The Immortals Quotes

“You will be a mother to many, for true motherhood lies in the heart, not the womb.”
― Jordanna Max Brodsky, The Immortals

“Our definition of ‘myth’ in common parlance: a widely believed, but false story. That’s the definition Anant so helpfully illustrated. But that’s not how the Greeks defined it.” Theo turned to the whiteboard behind him and scrawled “μῦθος: muthos” in large blue letters. “Muthos just means ‘story.’ No connotation of fictitiousness. The Greeks didn’t question whether Persephone had actually been abducted by Hades, or whether Artemis truly turned the hunter Acteon into a stag. On one level, they understood that these stories certainly weren’t meant to be taken literally, but on another level they believed that the stories held ultimate truth. Ways to understand their society, their own behavior, their relationship and duties to the gods. That’s something that fundamentalists in our own day have trouble grasping.”
― Jordanna Max Brodsky, The Immortals

“Because the ancients didn’t differentiate as easily as you do between fact and fiction. Myths illuminate a society’s behavior and beliefs on multiple levels all at the same time. So you can learn more ‘truth’ from a fictional epic than you can from a bunch of bone shards. No offense.” “Some taken.”
― Jordanna Max Brodsky, The Immortals

“Supposedly,” Gabriela went on, “they’ve got a blanket made from the skins of forty platypuses. Or would that be platypi? No idea, not my thing.” “Platypuses is correct,” said Theo. “If it were Latin, we’d say platypi, but it’s actually a third declension in Greek. The plural should really be platypodes, if you want to get technical—”
― Jordanna Max Brodsky, The Immortals

“He’d told Selene DiSilva he had no intention of letting Helen’s murder go unavenged. And though he had his faults—distractible, stubborn, and sanctimonious being just the first three of an undoubtedly”
― Jordanna Max Brodsky, The Immortals

“He pulled a spiral-bound pad labeled “Conference Notes, 2013” off the shelf. He flipped through the scribbled pages. “European rat snake! Also known colloquially as the ‘Aesculapian snake,’” he read aloud, “and widely believed to be the serpent traditionally identified with Asclepius.” “Who?” “He’s a Greek god of medicine and healing. The Romans called him Aesculapius,” he said absently, his mind beginning to turn. “Carries around a staff with a snake twirled around it.” “You mean like the FTD guy in the florist windows?” “The FTD guy—Hermes? That’s a caduceus. With two snakes. You’re breaking my heart. Have you listened to anything I’ve said in the last ten years?”
― Jordanna Max Brodsky, The Immortals