This new edition introduces the core elements of ancient Greek and Roman narratives about immortal gods and heroic humans. It explains how myths once shaped ancient ways of thinking, and how they have fascinated and inspired artists, writers, musicians, scientists, and scholars since.
In six clear and concise chapters, this book explains what myths are, sketches the main stories about divinities, heroes and heroines, and explores through specific case studies the ways in which they influenced modern culture, from Renaissance opera to contemporary video games and social movements. The second edition also features a new chapter analyzing how myths have been used in politics from antiquity to the present day. More than two dozen illustrations, maps, and charts complement the text. No prior knowledge of mythology is assumed, and the book incorporates the latest scholarship on classical mythology, providing annotated lists of further readings.
Anyone who has encountered Greek or Roman myths in literature, art, or pop culture and wants to know more about the cultural contexts for the stories will benefit from this compact book. Intended for a wide readership, the second edition of Classical Mythology: The Basics continues to off er a clear introduction to the subject for undergraduates, scholars, and the general reader.
Author(s): Richard Martin
Series: The Basics Series
Edition: 2
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 232
City: London
Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Figures
Preface
1 Stories That Stay
Myth as Speech
Myth and Community Traditions
Myth and Belief
The Range of Tradition
Rejecting Myth
Rationalizing Myth
Allegorizing Myth
How We Get Myth
The Sources: A Brief Chronological List
Further Reading
2 Talking of Gods
Origin Stories
Hesiod’s Theogony
Other Origin Myths
Where Gods Come from
What Are Gods Good For?
Further Reading
3 Heroic Dimensions
Hero: The Ancient Idea
Dead
Worshipped
Localized
Sometimes Behave Badly
Heroes in Homer and Hesiod
Heroines
Heroic Quests and Their Meaning
Hero Patterns
Heracles
Hero as Politician
Heroine as Athlete
Further Reading
4 Interpreting Myths: Symbols and Societies
Myths as Symbols: Greeks to Romantics
Myths as Symbols: Freud, Jung, and Others
Myths and Society: Early Forerunners
Myths and Society: The Role of Ritual
Myths and Society: Functionalists and Structuralists
Further Reading
5 Myths, Media, Memories
Roman Reception of Myth
Mythic Media: from Ancient to Modern
Prose
Poetry
Drama
Music
Dance
Visual Art
Film
Comics, Graphic Novels, Video Games
Further Reading
6 Myth, Politics, and the Present
We Have Always Lived Here
Power Politics
To Found a City
The Gods on Our Side
Resistance
Eurôpê to Evropa
Further Reading
Index
