THE GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHS: A Guide To The Classi

The Greek and Roman Myths Who was Pandora and what was in her famous box? How did Achilles get his Achilles' heel? What exactly is a Titan? And why is one computer virus known as a Trojan horse? Full of intriguing facts and diverting stories, Philip Matyszak’s The Greek and Roman Myths is the ideal introduction to the myths and tales that lie at the heart of Western culture. The myths of ancient Greece and Rome can seem bewilderingly complex, yet they are so much a part of modern life and discourse that most of us know fragments of them. This comprehensive companion takes these fragments and weaves them into an accessible and enjoyable narrative, guiding us through the basic stories of classical myth. Matyszak explains the sequences of events and introduces the major plots and characters at the heart of the myths. He looks at the Olympian gods who behaved so capriciously; brings to life an exotic cast of heroes, from Hercules and his Twelve Labors to the combatants in the Trojan War to Theseus, who slew the mysterious Minotaur; and reveals the secrets of such redoubtable sorceresses as Circe and Medea. He takes us on the voyages of Jason, Odysseus and Aeneas. And he shows us the fearsome monsters that populate the myths, from the Hydra to the Sphinx to Cerberus, guard dog of the underworld, as well as magical creatures, including centaurs, nymphs, satyrs and nereids. To complement this panoply of characters, Matyszak pays ample attention to such precepts of the Greek and Roman myths as the hero’s journey. And, he draws comparisons between the Greek and Roman traditions. For example, Heracles (Hercules to the Romans) was acknowledged by both Greeks and Romans as the greatest of heroes—but both cultures also understood him to be a volatile, almost thuggish figure. Almost all the myths touch on the same characters, and the parallels are fascinating. Taking us beyond the myths themselves, the book features sidebars that show how the stories have survived and greatly influenced later art, literature, language and culture. For example, the legend of Prometheus alone has inspired myriad works, from an opera by German composer Rudolf Wagner-Régeny to a statuette by Nicolas-Sébastien Adam, and the story of Heracles has had a similar reach through the ages. From Renaissance painting and sculpture to modern opera, literature, movies and everyday products, these myths have become creative fodder for many of history’s greatest artists. Featuring 100 illustrations from both ancient and post-classical sources—including Pandora emerging from the ground, the iconic Venus de Milo, a shepherd with the baby Odysseus and Perseus fleeing with the head of Medusa—The Greek and Roman Myths offers an intriguing, accessible tour of Western culture’s most venerable bodies of work.