What do you think?
Rate this book
Греческие и римские мифы. От Трои и Гомера до Пандоры и «Аватара»
Мифы Древней Греции и Рима завораживают людей не первое тысячелетие. Все мы знаем о подвигах Геракла, Троянской войне, распрях богов и приключениях героев. Осколки этих историй повсюду разбросаны в современных культуре и языке. Эта книга — путеводитель по основным сюжетам, героям и мотивам — поможет собрать разрозненные фрагменты в единую величественную картину. Знакомые и малоизвестные сюжеты предстают в новом свете и неожиданных подробностях: подчас мрачных и жестоких, подчас поэтичных и остроумных.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2010
237 people are currently reading
3043 people want to read
About the author
Philip Matyszak
62 books281 followersPhilip Matyszak is a British nonfiction author, primarily of historical works relating to ancient Rome. Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John's College, Oxford. In addition to being a professional author, he also teaches ancient history for Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
September 21, 2020
It is almost impossible to understand anything regarding Western painting, music or literature, without at least a veneer of ancient culture, primarily Jewish, Greek and Roman mythology. This short book, as the title indicates, covers the essential pagan tales that were in use for several millennia across the Mediterranean, before the rise of Christianity and Islam.
So, if you need to revise your polytheistic mythology, this is a handy textbook that will help you do just that, from the early Greek cosmogony and the descendants of Gaia and Uranos, to the epic poems of Homer and Virgil, by way of the great Olympian gods (Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Aphrodite, etc.) and supernatural heroes (Jason, Heracles, Perseus, Theseus, Oedipus, et al.). Philip Matyszak retells these classic stories in a very concise yet lively manner and points out the persistent aspects of these tales in our modern culture. Most of them can be found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses though, so you might as well want to go straight to the source.
Two small reproaches: the author provides several references to classic and modern works of art inspired by the old myths, but only a handful of paintings are reproduced in the book, and not exactly in a great format: if you’re interested in this facet of the Mediterranean myths, you’d better turn to another sort of book (say, Ecrire la mythologie by Emmanuelle Hénin, if you can read in French). Also, the copy-editing of this book has been done somewhat offhandedly, and, as a result, the published text still contains quite a few misprints.
This is one book in a collection of similar compendiums about ancient mythologies, which also includes The Egyptian Myths, The Norse Myths and The Celtic Myths.
So, if you need to revise your polytheistic mythology, this is a handy textbook that will help you do just that, from the early Greek cosmogony and the descendants of Gaia and Uranos, to the epic poems of Homer and Virgil, by way of the great Olympian gods (Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Aphrodite, etc.) and supernatural heroes (Jason, Heracles, Perseus, Theseus, Oedipus, et al.). Philip Matyszak retells these classic stories in a very concise yet lively manner and points out the persistent aspects of these tales in our modern culture. Most of them can be found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses though, so you might as well want to go straight to the source.
Two small reproaches: the author provides several references to classic and modern works of art inspired by the old myths, but only a handful of paintings are reproduced in the book, and not exactly in a great format: if you’re interested in this facet of the Mediterranean myths, you’d better turn to another sort of book (say, Ecrire la mythologie by Emmanuelle Hénin, if you can read in French). Also, the copy-editing of this book has been done somewhat offhandedly, and, as a result, the published text still contains quite a few misprints.
This is one book in a collection of similar compendiums about ancient mythologies, which also includes The Egyptian Myths, The Norse Myths and The Celtic Myths.
January 16, 2019
Not a retelling of the ancient myths, but a whistle stop tour of who’s who of the ancient Greek and Roman gods and heroes. If you know nothing about these characters, or are confused by how they all fit together, read this.
January 7, 2016
Considering a lot of mythology books can end up reading like a secondary school text book (boring even though the subject matter is interesting) the author manages to make this the opposite. It is divided into each subject matter in a way that doesn't cause confusion or the need to incessantly flip back and forth, and the language doesn't condescend. Id say this is a good book for someone who wants introducing to the Greek and Roman myths, or fancies reading it from another perspective. Highly enjoyed this book.
August 3, 2025
I'm not really sure how to rate this because on the one hand I think this is a really excellently written book - I think if you really know nothing at all about Greek/Roman Mythology I think its will be a good way to get into it. The book contans a lot of information and does a really good job telling you the entire picture of the mythology so you see more or less how everything is connected in the lore. I think the lighter writing style is really good, it kind of reads like you are listening to a really knowledgable tour guide taking you through the highlights of the Mythology.
I think the writing is also the one "gripe" I have (its not really a gripe but I can't think of a better word right now). I genuinely like the lighter writing style in books like this, it takes the book from a boring text book to an interesting story you want to keep reading. That being said because Greek Mythology is pretty well known to have multiple interpreations of many of the myths (with either translation or just interpretation) I kinda wish those were mentioned a bit more or included into the discussion. Like this is a very small thing,its really not a big deal since I get including these might also make things confusing if you really don't know anything about greek mythology - but I kind of wish they were mentioned more throughout.
I think the writing is also the one "gripe" I have (its not really a gripe but I can't think of a better word right now). I genuinely like the lighter writing style in books like this, it takes the book from a boring text book to an interesting story you want to keep reading. That being said because Greek Mythology is pretty well known to have multiple interpreations of many of the myths (with either translation or just interpretation) I kinda wish those were mentioned a bit more or included into the discussion. Like this is a very small thing,its really not a big deal since I get including these might also make things confusing if you really don't know anything about greek mythology - but I kind of wish they were mentioned more throughout.
July 5, 2022
Ah, Greek mythology. Sexist, chauvinistic, terrible towards women. I can’t possibly blame the author of this book though.
This book is a lovely summary of the main myths (sometimes a little too brief), masterfully combining the Greek and Roman variants of the gods. I also LOVED the author’s dry humour - it was subtle and very refreshing.
I’m not sure if this book would be a good first introduction to Greek mythology, since at points it is rather brief. I already knew most of the stories here, so I didn’t get lost in the names - some mentioned just as an off-hand comments.
I loved was how the author presented other versions of the stories, their various origins and interpretations.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who fell into the current popular trend of retold myths, this book makes understanding the complex relationships between gods a little less chaotic.
This book is a lovely summary of the main myths (sometimes a little too brief), masterfully combining the Greek and Roman variants of the gods. I also LOVED the author’s dry humour - it was subtle and very refreshing.
I’m not sure if this book would be a good first introduction to Greek mythology, since at points it is rather brief. I already knew most of the stories here, so I didn’t get lost in the names - some mentioned just as an off-hand comments.
I loved was how the author presented other versions of the stories, their various origins and interpretations.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who fell into the current popular trend of retold myths, this book makes understanding the complex relationships between gods a little less chaotic.
March 9, 2019
Um recuerdo interessante de uma viagem a Santorini e que permitiu consolidar algumas das ideias que tinha sobre a mitologia grega e romana. A leitura acaba por ser fácil, uma vez que o autor também se preocupa por explicar cada uma das histórias e personagens de uma maneira acessível, fazendo várias vezes a ponte entre personagens, para que o leitor mantenha presente as relações entre si e compreenda a complexa rede de relações que serve de base a estes mitos. Para além disso, o autor estabelece ainda a ligação com realidades dos dias de hoje, nomeadamente nomes de marcas que têm nestes deuses e figuras mitológicas as suas origens.
Uma leitura interessante, simples e leve para quem queria aprender ou consolidar um pouco os seus conhecimentos sobre esta temática.
Uma leitura interessante, simples e leve para quem queria aprender ou consolidar um pouco os seus conhecimentos sobre esta temática.
April 13, 2025
One step above the Greek Mythology Wikipedia page.
December 21, 2022
Really nice summary and analysis of the myths and gods and goddesses, along with many connections to later art.
February 4, 2025
A fascinating and informative oddesey (lol) through (mainly) Greek mythology with little bit of Roman thrown in for good measure. Well structured chronically. If you are a fan of classic movies like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans give this a whirl!
May 19, 2019
A very good and very short and dense work. It sums up in little bits the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans, decided chronologically through the ages.
I liked very much the references to artworks made by each myth, and the short summary of the Aeneid, which I never understood its context so much until now since I've been focusing mostly on the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The weak points of this book though comes exactly from its shortness, and the language is sometimes too pretentious, but still keeps a slight touch of humor.
If you’re interested in the ancient myths, It’s a good book to begin with, though probably not the best. While this book keeps a little closer to the academic approach, unlike the over popularizing (yet wonderful) approach of Stephan fry with his book “Mythos”, which makes things even more accessible, but sometimes at the price of too much modern comic interpretation.
The reading list recommendation at the end of the book is wonderful as well.
I liked very much the references to artworks made by each myth, and the short summary of the Aeneid, which I never understood its context so much until now since I've been focusing mostly on the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The weak points of this book though comes exactly from its shortness, and the language is sometimes too pretentious, but still keeps a slight touch of humor.
If you’re interested in the ancient myths, It’s a good book to begin with, though probably not the best. While this book keeps a little closer to the academic approach, unlike the over popularizing (yet wonderful) approach of Stephan fry with his book “Mythos”, which makes things even more accessible, but sometimes at the price of too much modern comic interpretation.
The reading list recommendation at the end of the book is wonderful as well.
December 23, 2014
The author's incessant attempts at jokes and witticisms get a bit irritating. He seems to think that every couple of sentences needs a punch-line.
Aside from that, it is a beautifully designed book (containing pictures) and covers all the basics of classical mythology. The sections about how the myths influenced later art are a good addition. Laying out the content under many subheadings and with regular boxes of information helps the reader to understand the wealth of stories, but breaks up the narrative.
My only real criticism of this book is therefore the writing. I would recommend the Penguin Book of Classical Myth if you are willing to read the extra 350 or so pages for an excellent overview of mythology.
Aside from that, it is a beautifully designed book (containing pictures) and covers all the basics of classical mythology. The sections about how the myths influenced later art are a good addition. Laying out the content under many subheadings and with regular boxes of information helps the reader to understand the wealth of stories, but breaks up the narrative.
My only real criticism of this book is therefore the writing. I would recommend the Penguin Book of Classical Myth if you are willing to read the extra 350 or so pages for an excellent overview of mythology.
October 1, 2023
Great little book which you can probably get through in a week or so. It's purposefully kept simple and there's a very helpful family tree at the beginning (it is, however, quite depressing just how often you have to go back and check it).
I suppose the weakness of the book is that it assumes alot of knowledge. It's like "then there's Aphroditie but we know about her from Aphrodisiacs" and I'm just like "you what? She was an oyster?"
But that's me being super mean. If it covered everything at my level, it would be a thousand pages long and would have spelt the names phon-et-ically. I'm still unsure how I'm supposed to say Hephaestus outloud. Hep-house-tus? He-phas-tus? Nightmare.
I'll close with this tid-bit: Nemsis, the God of stalking disaster, was a woman. Which I should have seen coming.
I suppose the weakness of the book is that it assumes alot of knowledge. It's like "then there's Aphroditie but we know about her from Aphrodisiacs" and I'm just like "you what? She was an oyster?"
But that's me being super mean. If it covered everything at my level, it would be a thousand pages long and would have spelt the names phon-et-ically. I'm still unsure how I'm supposed to say Hephaestus outloud. Hep-house-tus? He-phas-tus? Nightmare.
I'll close with this tid-bit: Nemsis, the God of stalking disaster, was a woman. Which I should have seen coming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2021
Очень полезная книга для тех, кто хочет получить представление о греческой и римской мифологии. Информация легко воспринимается, т.к. текст хорошо структурирован и автор делает любопытные культурологические отсылки. Каждая из глав раскрывает основные блоки мифологии: теогония, боги Олимпа, "местные" боги, герои. Отдельные главы посвящены Троянской войне, "Илиаде" и повествованиям о путешествиях Одиссея и Энея.
Думаю, прежде чем приступать к какой-то из этих тем, имеет смысл прочитать соответствующую главу, это поможет быстрее адаптироваться к более серьезному чтению.
Однако, если эта книга - не первая книга на эту тему, возможно, будет не хватать подробностей и более серьезной подачи материала.
Думаю, прежде чем приступать к какой-то из этих тем, имеет смысл прочитать соответствующую главу, это поможет быстрее адаптироваться к более серьезному чтению.
Однако, если эта книга - не первая книга на эту тему, возможно, будет не хватать подробностей и более серьезной подачи материала.
November 8, 2023
I unexpectedly learned so much etymology by reading this book. A pleasant surprise, I must say.
But in all seriousness, this book did a phenomenal job in explaining the ancient myths, and even though I already knew quite a lot of them, having them be told from start to finish (with an even more detailed understanding from reading previous and following myths) was a nice and educating experience.
+ the drama never stops and it is so fun to read about.
But in all seriousness, this book did a phenomenal job in explaining the ancient myths, and even though I already knew quite a lot of them, having them be told from start to finish (with an even more detailed understanding from reading previous and following myths) was a nice and educating experience.
+ the drama never stops and it is so fun to read about.
February 27, 2024
Niciodată nu poți citi sau avea în bibliotecă prea multe volume despre miturile grecești și romane! Cel puțin, mie mi se aplică regula aceasta de minune. În 2019 mi-am îndeplinit un vis - am vizitat minunata Atena, iar într-unul dintre muzee am descoperit "The Greek and Roman Myths" și am știut că trebuie să o citesc.
Deși nu prezintă aspecte noi, am apreciat informațiile citite și modul în care au fost expuse, în special mini-descrierile fiecărui zeu de la părinți și partener și până la caracteristici și simboluri. Alături de zei, veți descoperi detalii despre eroi, despre încercările prin care trec și despre călătoriile care îi transformă în figuri la fel de importante precum zeii.
Mi-aș fi dorit să citesc mai multe și despre perspectiva romană decât cea greacă, care predomină. Mi-au plăcut referințele din artă pe parcursul lecturii și ilustrațiile care însoțesc textele, care mi-au lăsat impresia unei vizite într-un muzeu ascultând un ghid povestindu-mi despre statuile pe care le văd.
Deși nu prezintă aspecte noi, am apreciat informațiile citite și modul în care au fost expuse, în special mini-descrierile fiecărui zeu de la părinți și partener și până la caracteristici și simboluri. Alături de zei, veți descoperi detalii despre eroi, despre încercările prin care trec și despre călătoriile care îi transformă în figuri la fel de importante precum zeii.
Mi-aș fi dorit să citesc mai multe și despre perspectiva romană decât cea greacă, care predomină. Mi-au plăcut referințele din artă pe parcursul lecturii și ilustrațiile care însoțesc textele, care mi-au lăsat impresia unei vizite într-un muzeu ascultând un ghid povestindu-mi despre statuile pe care le văd.
July 22, 2024
i really enjoyed the book, it was very fun to read and i learnt a lot/got more details of stuff i already knew about
i DO feel like if you don’t know anything about mythology, then this would be very confusing. there was some stuff i didn’t understand myself but i mostly knew these stories so it wasn’t hard for me to get through the retellings
would recommend if you already know many stories about greek/roman mythology!!! otherwise pls get some more knowledge first
i DO feel like if you don’t know anything about mythology, then this would be very confusing. there was some stuff i didn’t understand myself but i mostly knew these stories so it wasn’t hard for me to get through the retellings
would recommend if you already know many stories about greek/roman mythology!!! otherwise pls get some more knowledge first
January 11, 2021
This book was nice and all - brief but a good introduction - and there was only 1 thing that bothered me: there were coloured borders and coloured (sub)titles so WHY were the pictures black and white?
August 10, 2025
Es una lectura general sobre mitología grecorromana bastante buena y breve. En ocasiones se hace denso de leer, aunque probablemente sea más problema del propio tema que del autor. Quizá he echado en falta referencias a elementos del día a día que reciben su nombre de la mitología.
December 31, 2022
A very interesting collection of Greek and Roman myths. Since this is more an introduction to these classic tales, the topics are not covered in depth.
June 6, 2023
Positives:
- Easy-to-follow structure
- Deities-centric presentation
- Points out specific elements of cultural legacy in the West
- Presents several heroic quests (including Atalanta's!) using the same base template
Negatives:
- Much more about the Greek than the Roman side of things
- Etruscan influence barely mentioned in relation to Roman mythology/theology
- Some deities deserved a bigger section
- A teensy bit more information about the aetiology of certain deities and myths would've been appreciated
Overall: good reference – 7.5/10.
- Easy-to-follow structure
- Deities-centric presentation
- Points out specific elements of cultural legacy in the West
- Presents several heroic quests (including Atalanta's!) using the same base template
Negatives:
- Much more about the Greek than the Roman side of things
- Etruscan influence barely mentioned in relation to Roman mythology/theology
- Some deities deserved a bigger section
- A teensy bit more information about the aetiology of certain deities and myths would've been appreciated
Overall: good reference – 7.5/10.
Read
March 7, 2024Im a nerd and this is all wrong.
June 10, 2025
Really enjoyed and think it did its job perfectly in terms of nicely setting out all the basics in an understandable way and feel this will be a book to come back to as a quick reference guide when I inevitably can't remember or mix up my knowledge
also enjoyed the authors voice in their own sassy little comments throughout
also enjoyed the authors voice in their own sassy little comments throughout
April 21, 2022
The Greek and Roman Myths is another installment in the series also encompassing The Norse Myths, The Egyptian Myths, The Celtic Myths and, soon, The Japanese Myths. Although the Greek and Roman myths are probably the best known of the mythologies so far covered in the series, I found the book engaging and well-written. The author was able to present an otherwise quite familiar mythology in an easily accesible yet still innovative and enjoyable manner, making the book a worthwhile entry in the series and a nice addition to a mythological library.
July 27, 2023
A really nice guide and introduction to greek mythology. Very interesting ties to modern art and the English language as well.
February 9, 2025
A great starting point for Greek and Roman myths. As someone who has studied them for many years, I can confirm it is a great overview and starting point, exciting the reader to find out more and explore further with other material.
February 21, 2016
A concise, rich set of small entries on the gods and heroes. Can be used as encyclopedia or even read from start to finish, as it's entertainingly written. No violence or sexuality is censored as with others like Schwab. Now I feel prepared for the Iliad (which the book also summarizes).
One gripe is that almost nowhere are the original works referenced where the summarized events are first written of or told in greater detail. That would make the guide that much more helpful. Perhaps this would have required too much research to cover the complete mythology.
Unfortunately the Kindle edition is lacking, the illustrations on the ereader are too small and can't be enlarged, so you can't see many details of them (it's better on PC).
Also the index isn't clickable (huge missed opportunity) and there are no page numbers, so the index is useless. At least there are some clickable names in the text.
One gripe is that almost nowhere are the original works referenced where the summarized events are first written of or told in greater detail. That would make the guide that much more helpful. Perhaps this would have required too much research to cover the complete mythology.
Unfortunately the Kindle edition is lacking, the illustrations on the ereader are too small and can't be enlarged, so you can't see many details of them (it's better on PC).
Also the index isn't clickable (huge missed opportunity) and there are no page numbers, so the index is useless. At least there are some clickable names in the text.
August 25, 2021
An extremely well-structured, witty and easily understandable beginners guide on Greek and Roman mythology, despite the source of myths themselves being unspeakably complex. It reads in a way which doesn’t feel dull as other books on this topic tend to be, despite their lusciously interesting tales, and ties in to modern day language and culture in a way that makes you gasp.
The format of the text was notably rather strange, and it was peculiar that the pictures of paintings were never in color, despite their importance, but it’s a small problem overshadowed by the consistently engaging and memorable words of Philip Matyszak.
Definitely a wonderful book I would recommend to all those hoping to get started on their journey of knowledge into the fantastical world of Greek and Roman mythology!
The format of the text was notably rather strange, and it was peculiar that the pictures of paintings were never in color, despite their importance, but it’s a small problem overshadowed by the consistently engaging and memorable words of Philip Matyszak.
Definitely a wonderful book I would recommend to all those hoping to get started on their journey of knowledge into the fantastical world of Greek and Roman mythology!
December 12, 2021
Brilliant! Learnt a lot, the book definitely does what it’s marketed to do - offer a complete guide to the world of Greek/Roman myth which is for amateurs (?) whilst also being academic enough, and allowing a springboard into reading the Iliad/odyssey as I now have a strong basic knowledge of the myths. Justttt what I wanted from it and it delivered. Couldn’t give it 5 stars but is definitely a solid 4.5. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews