Comp Wld of Greek Mythology Cl

by Buxton,Richard

• ISBN13: 9780500251218
• ISBN10: 0500251215
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-06-28
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Summary

Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed-their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape. "Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater. "Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities. "The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities. "Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes. "Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines. "A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld. "Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century.Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Myths in Context	6	(2)
Chronology of Greek Myth-telling	8	(8)
Contexts, Sources, Meanings
General Characteristics of Greek Myths	16	(6)
Sources of Evidence	22	(6)
Contexts for Myth-telling	28	(16)
Myths of Origin
Cosmogony	44	(10)
Origins of Humanity	54	(6)
Local Origins	60	(2)
Bringers of Culture	62	(2)
Colonies	64	(4)
The Olympians: Power, Honour, Sexuality
Powers and Spheres of Influence	68	(20)
Honour and Boundaries	88	(6)
Divine Sexuality	94	(10)
Heroic Exploits
Perseus	104	(2)
Meleager, Atalanta and the Kalydonian Boar	106	(2)
Jason, the Argonauts and Medea	108	(6)
Herakles	114	(10)
Theseus and the Heroic Athenian Past	124	(6)
The Trojan War	130	(18)
Family Sagas
The House of Pelops	148	(6)
Tereus, Prokne and Philomela	154	(2)
Antiope and Her Sons	156	(2)
Danaos and His Kin	158	(2)
Proitos, Stheneboia and Bellerophon	160	(2)
The House of Laios	162	(8)
Strong Bonds: Love Between Spouses	170	(4)
Same-Sex Eroticism	174	(6)
A Landscape of Myths
Mountains	180	(4)
Caves	184	(4)
Rivers and Springs	188	(4)
The Sea	192	(2)
Crete	194	(6)
Troy	200	(6)
The Underworld	206	(10)
Greek Myths after the Greeks
How Rome Re-imagined Greece	216	(10)
The Middle Ages	226	(4)
From the Renaissance to the 20th Century	230	(14)
Present and Future	244	(2)
Further Reading	246	(4)
Sources of Quotations	250	(1)
Illustration Credits	251	(1)
Acknowledgments	252	(1)
Index	253