Classical Mythology

by Mark P.O. Morford, Robert J. Lenardon

Moderate to heavy highlighting

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Nonfiction, History, Reference, Textbooks, Religion

576 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. A comprehensive overview of Greek and Roman mythology, with stories told in a surprisingly entertaining and coherent tone. I recommend this for anyone interested in mythology, as it's one of the few textbooks I've had that reads like a good novel.

[S. Alberto ঌ⁻⁷ (semi-active, always yearning) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rated this textbook 2 stars, and honestly, that’s being generous. The only reason it even made it to two stars is because of the sheer brilliance and warmth of my professor—Isabelle Donald, a true icon of CLAS 102—whose teaching managed to rescue some of the most confusing parts of this book and make them engaging. Without her? I probably would’ve set the book down and never looked back.

Where do I start? The textbook is painfully dry. It tries to do this weird double-duty of being a foundational overview and offering primary text excerpts… but neither part fully commits. It’s like trying to have a foot in two different worlds and ending up flat on your face. The myth summaries are surface-level and watered down, then immediately followed by small chunks of actual source material that feel jarring and poorly integrated. The pacing feels half-baked, the analysis is oddly generalized, and the tone swings from overly simplified to overly academic without much warning.

Honestly, I’ve told multiple classmates: skip the textbook. Go read the full myth, the actual drama, the original primary text—whether it’s The Bacchae or any of the other classics. You’ll get a much deeper, richer understanding than what this textbook attempts to provide in piecemeal form.

And no, I don’t think I’m just being picky because I’m taking CLAS 305 (Comparative Myth). I’ve read my fair share of academic texts, and I know what an effective, thoughtful textbook can look like. This one? It wasn’t it. If you need to reconnect with a myth, revisit your own essays or just re-read the original material. That’s what I did.

Ultimately, this textbook feels like a disservice to the stories it tries to teach—saved only by a good prof who can breathe life back into it.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another confusing book, as it seemed to "explain" the myths as though the basics were common knowledge. It was almost impossible to try to piece together the outline of the classic stories because this book attempted to cover every convoluted or esoteric twist. Also attempted to describe Freud's belief in the motives for creation of some of the myths. All in all, a little too ambitious and ultimately confusing.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as the basic textbook for my college classical mythology course circa 1995. Probably the best book on the topic I've read.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dry, an extremely dull read. It's loaded with good information, but the authors could have tried to keep it interesting. It's the stuff that has captured the imagination of countless millions for thousands of years - how hard can it be?

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty good, but I only read it because it was assigned. Oh well.

[Emma M.]

so happy to be done with this class

[Chasen Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

In less than 600 pages Morford and Lenardon skillfully with entertainment and adequate translation of the original Greek and Latin passages adequately summarize a tremendous amount of Greek mythology. Starting with the beginning and interpretation of myth and ending with the current impacts of Greek mythology on music and film they are able to shove in the origin of the Gods, a sufficient description of each God, and a summarization of multiple Greek sagas such as Heracles, the Argonauts, and Perseus.

Where Morford and Lenardon shine most in their scholarship is rooting the etymologies of names, places, or events of gods’ interactions to their socio-cultural location to find the origin of the myth. I greatly appreciated their attempt to explain the beginnings of Greek mythology with invaders from the north and local Cretans in the bottom. Also, their description of the saga of Theseus to depict the orderliness of Athens’ laws and culture shines tremendously in the textbook.

What I found most interesting and stimulating this book is the paradoxes that abound in Greek mythology. Whereas in Christianity the paradox is a holy God interacting with unholy or sinful people, Greek mythology is much more anthropocentric instead of theocentric. Hephaestus’ struggle to cope with his disability in comparison to Aphrodite’s beauty depicts the struggle of human fragility and vulnerability with great vanity. Apollo and Dionysius are clearly opposite each other in their rational and antirational salvific methods. Perseus’ and Odysseus’ feats abroad but struggles at home demonstrate the cost of sacrificing for a quest only to be tricked in our origins. Greek mythology does not provide a more accurate human experience but describes the phenomenological state of humans more accurately.

I struggle to see eye to eye with Morford and Lenardon as their liberal scholarship forces them to not believe the myth but to deconstruct it. Myths are more than the amalgamations of great heroes, psychology, and linguistic patterns espoused through human lips. If that is all our beginnings are, then where is our hope for the now? We will only create new human heroes to be deified—ones that have not been tested through history, mythology, and tradition.

However, I hold a similar fear to Lucius who despises the cult of religion that drives people mad. Where do we draw the line between Bacchic worship scenes and the death of Pentheus. Where do we not let our human love be confused for divine and cause us to be turned into a tree? Greek mythology does not provide an impetus for morality, it just describes the complexities in the messiness of human nature.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a Greek myth geek since I was first introduced to it in my sixth grade world history class. The only thing this book added to what I already knew was how the myths may have came about. I had never considered the cultural perspective of the Titanomachy or the Medusa myth, and that was a refreshing take on things. If you are a novice to Greek mythology, this book is for you. If you know your stuff, walk on by.

[Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest edition rearranged the chapters, eliminating a whole section on receptions of classical mythology (the contents of which are still accessible online with a redemption code) while adding new multimedia features. Not much needs to be said about this volume -- its continued reproduction and positive reception speaks for itself. Even for advanced learners and specialists in the field, this work can be a great reference companion.

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent reference for understanding the details and purposes of Mythology from The Mycenaeans and Greeks to the Romans. I tried to read it cover to cover, and that proved to be quite challenging. There are many, many extensive passages out of primary sources.

I highly recommend this book to any fan of mythology or Greek history.

[Joe B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did a great job of tying together the fragments of mythological stories from various antique authors and creating a continuous narrative out of them, with footnotes on variations. I was also pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of references to modern art which incorporates elements of the classical myths, including movies, but especially even rock and roll songs!

[Desiree Rico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely enjoy a textbook, but this one is well-written and enjoyable. the text makes the mythology easy to understand and engaging.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at Roman and Greek mythology - very handy to have around if you are studying!

[Matt Plaza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic -- highly recommended!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book, but honestly, the writing was a little complex and definitely could've been made much clearer than it was.

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good text. I now have a renewed interest on Greek Mythology and it's influences on the Western world.

[Constantine]

2 copies

[ece ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book about the topic!! It's very well-written and makes you want to read more and more as pages go by.

[annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had to read this for my greek mythology course. i found it to be very interesting but no surprise there because i love greek mythology.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid introduction to classical mythology. Like most introductions, it focuses most on the Greek side, but the section of how this was integrated into the Roman world was very well done.

[Manisha Rajpurohit]

Read for class.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating…however the order in which the stories were presented made reading it kind of awkward and convoluted :/

[David Berghahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story for any student aspiring to learn about Greek mythology.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is a textbook and contained more details than I needed, it was still enjoyable even for someone without any previous knowledge (other than popular). As a textbook on mythology, I rate this book 4 stars. As a book to read being a beginner 3 stars. The section of the book about local Greek legends I would rate 2 stars. It seemed that the fluidity was greatly reduced and it seemed the author was less interested in that section.

[Tristan Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a thorough exploration of the major myths from ancient Greece and Rome, offering a comprehensive understanding of their significance and their connection to historical events. It delves into the rich mythological narratives, providing insights into their cultural, religious, and historical contexts.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best classical mythology book that I've ever had. I found an earlier edition of this book and found it extremely helpful and detailed. I now own this book and it's even better. This edition is printed on beautiful glossy paper, has colour pictures, and serves as an excellent resource if you're a student, a professor, or if you're like me and you're fascinated with mythology!

[Richelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was used for my Classical Mythology auditorium style lecture course in college. I found this text more enagaging than I did the version of the Odyssey we were supposed to read that semester.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my Classical Mythology class textbook for my Summer classes. I really enjoyed reading this book. Though it was a lot to read for a 6 week course. I plan on going back to reread some sections but other than that I really enjoyed the textbook and the class.