The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome
The essential illustrated guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome by renowned author and historian of ancient life Philip Matyszak, who vividly retells their stories and explores their origins. 

Who were the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome? What did they mean to the people who worshipped them? Although their time of widespread worship is long gone, the Greek and Roman gods have fascinated and inspired writers and artists for millennia. From Aphrodite to Apollo, Poseidon to Zeus, these are some of the most recognizable characters in Western culture, yet there is rich, unknown lore behind these famous figures who regularly feature in art and writing.

The Greek and Roman gods are enthralling characters in the enduringly powerful Iliad, Odyssey, and Metamorphoses, as well as in modern retellings like Circe and the Percy Jackson series. They are immortal and powerful, yet also vain, vindictive, and vulnerable. Moreover, as manifestations of death, fertility, love, and war, the gods are also our key to understanding how the Greeks and Romans saw their world. Philip Matyszak presents this pantheon in all their complexity, guiding us from Mount Olympus to the depths of Hades. Each chapter focuses on an individual god or goddess, beginning with their “biography” as understood by the Greeks and Romans and exploring the origins of the legends. Matyszak mixes history with vivid retellings of the myths in which the gods have a starring role, from stories of cosmic creation and universal war to disastrous weddings and freak discus accidents. This sumptuously illustrated guide to the gods of Greece and Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in mythology and classical civilization. 

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The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome
The essential illustrated guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome by renowned author and historian of ancient life Philip Matyszak, who vividly retells their stories and explores their origins. 

Who were the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome? What did they mean to the people who worshipped them? Although their time of widespread worship is long gone, the Greek and Roman gods have fascinated and inspired writers and artists for millennia. From Aphrodite to Apollo, Poseidon to Zeus, these are some of the most recognizable characters in Western culture, yet there is rich, unknown lore behind these famous figures who regularly feature in art and writing.

The Greek and Roman gods are enthralling characters in the enduringly powerful Iliad, Odyssey, and Metamorphoses, as well as in modern retellings like Circe and the Percy Jackson series. They are immortal and powerful, yet also vain, vindictive, and vulnerable. Moreover, as manifestations of death, fertility, love, and war, the gods are also our key to understanding how the Greeks and Romans saw their world. Philip Matyszak presents this pantheon in all their complexity, guiding us from Mount Olympus to the depths of Hades. Each chapter focuses on an individual god or goddess, beginning with their “biography” as understood by the Greeks and Romans and exploring the origins of the legends. Matyszak mixes history with vivid retellings of the myths in which the gods have a starring role, from stories of cosmic creation and universal war to disastrous weddings and freak discus accidents. This sumptuously illustrated guide to the gods of Greece and Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in mythology and classical civilization. 

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The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome

The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome

by Philip Matyszak
The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome

The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome

by Philip Matyszak

Hardcover

$39.95 
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Overview

The essential illustrated guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome by renowned author and historian of ancient life Philip Matyszak, who vividly retells their stories and explores their origins. 

Who were the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome? What did they mean to the people who worshipped them? Although their time of widespread worship is long gone, the Greek and Roman gods have fascinated and inspired writers and artists for millennia. From Aphrodite to Apollo, Poseidon to Zeus, these are some of the most recognizable characters in Western culture, yet there is rich, unknown lore behind these famous figures who regularly feature in art and writing.

The Greek and Roman gods are enthralling characters in the enduringly powerful Iliad, Odyssey, and Metamorphoses, as well as in modern retellings like Circe and the Percy Jackson series. They are immortal and powerful, yet also vain, vindictive, and vulnerable. Moreover, as manifestations of death, fertility, love, and war, the gods are also our key to understanding how the Greeks and Romans saw their world. Philip Matyszak presents this pantheon in all their complexity, guiding us from Mount Olympus to the depths of Hades. Each chapter focuses on an individual god or goddess, beginning with their “biography” as understood by the Greeks and Romans and exploring the origins of the legends. Matyszak mixes history with vivid retellings of the myths in which the gods have a starring role, from stories of cosmic creation and universal war to disastrous weddings and freak discus accidents. This sumptuously illustrated guide to the gods of Greece and Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in mythology and classical civilization. 


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780500024188
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Publication date: 11/22/2022
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 7.70(w) x 10.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St John's College, Oxford. He also teaches and prepares courses for the eLearning program at Cambridge University. He is the author of numerous books on the ancient world, including Lost Cities of the Ancient World, The Greek and Roman Myths: A Guide to the Classical Stories, and Ancient Magic: A Practitioner's Guide to the Supernatural in Greece and Rome, all published by Thames & Hudson.

Table of Contents

Introduction 10

First-Generation Olympians

Zeus: Jupiter 30

Hera: Juno 44

Aphrodite: Venus 56

Hades: Pluto 70

Poseidon: Neptune 86

Demeter: Ceres 100

The Next Generation

Athena: Minerva 114

Artemis: Diana 126

Apollo 138

Hermes: Mercury 150

Ares: Mars 162

Dionysus: Bacchus 174

Hephaestus: Vulcan 188

Beyond Olympus

Other Gods of Greece and Rome 200

Janus 202

Hecate: Trivia 208

Hestia: Vesta 216

Isis 222

Serapis 228

Asclepius: Aesculapius 232

Mithras 238

Epilogue

Between Human and Divine 242

Further Reading 245

Sources of Illustrations 246

Index 249

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