CRESSKILL, N.J.—When it comes to Greek heroes, Hercules Invictus is as popular with kids at the Cresskill Public Library as the Hellenic champions that they read about in history books.
Hercules’ interactive program, Mythic Adventure, makes learning fun and aims to get kids reading for recreation.
“Mythic Adventure utilizes interactive storytelling (a.k.a. role playing games or RPGs) to encourage literacy and inspire the imagination,” says Hercules. “It allows players to experience the excitement of being larger-than-life heroes adventuring in a mythic setting.”
More versatile and interactive than video games, interactive storytelling encourages socialization and teamwork as players cooperate in overcoming obstacles and solving puzzles. As an added bonus, kids playing the Mythic RPG also develop their math skills and become more interested in history and literature.
“We’ve been told that, over time, the kids in our Mythic Adventure program form more friendships and display greater leadership skills by organizing their own games and teaching their friends to play,” said Hercules.
A roll of the dice
Hercules has been conducting Mythic Adventure programs at the Cresskill Public Library every month for the past few years. This reporter attended a recent session, along with half a dozen middle school students. The kids arrived promptly at 3:30 and took seats around a table filled with dozens of small plastic figures, dice, and a playing board. The group included several experienced players as well as a few newcomers.
Hercules began by asking the students to identify famous Greek gods and goddesses—such as Poseidon, Hermes and Aphrodite—as he read hints from game cards. Next, the students announced which character they wanted to be that day, selected a game piece and set about negotiating the challenges laid out on the game board.
Hercules proceeded to create a scenario using the classic story of Jason and the Argonauts as they venture towards Yoko to find the Golden Fleece. Their journey takes them through a forest and a lake. Along the way, they encounter Amazons, dragons, harpies and other creatures.
Each player took turns indicating what move they wanted to make and then tossed a die to determine if that move was a failure (1, 2 or 3 on the die) or successful (4 through 6). Players were also given “favors” in the form of colored glass stones that could assist them in their travels.
Throughout the session, everyone was eagerly participating and intrigued by Hercules’ power of imagination, as he wove an increasingly interesting tale.
On the table alongside the game board were books in the popular series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” by Rick Riordan as well as reference materials. Most of the students were familiar with the stories, and a few wrote essays about them or made up their own adventure tales.
The group was a veritable think tank of Greek mythology. On his first turn, 13-year-old Akshay assumed the persona of Daedalus and used his knowledge of robotics to cast a mind controlling spell over the Amazons. This led to a discussion of how ancient Greeks did, in fact, have robotics.
Nine-year-old Arman, whose Greek hero summoned forth a huge menacing plant on the game board, said, “This is so cool! I’m new here, but I like it already.”
“Hercules is a really interesting guy and he is so smart!” said his friend, Jaden.
Another 9-year-old, Christopher, has been participating in Mythic Adventures at the Cresskill Library for almost a year. Christopher’s mother is delighted that her son has become so interested in Greek mythology.
“This program motivated him to research and write stories about Greek heroes,” she said.
Rita Browning, Cresskill Library director, is enthused about the program.
“It furthers our STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) initiative. We like offering programs like this, along with our Makers Day and Coding Club that stimulate creativity.”
In addition to the Cresskill Library, Hercules has also led programs in the Cresskill public schools, the Cresskill Recreation Center, Tenafly Public Library and Paramus Community Education program.
His Mythic Adventure program was launched in 2005 to encourage kids to read more for recreation and to increase their visits to the Hawley Public Library in northeastern Pennsylvania, where Hercules was based at the time. It ran there from 2005 to 2012 as well as in other local locations in that state.
The man behind the myth
Hercules, the power behind the STEAM engine of Mythic Adventure, lives in Tenafly with this wife Athena, and they have three children. Hercules was born Panayiotis K. Venetis into a Greek American household in New York City in 1959. Inspired by the heroic tales of his ancestors and the sword and sandal movies of his childhood, he developed a lifelong passion for mythology and helping people.
As an adult, he lived in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania where he pursued a career blending human services, education, entertainment and living mythology/folklore. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Empire State College (SUNY) in 1990, and in 2002, New Jersey Network proclaimed him a Human Services Superhero.
From 2007–2013 Hercules ran a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that championed literacy through applied mythology.
Since returning to northeastern New Jersey Hercules became the vice president of special projects at Charles Atlas, LTD and is involved in STEM and STEAM enrichment programs (his own Mythic Adventures as well as through other providers in Bergen County). He portrayed Samson in a play at Nyack Village Theater in 2015. Hercules also currently hosts three podcasts, writes for three e-zines, has been published in seven anthologies and has written two Kindle e-books.
—Photos by Hillary Viders