Written in 700 BC, the Theogony, as its name suggests (from the Greek θεογονία: θεός "god" and γονή "generation"), is the narrative of the birth of the gods. The peculiarity of the work, however, lies in the figure of the poet-writer, who appears for the first time with a precise physiognomy, becoming a teacher of the true and not just a cataloger of facts.

Hesiod is the singer who narrates the birth of the universe, of the gods and their progenitors, weaving the threads of a narrative that does not skimp on pathos and is not afraid to present readers with lights and shadows of the stories related to these mythical figures.

We could almost call it an excursus of divine life and psychology!

After placing the first book on our list in the crook of our arm, let's move slightly along the shelf of history to retrieve another classic of ancient Greek literature: Library of Pseudo-Apollodorus.

A true encyclopedia of myth, the Library is a compendium of sagas and legends related to the gods and heroes of Ancient Greece. Composed of 16 chapters, it is a microscopic analysis of writings by authors in some cases lost to us.

Don't your fingers tingle at the idea of being able to get your hands on so much knowledge?

Have you ever thought about how nice it would be to have a pair of wings so you can see the world from above? Our mind is often crossed by thoughts of this kind, hypotheses of what our life could be if we could be something else.

Drawing from myth, Ovid, a Latin writer contemporary of Emperor Augustus, wrote the Metamorphoses, a book where human, divine and natural are inextricably intertwined, recounting events in which the change of form (the metamorphosis) becomes a punishment or reward, inextricably modifying the life of those who undergo it.

A tale full of twists and turns, to be savored slowly like a good glass of wine!

Eccentric, far from the divinity of her parents and siblings, dark of hair and compassionate temperament. Miller gives us a human Circe, constantly poised between divinity and mortality, far from everything that should be the offspring of a titan.

The image that is given to us is that of a young woman who decides to take the reins of her life and create a corner of the world suitable for her. Strong and stubborn, she turns her weakness into a strength by preventing the society that gave birth to her from determining her destiny.

Drawing on ancient sources and different readings, Madeline Miller takes some of the best-known heroes and gods and gives them a new life, taking them out of history to insert them into everyday life.

If, on the other hand, you are a young reader (or would like a title to read with your children) with the *Percy Jackson *saga you will be on the safe side! It is a coming-of-age novel series that has as its protagonist a young demigod struggling with divine relatives with easy lightning, epic feats in the darkness of the Underworld, Titans and Giants to defeat to save the world.

The adventures of Percy and his friends, thanks to a captivating writing and a narrative full of moments of hilarity and introspection, bring children closer to the world of Greco-Roman mythology, making gods and heroes members of the society of the twenty-first century.

The perfect recipe for a breath-taking read!