Greek Myths

by Gustav Schwab (Text)

Greek legends as illustrated classics for young and old

The Greek myths are timeless classics, whose scenes and figures have captivated us since ancient times. The gods and heroes of these legends hold up a mirror to the human condition, embodying universal characteristics and truths – whether it be the courage of Perseus, the greed of Midas, the vaulting ambition of Icarus, the vengeance of Medea, or the hubris of Niobe. These traits are the basis for immortal dramas and rich narratives, as profound as they are entertaining, which form the bedrock of our culture and literature today and remain relevant and fascinating for all readers, young and old alike.

This edition contains 47 tales based on the most famous episodes in Greek mythology, from Prometheus, the Argonauts, and Theseus to the Trojan War and Homer’s Odyssey. The individual texts are selected from the seminal work Sagen des klassischen Altertums (Legends of Classical Antiquity) by Gustav Schwab (1792–1850), and strikingly illustrated by 29 artists, among them outstanding representatives of the Golden Age of Book Illustration and the Arts and Crafts Movement, including Walter Crane (1845–1915), Arthur Rackham (1867–1939), William Russell Flint (1880–1969), and Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900–1930).

These illustrations are complemented by scene-setting vignettes for each story and a genealogical tree of Greek gods and goddesses by Clifford Harper, commissioned especially for this volume. Placing the tales in context, the book contains a historical introduction by Dr. Michael Siebler and is rounded off with biographies of all featured artists as well as an extensive glossary of ancient Greece’s most famous protagonists. The heroism, tragedy, and theater of Greek mythology glimmer through each tale in this lavishly illustrated edition, awakening the gods and heroes to new life.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Art, Classics, Greek Mythology

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Emil (reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

With its classical retelling of myths and beautiful, lush illustrations, this book deserves a regal position in your home bibliotheque.

[nats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un compendio de resúmenes de algunas leyendas griegas. Si bien las ilustraciones son de cinco estrellas, los textos dejan que desear. Creo que están bastante resumidos, y no llegas a entender muchas historias a no ser que entiendas el mito previamente.

[Elise]

I started this book but I could not finish it. It is hard to read, I don’t know if it is because of the book itself or because of the language. The images look nice though.

[Nicholas Kalogeresis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely illustrated. It is not a comprehensive source for Greek myths but a nice heirloom publication to pass down in the family.

[Alfredo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merci mon amour 😊

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the text is abridged and had several glaring typos, I'm really giving this book 4 stars because of the overall design and wonderfully reproduced classic illustrations throughout. It's full of full-page, lush color reproductions of the original prints, along with short bios of the artists in the appendix. Taschen really creates beautiful books and I'm definitely keeping this one in my collection.

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art work is fantastic.

[So · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine grandiose Reise in eine vergangene (und nie dagewesene) Welt. Präsentiert im Zusammenspiel mit prächtigen und passenden Illustrationen. Fabelhaft!

[Joo;. ᥫ᭡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si Aquiles era la fuerza de Grecia, Héctor era las paredes de Troya. Paris te odio con mi ser

[anastasija · Rating 3 out of 5]

and they were roommates (achilles and patroclus)

[Sergio Espitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro visualmente impresionante que funciona perfectamente como introducción a la mitología griega. En lo personal me ayudó a conocer historias que desconocía. Sin embargo, los textos son demasiado resumidos. Es ideal para iniciarse, pero no reemplaza la lectura de los clásicos originales como la Odisea o la Ilíada. Recomendado como primer paso, pero hay que ir más allá.

[Elaina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

These classic stories remind me that the human experience hasn't changed much. I read these to remind myself that my own struggles aren't unique failures. They are part of a very old, my very old, human story.

[Abdulaziz · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://instagram.com/p/DCwmjcFII56/

[JJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The naurification (?) of greek mythology... Why are historians so homophobic? Idk much about the others but it was sooooo obvious that Achilles and Patroclus loved each other and were lovers their whole life. For fucks sake Achilles went on a killing spree after Patroclus was murdered. And when Achilles died they were buried together for eternity. And I'm sure it was like that for many others throughout history

[Draco Sanguinis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que tiene una gran variedad de mitos griegos, acompañado con hermosas ilustraciones, lo cual produce un mayor gozo en la lectura.