Greek Mythology: An Introduction

by Fritz Graf

This revised translation of Fritz Graf's highly acclaimed introduction to Greek mythology offers a chronological account of the principal Greek myths that appear in the surviving literary and artistic sources and concurrently documents the history of interpretation of Greek mythology from the 17th century to the present. First surveying the various definitions of myth that have been advanced, Graf proceeds to examine topics such as the relationship between Greek myths and epic poetry, the connection between particular myths and shrines or holy festivals, the use of myth in Greek song and tragedy, and the uses and interpretations of myth by philosophers and allegorists.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology, History, School, Ancient History

264 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[Nora]

*snore* This book is the definition of trying to reach the word count. Just get to the point already

[S. Alberto ঌ⁻⁷ (always yearning)]

While it certainly delivers on its promise of laying out the major approaches to myth, it wasn’t always the most engaging read. Graf opens with a dense overview of post-classical theorists—many of them German—which is undoubtedly useful for framing how myth has been interpreted over time, but it made the initial chapters feel more like trudging through a theoretical landscape than immersing in the myths themselves. That said, once the focus shifts back to Ancient Greece proper, the pace smooths out and the material becomes more accessible, though still quite academic. I appreciated how Graf consistently ties theoretical concepts to mythic material and provides a solid foundational bibliography for further exploration. The book works well as an introduction to the different schools of thought—from rationalism and allegory to structuralism and beyond—and it’s especially useful for students who need a snapshot of how interpretations of Greek myth have evolved. All in all, a solid starting point for understanding the interpretive frameworks of Greek mythology, but best approached with a well-rested mind and a pencil in hand!

[Mike]

Extremely helpful in laying out the approaches to myth. Graf does start out with post-classical approaches and a lot of the players in their development (think: many different Germans), but once he switches back to Ancient Greece proper it becomes a much smoother (though still dense) ride.

[Dio Moore]

A decent book if you're looking to explore Greek Mythology in depth. I found that it started off really well, but I had a hard time keeping momentum up with it. All very interesting, but possibly not the sum of its parts.

[Sven]

Drier than the Sahara desert!1
But I now know what Heumerism means, thanks bro!!

[Elo-Mall Toomet]

Bets overview I've read on the subject. Especially the history of scholarship section.

[The Hellene]

Το βιβλίο εστιάζει στην ιστορία της μελέτης της ελληνικής μυθολογίας και στο νοηματολογικό πλαίσο της, από την αρχαιότητα έως τις μέρες μας.

[Leonardo]

Leitura fácil para os que já possuem uma cultura bilíngue. O livro é ótimo em exemplificar as diferenciações entre poesia e História, buscando também exemplificar os usos da Genealogia.

[Enea]

What impelled early man to utter his first words, Herder believed, was his need to express a religious feeling.

[Fred Jenkins]

Graf gives a good overview of approaches to understanding Greek myths, from the ancient Greeks themselves to modern theorists, with a solid introductory bibliography (much of it not in English). The title is a bit deceptive. If you are just looking for the myths themselves, you will be disappointed. This should not be your first book on the subject. It will help to have read one of the usual suspects (Hamilton, Bulfinch, etc.), if not Homer, Hesiod, and Ovid, first.

[Jake Maguire]

Really had to struggle through this one. It was written in a strange stilted cadence and it focused on information that, to me, was not very relevant to expressing the Greek world succinctly. Blah blah blah yakity yak.

[Lyn Odonnell]

excellent, like an episode of desperate housewives of Olympus!

[Manar]

nothing

[EGSC Library]

One of our students gave this book 5 stars! If you'd like to borrow this book, the EGSC Library has it.

[Taylor Swift Scholar]

Edited. My first review was full of shit. This was an informative look at the study and interpretation of mythology.