Gallery Talk: Heroes Masked & Mythic

Epic battles, hideous monsters, and a host of petty gods–the world of classical mythology continues to fascinate and inspire. Heroes like Herakles, Achilles, and Perseus have influenced Western art and literature for centuries, and today are reinvented in the modern superhero.

What does Iron Man have to do with the Homeric hero Odysseus? Do DC’s Wonder Woman and Xena the Warrior Princess reflect the tradition of Amazon women? How does the modern superhero’s call to arms, and subsequent journey echo that of the epic warrior?

With fresh insight into ancient Greek texts and historical art, Baylor professor Chris Wood examines modern superheroes in comics and film as the crystallization of the hero’s journey in the modern imagination.

This gallery talk is included in general admission.