Classical Myth

by Powell, Barry B.

• ISBN13: 9780130884428
• ISBN10: 0130884421
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

For courses in Classical Mythology in Classics, English, or other departments.Comprehensive and scholarly, this well-designed and class-tested text presents Greek and Roman myths in a lively and easy-to-read manner. It features fresh translations, numerous illustrations (ancient and modern) of classical myths and legends, and commentary that emphasizes the anthropological, historical, religious, sociological, and economic contexts in which the myths were told.

Table of Contents

Preface	xix
PART I Definitions and Background
The Nature of Myth	1	(13)
What is a Myth?	2	(2)
Types of Myth	4	(6)
Divine Myth	4	(3)
Legend	7	(2)
Folktale	9	(1)
The Study of Myth	10	(4)
The Cultural Context of Classical Myth	14	(33)
Greek Geography	14	(4)
Greek History	18	(10)
The Early/Middle Bronze Age (3000--1600 B.C.)	19	(1)
The Mycenaean Age (1600--1200 B.C.)	20	(1)
The Dark Age (1200--800 B.C.)	21	(1)
The Archaic Period (800--480 B.C.)	22	(2)
The Classical Period (480--323 B.C.)	24	(3)
The Hellenistic Period (323--31 B.C.)	27	(1)
Greek Society	28	(14)
Men	28	(5)
Women	33	(5)
Slavery	38	(1)
Religion	39	(1)
Beliefs and Customs	40	(2)
Greece and Rome	42	(5)
The Development of Classical Myth	47	(25)
The Beginnings of Greek Myth	47	(4)
The Influence of Near Eastern Myth	51	(8)
Sumerian Myth	52	(4)
Semitic Myth	56	(2)
Other Sources	58	(1)
Greek Myth in the Archaic Period	59	(3)
Greek Myth in the Classical Period	62	(4)
Greek Myth in the Hellenistic Period	66	(1)
The Roman Appropriation of Greek Myth	67	(5)
PART II Divine Myths
Myths of Creation: The Rise of Zeus	72	(34)
The Children of Chaos	72	(3)
The Children of Gaea: The Titans and Their Cousins	75	(4)
The Titans	75	(2)
Cyclopes, Hecatonchires	77	(1)
Hyperion's Children: Sun, Moon, Dawn	77	(2)
Cronus Against Uranus	79	(5)
The Birth of Aphrodite, Monsters, and Sea Deities	80	(4)
Zeus Against Cronus: The Battle With the Titans	84	(4)
Zeus's Battle With Typhoeus	88	(2)
Zeus's Battle With the Giants	90	(2)
Prominent Themes in the Greek Creation Story	92	(2)
Eastern Creation Stories	94	(12)
Observations: The Succession Myth in Hesiod and the Near East	101	(5)
Myths of Creation: The Origins of Mortals	106	(28)
Prometheus, Maker of Mortals	106	(2)
The Sumerian Creation of Man from Mud	107	(1)
Prometheus, Protector of Mortals	108	(4)
Pandora	112	(8)
Observations: Women as Containers	117	(3)
The Five Races	120	(3)
The Universal Flood	123	(6)
Ziusudra, Atrahasis, and Noah	123	(2)
Lycaon, Deucalion, and Pyrrha	125	(4)
Prominent Themes in Greek Stories of Human Origins	129	(5)
Myths of the Olympian Gods: Zeus and Hera	134	(17)
Zeus, Lord of the Sky	136	(8)
Hera, Queen of Heaven	144	(3)
Zeus and Hera at Home on Olympus	147	(4)
Observations: Greek Anthropomorphism	149	(2)
Myths of the Olympian Gods: The Male Deities	151	(41)
Poseidon, Lord of the Deep	152	(2)
Hades, King of the Dead	154	(1)
Apollo the Far-Darter, God of Prophecy	154	(16)
The Birth of Apollo on Delos	157	(2)
Apollo at Delphi	159	(3)
Observations: The Delphic Oracle	162	(2)
Apollo's Unhappy Loves	164	(4)
Observations: Apollo, God of Shamans	168	(2)
Hephaestus, God of Smiths	170	(2)
Ares, Incarnation of Blood Lust	172	(3)
Hermes, Trickster God of Way Farers	175	(17)
Pan, The Goathered's God	190	(2)
Myths of the Olympians: The Female Deities	192	(24)
Demeter, Mistress of Wheat	193	(1)
Hestia, The Hearth	193	(11)
Aphrodite, Goddess of Sexual Love	193	(2)
Hermaphroditus and Priapus	195	(1)
Pygmalion	195	(3)
Aphrodite and Anchises	198	(6)
Artemis, Mistress of Animals	204	(6)
Orion, Actaeon, and Callisto	207	(3)
Athena, Mistress of the City	210	(6)
Arachne	213	(3)
Myths of Fertility: Demeter and the Great Goddess	216	(32)
Inanna and Dumuzi	217	(3)
Observations: The Dying God and the Sacred Marriage	220	(1)
Isis and Osiris	220	(4)
Cybele and Attis	224	(2)
Aphrodite and Adonis	226	(3)
Demeter and Persephone	229	(15)
Observations: The Myth of Demeter and Persephone	241	(3)
The Eleusinian Mysteries	244	(4)
Myths of Fertility: Dionysus	248	(35)
The Birth and Early Youth of Dionysus	250	(1)
The Wanderings of Dionysus	251	(3)
Resistance to the God	254	(2)
Dionysus and the Pirates	256	(1)
Dionysus in Thebes	257	(14)
Dionysus' Journey to the Land of the Dead	271	(4)
Observations: The Myths of Dionysus	271	(4)
The Cult of Dionysus	275	(2)
Dionysus, God of the Theater	277	(6)
Myths of Death: Encounters with the Underworld	283	(30)
The Greek View of Death	283	(3)
Odysseus' Journey to Death's Realm	286	(9)
Plato's ``Myth'' of Er	295	(1)
Aeneas' Descent to the Underworld	296	(9)
Orpheus and Eurydice	305	(4)
Orphism	309	(4)
PART III Legends
Introduction to Heroic Myth	313	(9)
Gilgamesh and Enkidu	314	(1)
Gilgamesh and Humbaba	315	(1)
Gilgamesh and Ishtar	316	(4)
The Quest for Eternal Life	318	(1)
Observation: The Hero Caught Between Nature and Culture	319	(1)
Folktale Motifs in Heroic Myths	320	(2)
Perseus and Myths of the Argive Plain	322	(23)
Io and Her Descendants	323	(6)
The Wanderings of Io	323	(4)
The Crimes of the Danaids	327	(1)
Observations: Springs and the Dangers of Woman	328	(1)
The Legend of Perseus	329	(16)
Danae and the Shower of Gold	329	(3)
Perseus the Gorgon-slayer	332	(3)
Perseus and Andromeda	335	(4)
The Death of Acrisius	339	(1)
Observations: Perseus and Folktale	339	(3)
Medusa's Head	342	(3)
Heracles	345	(38)
The Birth of Heracles	346	(5)
Observations: Twins and Divine Birth	349	(2)
Heracles' Youthful Deeds	351	(3)
Marriage, Madness, and Murder	354	(2)
The Twelve Labors	356	(15)
Observations: Heracles' Labors	368	(3)
Various Deeds	371	(1)
The Death of Heracles	372	(7)
The Return of the Heraclids	379	(4)
Observations: Heracles Kallinikos, ``Handsome in Victory''	379	(4)
Theseus and the Myths of Athens	383	(35)
Cecrops, Erichthonius, and the Daughters of Cecrops	383	(5)
Observations: The Festival of the Dew Carriers	385	(3)
Procris and Cephalus	388	(3)
Procne and Tereus	391	(6)
Observations: Ovid's Literary Myth	396	(1)
Theseus	397	(21)
The Begetting of Theseus	397	(1)
The Labors of Theseus	398	(2)
Arrival at Athens, Bacchylides 18	400	(2)
Theseus and Antiope	402	(1)
Observations: The Amazons	403	(1)
Theseus and Hippolytus	404	(7)
Observations: The Folktale of ``Potiphar's Wife''	411	(1)
The Exploits of Theseus and Pirithous	412	(2)
The Death of Theseus	414	(1)
Observations: Myth and Propaganda	414	(4)
The Myths of Crete	418	(26)
Europa and the Bull	419	(2)
Minos and Pasiphae	421	(5)
Minos and Scylla	426	(1)
Theseus and Amphitrite	426	(3)
Theseus and the Minotaur	429	(3)
Daedalus and Icarus	432	(2)
The Death of Minos	434	(2)
Observations: Archaeology and Cretan Myth	436	(8)
Oedipus and the Myths of Thebes	444	(29)
The Founding of Thebes: Cadmus and the Dragon	444	(8)
The Twins Amphion and Zethus	449	(1)
Observations: The Two Foundings of Thebes	450	(2)
Oedipus the King	452	(7)
Observations: Heroic Sufferer for Truth---Or Victim of Curiosity?	458	(1)
The Seven Against Thebes	459	(8)
Oedipus at Colonus	460	(3)
Tydeus at Thebes	463	(1)
The Battle before Thebes	463	(4)
Sophocles' Antigone	467	(3)
Observations: Revenge of the Parthenos	469	(1)
The Epigoni	470	(3)
Jason and the Myths of Iolcus and Calydon	473	(36)
Prelude to the Argonautica	474	(3)
Phrixus, Helle, and the Golden Fleece	474	(1)
Pelias and Aeson	475	(2)
The Voyage of the Argo	477	(12)
Early Adventures	478	(2)
Phineus and the Harpies	480	(1)
The Symplegades	481	(1)
Medea and the Golden Fleece	482	(5)
Libya	487	(1)
Observations: Jason, the Deflated Hero	487	(2)
After the Voyage of the Argo	489	(11)
The Death of Pelias	489	(1)
Jason and Medea in Corinth	490	(9)
Observations: Medea, Sorceress and Wife	499	(1)
The Calydonian Boar Hunt	500	(9)
Observations: Heroic Myths of the Hunt and the Hunter	506	(3)
The Trojan War: The House of Atreus; The Anger of Achilles	509	(36)
The House of Atreus	510	(3)
Pelops, Oenomaus, and Hippodamia	510	(1)
The Banquet of Thyestes	511	(2)
The House of Tyndareus	513	(3)
Leda and the Swan; The Dioscuri	513	(1)
The Oath of Tyndareus	514	(2)
The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis	516	(2)
The Judgment of Paris	518	(2)
The Trojan War	520	(11)
The Gathering at Aulis	520	(2)
The Journey to Troy	522	(3)
Helen on the Wall	525	(2)
The Anger of Achilles	527	(4)
Hector and Andromache	531	(14)
The Embassy to Achilles	534	(4)
The Death of Hector	538	(4)
Observations: Homer, Inventor of Plot and Character	542	(3)
The Trojan War: The Fall of Troy; The Return of Agamemnon	545	(21)
The Greeks at Troy	545	(1)
The Judgment of the Arms of Achilles	545	(10)
The Trojan Horse	548	(3)
The Fall of Troy	551	(4)
Agamemnon's Return	555	(11)
The Murder of Agamemnon	557	(3)
Orestes' Revenge	560	(2)
The Trial of Orestes	562	(1)
Observations: A Parable of Progress	563	(3)
The Return of Odysseus	566	(29)
Odysseus' Journey from Troy	567	(16)
The Cicones and the Lotus Eaters	567	(1)
Polyphemus	567	(12)
Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe	579	(1)
Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, The Cattle of Helius, and Calypso	580	(2)
Observations: Historical and Mythical Travel	582	(1)
Return to Ithaca	583	(12)
Phaeacia, Nausicaa	583	(2)
Ithaca, Argus, and Euryclea	585	(1)
Penelope, Telemachus, and the Suitors	586	(5)
Observations: Symbols of Rebirth in the Folktale of the Man Who Came Home, Tested by Woman and the World	591	(4)
Roman Myth	595	(34)
Roman Religion	596	(8)
Numina and Sacrificium	596	(3)
Roman Deities Equated with Greek	599	(3)
Gods of the Family and the State	602	(2)
The Founding of Rome	604	(10)
Roman Politics and History	604	(1)
The Origins of Rome: Vergil and the Aeneid	605	(7)
Observations: An Epic of National Rebirth	612	(2)
Legends of the Roman Monarchy	614	(11)
Romulus and Remus	614	(4)
The Rape of the Sabine Women	618	(1)
Titus Tatius, Tarpeia, and the Death of Romulus	618	(1)
The Horatii and the Curiatii	619	(1)
The Etruscan Dynasty and Tullia	619	(3)
Lucretia and the End of Monarchy	622	(3)
Heroes of the Early Republic	625	(4)
Brutus and His Sons	625	(1)
Horatius at the Bridge	625	(1)
Mucius Scaevola	625	(1)
Other Patriotic Heroes	626	(1)
Observations: An Imaginary Past Preserves the Present	626	(3)
PART IV Interpretation
Theories of Myth Interpretation	629	(30)
Greek Theories	629	(8)
Physical Allegory	631	(2)
Historical Allegory: Euhemerism	633	(1)
Moral Allegory	634	(3)
Medieval and Renaissance Theories	637	(2)
Theories of the Enlightenment	639	(3)
Theories of the Ninnteenth and Twentieth Centuries	642	(12)
Romantic Theories	642	(1)
Anthropological Theories	643	(3)
Linguistic Theories	646	(2)
Psychological Theories	648	(3)
Structuralist Theories	651	(2)
Contextual Approaches	653	(1)
Conclusion	654	(5)
Appendix Roman and Greek Forms of Classical Names; Spelling and Pronunciation	659	(4)
Index	663	(18)
Greek and Roman Gods Chart	681	(1)
Chronological Chart	682