Greek Gods, Heroes, and Men

by Caroline Hirst Harding, David Mitchell (narrator)

Originally published in 1897, this primer of the mythology and history of the Greeks for young readers includes stories of the Greek gods, stories of Greek Heroes, and stories from Greek history.

From the book’s preface: “The value of the old Greek stories as material for the cultivation of the child’s imagination has long been admitted. Both of the authors have had practical experience in the use of such stories in primary classes.”


CONTENTS

Part I: Stories of the Gods

The Greeks
Zeus, the King of the Gods
Poseidon, the God of the Sea
Hades, the King of the Dead
Hera, the Queen of the Gods
Apollo, the God of Light
Artemis, the Huntress-Goddess
Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom
Hephaestus, the Smith-God
Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty
Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods
Ares, the God of War
Demeter, the Earth-Goddess
Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth
Dionysus, the God of Wine-Making
Pan, the God of Shepherds
Helios, the Sun-God
The Elder Gods
Prometheus, the Fire-Giver
Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea
Eros, the Love-God

Part II: Stories of the Heroes

The Labors of Heracles
Theseus and the Minotaur
Perseus and the Medusa
Jason and the Quest of the Golden Fleece
Achilles and the War about Troy
The Wanderings of Odysseus

Part III: Stories from Greek History

What Lycurgus Did for Sparta
What Solon Did for Athens
How the Athenians Fought the Persians
How King Xerxes Marched against the Greeks
How the Spartans Fought at Thermopylae
How Themistocles Saved Greece
Aristides the Just
How Pericles Made Athens Beautiful
Alcibiades, and the War between Athens and Sparta
Socrates, the Philosopher
How Epaminondas Made Thebes Free
King Philip and Demosthenes
Alexander the Great

Genres: History

Audiobook

First published July 25, 2007

Reviews

[Spring Madosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prosaic enough I could listen for fun with my 8-year old daughter while we did kitchen tasks but meaty enough that it was like a succinct and well-studied textbook. Delightful reminders of how the Greeks brought ideas that carry on to this day… oaks of strength, rainbows carrying messages, and lauded classical ideals of justice, love, and faithfulness.
The second half contained actual Greek historical tales which were also interesting and enjoyable (e.g. the battle of Marathon). Made for a great family book discussion!

[Benjamin]

hephaestus

[Athonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done except the audio recording was way too low. You'll need to crank stereo cranked it up