Classical Mythology: The Basics

Richard Martin is Professor in Classics at Stanford University and has twenty-five years' experience in teaching an introduction to Classical Mythology to undergraduate students. He is widely published on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Aristophanes,Theognis, and other ancient authors and genres in which mythic narration figures prominently.

List of Illustrations

Preface

Chapter 1: Stories that stay

Myth as Speech

Myth and community traditions

Myth and belief

The range of tradition

Rejecting myth

Rationalizing myth

Allegorizing myth

How we get myth

The sources--a brief chronological list

Further reading

Chapter 2: Talking of Gods

Origin stories

Hesiod’s Theogony

Other origin myths

Where gods come from

What are gods good for?

Further reading

Chapter 3: Heroic dimensions

Hero: the ancient idea

Heroes in Homer and Hesiod

Heroines

Heroic quests and their meaning

Hero patterns

Heracles

Hero as politician

Heroine as athlete

Further reading

Chapter 4: Interpreting myths--symbols and societies

Myths as symbols: Greeks to Romantics

Myths as symbols: Freud, Jung, and others

Myths and society: early forerunners

Myths and society: the role of ritual

Myths and society: functionalists and structuralists

Further reading

Chapter 5: Myths, media, memories

Roman reception of myth

Mythic media, from ancient to modern

Prose

Poetry

Drama

Music

Dance

Visual art

Film

Comics, graphic novels, video games

Further reading

Index