I will start with a few little-known ‘facts’ about Prometheus. His name means “forethought” — the one who thinks ahead, the wise one. By contrast, his brother Epimetheus was the foolish one, acting first and only then reflecting on it (his name meaning “hindsight”). His other brother was Atlas, who was condemned to carry the Heavens on his shoulders for eternity as a punishment for fighting against Zeus and the gods of Olympus — and ultimately losing. Prometheus was one of the Titans, yet...

The myth of Sisyphus has evolved into a generic expression: “Sisyphean labour”, signifying futile, meaningless, never-ending repetitive...

Orpheus is known for his lyre and the divine music he played on it for everyone around him. His name became the eponym for places, works...