Taking Herakles out of myth and into history: presenting my abstract for Warsaw in May 2019

I said in the previous posting that, having written that posting, I was about to write my abstract for Our Mythical History in Warsaw in May 2019. Here is the abstract, accompanied by one of the drawings by Steve Simons that I’ll present there.

 

Making sixth-century BCE Athens all about Herakles for autistic children: out of myth – into history

 

My first set of activities for use with autistic children – introduced during the 2018 Our Mythical Childhood conference – present Hercules at a crossroads between two contrasting paths in life. My paper for Our Mythical History will take Hercules out of the strange landscape where he ponders his choice, rename him Herakles, and insert him into sixth-century BCE Athens.

 

As a time of turmoil, ferment and change, the sixth century is one with particular appeal as a source for activities for autistic children. The activities, linked with Herakles-themed events in the career of the would-be tyrant Peisistratos, will build on some of the challenges of being autistic that were explored in the ‘Choice’ activities including: what to do in times of stress, and how to read what others do and say. But they will also seek to create a space where autistic children can explore their autism.

The session will include some interactive activities for anyone who would like to participate.

 

Here is some further information about the conference.