Classical Mythology 3rd Edition

1,597 views

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary gives the following definition of myth: “a story that is usually of unknown origin and at least partially traditional, that ostensibly relates historical events usually of such character as to serve to explain some practice, belief, institution, or natural phenomenon, and that is especially associated with religious rites and beliefs.”

This indeed is as good a definition as any, clear and all-inclusive, highlighting the essential meanings of the word in its most general sense. Many specialists in the field of mythology, however, are not satisfied with such a broad interpretation of the term “myth.” They attempt to distinguish 44 true myth” or “myth proper” from other varieties, and seek to draw distinctions in terminology between it and other words often used synonymously, such as legend, saga, and folk tale.’

Thus, for some, myth must be ancient and of anonymous origin (according to Gayley, “myths are born, not madepp2); others demand that they invariably be concerned with nature and provide explanations for its phenomena (i.e., real myths are nature stories and aetiological); still others would expand their definition to include tales dealing with all circumstances of human life, although they might also insist upon the presence of the divine or supernatural for authenticity. There are those who argue that myths must have once been believed, although subsequently they come to be regarded as incredible.

Thus Christian dogma for them may be excluded from mythological study (although to non-Christians it may be viewed as incredible): and so on. Robert Graves, for example, distinguishes true myth, which for him is “the reduction to narrative shorthand of ritual mime performed in public festivals, and in many cases recorded pictorially on temple walls, vases, seals, bowls, mirrors, chests, shields, tapestries, and the like,” from twelve other categories, such as: philosophical allegory, satire or parody, minstrel romance, political propaganda, theatrical melodrama, realistic fiction

TABLE OF CONTENT:
Chapter 01 - Myths of Creation
Chapter 02 - Zeus’ Rise to Power
Chapter 03 - The Twelve Olympians
Chapter 04 - Anthropomorphism and Greek Humanism
Chapter 05 - Poseidon, Sea Deities, Group Divinities And Monsters
Chapter 06 - Athena
Chapter 07 - Aphrodite and Eros
Chapter 08 - Artemis
Chapter 09 - Apollo
Chapter 10 - Hermes
Chapter 11 - Dionysus. Pan. Echo. and Narcissus
Chapter 12 - Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries
Chapter 13 - Views of the Afterlife: The Realm of Hades
Chapter 14 - Orpheus and Orphism
Chapter 15 - The Theban Saga
Chapter 16 - The Mycenaean Saga
Chapter 17 - The Trojan Saga
Chapter 18 - The Returns
Chapter 19 - Perseus and the Legends of Argos
Chapter 20 - Heracles
Chapter 21 - Theseus and the Legends of Attica and Crete
Chapter 22 - The Argonauts
Chapter 23 - LocalLegends
Chapter 24 - Roman Mythology
Chapter 25 - The Survival of Classical Mythology
Chapter 26 - Classical Mythology in Music and Film