting, music or literature, and they help us face the future, for which we need innovation and imagination. And mythology makes us dream and awakens our fantasy,” he points out.
«We can fly on winged horses, face the bloodthirsty minotaur or try to escape from the cave of a cyclops. They are fun adventures, fabulous trips and self-help in the best sense, what Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and Cicero offer us, and not the fairground charlatans of today,” says Del Río. «Mythology is not a revealed word, nor divine truth, nor a sacred book for which to kill. “It is created by artists, poets, playwrights, historians and philosophers,” he congratulates himself.
Between all the myths, he stays with the Phoenix Bird, “which tells us that we can be reborn from the most difficult moments in life and move forward again – what we now call resilience -, and with Athena. «A woman born from the head of Zeus, goddess of wisdom, intelligence or strategy in war. She is the deity of Athens, and therefore of all cities. She is the goddess of civilization, concord, dialogue and agreement that urban coexistence, urbanity, requires,” he lists. “We need Athena more than ever,” he claims.
Narcissus' 'selfie'
Hercules, Perseus, Narcissus and Echo, Pygmalion and Galatea or Ulysses, “reflect the human condition, goodness and evil, generosity or greed,” he argues. “They are life lessons,” Del Río insists. «We live surrounded by mythology. The planets and the days of the week refer to mythological gods: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter… », he highlights. “If we say that we live in a very narcissistic time, we are referring to Narcissus, the first to take a 'selfie' and drowned when he tried to capture the image of himself reflected in the water,” he says.
Homer teaches us through Ulysses “that life is a journey full of dangers. He heard the siren songs, another mythological concept very present today in police cars, ambulances and firefighters. He does not teach that we must be careful with the 'siren songs', that is, with temptations and dangers. «Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, gives name to NASA's latest mission to take a woman to the Moon, and Orion is a hunter who challenges Artemis. Making ends meet is an Odyssey, our policy is labyrinthine, and we call the viruses that sneak into our devices Trojans,” he lists.
The already very rich King Midas is another example: «instead of asking Dionysus for friendship, health or love, he asks for more money; May everything he touches turn into gold. He will not be able to eat or drink and will beg to return to his previous state »he points out.
«The Olympus of disclosure»
Del Río is proud to enter a collection that includes Fernando García de Cortázar with his 'Little History of the World', Manuel Fernández Álvarez with that of Spain', Fernando Argenta with music, José Antonio Marina with painting, Fernando Savater with philosophy or Henry Kamen with the conquest of America. “I enter Olympus but I am the intern of these gods of dissemination,” he ironically says.
Doctor in Classical Philology from the Complutense University of Madrid, where he is currently a professor, Del Río is the author of essays and research on classical communication and oratory. Since 2012 he has been in charge of the Latin and classical culture section 'Verba Volant', first in 'It's not an ordinary day' on Cadena Ser and currently in the mornings on Radio Nacional.
He directs doctoral theses and has carried out research stays at several universities. He was awarded the Cross of Alfonso X the Wise for his merits in the fields of education, science, culture, teaching and research. He has also been awarded by the Spanish Society of Latin Studies and the Spanish Society of Classical Studies.
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