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Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
For nearly seventy years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago - and is still spellbinding to this day.
Edith Hamilton is the acclaimed author of The Greek Way and The Roman Way, which have been read by generations of readers around the world. She was made an honorary citizen of Athens in 1957.
Edith Hamilton is the acclaimed author of The Greek Way and The Roman Way, which have been read by generations of readers around the world. She was made an honorary citizen of Athens in 1957.
495 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
10438 people are currently reading
77093 people want to read
About the author
Edith Hamilton
66 books593 followersEdith Hamilton, an educator, writer and a historian, was born August 12, 1867 in Dresden, Germany, of American parents and grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.A. Her father began teaching her Latin when she was seven years old and soon added Greek, French and German to her curriculum. Hamilton's education continued at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut and at Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from which she graduated in 1894 with an M.A. degree. The following year, she and her sister Alice went to Germany and were the first women students at the universities of Munich and Leipzich.
Hamilton returned to the United States in 1896 and accepted a position of the headmistress of the Bryn Mawr Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland. For the next twenty-six years, she directed the education of about four hundred girls per year. After her retirement in 1922, she started writing and publishing scholarly articles on Greek drama. In 1930, when she was sixty-three years old, she published The Greek Way, in which she presented parallels between life in ancient Greece and in modern times. The book was a critical and popular success. In 1932, she published The Roman Way, which was also very successful. These were followed by The Prophets of Israel (1936), Witness to the Truth: Christ and His Interpreters (1949), Three Greek Plays, translations of Aeschylus and Euripides (1937), Mythology (1942), The Great Age of Greek Literature (1943), Spokesmen for God (1949) and Echo of Greece (1957). Hamilton traveled to Greece in 1957 to be made an honorary citizen of Athens and to see a performance in front of the Acropolis of one of her translations of Greek plays. She was ninety years old at the time. At home, Hamilton was a recipient of many honorary degrees and awards, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Edith Hamilton died on May 31, 1963 in Washington, D.C.
Hamilton returned to the United States in 1896 and accepted a position of the headmistress of the Bryn Mawr Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland. For the next twenty-six years, she directed the education of about four hundred girls per year. After her retirement in 1922, she started writing and publishing scholarly articles on Greek drama. In 1930, when she was sixty-three years old, she published The Greek Way, in which she presented parallels between life in ancient Greece and in modern times. The book was a critical and popular success. In 1932, she published The Roman Way, which was also very successful. These were followed by The Prophets of Israel (1936), Witness to the Truth: Christ and His Interpreters (1949), Three Greek Plays, translations of Aeschylus and Euripides (1937), Mythology (1942), The Great Age of Greek Literature (1943), Spokesmen for God (1949) and Echo of Greece (1957). Hamilton traveled to Greece in 1957 to be made an honorary citizen of Athens and to see a performance in front of the Acropolis of one of her translations of Greek plays. She was ninety years old at the time. At home, Hamilton was a recipient of many honorary degrees and awards, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Edith Hamilton died on May 31, 1963 in Washington, D.C.
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March 21, 2024
Female deities: honey, I'm pregnant
Their husbands:
EDIT: Warning for those who are not familiar with Greek mythology: Spoiler alert!
Cronus, king of the Titans, ate his children Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Don't worry, they survived. He tried to eat Zeus but failed. Cronus also castrated his father, Uranus, and threw his severed genitals into the ocean. Now that's some good true crime content.
King of the Gods Zeus ate his first wife, Metis, while she was pregnant with Athena. Don't worry, Athena survived. Metis, not so much. RIP sweet Oceanid. In the words of the great Alan Rickman, 'by Grabthar's hammer, by the Sons of Warvan, you shall be avenged.'
Tantalus killed his son Pelops and tried to serve him as a Swedish buffet-style meal to the gods. (I'm paraphrasing, but this is basically what happened).
Welcome to Greek mythology, where cannibalism, filicide, parricide, uxoricide, adultery, and incest are not only expected but encouraged.
I fully immersed myself in the world of gods and monsters. I'd forgotten how much I loved Greek mythology. Edith Hamilton did her thing. Allow me to explain the unhinged world of gods and goddesses in my modern, unhinged way.
99% of the men from Greek mythology belong to the streets. If they're not cheating, then they're committing literal sex crimes. Zeus bangs anything that walks. Naiad Daphne's father, a river god, transformed her into a laurel tree as she fled from Apollo to avoid his advances. Living life as a plant is more desirable than being Harvey Weinsteined by a Greek god. Ares is psychotic. Poseidon has a short temper but also loves dolphins, so I guess he's not all that bad.
Zeus 24/7 :
Why is Theseus considered a hero? He used Ariadne to help him defeat the Minotaur, then ditched her on a deserted island (thankfully, she was rescued by Dionysus). He also abducted Helen. I feel like this topic is not discussed enough. Theseus was trash.
Dionysus, whom I affectionately refer to as the Jim Morrison of Greek mythology, is probably my favorite. He enjoys indulging in wholesome activities such as orgies, riding his leopard-drawn chariot, and drinking wine. I don't see any problem with that. Live your best life, king. Dionysus had female followers known as Maenads (or Bacchae) who enjoyed revelry, drinking alcohol, and occasionally wreaking havoc on cities (and men). Although Dionysus had a reputation as a manwhore, he still managed to find true love. One of my favorite love stories in Greek mythology is that of Dionysus and his wife, Ariadne, a mortal princess from Crete. But that's a story for another review.
The majority of the gods and goddesses: scheming, plotting, fighting
Dionysus: traveling, drinking, having orgies, living his best life.
Athena, Artemis, Persephone, Psyche, and Nyx are absolute queens. Let's talk about Nyx, the primordial goddess of night. Did you know Nyx is so fierce that even Zeus, the king of the gods, fears her? Nyx is the daughter of Chaos and the mother of Hemera (the personification of day), Aether (the personification of sky), Hypnos (god of sleep), Thanatos (god of death), Eris (goddess of strife and discord), Nemesis (goddess of retribution), and The Moirai (the Fates), among others.
Do we even need to talk about Athena? To paraphrase Wendy Williams, she's an icon, she's a legend, and she is the moment. In the competition for the patronage of Athens, Athena emerged victorious over Poseidon. She provided guidance and watched over numerous heroes, including Odysseus, Perseus, Jason, and Heracles. Athena was not a saint; however, she had her bitchy moments. When Arachne claimed to be a better weaver than Athena, the goddess turned her into a spider. Harsh but also iconic.
Athena: I am a feminist.
Also Athena, every time a woman annoys her:
My favorite couples in Greek mythology:
1. Hades (god of the dead and king of the Underworld) and Persephone (goddess of Spring, later became queen of the Underworld)
2. Cupid/Eros (son of Aphrodite, god of desire and erotic love) and Psyche (mortal princess, later became goddess of soul)
3. Dionysus (god of wine, festivity, fertility, and theatre) and Ariadne (mortal princess of Crete)
4. Orpheus (the greatest musician who ever lived) and Eurydice (the tragic wife of Orpheus )
5. Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Endymion (mortal shepherd and hunter)
6. Hero (a virgin priestess of Aphrodite) and Leander (the young man who fell in love with her)
7. Echo (a nymph/oread) and Narcissus (a hunter who fell in love with his own reflection). Not really a love story, but I had to include them. ♫ You're so vain, you probably think this song review is about you ♫
I still haven't grown out of my Hades/Persephone phase. Persephone, a sheltered daughter of a controlling mother, was abducted/eloped with Hades, the King of the Underworld. If I had to choose between gardening and ruling the Underworld with the hot king of the dead, I would have been like, 'F the flowers.' Daniella Michalleni's poem I hope you’ve heard of horns, but that isn’t half of it. Out of an entire kingdom he kneels only to me, calls me Queen, calls me Mercy. Mama, Mama, I hope you get this. Know the bed is warm and our hearts are cold, know never have I been better than when I am here. Do not send flowers, we’ll throw them in the river. ‘Flowers are for the dead’, ‘least that’s what the mortals say. I’ll come back when he bores me, but Mama, not today lives in my head rent-free.
Hades and Persephone:
There are multiple versions of the Hades/Persephone myth, but my preferred canon depicts Persephone falling in love with Hades, embracing her dark side, and living happily with him in the Underworld. Is kidnapping really that big of a sin? Let's cut Hades some slack.
I would love to discuss the other couples, but this review is already too long. The story of Psyche, her sisters, Aphrodite, and Cupid is a chaotic drama that deserves its own review.
Cupid: Mother, I've fallen in love with Psyche.
Aphrodite:
Greek mythology gods and humans as Lana Del Rey lyrics
Gaia (the personification of the Earth) - I got my red dress on tonight, dancin' in the dark, in the pale moonlight
Nyx (the powerful primordial goddess of the night) - He said to be cool but, I'm already coolest, I said to get real, "Don't you know who you're dealing with?"
Zeus (king of the gods, sender of thunder) - Love you more than those bitches before
Hera (queen of the gods, goddess of marriage and childbirth) - My old man is a bad man, but I can't deny the way he holds my hand
Demeter (goddess of the harvest and agriculture) - They mistook my kindness for weakness, I fucked up, I know that, but, Jesus, can't a girl just do the best she can?
Poseidon (god of the sea and earthquakes) - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard?
Hestia ( the virgin goddess of the hearth) - She said, "Most men don't want a woman with a legacy, it's of age." She said, "You can't be a muse and be happy, too
Hades (god of the dead and wealth, and king of the Underworld) - Oh, my heart it breaks every step that I take, but I'm hoping that the gates, they'll tell me that you're mine. Choose your last words, this is the last time, 'cause you and I, we were born to die
Persephone (daughter of Demeter, goddess of spring, queen of the Underworld) - In the land of Gods and Monsters, I was an angel living in the garden of evil
Athena (virgin goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft) - I wasn't crazy, I was divine
Artemis (Apollo's twin sister, virgin goddess of the hunt and wild animals) - If you want some basic bitch, go to the Beverly Center and find her
Apollo (Artemis' twin brother, god of the sun, light, archery, prophecy, truth, healing, diseases, music, poetry) - You were like tall, tan driving 'round the city, flirting with the girls like, "You're so pretty"
Aphrodite (goddess of love and beauty) - I fucked my way up to the top, this is my show
Ares (god of war) - Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I've got a war in my mind
Dionysus (god of wine, theatre, festivity, fertility) - Please don't try to find me through my dealer, he won't pick up his phone
Ariadne (princess of Crete, sister of Minotaur, wife of Dionysus) - If he's a serial killer, then what's the worst that could happen to a girl who's already hurt? I'm already hurt
Hermes (messenger of the gods, protector of travelers, merchants, couriers, and thieves) - I'm smoking while I'm runnin' on my treadmill, but I'm cutting up roses, could it be that I fell for another loser
Hephaestus (god of fire, metalworking, craftsmen, and volcanoes) - Open me up, tell me you like it, fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
Cupid (god of desire and erotic love) - It's a love story for the new age, for the sixth page, we're on a quick, sick rampage
Psyche (a mortal princess who became the goddess of the soul after marrying Cupid) - Oh, be my once in a lifetime, lyin' on your chest in my party dress I'm a fuckin' mess, but I oh, thanks for the high life, baby, it's the best, passed the test, and yes, now I’m here with you
Daphne (a naiad, daughter of the river god Peneus) - There's things I wanna say to you, but I'll just let you live, like if you hold me without hurting me, you'll be the first who ever did
Hecate (goddess of magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and ghosts) - I want money, power and glory, I want money and all your power, all your glory, Hallelujah, I wanna take you for all that you got
Nemesis (goddess of retribution and punisher of evil deeds) - No holds barred, I was sent to destroy
Eris (the goddess of discord) - I heard that you like the bad girls, honey, is that true?
Orpheus (the greatest musician who ever lived) - And there's no remedy for memory, your face is like a melody, it won't leave my head. Your soul is haunting me and telling me that everything is fine, but I wish I was dead (dead, like you)
Eurydice (Orpheus' wife) - You're in the wind, I'm in the water, nobody's son, nobody's daughter
Hera, whenever Zeus knocks up one of his mistresses:
I would like to conclude this review by informing (or reminding) everyone that Aphrodite had an affair with Ares while being married to Hephaestus.
Their husbands:
EDIT: Warning for those who are not familiar with Greek mythology: Spoiler alert!
Cronus, king of the Titans, ate his children Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Don't worry, they survived. He tried to eat Zeus but failed. Cronus also castrated his father, Uranus, and threw his severed genitals into the ocean. Now that's some good true crime content.
King of the Gods Zeus ate his first wife, Metis, while she was pregnant with Athena. Don't worry, Athena survived. Metis, not so much. RIP sweet Oceanid. In the words of the great Alan Rickman, 'by Grabthar's hammer, by the Sons of Warvan, you shall be avenged.'
Tantalus killed his son Pelops and tried to serve him as a Swedish buffet-style meal to the gods. (I'm paraphrasing, but this is basically what happened).
Welcome to Greek mythology, where cannibalism, filicide, parricide, uxoricide, adultery, and incest are not only expected but encouraged.
I fully immersed myself in the world of gods and monsters. I'd forgotten how much I loved Greek mythology. Edith Hamilton did her thing. Allow me to explain the unhinged world of gods and goddesses in my modern, unhinged way.
99% of the men from Greek mythology belong to the streets. If they're not cheating, then they're committing literal sex crimes. Zeus bangs anything that walks. Naiad Daphne's father, a river god, transformed her into a laurel tree as she fled from Apollo to avoid his advances. Living life as a plant is more desirable than being Harvey Weinsteined by a Greek god. Ares is psychotic. Poseidon has a short temper but also loves dolphins, so I guess he's not all that bad.
Zeus 24/7 :
Why is Theseus considered a hero? He used Ariadne to help him defeat the Minotaur, then ditched her on a deserted island (thankfully, she was rescued by Dionysus). He also abducted Helen. I feel like this topic is not discussed enough. Theseus was trash.
Dionysus, whom I affectionately refer to as the Jim Morrison of Greek mythology, is probably my favorite. He enjoys indulging in wholesome activities such as orgies, riding his leopard-drawn chariot, and drinking wine. I don't see any problem with that. Live your best life, king. Dionysus had female followers known as Maenads (or Bacchae) who enjoyed revelry, drinking alcohol, and occasionally wreaking havoc on cities (and men). Although Dionysus had a reputation as a manwhore, he still managed to find true love. One of my favorite love stories in Greek mythology is that of Dionysus and his wife, Ariadne, a mortal princess from Crete. But that's a story for another review.
The majority of the gods and goddesses: scheming, plotting, fighting
Dionysus: traveling, drinking, having orgies, living his best life.
Athena, Artemis, Persephone, Psyche, and Nyx are absolute queens. Let's talk about Nyx, the primordial goddess of night. Did you know Nyx is so fierce that even Zeus, the king of the gods, fears her? Nyx is the daughter of Chaos and the mother of Hemera (the personification of day), Aether (the personification of sky), Hypnos (god of sleep), Thanatos (god of death), Eris (goddess of strife and discord), Nemesis (goddess of retribution), and The Moirai (the Fates), among others.
Do we even need to talk about Athena? To paraphrase Wendy Williams, she's an icon, she's a legend, and she is the moment. In the competition for the patronage of Athens, Athena emerged victorious over Poseidon. She provided guidance and watched over numerous heroes, including Odysseus, Perseus, Jason, and Heracles. Athena was not a saint; however, she had her bitchy moments. When Arachne claimed to be a better weaver than Athena, the goddess turned her into a spider. Harsh but also iconic.
Athena: I am a feminist.
Also Athena, every time a woman annoys her:
My favorite couples in Greek mythology:
1. Hades (god of the dead and king of the Underworld) and Persephone (goddess of Spring, later became queen of the Underworld)
2. Cupid/Eros (son of Aphrodite, god of desire and erotic love) and Psyche (mortal princess, later became goddess of soul)
3. Dionysus (god of wine, festivity, fertility, and theatre) and Ariadne (mortal princess of Crete)
4. Orpheus (the greatest musician who ever lived) and Eurydice (the tragic wife of Orpheus )
5. Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Endymion (mortal shepherd and hunter)
6. Hero (a virgin priestess of Aphrodite) and Leander (the young man who fell in love with her)
7. Echo (a nymph/oread) and Narcissus (a hunter who fell in love with his own reflection). Not really a love story, but I had to include them. ♫ You're so vain, you probably think this
I still haven't grown out of my Hades/Persephone phase. Persephone, a sheltered daughter of a controlling mother, was abducted/eloped with Hades, the King of the Underworld. If I had to choose between gardening and ruling the Underworld with the hot king of the dead, I would have been like, 'F the flowers.' Daniella Michalleni's poem I hope you’ve heard of horns, but that isn’t half of it. Out of an entire kingdom he kneels only to me, calls me Queen, calls me Mercy. Mama, Mama, I hope you get this. Know the bed is warm and our hearts are cold, know never have I been better than when I am here. Do not send flowers, we’ll throw them in the river. ‘Flowers are for the dead’, ‘least that’s what the mortals say. I’ll come back when he bores me, but Mama, not today lives in my head rent-free.
Hades and Persephone:
There are multiple versions of the Hades/Persephone myth, but my preferred canon depicts Persephone falling in love with Hades, embracing her dark side, and living happily with him in the Underworld.
I would love to discuss the other couples, but this review is already too long. The story of Psyche, her sisters, Aphrodite, and Cupid is a chaotic drama that deserves its own review.
Cupid: Mother, I've fallen in love with Psyche.
Aphrodite:
Greek mythology gods and humans as Lana Del Rey lyrics
Gaia (the personification of the Earth) - I got my red dress on tonight, dancin' in the dark, in the pale moonlight
Nyx (the powerful primordial goddess of the night) - He said to be cool but, I'm already coolest, I said to get real, "Don't you know who you're dealing with?"
Zeus (king of the gods, sender of thunder) - Love you more than those bitches before
Hera (queen of the gods, goddess of marriage and childbirth) - My old man is a bad man, but I can't deny the way he holds my hand
Demeter (goddess of the harvest and agriculture) - They mistook my kindness for weakness, I fucked up, I know that, but, Jesus, can't a girl just do the best she can?
Poseidon (god of the sea and earthquakes) - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard?
Hestia ( the virgin goddess of the hearth) - She said, "Most men don't want a woman with a legacy, it's of age." She said, "You can't be a muse and be happy, too
Hades (god of the dead and wealth, and king of the Underworld) - Oh, my heart it breaks every step that I take, but I'm hoping that the gates, they'll tell me that you're mine. Choose your last words, this is the last time, 'cause you and I, we were born to die
Persephone (daughter of Demeter, goddess of spring, queen of the Underworld) - In the land of Gods and Monsters, I was an angel living in the garden of evil
Athena (virgin goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft) - I wasn't crazy, I was divine
Artemis (Apollo's twin sister, virgin goddess of the hunt and wild animals) - If you want some basic bitch, go to the Beverly Center and find her
Apollo (Artemis' twin brother, god of the sun, light, archery, prophecy, truth, healing, diseases, music, poetry) - You were like tall, tan driving 'round the city, flirting with the girls like, "You're so pretty"
Aphrodite (goddess of love and beauty) - I fucked my way up to the top, this is my show
Ares (god of war) - Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I've got a war in my mind
Dionysus (god of wine, theatre, festivity, fertility) - Please don't try to find me through my dealer, he won't pick up his phone
Ariadne (princess of Crete, sister of Minotaur, wife of Dionysus) - If he's a serial killer, then what's the worst that could happen to a girl who's already hurt? I'm already hurt
Hermes (messenger of the gods, protector of travelers, merchants, couriers, and thieves) - I'm smoking while I'm runnin' on my treadmill, but I'm cutting up roses, could it be that I fell for another loser
Hephaestus (god of fire, metalworking, craftsmen, and volcanoes) - Open me up, tell me you like it, fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
Cupid (god of desire and erotic love) - It's a love story for the new age, for the sixth page, we're on a quick, sick rampage
Psyche (a mortal princess who became the goddess of the soul after marrying Cupid) - Oh, be my once in a lifetime, lyin' on your chest in my party dress I'm a fuckin' mess, but I oh, thanks for the high life, baby, it's the best, passed the test, and yes, now I’m here with you
Daphne (a naiad, daughter of the river god Peneus) - There's things I wanna say to you, but I'll just let you live, like if you hold me without hurting me, you'll be the first who ever did
Hecate (goddess of magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and ghosts) - I want money, power and glory, I want money and all your power, all your glory, Hallelujah, I wanna take you for all that you got
Nemesis (goddess of retribution and punisher of evil deeds) - No holds barred, I was sent to destroy
Eris (the goddess of discord) - I heard that you like the bad girls, honey, is that true?
Orpheus (the greatest musician who ever lived) - And there's no remedy for memory, your face is like a melody, it won't leave my head. Your soul is haunting me and telling me that everything is fine, but I wish I was dead (dead, like you)
Eurydice (Orpheus' wife) - You're in the wind, I'm in the water, nobody's son, nobody's daughter
Hera, whenever Zeus knocks up one of his mistresses:
I would like to conclude this review by informing (or reminding) everyone that Aphrodite had an affair with Ares while being married to Hephaestus.
July 13, 2019
4 Stars
Wow. So this took me almost a full year to get through.
And no, I'm not actually joking (shocking, I know). GR says I started this in August....of 2018.
But what can I say.
Aside from the fact that I am probably just too dumb and too uncultured to truly enjoy this thing to it's full capacity...I'm also not a pretentious asshole who is going to pretend I lurved it to pieces just to look smart. (And no, I am not suggesting anyone who says they love this is a liar. One of my BBF GR buds Ana O really does love this. But she's also way smarter and more interesting than me, so there's that).
Don't get me wrong though, I really enjoyed the book as a whole - especially the stunning artwork, as I'm a sucker for pretty pictures - but not gonna lie, I got confused by all the names and incest and relationships a lot. And I am one of those people who will flip back to the family tree or index pages to refresh my memory - which is probably one of the many reasons why it took me so long to read this.
But I digress.
I love that I read this, because it definitely taught me that a lot of things I thought I knew about mythology was totally incorrect. But that's what happens when you trust the accuracy of Hollywood, Marvel, and Percy Jackson as applied to REAL mythology.
My bad.
I also love knowing that I now have this beautiful book on my shelves for future reference. So I consider this a win and I'm glad I thoughtfully read every page instead of rushing through it. Thanks Ana for the recommendation.
Wow. So this took me almost a full year to get through.
And no, I'm not actually joking (shocking, I know). GR says I started this in August....of 2018.
But what can I say.
Aside from the fact that I am probably just too dumb and too uncultured to truly enjoy this thing to it's full capacity...I'm also not a pretentious asshole who is going to pretend I lurved it to pieces just to look smart. (And no, I am not suggesting anyone who says they love this is a liar. One of my BBF GR buds Ana O really does love this. But she's also way smarter and more interesting than me, so there's that).
Don't get me wrong though, I really enjoyed the book as a whole - especially the stunning artwork, as I'm a sucker for pretty pictures - but not gonna lie, I got confused by all the names and incest and relationships a lot. And I am one of those people who will flip back to the family tree or index pages to refresh my memory - which is probably one of the many reasons why it took me so long to read this.
But I digress.
I love that I read this, because it definitely taught me that a lot of things I thought I knew about mythology was totally incorrect. But that's what happens when you trust the accuracy of Hollywood, Marvel, and Percy Jackson as applied to REAL mythology.
My bad.
I also love knowing that I now have this beautiful book on my shelves for future reference. So I consider this a win and I'm glad I thoughtfully read every page instead of rushing through it. Thanks Ana for the recommendation.
September 7, 2022
Mythological fiction is something that most of us love to read.
People gave a warm welcome to all the mythological fiction books that were published recently. This book can be considered the best reference material for those interested in knowing more about mythology.
The author discusses the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in detail in it. This book is divided into seven parts. They are the
- The Gods
- The creation and the earliest heroes
- Stories of love and adventure
- The great heroes of the Trojan war
- The great families of mythology
- The less important myths
- The mythology of the Norseman
I have this book's 75th-anniversary edition, which is simply spectacular in every way. Hamilton's brilliant writing, the cover, the layout, the printing, the illustrations, and everything else are done in an excellent manner.
If you are someone who loves Greek and Roman mythology, this is one of the best books you can buy today.
People gave a warm welcome to all the mythological fiction books that were published recently. This book can be considered the best reference material for those interested in knowing more about mythology.
The author discusses the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in detail in it. This book is divided into seven parts. They are the
- The Gods
- The creation and the earliest heroes
- Stories of love and adventure
- The great heroes of the Trojan war
- The great families of mythology
- The less important myths
- The mythology of the Norseman
I have this book's 75th-anniversary edition, which is simply spectacular in every way. Hamilton's brilliant writing, the cover, the layout, the printing, the illustrations, and everything else are done in an excellent manner.
If you are someone who loves Greek and Roman mythology, this is one of the best books you can buy today.
October 25, 2018
This book is considered as a classic for a reason... And I just wanted to say that this edition is GORGEOUS. Please, BUY IT! I promise that it'll look as AMAZING on your shelves as it does on mine! :D
P.S. These beautiful photos aren't mine! ;)
P.S. These beautiful photos aren't mine! ;)
September 28, 2010
This is the second in a series of six reviews focusing on books about Greek mythology. The books included in this comparative evaluation are:
Bulfinch's Mythology (Modern Library Paperback Edition, 2004)
Mythology by Edith Hamilton (originally published in 1942; Back Bay Books edition of 1998)
The Greek Myths by Robert Graves (Penguin Books combined edition, 1992)
Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece by Gustav Schwab (Pantheon Books, copyright 1946)
Don't Know Much About Mythology by Kenneth C. Davis (Harper Collins, 2005)
Myths of the Ancient Greeks by Richard P. Martin (New American Library, 2003)
Goodreads is not really set up to handle comparative reviews smoothly, so the discussion is split across the six book reviews. Thus, I've tried to evaluate each book on its own particular merits, and also give some idea of how it stacks up relative to the others. I based the comparative evaluation on three main general criteria - readability, accuracy, and scope (breadth and depth of coverage); I also looked at how each book handled two particular examples -- the life of Hercules and the story of Philomela and Procne. More details about the comparison can be found in the introduction to the first review:
Bulfinch evaluation
One of the problems in this whole undertaking is that some of the books on the list are acknowledged to be "classics", which makes it harder to review them objectively. You end up second-guessing yourself - maybe the classic status is causing you to be unduly deferential. Or maybe you're overcompensating by being too mean.
One thing became clear to me as I read these books. Although the myths remain unchanged, the way that we think about them has evolved considerably over the last 150 years. This is one reason why the bowdlerized myths presented to us by Bulfinch, in which each story is rendered moribund by being stripped of all reference to sex, violence, or any hint of unpleasantness, are so unsatisfactory to a 21st century reader.
Fortunately, Edith Hamilton is no prude. Her enthusiasm for the stories in "Mythology" is evident throughout the book. At times, she comes across as a woman on a mission - her conviction about the importance of these myths in Western culture is so passionate that she is determined to spread the message to a broader audience. She is scrupulous about identifying her source materials (on this point Bulfinch is, sadly, more dilettante than scholar). She knows how to structure a narrative. Her prose is clear and reasonably accessible - slightly dated, but largely unburdened by archaic language or academic jargon. "Mythology" even comes with a bunch of nifty illustrations, done by someone with the improbable name of Steele Savage (with a great fondness for winged horses, apparently). Though her first book wasn't published until she was in her sixties, her work achieved great popular success. Book-of-the-Month Club selection in 1957, honorary citizenship of Athens, a highly laudatory obit in the New York Times when she finally died at age 95 - what's not to love?
To sum up the points in its favor: Hamilton does well on the three basic criteria (accessibility, credibility, extent of coverage) the writing is clear, she is commendably rigorous about sourcing, and there are no glaring gaps in the extent of coverage. Both of my "test myths" were covered well; the story of Procne and Philomela particularly so. The family trees for the major Gods and important families of mortals are a really useful feature.
I wish that I liked "Mythology" better. But I have no great love for this book. That 3rd star was given only because I felt obliged to acknowledge her superiority to Bulfinch. But, for me, the book has an inescapable "Reader's Digest" feel to it. Yeah, the writing is clear. It's adequate, but never more than that - it never takes off, even in those obvious places where you think it must. I know this is an unfair comparison, but earlier in the month I had been reading Oscar Wilde's stories for children, as well as some of Kipling's poetry, and I kept waiting for Hamilton to dazzle me, even just a little bit. But she never did. And those nifty illustrations? Cheesy beyond belief. It's not just the over-representation of winged steeds, there's also way too much use of the threatening dark thundercloud effect, and the human figures are invariably depicted as shrieking heavenward as they shake their evidently double-jointed limbs in panic.
Finally, it should be noted that Hamilton's retelling of the Greek myths is based solely on her study of the classical literature - she had never been to Greece, and had no archaeological experience. Examination of myth from an anthropological or psychological perspective is also absent. There is about a page of rambling prose in the introduction in which the words "myth", "religion" and "Nature" appear together prominently, but no coherent thesis is advanced.
Sometimes Hamilton is opinionated to a fault:
"Intelligence did not figure largely in anything he did and was often conspicuously absent." (about Hercules)
"The terrifying irrational has no place in classical mythology. Magic ... is almost nonexistent. Ghosts never appear on earth in any Greek story."
I don't really mind if she disses Hercules, but her gratuitous dissing of my boy Ovid really didn't win her any points.
All in all, reading "Mythology" was not as much fun as I had expected. I'm not sure that it deserves to be considered a true classic.
Bulfinch's Mythology (Modern Library Paperback Edition, 2004)
Mythology by Edith Hamilton (originally published in 1942; Back Bay Books edition of 1998)
The Greek Myths by Robert Graves (Penguin Books combined edition, 1992)
Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece by Gustav Schwab (Pantheon Books, copyright 1946)
Don't Know Much About Mythology by Kenneth C. Davis (Harper Collins, 2005)
Myths of the Ancient Greeks by Richard P. Martin (New American Library, 2003)
Goodreads is not really set up to handle comparative reviews smoothly, so the discussion is split across the six book reviews. Thus, I've tried to evaluate each book on its own particular merits, and also give some idea of how it stacks up relative to the others. I based the comparative evaluation on three main general criteria - readability, accuracy, and scope (breadth and depth of coverage); I also looked at how each book handled two particular examples -- the life of Hercules and the story of Philomela and Procne. More details about the comparison can be found in the introduction to the first review:
Bulfinch evaluation
One of the problems in this whole undertaking is that some of the books on the list are acknowledged to be "classics", which makes it harder to review them objectively. You end up second-guessing yourself - maybe the classic status is causing you to be unduly deferential. Or maybe you're overcompensating by being too mean.
One thing became clear to me as I read these books. Although the myths remain unchanged, the way that we think about them has evolved considerably over the last 150 years. This is one reason why the bowdlerized myths presented to us by Bulfinch, in which each story is rendered moribund by being stripped of all reference to sex, violence, or any hint of unpleasantness, are so unsatisfactory to a 21st century reader.
Fortunately, Edith Hamilton is no prude. Her enthusiasm for the stories in "Mythology" is evident throughout the book. At times, she comes across as a woman on a mission - her conviction about the importance of these myths in Western culture is so passionate that she is determined to spread the message to a broader audience. She is scrupulous about identifying her source materials (on this point Bulfinch is, sadly, more dilettante than scholar). She knows how to structure a narrative. Her prose is clear and reasonably accessible - slightly dated, but largely unburdened by archaic language or academic jargon. "Mythology" even comes with a bunch of nifty illustrations, done by someone with the improbable name of Steele Savage (with a great fondness for winged horses, apparently). Though her first book wasn't published until she was in her sixties, her work achieved great popular success. Book-of-the-Month Club selection in 1957, honorary citizenship of Athens, a highly laudatory obit in the New York Times when she finally died at age 95 - what's not to love?
To sum up the points in its favor: Hamilton does well on the three basic criteria (accessibility, credibility, extent of coverage) the writing is clear, she is commendably rigorous about sourcing, and there are no glaring gaps in the extent of coverage. Both of my "test myths" were covered well; the story of Procne and Philomela particularly so. The family trees for the major Gods and important families of mortals are a really useful feature.
I wish that I liked "Mythology" better. But I have no great love for this book. That 3rd star was given only because I felt obliged to acknowledge her superiority to Bulfinch. But, for me, the book has an inescapable "Reader's Digest" feel to it. Yeah, the writing is clear. It's adequate, but never more than that - it never takes off, even in those obvious places where you think it must. I know this is an unfair comparison, but earlier in the month I had been reading Oscar Wilde's stories for children, as well as some of Kipling's poetry, and I kept waiting for Hamilton to dazzle me, even just a little bit. But she never did. And those nifty illustrations? Cheesy beyond belief. It's not just the over-representation of winged steeds, there's also way too much use of the threatening dark thundercloud effect, and the human figures are invariably depicted as shrieking heavenward as they shake their evidently double-jointed limbs in panic.
Finally, it should be noted that Hamilton's retelling of the Greek myths is based solely on her study of the classical literature - she had never been to Greece, and had no archaeological experience. Examination of myth from an anthropological or psychological perspective is also absent. There is about a page of rambling prose in the introduction in which the words "myth", "religion" and "Nature" appear together prominently, but no coherent thesis is advanced.
Sometimes Hamilton is opinionated to a fault:
"Intelligence did not figure largely in anything he did and was often conspicuously absent." (about Hercules)
"The terrifying irrational has no place in classical mythology. Magic ... is almost nonexistent. Ghosts never appear on earth in any Greek story."
I don't really mind if she disses Hercules, but her gratuitous dissing of my boy Ovid really didn't win her any points.
All in all, reading "Mythology" was not as much fun as I had expected. I'm not sure that it deserves to be considered a true classic.
May 7, 2022
4⭐
Fellow Demi-Gods, heed my words! If I speak falsely, may Zeus’ thunderbolt strike me down where I stand! May Poseidon thrust upon me an irrational desire to undertake coital alignment with a bovine beauty (a horny heifer/arousable angus/titillated toro, if you'd be so kind)! May I dream a most splendid dream in which my lips meet those of the blessed Aphrodite herself, only to awaken and find, in horror, that I am merely tongue-wrestling the three heads of Cerberus! Alas! None of that should be necessary, as I think you’ll find what I have to say most agreeable.
Euripides, one of the greatest poets the World has ever known said:
”If Gods do evil than they are not gods.”
A little naive maybe, however, given this and the irrevocably atrocious acts of each and every member of the Greek Pantheon, I suggest that there are, in fact, no Gods in Greek Mythology, only reflections of vastly more powerful versions of ourselves, unmasking and exposing all of our most unfavourable attributes. Physically, the Olympians are objectively perfect. I mean this in the sense that whatever your subjective idea of beauty is, that is the form in which the Gods should appear to you. In any case, their beauty, strength and vigour are unmatched but, these things aside, their personalities, temperament and moral compass’ leave much to be desired. The Olympians are unpredictable, unfaithful and consequently jealous, sex fiends. They are self-serving, scheming, apathetic and scornful, and have a major superiority complex!
Most wanted for crimes against humanity are Aphrodite, Hera, Athena, Poseidon and Apollo. Nevertheless, none of the Olympians could be considered Angels and they’ve all got blood on their hands by the closing of this book.
The majority of Hera’s misdeeds are a result of the fact that Zeus can’t keep his Jörmungandr in his pants (Yes, we’re mixing mythologies, just roll with it). She’s perpetually paranoid that Zeus is screwing around behind her back and, well… He usually is. The unfortunate bit is that she always channels her anger towards the women, who are often unaware that they are getting it on with the almighty himself, and/or the children that they give birth to. Among many other things, she was partly responsible for the Fall of Troy and wholly responsible for sending Hercules insane, resulting in the murder of his wife and children.
"They tried to get involved, the Greek Gods, and I said nooo, nooo, no!" - Jamie Steinhaus
Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, disrespected the Goddess Leto by exclaiming to the people that they should worship and burn incense to her and not to the Goddess. Leto’s children, Artemis and Apollo avenged their mother by killing all 14 of Niobe’s children. Story after story of this kind, of vengeful acts and lust for power are what you can expect here. This is not the Disney adaptation, folks!
Our deity-like doppelgangers are not alone in committing atrocities. Humans are more than equal to the task. Agamemnon murders his daughter, Iphigenia, to appease Artemis who, in turn, provides “good winds to sail to Troy”. Hector’s young Son, Astyanax and Hecuba’s daughter, Polyxena are murdered after the defeat of Troy, Tantalus kills his own son and feeds him to the Gods, Atreus feeds his brother his own children… you get the point! The Greek poets had a penchant for the dramatic and leaned heavily on shock value. You’ll walk away from reading Hamilton’s ‘Mythology’ with a stronger appreciation for the term ‘Greek Tragedy’.
”How can you have any pudding, if you don’t eat your kids?” I mean, you can’t fault the logic, dessert’s delicious but not nearly as nutritious as human flesh. Cronus (Saturn), father of Zeus, learned from Gaia and Uranus that one of his own children would overthrow him as he did his own father. So, he devoured them all as soon as they were born to prevent the prophecy, as you would. Anyway, Zeus escaped the same fate as his siblings for… reasons, the prophecy was fulfilled, the kids were regurgitated etc. etc.
This story, along with a few others, got me wondering why no one has created any horror adaptations of the Greek Myths. Some of the tales have a really insidious tone that I think could make for some chilling cinematics. One that stood out was the Wine God, Dionysus, and his Bacchantes/Maenads (Wine-maddened/berserker women). Pentheus, a King of Thebes, questions Dionysus’ divinity and Dionysus satiates his need for vengeance by placing the women of Thebes into a Frenzy and, long-story-short, Pentheus’ Mother and Aunties tear him limb from limb only to be awakened from their frenzy to look in horror at what they’ve done. Horrifying stuff. If you’re aware of any Greek Myth Horror adaptations, let me know!
I really enjoy reading Mythology and Edith Hamilton’s ‘Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes’ has been no exception. If you can get a hold of the 75th Anniversary edition, do so! The beautiful hardback cover, Illustrations by Jim Tierney, multiple double-page family trees and gold chapter header and border detailing make it an obvious choice. In fact, I’ll just come out and say it, if you read the dull little paperback version, you’re an inferior human being, it is what it is.
Hamilton proves herself extremely knowledgeable, not only with regard to the Greek Myths but, about the times in which they were composed as well. More often than not she shares with us the particular poet’s version she has taken inspiration from in her retelling and any others she has borrowed from as supplementation. You actually finish the book with a pretty good idea of who all the major authors of Greek and Roman Mythology were and some of their storytelling traits.
There are two reasons this lost a star from me. The first is that Hamilton’s bias towards particular poets comes through too strongly at times and she can be quite opinionated. Opinions are great, and she often accompanies them with some interesting facts, but I feel like a little more subtlety or, on occasion, impartiality would’ve made it a little less jarring.
The second is that Hamilton shows an absolute lack of respect for the Norse Myths, offering up a paltry 20 pages that were carelessly tacked onto the rear end of this work as though she’d squeezed out all of her best Greek Myths and the Norse tales were just the left-over dregs, like the dags on an oxes ass! Really, not a single fuck was given as she whistled through some really great material without doing it a lick of justice. The truth is, she could’ve excluded the final 20 pages and sold this solely as ‘Greek Mythology’ and I may have given it 5 stars. Make of that what you will.
Have a lovely day Bookish folk and never forget the moral underlying all of Greek Mythology. For the love of the Gods, LISTEN.TO.CASSANDRA!!
Fellow Demi-Gods, heed my words! If I speak falsely, may Zeus’ thunderbolt strike me down where I stand! May Poseidon thrust upon me an irrational desire to undertake coital alignment with a bovine beauty (a horny heifer/arousable angus/titillated toro, if you'd be so kind)! May I dream a most splendid dream in which my lips meet those of the blessed Aphrodite herself, only to awaken and find, in horror, that I am merely tongue-wrestling the three heads of Cerberus! Alas! None of that should be necessary, as I think you’ll find what I have to say most agreeable.
Euripides, one of the greatest poets the World has ever known said:
”If Gods do evil than they are not gods.”
A little naive maybe, however, given this and the irrevocably atrocious acts of each and every member of the Greek Pantheon, I suggest that there are, in fact, no Gods in Greek Mythology, only reflections of vastly more powerful versions of ourselves, unmasking and exposing all of our most unfavourable attributes. Physically, the Olympians are objectively perfect. I mean this in the sense that whatever your subjective idea of beauty is, that is the form in which the Gods should appear to you. In any case, their beauty, strength and vigour are unmatched but, these things aside, their personalities, temperament and moral compass’ leave much to be desired. The Olympians are unpredictable, unfaithful and consequently jealous, sex fiends. They are self-serving, scheming, apathetic and scornful, and have a major superiority complex!
Most wanted for crimes against humanity are Aphrodite, Hera, Athena, Poseidon and Apollo. Nevertheless, none of the Olympians could be considered Angels and they’ve all got blood on their hands by the closing of this book.
The majority of Hera’s misdeeds are a result of the fact that Zeus can’t keep his Jörmungandr in his pants (Yes, we’re mixing mythologies, just roll with it). She’s perpetually paranoid that Zeus is screwing around behind her back and, well… He usually is. The unfortunate bit is that she always channels her anger towards the women, who are often unaware that they are getting it on with the almighty himself, and/or the children that they give birth to. Among many other things, she was partly responsible for the Fall of Troy and wholly responsible for sending Hercules insane, resulting in the murder of his wife and children.
"They tried to get involved, the Greek Gods, and I said nooo, nooo, no!" - Jamie Steinhaus
Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, disrespected the Goddess Leto by exclaiming to the people that they should worship and burn incense to her and not to the Goddess. Leto’s children, Artemis and Apollo avenged their mother by killing all 14 of Niobe’s children. Story after story of this kind, of vengeful acts and lust for power are what you can expect here. This is not the Disney adaptation, folks!
Our deity-like doppelgangers are not alone in committing atrocities. Humans are more than equal to the task. Agamemnon murders his daughter, Iphigenia, to appease Artemis who, in turn, provides “good winds to sail to Troy”. Hector’s young Son, Astyanax and Hecuba’s daughter, Polyxena are murdered after the defeat of Troy, Tantalus kills his own son and feeds him to the Gods, Atreus feeds his brother his own children… you get the point! The Greek poets had a penchant for the dramatic and leaned heavily on shock value. You’ll walk away from reading Hamilton’s ‘Mythology’ with a stronger appreciation for the term ‘Greek Tragedy’.
”How can you have any pudding, if you don’t eat your kids?” I mean, you can’t fault the logic, dessert’s delicious but not nearly as nutritious as human flesh. Cronus (Saturn), father of Zeus, learned from Gaia and Uranus that one of his own children would overthrow him as he did his own father. So, he devoured them all as soon as they were born to prevent the prophecy, as you would. Anyway, Zeus escaped the same fate as his siblings for… reasons, the prophecy was fulfilled, the kids were regurgitated etc. etc.
This story, along with a few others, got me wondering why no one has created any horror adaptations of the Greek Myths. Some of the tales have a really insidious tone that I think could make for some chilling cinematics. One that stood out was the Wine God, Dionysus, and his Bacchantes/Maenads (Wine-maddened/berserker women). Pentheus, a King of Thebes, questions Dionysus’ divinity and Dionysus satiates his need for vengeance by placing the women of Thebes into a Frenzy and, long-story-short, Pentheus’ Mother and Aunties tear him limb from limb only to be awakened from their frenzy to look in horror at what they’ve done. Horrifying stuff. If you’re aware of any Greek Myth Horror adaptations, let me know!
I really enjoy reading Mythology and Edith Hamilton’s ‘Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes’ has been no exception. If you can get a hold of the 75th Anniversary edition, do so! The beautiful hardback cover, Illustrations by Jim Tierney, multiple double-page family trees and gold chapter header and border detailing make it an obvious choice. In fact, I’ll just come out and say it, if you read the dull little paperback version, you’re an inferior human being, it is what it is.
Hamilton proves herself extremely knowledgeable, not only with regard to the Greek Myths but, about the times in which they were composed as well. More often than not she shares with us the particular poet’s version she has taken inspiration from in her retelling and any others she has borrowed from as supplementation. You actually finish the book with a pretty good idea of who all the major authors of Greek and Roman Mythology were and some of their storytelling traits.
There are two reasons this lost a star from me. The first is that Hamilton’s bias towards particular poets comes through too strongly at times and she can be quite opinionated. Opinions are great, and she often accompanies them with some interesting facts, but I feel like a little more subtlety or, on occasion, impartiality would’ve made it a little less jarring.
The second is that Hamilton shows an absolute lack of respect for the Norse Myths, offering up a paltry 20 pages that were carelessly tacked onto the rear end of this work as though she’d squeezed out all of her best Greek Myths and the Norse tales were just the left-over dregs, like the dags on an oxes ass! Really, not a single fuck was given as she whistled through some really great material without doing it a lick of justice. The truth is, she could’ve excluded the final 20 pages and sold this solely as ‘Greek Mythology’ and I may have given it 5 stars. Make of that what you will.
Have a lovely day Bookish folk and never forget the moral underlying all of Greek Mythology. For the love of the Gods, LISTEN.TO.CASSANDRA!!
January 15, 2022
Edith Hamilton may have written Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes more than a half century ago and she may have been fairly ancient when she did so, but she still put out one seriously readable book!
Hamilton took from the best sources to cobble together slick summaries of all your old time myth favorites. Before giving each mythical story's highlights, she details the different writers who created a version of it and explains the qualities of the best ones. Sometimes she berates the lesser attempts and I appreciated the balance, especially since she explains her critique.
Now having said that, I have to note the caveat that this is not a scholarly work. This is a summary, a boiling-down, a sugar-coating of a topic that frankly could have been presented in a much more academic, dry manner. I'm glad it wasn't. These are not cursory run-throughs. They're full of detail and color.
The main issue with a book with that title is that you expect a wide ranging survey of the topic. This, however, is almost entirely about the Greek Myths. The Roman versions are only mentioned, because the Romans stole their myths wholesale from the Greeks. Aside from that, we get a very superficial mention of the Norse myths that takes up maybe the last 5% of the book. Nothing else in all the rest of humanity is even slightly touched upon. Disappointing. But if you want an easy, fun read on the Greek stuff, this is the book for you!
Hamilton took from the best sources to cobble together slick summaries of all your old time myth favorites. Before giving each mythical story's highlights, she details the different writers who created a version of it and explains the qualities of the best ones. Sometimes she berates the lesser attempts and I appreciated the balance, especially since she explains her critique.
Now having said that, I have to note the caveat that this is not a scholarly work. This is a summary, a boiling-down, a sugar-coating of a topic that frankly could have been presented in a much more academic, dry manner. I'm glad it wasn't. These are not cursory run-throughs. They're full of detail and color.
The main issue with a book with that title is that you expect a wide ranging survey of the topic. This, however, is almost entirely about the Greek Myths. The Roman versions are only mentioned, because the Romans stole their myths wholesale from the Greeks. Aside from that, we get a very superficial mention of the Norse myths that takes up maybe the last 5% of the book. Nothing else in all the rest of humanity is even slightly touched upon. Disappointing. But if you want an easy, fun read on the Greek stuff, this is the book for you!
August 29, 2011
"This book makes me feel smarter," says my GR friend in her review of this book. I worked the same for me.
Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies are so old because they have been in existence thousands and thousands of years even before Christ was born. No wonder that many literary works have been based on them. Even the names of the planets and the stars. Even the names of my, mortal as they are, relatives and friends. I have a nephew by a cousin in Canada whose name is Hector but he does not write stories as his passion is on computers. In the island where I grew up, there was a boy named Apollo who was naked the whole day that I could see his wang dangling while we played and he oftentimes cried when he lost in our games and I thought that, while reading this book, he did not even have a slight semblance of the Greek god he was named after. Along Roxas Boulevard, there is a niteclub called Athena where I bring company male visitors if they are giving me hints that they would like to see naked dancing Filipinas. Well, I am just trying to be a gracious hospitable host allowing my foreigner friends happy during their visit. But I think that none of those girls exhibit wisdom, reason and chastity that are the virtues of the goddess their place of work was named after. Maybe their frequent ordering of ladies drink while they reason that they are thirsty can be considered as wisdom, but please pardon me if I don't comment about chastity.
My favorite part is the Trojan War. I know, I know. I have not read Homer's The Iliad and I am ashamed. Prior to reading this book, I thought that Troy is Brad Pitt. This book taught me that Troy was a city and Brad Pitt's name in the movie should have been Achilles. I was also amazed to learn that Perseus was really the one who severed Medusa's snake-decorated head just like in Rick Rioldan's Percy Jackson and the Olympian's The Lightning Thief. So, Rioldan really stuck to the myth after all.
Hamilton's re-telling of those old myths is considerably interesting. I just can't remember all those hard-to-pronounce many names. However, the knowledge that I got reading each story was really overwhelming. This is really a book that needs to be read by everyone.
Thank you, Atty. Monique for recommending this book to me. You're such a smart lady and I am happy to be your friend! Let's buddy read Bulfinch soon!
Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies are so old because they have been in existence thousands and thousands of years even before Christ was born. No wonder that many literary works have been based on them. Even the names of the planets and the stars. Even the names of my, mortal as they are, relatives and friends. I have a nephew by a cousin in Canada whose name is Hector but he does not write stories as his passion is on computers. In the island where I grew up, there was a boy named Apollo who was naked the whole day that I could see his wang dangling while we played and he oftentimes cried when he lost in our games and I thought that, while reading this book, he did not even have a slight semblance of the Greek god he was named after. Along Roxas Boulevard, there is a niteclub called Athena where I bring company male visitors if they are giving me hints that they would like to see naked dancing Filipinas. Well, I am just trying to be a gracious hospitable host allowing my foreigner friends happy during their visit. But I think that none of those girls exhibit wisdom, reason and chastity that are the virtues of the goddess their place of work was named after. Maybe their frequent ordering of ladies drink while they reason that they are thirsty can be considered as wisdom, but please pardon me if I don't comment about chastity.
My favorite part is the Trojan War. I know, I know. I have not read Homer's The Iliad and I am ashamed. Prior to reading this book, I thought that Troy is Brad Pitt. This book taught me that Troy was a city and Brad Pitt's name in the movie should have been Achilles. I was also amazed to learn that Perseus was really the one who severed Medusa's snake-decorated head just like in Rick Rioldan's Percy Jackson and the Olympian's The Lightning Thief. So, Rioldan really stuck to the myth after all.
Hamilton's re-telling of those old myths is considerably interesting. I just can't remember all those hard-to-pronounce many names. However, the knowledge that I got reading each story was really overwhelming. This is really a book that needs to be read by everyone.
Thank you, Atty. Monique for recommending this book to me. You're such a smart lady and I am happy to be your friend! Let's buddy read Bulfinch soon!
May 26, 2019
4 stars
Basically, this gif sums up most of Greek mythology:
Not even kidding a little bit.
Anyways, mythology is always something I was interested in and loved, it's in so much of our everyday life still in the stories we tell and our history. I know most of my real life friends read this in the 10th grade, but my class read The Odyssey only and I've always meant to get to this book but didn't until now.
I listened to the audio of this book during my work commutes, and I liked it because it was a bunch of stories so I didn't have to keep track of a lot. Many stories were familiar, some I had heard different versions and some I had never heard. Hamilton, while not indulging in graphic details, does not shy away from some of the harsher aspects of these stories and I found myself making faces while listening. I also really liked how Hamilton told the reader her sources on where she got these stories from and if from different writers, how many years apart they were.
I was a history major in college, so this was fascinating to me. I get that it's not for everyone, but if you want to learn more about mythology in general, this is the book for you.
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Basically, this gif sums up most of Greek mythology:
Not even kidding a little bit.
Anyways, mythology is always something I was interested in and loved, it's in so much of our everyday life still in the stories we tell and our history. I know most of my real life friends read this in the 10th grade, but my class read The Odyssey only and I've always meant to get to this book but didn't until now.
I listened to the audio of this book during my work commutes, and I liked it because it was a bunch of stories so I didn't have to keep track of a lot. Many stories were familiar, some I had heard different versions and some I had never heard. Hamilton, while not indulging in graphic details, does not shy away from some of the harsher aspects of these stories and I found myself making faces while listening. I also really liked how Hamilton told the reader her sources on where she got these stories from and if from different writers, how many years apart they were.
I was a history major in college, so this was fascinating to me. I get that it's not for everyone, but if you want to learn more about mythology in general, this is the book for you.
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
August 28, 2021
4****
This was great for Greek mythology- with family trees at the back of the book to aid understanding and it was great to see how these heroes and Gods all connect. The author also wrote where the these stories are found and the source material she used (eg through tragic plays, or part of poetry) which was great for me for further research!
I also enjoyed how the author included different versions of the tales and who originally wrote these down- for example, there are different versions of Jason on the Argo, whether Atalanta was part of the Argo or not and a different tale of Ipigneia’s demise (which I especially loved as her story was so sad!).
There was some for Roman mythology but this was mostly The Aenid overview.
This also had a short introduction to Norse Mythology.
I would say this was great for an overview of Greek mythology but more of an introduction for Roman and Norse mythology.
This was great for Greek mythology- with family trees at the back of the book to aid understanding and it was great to see how these heroes and Gods all connect. The author also wrote where the these stories are found and the source material she used (eg through tragic plays, or part of poetry) which was great for me for further research!
I also enjoyed how the author included different versions of the tales and who originally wrote these down- for example, there are different versions of Jason on the Argo, whether Atalanta was part of the Argo or not and a different tale of Ipigneia’s demise (which I especially loved as her story was so sad!).
There was some for Roman mythology but this was mostly The Aenid overview.
This also had a short introduction to Norse Mythology.
I would say this was great for an overview of Greek mythology but more of an introduction for Roman and Norse mythology.
August 28, 2016
Hm. I declared August "History Month" and read, amongst various others, Bulfinch's Mythology of which I was quite disappointed. In my research of his work and how it came to be I found a reference to this book by Edith Hamilton, who superseded Mr. Bulfinch in most classrooms. Thus I read this book in an attempt to find a better written encyclopedia. Unfortunately, I did not succeed.
To clarify: this book IS better written than the one by Mr. Bulfinch. One reason is that Edith Hamilton was a scholar.
She was born in Dresden in 1867 but grew up in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, where she also got her BA and MA degrees for which she won the Mary E. Garrett European Fellowship. Her father had begun teaching her Latin, then French, German, and Greek when she was only 7 years old which probably was a factor in her interests later and her great scholarly success. In 1895 she moved back to Germany with her sister to study humanities and classics at the university of Munich (the then centre of classical studies). Edith Hamilton and her sister were among the first women to audit classes (her sister published an autobiography detailing their life in Germany even). Originally, her plan had been to earn a doctoral degree (definitely not easy at the time) but then she was persuaded to return to the US to become head of the recently opened Bryn Mawr Preparatory School for Girls in Baltimore. She never completed her doctoral degree but she did become an "inspiring and respected head of the school for twenty six years" (bringing new ideas to an old system).
Only after retiring did she start to write books, which explains why this book was published only when she was 62!
As she has said herself in some interviews, her passion was for the Greeks which definitely shows in this book and is my main criticism. This book is advertised as a source on mythology in general, but it isn't. The main body of work is about the Greeks, added to by Roman mythology (which mostly is adapted Greek mythology if we're being honest). Almost as an afterthought, she included only 20 pages of Norse mythology. Nothing else is mentioned!
The Greek parts are written very well and the author's passion for the subject is clear throughout. Moreover, she has a very clear structure (missing a few myths nevertheless *sigh*). All her knowledge came from classic literature; she has never been to Greece, and never participated in archaeology. Of course that isn't necessary in order to produce a good book but it shows that her views (although she was a scholar) were influenced and limited by the sources she read.
While I was pleased to see that Hamilton had included the Volsunga saga in the chapter about Norse mythology (in many books it is replaced by the Nibelungenlied which was penned much later), she dismissed the saga by saying that the story is so well-known thanks to the Nibelungenlied that the original can be told briefly and THAT is an absolute no-go for me.
It's almost as bad as Bulfinch telling the readers which myths are Christian enough to be included and which had to be shortened/changed for his "genteel" readers. It is precisely the original stories I want to be told about or at least I want a thorough comparison!
Moreover, the one thing I expect at the very least from an encyclopedia of mythology is a good overview. Such an overview MUST include immensely important classics like the Gilgamesh epos! However, this book does not. Other cultures aren't even referenced. If she had titled her book correctly, I really wouldn't mind. It's a nice book about the very much related mythology of the Greeks and the Romans. However, I really need to point this out again: this is supposed to be a comprehensive work of mythology as a whole!
Sorry, but this was just as disappointing as Mr. Bulfinch's cuts and changes to myths which accounts for the low rating (if there was a half-star rating system here, it would get more than Bulfinch's Mythology but as it is ... alas). It is a shame since the writing style was much more engaging but it wouldn't be right to rate it any higher.
To clarify: this book IS better written than the one by Mr. Bulfinch. One reason is that Edith Hamilton was a scholar.
She was born in Dresden in 1867 but grew up in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, where she also got her BA and MA degrees for which she won the Mary E. Garrett European Fellowship. Her father had begun teaching her Latin, then French, German, and Greek when she was only 7 years old which probably was a factor in her interests later and her great scholarly success. In 1895 she moved back to Germany with her sister to study humanities and classics at the university of Munich (the then centre of classical studies). Edith Hamilton and her sister were among the first women to audit classes (her sister published an autobiography detailing their life in Germany even). Originally, her plan had been to earn a doctoral degree (definitely not easy at the time) but then she was persuaded to return to the US to become head of the recently opened Bryn Mawr Preparatory School for Girls in Baltimore. She never completed her doctoral degree but she did become an "inspiring and respected head of the school for twenty six years" (bringing new ideas to an old system).
Only after retiring did she start to write books, which explains why this book was published only when she was 62!
As she has said herself in some interviews, her passion was for the Greeks which definitely shows in this book and is my main criticism. This book is advertised as a source on mythology in general, but it isn't. The main body of work is about the Greeks, added to by Roman mythology (which mostly is adapted Greek mythology if we're being honest). Almost as an afterthought, she included only 20 pages of Norse mythology. Nothing else is mentioned!
The Greek parts are written very well and the author's passion for the subject is clear throughout. Moreover, she has a very clear structure (missing a few myths nevertheless *sigh*). All her knowledge came from classic literature; she has never been to Greece, and never participated in archaeology. Of course that isn't necessary in order to produce a good book but it shows that her views (although she was a scholar) were influenced and limited by the sources she read.
While I was pleased to see that Hamilton had included the Volsunga saga in the chapter about Norse mythology (in many books it is replaced by the Nibelungenlied which was penned much later), she dismissed the saga by saying that the story is so well-known thanks to the Nibelungenlied that the original can be told briefly and THAT is an absolute no-go for me.
It's almost as bad as Bulfinch telling the readers which myths are Christian enough to be included and which had to be shortened/changed for his "genteel" readers. It is precisely the original stories I want to be told about or at least I want a thorough comparison!
Moreover, the one thing I expect at the very least from an encyclopedia of mythology is a good overview. Such an overview MUST include immensely important classics like the Gilgamesh epos! However, this book does not. Other cultures aren't even referenced. If she had titled her book correctly, I really wouldn't mind. It's a nice book about the very much related mythology of the Greeks and the Romans. However, I really need to point this out again: this is supposed to be a comprehensive work of mythology as a whole!
Sorry, but this was just as disappointing as Mr. Bulfinch's cuts and changes to myths which accounts for the low rating (if there was a half-star rating system here, it would get more than Bulfinch's Mythology but as it is ... alas). It is a shame since the writing style was much more engaging but it wouldn't be right to rate it any higher.
November 3, 2024
For a long time, I have wanted to gain a certain level of proficiency with mythology. I have wanted to know the basics beyond a cursory understanding of Homer's Odyssey and Disney's Hercules. Usually, any attempt at exploration has ended up this way: I think to myself, okay Alan, where do we begin? Well, at the very beginning! Why not go all the way to Homer and read the Iliad? Not a terrible prospect. Then I start researching what translation of the lliad to read, spending a couple of hours on this task alone. Every time. Then my energy is spent. If it somehow isn't, I get caught up on the idea that I need to know the story before I read the story. Then I look up a summary of the story. I read it way too quickly and without critical thinking. Then I start reading the prose/ poetry. I put it down somewhere between 40 and 60 minutes. Each time, I fall prey to procrastination, anxiety, and letting the "perfect" destroy the "good enough".
I give this advice to people on a weekly basis: the particular WILL lead to the general. Start anywhere and expand out. The proficiency will come. I was unable to follow that advice myself until Edith Hamilton came along. Somehow she did it all right. The stories were woven together basically chronologically and vividly. It was a joy to read, and each section began with Hamilton sourcing the stories that she used. She would weave together multiple viewpoints, giving just enough context without turning the context into a 73-page introduction. Just like that, we are in.
I give this advice to people on a weekly basis: the particular WILL lead to the general. Start anywhere and expand out. The proficiency will come. I was unable to follow that advice myself until Edith Hamilton came along. Somehow she did it all right. The stories were woven together basically chronologically and vividly. It was a joy to read, and each section began with Hamilton sourcing the stories that she used. She would weave together multiple viewpoints, giving just enough context without turning the context into a 73-page introduction. Just like that, we are in.
February 27, 2017
Edith Hamilton was probably how I discovered mythology myself. I have an old tattered paperback copy of this which helped guide me through the Odyssey and the Iliad. I haven't attempted Ovid or Hesiod, but this is where I would undoubtedly start whenever decide to do so.
August 29, 2025
I started this book to help me with my journey through Ovid and Homer. It has been a delight at time hard to put down. The myths are handpicked a retold by the author. The authors voice is like that of your favourite elderly lady school teacher- stern but adorable. She knows her myths. She sifts through myths and finds my most enjoyable version, not a lover of Ovid- she finds him frivolous. Definitely preferring the Greeks. A very enjoyable book. A great companion read for any Greek or Latin mythology.
March 19, 2019
This is one of those books you hear about and then buy in a used bookstore and it languishes on your bookshelves for years until you finally pick it up, and then you just end up thinking to yourself, why didn't I pick this up sooner? Only, it's also one of those books that really works better as a reference than as a book you sit down and read from cover to cover. I read this book over the course of most of February, in bits and pieces, and it worked well that way.
This book is a classic for a reason. It's at once a primer on world mythology and a pretty exhausting compendium of pretty much any myth or godlike figure you'd want to know about (with an emphasis on western mythologies, which is a bit of a shame; I would have liked to see what Hamilton would have had to say about eastern myths, or African ones). But my favorite bits were actually her little insights here and there into how the mythology was influenced by the historical culture of the times. I loved when she took little digs at historical writers, like Sophocles or Pliny or whoever. There was this one guy, whose name I'm forgetting at the moment, whom you can tell she just despised, but was too polite to say. And this dude lived 2,000 years or more before she did! Hilarious.
She spends the most time on Greek mythology; it seems to be her favorite. And she made the claim in one of the intros that the Greeks' mythology was different from the others, because reasons. At that point I was like, okay lady, but maybe its just your favorite and you're kind of biased.
Anyway, definitely a valuable book to have on my shelves.
Read Harder Challenge 2019: A book of mythology or folklore.
This book is a classic for a reason. It's at once a primer on world mythology and a pretty exhausting compendium of pretty much any myth or godlike figure you'd want to know about (with an emphasis on western mythologies, which is a bit of a shame; I would have liked to see what Hamilton would have had to say about eastern myths, or African ones). But my favorite bits were actually her little insights here and there into how the mythology was influenced by the historical culture of the times. I loved when she took little digs at historical writers, like Sophocles or Pliny or whoever. There was this one guy, whose name I'm forgetting at the moment, whom you can tell she just despised, but was too polite to say. And this dude lived 2,000 years or more before she did! Hilarious.
She spends the most time on Greek mythology; it seems to be her favorite. And she made the claim in one of the intros that the Greeks' mythology was different from the others, because reasons. At that point I was like, okay lady, but maybe its just your favorite and you're kind of biased.
Anyway, definitely a valuable book to have on my shelves.
Read Harder Challenge 2019: A book of mythology or folklore.
August 10, 2022
🔸It’s hands down one of the prettiest books I own.🔸
What remarkable tales of Greek Mythology and even a little section on Norse Mythology.
Mythology is my guilty pleasure, and this was such a delight to read.
The illustrations were brilliant, the explanations about the gods and heroes were easy to follow.
And I loved how it was structured.
I didn’t get the “boring textbook” feel at all.
Stunning piece. ✨
Read: 19/04/2021
1st rating: 5 stars
Cover: 4 stars
Will I recommend: Without a doubt.
What remarkable tales of Greek Mythology and even a little section on Norse Mythology.
Mythology is my guilty pleasure, and this was such a delight to read.
The illustrations were brilliant, the explanations about the gods and heroes were easy to follow.
And I loved how it was structured.
I didn’t get the “boring textbook” feel at all.
Stunning piece. ✨
Read: 19/04/2021
1st rating: 5 stars
Cover: 4 stars
Will I recommend: Without a doubt.
July 27, 2018
چرا کتاب همیلتون را بخوانیم؟
اگر به دنبال منبعی جمع و جور و در عین حال کامل درباره ی اساطیر یونان و رم می گردید، انتخاب خوبی در پیش رو دارید.
روش کار خانم همیلتون به این صورت بوده است که ابتدا یکی از اسطوره های مهم یونانی و رمی برگزیده ، رد آن را در کتاب های کلاسیک اساطیر دنبال کرده است. سپس تلاش کرده تا با کنار هم گذاشتن مطالب و متریال های داستانی گاها و بعضا متناقض و پراکنده ی متون، با داستانی شست و رفته و واحد از این داستان برسد. و خوشبختانه که با نثری سر راست و همه فهم و بدون پیچیدگی روبرو هستیم.
چرا کتاب همیلتون را نخوانیم؟
یکی از جذابیت های اساطیر ملل این است که ما عموما با نسخه های متعددی از آن ها روبرو هستیم که هر کدام جزئیات منحصر به فردی را دارند. کتاب های عمومی ای از جنس کتاب همیلتون، خواننده ی به دنبال این تفاوت ها را طبعا راضی نمی کند.
به این خواننده ها پیشنهاد می شود بعد از خواندن این کتاب، به سراغ منابع دست اول بروند و در دریای بی کران آن ها غرق شوند.
و اما ترجمه:
امتیاز ترجمه در این است که سادگی زبان و شسته و رفته بودن اثر را به خوبی منتقل کرده است.
اما مقدمه ی که او در ابتدای کتاب آورده است، شاید تا ده پانزده سال پیش مقبول بود، اما اینگونه مطالب دیگر در رقابت به نظریه های بروز شده و علمی تر در باب اسطوره، حرفی برای گفتن نداشته و در بعضی جاها خنده دار به نظر می رسند.
اگر به دنبال منبعی جمع و جور و در عین حال کامل درباره ی اساطیر یونان و رم می گردید، انتخاب خوبی در پیش رو دارید.
روش کار خانم همیلتون به این صورت بوده است که ابتدا یکی از اسطوره های مهم یونانی و رمی برگزیده ، رد آن را در کتاب های کلاسیک اساطیر دنبال کرده است. سپس تلاش کرده تا با کنار هم گذاشتن مطالب و متریال های داستانی گاها و بعضا متناقض و پراکنده ی متون، با داستانی شست و رفته و واحد از این داستان برسد. و خوشبختانه که با نثری سر راست و همه فهم و بدون پیچیدگی روبرو هستیم.
چرا کتاب همیلتون را نخوانیم؟
یکی از جذابیت های اساطیر ملل این است که ما عموما با نسخه های متعددی از آن ها روبرو هستیم که هر کدام جزئیات منحصر به فردی را دارند. کتاب های عمومی ای از جنس کتاب همیلتون، خواننده ی به دنبال این تفاوت ها را طبعا راضی نمی کند.
به این خواننده ها پیشنهاد می شود بعد از خواندن این کتاب، به سراغ منابع دست اول بروند و در دریای بی کران آن ها غرق شوند.
و اما ترجمه:
امتیاز ترجمه در این است که سادگی زبان و شسته و رفته بودن اثر را به خوبی منتقل کرده است.
اما مقدمه ی که او در ابتدای کتاب آورده است، شاید تا ده پانزده سال پیش مقبول بود، اما اینگونه مطالب دیگر در رقابت به نظریه های بروز شده و علمی تر در باب اسطوره، حرفی برای گفتن نداشته و در بعضی جاها خنده دار به نظر می رسند.
February 29, 2020
I remember reading this over and over when I was in high school, just for my own pleasure. Then I got to college, and took an actual mythology class, and the first thing the professor said was, "I hope you all haven't been reading junk like Edith Hamilton." What?! Well, most of his problem was with those bite-sized little rundowns of the myths, which is what I liked about it. It's a nice survey of Greek mythology, an introduction, if you will. There are a few inaccuracies, and she barely mentions things like Hercules' trials or the Voyage of the Argo, which are studied in much greater depth generally. The inaccuracies are some names that she's gotten wrong, which may or may not be typos. My biggest complaint is that she doesn't go much into the Norse mythology (my favorite), which would have been fine, except for her attitude in the intro that she doesn't get into it more because it basically isn't worth her time or anyone else's.
November 5, 2015
You can never forget your first love.
March 23, 2019
Pindar in the early fifth century tells the tale about the feast Tantalus made the gods and protests that it is not true. The punishment of Tantalus is described often, first in the Odyssey, from which I have taken it. Amphion's story, and Niobe's, I have taken from Ovid, who alone tells them in full. For Pelops winning the chariot race I have preferred Apollodorus, of the first or second century A.D., who gives the fullest account that has come down. The story of Atreus' and Thyestes' crimes and all that followed is taken from Aeschylus' Oresteia.
from the intro to chapter 17, The House of Atreus
I was stressing out last night over trying to get a handle on the third part of Aeschylus' Oresteia, The Eumenides. I'd started reading the introductory material by the translator, but it was so long, so involved ... almost as if it were a postmodern retelling of the play.
What's more (displaying my ignorance here) I was confused over the title of the play, and some of the main protagonists of the play, the Furies. They are represented by a chorus, pursuing Orestes for his murder of his mother. But where does the title come from?
I picked up some info somewhere in the edition I'm reading, and finally realized that in the climactic section of the play the Furies are rebranded by Athena into the Eumenides - a name that means Kindly Ones - thus changing them from a group seeking revenge and retribution (the old way that humans responded to murder) to a group which provides a higher moral choice to human kind, through the institution of justice.
But before I let it go, I picked up Hamilton's book, and checked out the index entries for Eumenides (248) and Furies (see Erinyes) - so to Erinyes, where among other entries was (Orestes pursued by, 246-248) - which closed the circle. Those three pages were near the end of an eighteen page chapter on the House of Atreus. As I started looking through this (to get to my point) I realized that this chapter told the story of this house in a more illuminating way than the somewhat overly cerebral, mammoth introduction in my copy of Oresteia.
So, I thought I'd throw in these words about this quite wonderful book, most of which I've never read in the decades that I've owned it (basically having used it as a reference book).
As hinted above, the book has a pretty detailed, and very useful, index. There are drawings by Steele Savage, some full-page (in my Mentor edition of sometime after 1970, which was at the time the forty-fourth printed of Hamilton's book, first printed in 1940. It is still in print.
In the spoiler I've put the table of contents. If you check it out, you'll see the wonderful way that Hamilton has organized it. And you'll see why the book isn't titled Greek Mythology.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previous review: March Violets
Next review: West-Running Brook
Older review: We Were the Mulvaneys
Previous library review: The Sleepwalkers A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe
Next library review: The Dreamtime Book Australian Aboriginal myths in paintings by Ainslie Roberts
from the intro to chapter 17, The House of Atreus
I was stressing out last night over trying to get a handle on the third part of Aeschylus' Oresteia, The Eumenides. I'd started reading the introductory material by the translator, but it was so long, so involved ... almost as if it were a postmodern retelling of the play.
What's more (displaying my ignorance here) I was confused over the title of the play, and some of the main protagonists of the play, the Furies. They are represented by a chorus, pursuing Orestes for his murder of his mother. But where does the title come from?
I picked up some info somewhere in the edition I'm reading, and finally realized that in the climactic section of the play the Furies are rebranded by Athena into the Eumenides - a name that means Kindly Ones - thus changing them from a group seeking revenge and retribution (the old way that humans responded to murder) to a group which provides a higher moral choice to human kind, through the institution of justice.
But before I let it go, I picked up Hamilton's book, and checked out the index entries for Eumenides (248) and Furies (see Erinyes) - so to Erinyes, where among other entries was (Orestes pursued by, 246-248) - which closed the circle. Those three pages were near the end of an eighteen page chapter on the House of Atreus. As I started looking through this (to get to my point) I realized that this chapter told the story of this house in a more illuminating way than the somewhat overly cerebral, mammoth introduction in my copy of Oresteia.
So, I thought I'd throw in these words about this quite wonderful book, most of which I've never read in the decades that I've owned it (basically having used it as a reference book).
As hinted above, the book has a pretty detailed, and very useful, index. There are drawings by Steele Savage, some full-page (in my Mentor edition of sometime after 1970, which was at the time the forty-fourth printed of Hamilton's book, first printed in 1940. It is still in print.
In the spoiler I've put the table of contents. If you check it out, you'll see the wonderful way that Hamilton has organized it. And you'll see why the book isn't titled Greek Mythology.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previous review: March Violets
Next review: West-Running Brook
Older review: We Were the Mulvaneys
Previous library review: The Sleepwalkers A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe
Next library review: The Dreamtime Book Australian Aboriginal myths in paintings by Ainslie Roberts
October 31, 2010
This book is very hard to classify. Doesn't the title make you think "World Mythology"? Well, if it did, you would be wrong. I bought this book, looking forward to (especially) a female viewpoint of comparative mythology from various different countries around the world. What I got was an extremely thorough set of retellings (with impeccably named sources) by Hamilton of virtually every classical (Greek and Roman) myth ever told), with the very strange inclusion of approximately 20 pages of Norse myths. I don't ever object to reading Norse myths. They are my favourite, since they make between them almost a linear single story with cause-and-effect leading us from the creation of the world to its inevitable destruction. I do admit to feeling offended, almost, that this amazing body of Norst myth should be included as an afterthought in 20 pages of a book nearly 470 main pages long, leaving out all the things that make the Norse world view make so much sense. I was pleased to see the Volsungasaga included, since it is so often replaced by the Nibelungenlied (the Germanic version of Sigfried and his messed up love life), but then as I read it I found to my dismay: "The story of Siegfried is so familiar that that of his Norse prototype Sigurd can be briefly told." Do you notice the word "prototype" in that sentence? Does Edith Hamilton not care that the prototype is more important than the bastardized version invented by Germanic peoples? There are reasons for the re-invention of the Sigurd story that are not entirely pleasant, and the re-invention of that story as the Wagnerian Ring Saga in opera. These reasons are unsavory and political, the stories are later, and they are unsatisfactory in the extreme, compared to the Volsungasaga. Okay, enough of my own particular hobby horse. It's time to ask why Hamilton was so extraordinarily thorough with Greek myth (and Roman, while aware that Roman stories are nearly all renamed versions of the Greek tales), and yet she left out so many other myths so much older and so much more important, for example The Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps the oldest written story on Earth, which relates the story of the historical King of Uruk from Ancient Sumeria (2750-2500 BCE) originally on 12 clay tablets in cunieform script. This astoundingly important tale in human history is completely ignored by Hamilton. So are all the myths of the rest of the world. I would like to give this book five stars for its really complete and fairly narrated Greek mythos, but since it leaves out the whole rest of the world (except as above), I can only give two stars at most. If the title of the book had been "Greek Mythology", I think I could have given it five stars. But then it would have had to compete with so many other works about Greek mythology, that probably the publishers said to change the name and add something that wasn't Greek. Sorry for the disillusionment about the publishing trade, but I've been there.
June 14, 2021
3/5
This book really helped me with one thing: learning that I don’t really care for mythology. So, understandable, this got really boring really fast.
This book really helped me with one thing: learning that I don’t really care for mythology. So, understandable, this got really boring really fast.
Want to read
February 5, 2013Only made it to page 180, but someday I'll finish it. In the meantime, some paintings of a few myths I did read:
John William Waterhouse, Echo and Narcissus, in which Echo (who can only echo what other people say) fails to save Narcissus from drowning himself while admiring his own wonderful visage.
Francisco de Goya, Saturn Devouring His Son, in which the titan Saturn eats all his children so that they won't be the death of him.
Peter Paul Rubens, Leda and the Swan, in which a woman is raped by Zeus in the form of a swan.
Amphora depicting Odysseus and his men blinding the Cyclopean Polyphemus, c. 660 BCE.
John William Waterhouse, Echo and Narcissus, in which Echo (who can only echo what other people say) fails to save Narcissus from drowning himself while admiring his own wonderful visage.
Francisco de Goya, Saturn Devouring His Son, in which the titan Saturn eats all his children so that they won't be the death of him.
Peter Paul Rubens, Leda and the Swan, in which a woman is raped by Zeus in the form of a swan.
Amphora depicting Odysseus and his men blinding the Cyclopean Polyphemus, c. 660 BCE.
September 18, 2007
I believe, deep in my heart, that everyone who has attended high school in the past twenty to thirty years or so (in the United States, at least) owned a ratty, most likely used copy of this work at one time or another. This book has been on the required reading list of so many schools that nearly everyone has seen it, owned it, and opened it at least twice.
This is one only two such books I still have, 15 years out of high school: this and Strunk and White. This is a good book to have lying around the house, not because you need it every day, but because it is a great reference for things like settling family bets and cheating on the brown questions in Trivial Pursuit. Dig it out of the boxes in your basement sometime, under the term paper from freshman comp, and have a look over it. It really is a great reference guide to ancient mythos, it's easily accessible, and well written. Generations of high school teachers can't be all THAT wrong.
Well, except maybe for making us all read Moby Dick.
This is one only two such books I still have, 15 years out of high school: this and Strunk and White. This is a good book to have lying around the house, not because you need it every day, but because it is a great reference for things like settling family bets and cheating on the brown questions in Trivial Pursuit. Dig it out of the boxes in your basement sometime, under the term paper from freshman comp, and have a look over it. It really is a great reference guide to ancient mythos, it's easily accessible, and well written. Generations of high school teachers can't be all THAT wrong.
Well, except maybe for making us all read Moby Dick.
February 10, 2025
I know Hamilton is from a different century but the way she tells the Greek myths irks me to no end. Always talking about love ('Zeus fell in love') when the story is about lust and rape while at the sane time romanticizing the women's fate. For example re Europa: 'Except for a few moments of terror when she found herself crossing the deep sea on the back of a bull, she didn't suffer at all'. Yeah, sure, rape is no reason to suffer.
Nope.
Nope.
August 6, 2022
“Love cannot live where there is no trust.”
This is a tough review, just because this isn’t really a novel. It’s more a collection of stories within the framework of certain mythologies (but for the sake of this review, let’s call it a novel). This is an ambitious work, which Edith Hamilton brings to life Greek and Roman Mythology (mainly and Norse partly), being a keystone of Western Culture. Reading this you get to understand the culture of the Greeks, what they believed in and the values of these stories. The beginning starts with a great essay describing the impact of these mythologies and then talks about major Gods before telling us the stories. Firstly, this is more of a collection of very compact retellings of stories from these myths. Secondly, it begins with a brief commentary talking about the sources, her views, and some interesting observations then the retelling occurs and within retelling, there will be some commentary but mostly that story, which this cycle repeats quite often. This might sound a bit tedious but when you’re reading it, honestly the model just works. The commentary I felt was very insightful to understand the Greek's perspective of these stories and just some interesting observations, overall.
Despite the compact nature, a lot of these stories have room to breathe. As there are numerous stories told, but for the most part, it didn’t feel like a bland summary. As a preface, in the first half of the novel, I knew most of these stories, as I've read a longer account of those stories from Stephen Fry’s Mythology series which begins at the Beginning to Troy (so far). Fry used this novel as a source (and many others) because this is such a cohesive package, sorting out the various sources and semi being chronological. Honestly, I enjoyed Edith’s prose, it read very well and it’s quite modern, so it has that accessibility to it. Most of them (stories) I felt were very engaging compact retellings, but I will say some stories suffer, an example is the creation myth. Zeus defeating Cronos was told super briefly, compared to what experience Fry’s account so much detail is missing. There are Heracles 12 labours which were so super condensed (akin to a summary), portions of the Aeneid I felt it (mainly second half) and aspects of the Iliad section. Besides that, all the stories I felt had enough breathing room and were very engaging. Even the ones I mentioned above I thought were engaging just some events were skimmed over too fast. So overall quite delightful retellings and quite informative.
Norse Section, I love the little bits of Norse Mythology we get here, but unfortunately provided very little, that it feels like an afterthought. I knew that before purchasing it but still somewhat a shame, that there are never revised versions that included much more Norse Mythology.
In Conclusion, do I recommend reading this novel, absolutely. It does everything it intends, being the perfect primer, before delving into the primary text of Greek Mythology. I wouldn’t recommend Stephen’s Fry retelling over this, to me, it doesn’t serve as a replacement but more of a complement. What I did, was read Fry’s retelling first (containing more in-depth retellings of stories in the first half of this novel), this novel and I will eventually read the primary texts. I don’t regret the order I approached it. Concerning how you approach it, is up to you but I will say this will be a valuable novel before heading towards Homer’s work. The last thing I would recommend is don’t binge it. There are a ton of stories here so just pace yourself and don’t overwhelm yourself as there are a lot of names.
Thank you for reading this review.
P.S. This also can serve as a good reference text when approaching Greek Myths, but still by itself it's quite engaging.
7-7.5/10
November 4, 2024
{3.5 stars}
Reading this was helpful to get a handle on how this vast subject is connected to Ancient History and Human History, and I liked how it cites its sources.
I also like how Edith Hamilton starts her book with a detailed intro to Greek and Roman myths and talking about some of the ancient writers before telling the creation myth, which covers the breakdown of the gods, leading to the heroic and moral stories including Prometheus, Madea and the Trojan heroes. In the last section I understood why this is called Mythology, as it gives a brief overview on Norse myths.
In my second read, being more familiar with myths, I also feel their brevity, so in my second read it felt like details were missing as some of the chapters have an encyclopaedic feel.
This isn’t a perfect read but a helpful one, especially if you are new to these stories.
Reading this was helpful to get a handle on how this vast subject is connected to Ancient History and Human History, and I liked how it cites its sources.
I also like how Edith Hamilton starts her book with a detailed intro to Greek and Roman myths and talking about some of the ancient writers before telling the creation myth, which covers the breakdown of the gods, leading to the heroic and moral stories including Prometheus, Madea and the Trojan heroes. In the last section I understood why this is called Mythology, as it gives a brief overview on Norse myths.
In my second read, being more familiar with myths, I also feel their brevity, so in my second read it felt like details were missing as some of the chapters have an encyclopaedic feel.
This isn’t a perfect read but a helpful one, especially if you are new to these stories.
June 15, 2020
نکتهی جالب این کتاب، ترکیب کردن روایتهای مختلف با همدیگه در توضیح اسطورههاست.
اگر دنبال اطلاعات راجعبه اساطیر یونان و روم هستید به نظرم کتاب خوبی میتونه باشه
اگر دنبال اطلاعات راجعبه اساطیر یونان و روم هستید به نظرم کتاب خوبی میتونه باشه
September 15, 2024
کتابی خوب، جمع و جور و ویکیپدیا طور در مورد اساطیر، خدایان، الهه ها، نیمه خدایان و قهرمانان
به نظرم برای شروع که تصویر بزرگ و زوم اوت شده از کل ماجراها داشته باشیم خوبه.
ادیث همیلتون با صلاحدیدش هر قسمت از روایت رو از یک یا چند تا نویسندهی سرشناس اسطوره شناس و نمایشنامه نویس های این دوران اقتباس کرده (هومر، هسیود، سوفوکل، اورپیدس، آیسیخولوس، ویرژیل، و اوید و...)
خوبیش اینه تقریبا یه نگاه کلی داریم و بدیش اینه انقدر داستان ها و وقایع زیادن که ممکنه بعد از تموم شدن از بعضیاشون تنها اسم مبهمی یادمون بمونه. تکرار کتاب، خوندن داستان ها و نمایشنامه ها از کتاب های دیگه و همچنین دیدن ارجاعات به این اسطوره ها شاید باعث شه بیشتر تو یادمون بمونن
اوایل که کتاب رو شروع کردم به چشم دفترچه راهنمایی بهش نگاه میکردم که بتونم ارجاعاتی که به اسطوره ها شده رو بهتر بفهمم یا سرنخی داشته باشم برای جستجوی بیشتر و عمیق تر، اما به قدری داستاناش شیرین، پیچشاش غافلگیر کننده، اتفاقات توی دل هم، و زندگی شخصیتا بهم مرتبط بود که واقعا نمیتونستم لحظه ای بیخیالش شم، وعملا سایر کتاب هایی که میخوندم متوقف شد تا این کتابو تموم کنم. هر شب هم خواب اساطیر و خدایان وجنگاشونو میدیدم (میبینم 😬)
از کتاب دو ترجمه موجود هست سیری در اساطیر یونان و روم رو بیشتر توصیه میکنند، ولی من نسخه الکترونیکیش رو در فیدی پلاس با نام افسانه های بی زمان خوندم و راضی بودم.
جالبه چقدر چیزایی که از قبل میدونستم و چیزایی که حتی حدسشم نمیزدم از اسم برندهاگرفته تا ضرب المثل ها، حکایت ها و تو سطوح بالاتر کتاب های ادبی بر میگرده به این داستان های کوچک تو در توی باستانی.
حس جالبی بود، انگار ��ه نگاهی هرچند گذرا و سطحی به سرچشمه ابتدایی تخیل ادبیات بشری داشتم.
قطعا در آیندهای نزدیک بیشتر و عمیقتر از اسطوره ها میخونم فکر نمیکردم انقدر از این فضا و داستان ها خوشم بیاد.
قبل این کتاب تبارخدایان هسیود رو شروع کردمولی به نظرم برای شروع اصلا خوب نبود. و فعلا گذاشتم کناری تا به موقع برگردم سراغش.
تو فیزیک اندوه اولین بار داستان مینوتور و تسئوس روخوندم وبا تسئوس اشنا شدم. و الان هر چی اون روی سکه و تو کتاب های دیگه میخونم بازم دلم با ادریانه وتسئوس صاف نمیشه ☹️
حالا بماند این تسئوس تو همین کتاب هم کلی گیجم کرد سر قضیه مده آ، یه قسمتش شبیه سریال دارک میشه، به لطف گوگل و ویکی پدیا فهمیدم در این تناقض تنها نیستم 😬
به نظرم برای شروع که تصویر بزرگ و زوم اوت شده از کل ماجراها داشته باشیم خوبه.
ادیث همیلتون با صلاحدیدش هر قسمت از روایت رو از یک یا چند تا نویسندهی سرشناس اسطوره شناس و نمایشنامه نویس های این دوران اقتباس کرده (هومر، هسیود، سوفوکل، اورپیدس، آیسیخولوس، ویرژیل، و اوید و...)
خوبیش اینه تقریبا یه نگاه کلی داریم و بدیش اینه انقدر داستان ها و وقایع زیادن که ممکنه بعد از تموم شدن از بعضیاشون تنها اسم مبهمی یادمون بمونه. تکرار کتاب، خوندن داستان ها و نمایشنامه ها از کتاب های دیگه و همچنین دیدن ارجاعات به این اسطوره ها شاید باعث شه بیشتر تو یادمون بمونن
اوایل که کتاب رو شروع کردم به چشم دفترچه راهنمایی بهش نگاه میکردم که بتونم ارجاعاتی که به اسطوره ها شده رو بهتر بفهمم یا سرنخی داشته باشم برای جستجوی بیشتر و عمیق تر، اما به قدری داستاناش شیرین، پیچشاش غافلگیر کننده، اتفاقات توی دل هم، و زندگی شخصیتا بهم مرتبط بود که واقعا نمیتونستم لحظه ای بیخیالش شم، وعملا سایر کتاب هایی که میخوندم متوقف شد تا این کتابو تموم کنم. هر شب هم خواب اساطیر و خدایان وجنگاشونو میدیدم (میبینم 😬)
از کتاب دو ترجمه موجود هست سیری در اساطیر یونان و روم رو بیشتر توصیه میکنند، ولی من نسخه الکترونیکیش رو در فیدی پلاس با نام افسانه های بی زمان خوندم و راضی بودم.
جالبه چقدر چیزایی که از قبل میدونستم و چیزایی که حتی حدسشم نمیزدم از اسم برندهاگرفته تا ضرب المثل ها، حکایت ها و تو سطوح بالاتر کتاب های ادبی بر میگرده به این داستان های کوچک تو در توی باستانی.
حس جالبی بود، انگار ��ه نگاهی هرچند گذرا و سطحی به سرچشمه ابتدایی تخیل ادبیات بشری داشتم.
قطعا در آیندهای نزدیک بیشتر و عمیقتر از اسطوره ها میخونم فکر نمیکردم انقدر از این فضا و داستان ها خوشم بیاد.
قبل این کتاب تبارخدایان هسیود رو شروع کردمولی به نظرم برای شروع اصلا خوب نبود. و فعلا گذاشتم کناری تا به موقع برگردم سراغش.
تو فیزیک اندوه اولین بار داستان مینوتور و تسئوس روخوندم وبا تسئوس اشنا شدم. و الان هر چی اون روی سکه و تو کتاب های دیگه میخونم بازم دلم با ادریانه وتسئوس صاف نمیشه ☹️
حالا بماند این تسئوس تو همین کتاب هم کلی گیجم کرد سر قضیه مده آ، یه قسمتش شبیه سریال دارک میشه، به لطف گوگل و ویکی پدیا فهمیدم در این تناقض تنها نیستم 😬
December 4, 2018
This book was written in 1942 and it shows. The errors in the author’s statements about Ancient Greek culture (which takes up the vast majority of the book— the Norse myths making up only 24 pages), practices (no they were not the first to make gods who looked like humans), and topography (no the acropolis of Athens is not on the sea) are so numerous that it is nearly impossible to focus on her vague, overly condensed and poorly told myths which bear no resemblance to the classical authors she claims to be drawing from. The text is oddly peppered with references to Christianity which are totally irrelevant to these myths. It is also very disturbing that she calls all of the rape scenes in these myths “love”. All homosexuality in the original myths have been removed as well. Maybe this cleaned up version explains its long lasting use and republication, but now it quite possibly stands out as one of the most poorly written, inaccurate, anglo-centric (verging on a colonial brand of neoclassicism pg.444), disjointed books on mythology ever written. Read anything else instead!
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