How did the Greeks influence modern literature?

Many modern books about heroes or a hero's journey have their origins in Greek literature. For instance, The Hunger Gamescontains a Greek hero's path that Katniss must go through before she can get back home. She is taken from the ordinary world that she has grown up in, and is transported to a world completely different from her own, much like how Greek heroes went into the realm of the supernatural. She then has a series of tests, or trials, including the interview, the carriage ride, and obviously, the actual Hunger Games. She then is able to return to her home in district 12, and her hero's transformation is complete. Odysseus goes through a similar transformation, as he is pulled from his peaceful home in Ithaca, and forced to fight in the Trojan war. Odysseus, or Ulysses, as he was known before his hero days, then has a really hard time getting home. He is pulled into the realm of the supernatural, much as Katniss is, and he has to fight monsters such as the cyclops, the sirens, and the lotus eaters. His hero's journey is complete when he returns home, and is named Odysseus. Much of our literature is clearly influenced by this concept of a journey to become a hero.