Classical Myth: An Introduction

Myths are not just the stories from the ancient Greeks and Romans—they represent deep truths from the essential concerns people face in their lives. Readers may already have heard of the Trojan Horse or how Oedipus married his own mother, but why have these stories lingered? In Classical Myth: An Introduction, Barry B. Powell provides the historical and theoretical background necessary for us to understand not only the concept of what a myth is, but the cultural context of how it emerged, and the different approaches to interpreting myth that were put forward by ancient theorists and their more recent successors. Then he helps readers to understand classical myth as it is found in its primary sources: the works of Homer and Hesiod, and the Greek tragedians and historians, Ovid and Vergil. By examining a number of prominent themes in classical myth, this textbook explores the relationship between myth and art, politics, society, and history of the ancient world. This completely revised second edition features new illustrations and will help readers who want to understand myths or study their original sources.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Preface Part I. Definitions and Interpretation Chapter 1: What is a Myth? Chapter 2: Premodern Theories of Myth Chapter 3: Modern Theories of Myth Part II. Background Chapter 4. Greek History Chapter 5. Greek and Roman Society Chapter 6. Greek Literature and the Development of Classical Myth Part III. Case Studies Chapter 7. Myth and the Near East: Hesiod’s Theogony and Its Sources Chapter 8. Myth and Religion: Persephonê, Orpheus, Dionysus Chapter 9. Myth and the Hero: Heracles and Gilgamesh Chapter 10. Myth and History: Crete and the Trojan War Chapter 11. Myth and Folktale: The Odyssey Chapter 12. Myth and Society: The Amazons Chapter 13. Myth and Law: Orestes Chapter 14. Roman Myth and Roman Religion: The Metamorphoses of Ovid Chapter 15. Myth and Politics: Theseus and the Aeneid of Vergil Chapter 16. Myth and Art: The Greek Invention of The Narrative Style Index and Glossary Charts: Chronology of the Ancient World The Greek and Roman Pantheon Maps Map I. Greece, The Aegean Sea, and Western Asia Minor Map II. The Ancient Mediterranean

About the Author :
Barry B. Powell is Halls-Bascom Professor of Classics Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Review :
"Classical Myth: An Introduction by Professor Barry B. Powell is especially and particularly recommended for personal/professional reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Grecko-Roman History/Culture/Religion collections and supplemental Mythology/Folklore curriculum studies lists." "The book occupies an important niche, moving from the stories to ways of understanding their cultural functions. . . . Recommended."