Hellenic Museum's brand new exhibit brings Odysseus to modern times

It's all Greek to me

11/30/2011 10:00 PM

By ELIZABETH DIFFIN
Staff Reporter

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Gods, Myths and Mortals
Children's Museum of Manhattan



Mathematics. Athletics. Mythology. Government. Art.

Forget good old-fashioned American ingenuity. Many of the things we hold dear can actually be traced back to ancient Greece.

And a new exhibit at the revamped National Hellenic Museum gives families a glimpse at what life was like back when the Parthenon was considered cutting-edge design.

“Gods, Myths and Mortals” uses the story of Odysseus, as told through the Iliad and the Odyssey, to show what it was like to live in ancient Greece. It includes authentic artifacts like pottery, coins and arrowheads, as well as interactive elements for all ages.

“It’s amazing to think [the Odyssey] has been around all this time,” said curator Bethany Fleming. “It’s about discovering yourself and having a home you can journey to.”

But the exhibit isn’t just a regurgitation of your eighth-grade English class. Instead, it expands upon portions of Homer’s stories, such as focusing on Penelope (Odysseus’ left-behind wife) to study weaving and life on a Greek island or Odysseus’ escape from the Cyclops to learn about sailing.

The exhibit, which originated at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, may delve into ancient history, but it does so in a modern way. Where else could you sing karaoke with the Sirens?

The highlight of the exhibit is the 12-foot-tall Trojan Horse that kids can climb inside and explore.

“The Trojan Horse is something you can see kids wanting to run over to and explore,” Fleming said. “It’s just so intriguing.”

But the exhibit, which will be at the museum until the end of August, isn’t the only thing to visit. The 40,000-square-foot museum opened this month and includes other interactive opportunities, such as tracing ancient Greek letters or writing your own Odyssey-like “journey.”

“You start to see how some of these elements have influenced the everyday world around you,” Fleming said.

And you may never look at a math problem or a track meet — or even an episode of “American Idol” — the same way again.


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