Information about a product
| Edition: | 1 |
| Place and year of publication: | Warszawa 2026 |
| ISBN/ISSN: | 978-83-235-7277-0 |
| EAN: | 9788323572770 |
| Binding: | Twarda |
| Format: | 17x24 cm |
| Weight: | 0 |
The volume gathers the results of one stage of the programme “Our Mythical Childhood”, supported by an ERC Consolidator Grant. An international team of scholars representing various research fields analyzes the phenomenon of the reception of the history of Ancient Greece and Rome in children’s and young adults’ culture. The scope of the volume is vast and comprises literature, audiovisual works, material artefacts, along with differing settings, time periods and audience age groups. Special attention is dedicated to the reception of famous historical figures, such as Socrates, Julius Caesar, and Spartacus, as well as to the issue of colonization, education and identity building. The volume also explores the relationship between myth and history, both in terms of the mythologization of actual historical protagonists and those of special cases when it is not possible to state whether a certain event or figure was historical or mythical. In view of all this, the volume offers stimulating reflections for scholars of various disciplines, students, and a wide public.
Keywords: ancient history, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, children’s and young adults’ culture, classical reception studies, classical antiquity, children’s and young adults’ literature, childhood, coming of age, mythology
Keywords: ancient history, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, children’s and young adults’ culture, classical reception studies, classical antiquity, children’s and young adults’ literature, childhood, coming of age, mythology
The reviewed volume is a comprehensive and ambitious synthesis of the social, political, religious and cultural transformations that shaped the distinctive world of children’s and young adults’ culture rooted in the legacy of Ancient Greece and Rome. […] Drawing on classical literary sources as well as the latest archaeological findings presented through contemporary interpretations, the contributors offer a compelling and engaging narrative that balances accessibility with scholarly rigor. […] this volume […] holds great importance for the education of children and young adults, reflects innovation in methodology and includes comprehensive citations of contemporary literature. The clarity of argumentation throughout the articles further distinguishes this work. It should be an essential addition to any research library focused on Ancient Greece and Rome, the classical mythological tradition and the reception of antiquity. Specialists outside the field of classical studies should also find it valuable. Given the current academic interest in the reception of antiquity and mythological traditions, historians, anthropologists, cultural scholars, students and postgraduates, as well as all those engaged with these topics, will regard this volume as a substantial contribution to these fields of research.
Prof. Oksana Ruchynska, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. From the editorial review
There is no comparable undertaking to the series of anthologies for which Katarzyna Marciniak is responsible. The present volume is also unique in the research landscape on children’s and young adult literature. This is not least due to the fact that it brings together specialists in ancient culture who use their profound knowledge to deal with the history of reception. […] The authors are all highly qualified in their respective fields and they also know how to present their expertise in clear and comprehensibly argued texts. […] The introduction by K. Marciniak is a special masterpiece, seemingly effortlessly bridging the gap between ancient historiography and ancient historiographical theory and the subject matter, the history of antiquity and modern children’s and youth literature. […] The anthology can address several audiences and thus prove its usefulness for a large number of researchers. It is helpful not only for scholars publishing in the field of children’s and young adult literature (whether focussing on antiquity or modern times), but for all scholars concerned with the diverse forms of reception of antiquity, not only ancient historiography. Precisely because the thematic breadth is so great, it also shows the diversity of the appropriation of antiquity in modern times. […] The University of Warsaw Press is to be congratulated on having such an important volume in its portfolio, which will undoubtedly attract international attention and have an impact.
Prof. Ulrich Schmitzer, Humboldt University of Berlin. From the editorial review
Our Mythical History is also a lesson in weaving the fabric of the world together. It is essential for us to be able to add our own threads, to play our part in History, especially in times when all around seems to be falling apart and needs to be mended with strong lifelines. […] The fabric we weave from myth and history joins us in the present, with our past, and with the future. Its threads never end. Only if we know the history of our ancestors and if we are open to the mystery of myth, are we able to add our own threads in the right places and shape this fabric into the best of possible worlds.
Katarzyna Marciniak, University of Warsaw. From the introductory chapter
Prof. Oksana Ruchynska, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. From the editorial review
There is no comparable undertaking to the series of anthologies for which Katarzyna Marciniak is responsible. The present volume is also unique in the research landscape on children’s and young adult literature. This is not least due to the fact that it brings together specialists in ancient culture who use their profound knowledge to deal with the history of reception. […] The authors are all highly qualified in their respective fields and they also know how to present their expertise in clear and comprehensibly argued texts. […] The introduction by K. Marciniak is a special masterpiece, seemingly effortlessly bridging the gap between ancient historiography and ancient historiographical theory and the subject matter, the history of antiquity and modern children’s and youth literature. […] The anthology can address several audiences and thus prove its usefulness for a large number of researchers. It is helpful not only for scholars publishing in the field of children’s and young adult literature (whether focussing on antiquity or modern times), but for all scholars concerned with the diverse forms of reception of antiquity, not only ancient historiography. Precisely because the thematic breadth is so great, it also shows the diversity of the appropriation of antiquity in modern times. […] The University of Warsaw Press is to be congratulated on having such an important volume in its portfolio, which will undoubtedly attract international attention and have an impact.
Prof. Ulrich Schmitzer, Humboldt University of Berlin. From the editorial review
Our Mythical History is also a lesson in weaving the fabric of the world together. It is essential for us to be able to add our own threads, to play our part in History, especially in times when all around seems to be falling apart and needs to be mended with strong lifelines. […] The fabric we weave from myth and history joins us in the present, with our past, and with the future. Its threads never end. Only if we know the history of our ancestors and if we are open to the mystery of myth, are we able to add our own threads in the right places and shape this fabric into the best of possible worlds.
Katarzyna Marciniak, University of Warsaw. From the introductory chapter
