Why Greek Mythology?

I was recently asked why I chose to write stories rooted in Greek mythology. The answer lies in the unique intersection Greek myth creates between imaginative storytelling and deeply personal narrative.

Greek mythology is fundamentally character-driven. Every story centers on an individual and their journey—one shaped by choice, flaw, consequence, and fate. Even the grand epics with sprawling casts ultimately reveal the virtues and vices of singular characters. Alongside heroic epics are Greek tragedies, which examine those same characters through the lens of failure, hubris, and loss. The Greeks never softened these flaws. Instead, they presented their heroes as deeply human, which makes the stories simultaneously symbolic and emotionally real.

Creatures as Characters, Not Just Obstacles

The fantastical creatures of Greek mythology are as compelling as the heroes themselves. Nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, gorgons, sirens, winged horses, fiery cattle, minotaurs, hydras, the Nemean lion—many of these beings are part human, part animal, or something else entirely.

Yet despite their richness, these creatures are often reduced to villains or narrative devices meant to test or assist a hero on his quest. Occasionally, however, glimpses of deeper personal narratives emerge:

Medusa the gorgon
Kheiron, Eurytion, Pholus, and Nessos among the centaurs
The Minotaur imprisoned in his labyrinth
The Sphinx and her riddle

These moments hint at stories left untold.

The Power of Contradiction and the Gaps Between Stories

Because Greek mythology developed through oral tradition, most myths exist in multiple versions. Details shift, overlap, and sometimes directly contradict one another. These discrepancies are particularly evident in stories involving centaurs.

Kheiron, for example, is portrayed as wise, cultured, and honorable—the beloved trainer of Greek heroes—while nearly all other centaurs are depicted as violent, drunken, and savage. That contradiction fascinated me. Different narratives create space for interpretation, and it is in those spaces that imagination thrives.

In the case of Sons of Apollo, those gaps became the foundation for an entire culture: exploring why the centaurs were portrayed the way they were, how their reputation formed, and what their own version of events might have been.

Where History and Myth Intertwine

Greece is also the birthplace of Western civilization, and its mythology is inseparable from its history. Ancient Greeks portrayed their myths in literature, art, and architecture, weaving them directly into their understanding of the world.

To study Greek civilization is to study its mythology—and vice versa. The line between historical reality and imaginative narrative becomes blurred, as though the two coexisted in the past. That blending lends credibility to fantasy and makes the suspension of disbelief feel natural. In Greek mythology, imagination and reality feel less like opposites and more like reflections of one another.