The Everything Classical Mythology Book: From the heights of Mount Olympus to the depths of the Underworld - all you need to know about the classical myths

by Nancy Conner

Overview

Romance, betrayal, passion, tragedy, violence, and scandal. No, it's not the latest reality TV search for love--it's classical mythology.

For years, people have turned to the ancient Greek and Roman myths for entertaining reading, unbelievable storylines, unique characters, and unparalleled drama. This guide explains the great stories and how they still influence literature, entertainment, and everyday life. From heroes and heroines to monsters and villains, this entertaining guide covers it all. Inside, you will learn how:

• The Greeks defeated the Titans
• Odysseus tricked the Cyclops
• Hercules accomplished the twelve labors
• Peruses slew Medusa
• The Greeks bested the Trojans
• Hades abducted Persephone
• Bellerophon killed the Chimera

With an easy reference chart of the gods and goddesses and their interrelations, this action-packed book helps you bring classical mythology to life!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440502415
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	01/18/2010
Series:	Everything® Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

An Adams Media author.

Table of Contents

The Top Ten Most Intriguing Myths x

Introduction xi

1 What Are Myths For? 1

What Is a Myth? 2

The Sacred Myth 4

Answering the Unknown 6

Establishing Order 8

Emotion Overload 10

The Ideal 11

Storytelling 13

2 Classical Myth-Makers 17

Homer: The Blind Bard 18

Hesiod: Morals Can Be Fun 19

Aeschylus: Tragic Justice 21

Sophocles: The Greatest Tragedian? 23

Euripides: The Dramatist as Philosopher 24

Virgil: Rome's National Poet 26

Ovid: The More Things Change… 27

Other Storytellers You Should Know 29

3 Out of Chaos: Creation 31

In the Beginning Was Chaos 32

Giving Personality to Nature 33

And Then There Was Man 35

Prometheus and the Gift of Fire 35

Welcoming the Woman 36

Sun, Moon, and Dawn 37

The World and Humanity's Place in It 39

4 The Children of Mother Earth 41

Children of Pontus 42

The Hundred-Handed Ones 44

One-Eyed Wonders 44

Titanic Offspring 45

Uranus Overthrown 46

Cronus Crowned as Ruler 47

Zeus's Childhood 48

The Battle with the Titans 49

Zeus Takes Charge 50

5 Introducing the Olympians 53

The Original Six 54

A Dozen Distinguished Deities 55

Mount Olympus 59

Law and Order, Olympian Style 60

Mutiny on Mount Olympus 61

War with the Giants 63

The Scariest Monster of All 64

6 Zeus and Hera: A Marriage Made in Heaven 67

The Seventh Lover 68

A Grand Wedding 70

The Children of Zeus and Hera 71

Zeus's Love Affairs 72

The Wrath of Hera 77

A Lover's Spat 78

7 Poseidon: Sovereign of the Sea 79

The Power of Poseidon 80

That City Is Mine! 80

Wanted: One Queen 82

Poseidon's Lovers 84

Poseidon and the Trojans 87

Poseidon Could Be aNice Guy, Too (Well, Sometimes) 88

8 The Dark Prince 91

A Private God 92

The Abduction of Persephone 92

The House of Hades 93

The Main Regions of the Underworld 95

The Judges and the Judged 97

Escaping Death 98

Chasing the Secrets of the Underworld 102

9 Demeter and Hestia: Home Is Where the Heart Is 103

Demeter 104

Demeter's Love Affairs 105

Wandering the Countryside 107

Still a Mystery: Eleusinian Rites 109

Hestia Honored 109

Hestia's Unsuitable Suitors 110

The Vestal Virgins 111

10 Ares and the Art of War 115

A Detestable Deity 116

The God of War in Love 117

Amazon Warriors 120

Sibling Rivalry: Ares Versus Athena 122

Tried for Murder 123

Ares Imprisoned 124

11 Athena: The Peaceful Warrior 127

The Birth of Athena 128

Almighty Athena 128

Athenian Cults 129

Athena the Inventor 131

A Hero's Best Friend 131

Athena's Other Stories 134

12 Artemis: The Thrill of the Hunt 137

Lady of the Wild 138

An Overprotective Daughter 139

Artemis Takes Offense 140

The Eternal Virgin 143

The Many Deaths of Orion 144

Wild but Loyal 145

13 Apollo: A (Mostly) Civilized God 147

Tall, Dark, and Handsome 148

God of Music 148

The Playboy 149

Unlucky in Love 151

Tragic Love 154

A Mortal's Slave 155

Delphi: Pythian Games and a Tricky Oracle 157

14 Hermes: Swift as the Wind 159

A Child's First Prank 160

Take a Message 162

Reconciling with Hera 164

More Than a Messenger 164

Bad-Boy Attraction 166

A God of Many Myths 168

15 Erotic Aphrodite and Hardworking Hephaestus 169

The Queen of Hearts 170

A Master Craftsman 171

Beauty and the Beast 173

A Goddess in Love 174

Love's Helping Hand 177

16 Partying with Dionysus 179

The Twice-Born God 180

Dionysus Driven Mad 181

The Rites of Dionysus 182

Dionysus Takes a Wife 183

Madness Unleashed 183

The Golden Touch 186

Joining the Olympians 187

17 The Lesser Gods 189

The Muses: Goddesses of the Arts 190

The Charites: Beauty, Grace, and Friendship 191

The Satyrs: Lusty Appetites 191

The Nymphs: Beautiful Spirits of Nature 192

Pan: God of Woods and Pastures 193

Hecate: Titaness with an Attitude 194

Triton: Son of Poseidon 196

Lesser, but Not Least 197

18 Monster Madness 199

Chimaera: Fire-Breathing and Merciless 200

Scylla: Beauty Transformed to Terror 201

The Minotaur: Monster in a Maze 202

The Sphinx: Riddle Me This 204

Cacus Versus Heracles 205

Centaurs: Equine Depravity 206

More Mythological Monsters 206

19 The Leading Men of Classical Mythology 209

What Made a Hero? 210

Heracles 211

Perseus 215

Jason 217

Theseus 220

Achilles 223

Odysseus 224

Other Heroes You Should Know 229

20 The Trojan War 231

Causes of the War 232

Enter the Olympians 234

Heroes of the War 235

The Tenth Year 237

The Fall of Troy 238

The Gods Are Not Pleased 240

21 When in Rome… 243

Greek Versus Roman 244

Aeneas's Journey to Italy 244

Origins of the Roman People 247

Peace Disrupted 247

Founding Rome 249

The Age of Kings 251

22 The Gods and Goddesses Live On 255

Myths in Everyday Life 256

Myths in Literature 259

Myths in Art 262

Myths in Music 264

Myths in Movies 264

Myths in Popular Culture 265

Appendix A Cast of Characters 267

Appendix B Family Tree of the Greek Gods 282

Appendix C Resources 284

Index 286