Fictional Greek Mythology Books and Retellings Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, Emily Wilson’s Odyssey sings with a voice that echoes Homer’s music matching the number of lines in the Greek original, the poem sails along at Homer’s swift, smooth pace.Ī fascinating, informative introduction explores the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the poem’s major themes, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence. Its characters are unforgettable, none more so than the “complicated” hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this version as a more fully rounded human being than ever before. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative. And we recognize reference points for countless works for art, literature and culture inquiry–from Freud’s Oedipus complex to Wagner’s Ring Cycle of operas to Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra. We discover the origins of the names of the constellations. We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, and mighty King Midas. We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroesby Edith HamiltonĮdith Hamilton’s mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture-the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present. This volume also includes endnotes and a glossary of people, places, and personifications. Martin’s Metamorphoses will be the translation of choice for contemporary readers in English. Ovid’s epic poem―whose theme of change has resonated throughout the ages―is one of the most important texts of Western imagination, an inspiration from Dante’s times to the present day, when writers such as Salman Rushdie and Italo Calvino have found a living source in Ovid’s work.Ĭharles Martin combines a close fidelity to Ovid’s text with verse that catches the speed and liveliness of the original. Metamorphosesby Ovid, translated by Charles Martin As a primary source for Greek myth, as a reference work, and as an indication of how the Greeks themselves viewed their mythical traditions, the Library is indispensable to anyone who has an interest in classical mythology. It provides a complete history of Greek myth, telling the story of each of the great families of heroic mythology, and the various adventures associated with the main heroes and heroines, from Jason and Perseus to Heracles and Helen of Troy. The only work of its kind to survive from classical antiquity, the Library of Apollodorus is a unique guide to Greek mythology, from the origins of the universe to the Trojan War.Īpollodorus’ Library has been used as a source book by classicists from the time of its compilation in the 1st-2nd century BC to the present, influencing writers from antiquity to Robert Graves. The Library of Greek Mythologyby Apollodorus, translated by Robin Hard And, as told by Homer, this ancient tale of a particular Bronze Age conflict becomes a sublime and sweeping evocation of the destruction of war throughout the ages.Ĭarved close to the original Greek, acclaimed classicist Caroline Alexander’s new translation is swift and lean, with the driving cadence of its source-a translation epic in scale and yet devastating in its precision and power. Soldier and civilian, victor and vanquished, hero and coward, men, women, young, old-The Iliad evokes in poignant, searing detail the fate of every life ravaged by the Trojan War. The Greek Plays: Sixteen Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides edited by Mary Lefkowitz and James RommĪ landmark anthology of the masterpieces of Greek drama, featuring all-new, highly accessible translations of some of the world’s most beloved plays, including Agamemnon, Prometheus Bound, Bacchae, Electra, Medea, Antigone, and Oedipus the King, featuring translations by Emily Wilson, Frank Nisetich, Sarah Ruden, Rachel Kitzinger, Mary Lefkowitz, and James Romm. The Greek Myths is a classic among classics, a treasure trove of extraordinary tales and a masterful work of literature in its own right. Ideal for the first time reader, it can be read as a single page-turning narrative, while full commentaries as well as a comprehensive index of names make it equally valuable for anyone seeking an authoritative and detailed account of the spectacular stories that make up the bedrock of Western literature. These are the greatest stories ever told – the labours of Hercules, the voyage of the Argonauts, Theseus and the minotaur, Midas and his golden touch, the Trojan War and Odysseus’s journey home – brought together into one epic and unforgettable story.
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