Dictionary of Classical Mythology

by Jenny March

Jenny March’s acclaimed Dictionary of Classical Mythology, first published in 1998 but long out of print, has been extensively revised and expanded including a completely new set of beautiful line-drawing illustrations for this Oxbow edition. It is a comprehensive A – Z guide to Greek and Roman mythology. All major myths, legends and fables are here, including gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, dangerous women, legendary creatures and monsters. Characters such as Achilles and Odysseus have extensive entries, as do epic journeys and heroic quests, like that of Jason and the Argonauts to win the Golden Fleece, all alongside a plethora of information on the creation of the cosmos, the many metamorphoses of gods and humans, and the Trojan War, plus more minor figures – nymphs, seers, kings, rivers, to name but a few.

In this superbly authoritative work the myths are brilliantly retold, along with any major variants, and with extensive translations from ancient authors that give life to the narratives and a sense of the vibrant cultures that shaped the development of classical myth. The 172 illustrations give visual immediacy to the words, by showing how ancient artists perceived their gods and heroes. The impact of myths on ancient art is also explored, as is and their influence in the postclassical arts, emphasising the ongoing inspiration afforded by the ancient myths.

Also included are two maps of the ancient world, a list of the ancient sources and their chronology, the more important genealogies, and an index of recurrent mythical motifs.

Genres: Mythology, Reference, History, Classics, Nonfiction

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2014

Reviews

[Alie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not read from A to Z. Simply looked at The Olympians and other gods and goddesses. There’s a lot of great information and I will definitely use it in the future. Also I’m surprised at how many things I knew about Greek mythology.

[Linniegayl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was required reading for a course in Greek Mythology that I just finished. In each unit of the course we were required to read a number of entries in the dictionary. I found each entry easy to read and highly informative. I also liked how most entries referenced other entries in the dictionary. The book also has a large number of black-and-white images of various mythological characters, mostly from Greek pottery.

I know I will refer to this book in the future when I want to learn more about various mythological characters. I would definitely rate this an A, so five stars here for me.

[revnyvna]

I’m putting this in the “Read” shelf but this is a dictionary, so, you know?