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Jan ParandowskiParandowski, Jan, Mitologia. Wierzenia i podania Greków i Rzymian[Mythology. Beliefs and Legends of the Greeks and Romans].Okładkę projektował [Cover design by] Jan S. Miklaszewski. Warszawa:Czytelnik, 1950 [ed. pr. 1924]. 351 pp.Genre: Collection of myths.Summary: Description of the mostimportant Greek and Roman myths.This is a significant, or even the mostimportant book responsible for increasingbasic awareness of ancient culturein Poland for a number of reasons.First, the author opts for milder versionsof events — without brutality,drastic fight scenes, rapes, moral controversies.This allows to use the bookin elementary school. Second, Mythologyis written in a simple, but extremelyelegant and colourful language.Author uses many literary epithets, elementsof dialogue, repeatedly quotes Polish poets such as: Jan Kochanowski,Sebastian Fabian Klonowic, Franciszek Dionizy Kniaźnin, Adam Mickiewicz(see p. 197), Juliusz Słowacki, Adam Asnyk, or Bolesław Leśmian, demonstratingthe connections between Polish literature and ancient Graeco–Romantradition.Classical themes: Introduction to each part of the book shows the specificityof beliefs of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Some editions of the book containalso numerous illustrations showing artifacts of ancient material culture (vasepaintings, fragments of friezes, mosaics).Key words: Greek mythology, Roman mythology.278