Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome.

The old stories of gods and heroes have shaped Western imagination for millennia, and this volume gathers them into a single, readable account.

What it's about

Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome retells the classical mythology in orderly fashion, moving from the origins of the world and the reign of the Olympian gods through the great cycles of heroic legend. Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Athena and their kin are introduced with their attributes and stories, and the book goes on to the exploits of the heroes, the famous labours and quests, and the tales that the poets of Greece and Rome handed down. It is written to inform as much as to entertain, offering context for the figures and their worship.

Themes

Fate, divine power and human striving run through the myths, along with love, jealousy, transformation and the constant traffic between mortals and gods. The collection shows how the ancients explained their world and dramatised its forces.

Why it still matters

These stories underlie an enormous amount of later art, literature and language, and a clear guide to them unlocks much of Western culture. For students and general readers alike, a well-ordered handbook remains one of the best ways in.

Who it's for

For students of the classics, lovers of mythology, and any reader who wants the great myths gathered clearly in one place.