In times of peace and prosperity, it's natural to turn to Homer to learn about life's joys and passions; to experience the thrill and terror of war; to look for adventure in distant lands. But what about when things go wrong? What do we do when we find ourselves at the centre of one of the great upheavals of history? Then, writes Andrea Marcolongo, it's time to set the Iliad and the Odyssey aside, and call upon Aeneas.

In her fresh, nuanced portrayal, Aeneas emerges as a multiform, deeply human hero, one who feels close to us in his vulnerability and capacity for empathy. His journey from the ruins of Troy to the shores of Italy holds many lessons for our present-chief among them that, even when all seems lost, through resilience and hope we can usher a new beginning.