How effectively does de Bernieres manipulate the stories of classical Greek mythology to create a modern legend in Captain Corelli's Mandolin?

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a novel that merges the storytelling skill evident in Homer's Odyssey with the issues of war that are emphasised in the Iliad. The combination of these two qualities is what, in my opinion, makes this book a realistic yet mythical portrayal of life during the struggle of war. Homer's psychological interest in the characters of the Odyssey, and the tragic portrayal of the Trojan War in the Iliad, are effectively reproduced …

…Orpheus could only see Eurydice from afar. Captain Corelli's Mandolin has taken many different aspects of classical Greek mythology and entwined them into a modern setting, effectively blurring the line between reality and fiction to create a novel that achieves the status of a 'modern legend'. His use of contrast and similarity between ancient Greek texts and his own story successfully enhances the characters in his novel to give them a unique and cultural ambience.