NONFICTION - May 8, 1994

THE GODS OF GREECE by Arianna Huffington (Atlantic Monthly Press: $35; 144 pp.). Arianna Huffington, who wrote the text for “The Gods of Greece,” is herself Greek, and this handsome book contains her illuminating interpretations of the ancient deities of her homeland. As a child, the French artist Francoise Gilot was similarly intrigued by the Greek myths, and this book reproduces 70 stunning drawings, paintings and prints inspired by them. All aim at conveying the essence behind familiar masks, rather than at mere physical description. “Alone by the Sea,” for instance (see above), depicts Artemis, goddess of the wild. A tree and a cliff tower over her, and the sea stretches beyond her to the horizon, reducing her featureless face and distant figure to a scale appropriate to someone who lives at one with nature. But her red gown and her relaxed yet dynamic pose identify her as a force to be reckoned with.

The recognition that emerges from this remarkable collaboration is that the Greek pantheon forms a sophisticated psychological system, one perfected centuries before the birth of Christ, one that continues to offer important insights into the complex nature of a human being and his or her proper relation to the cosmos.