Greek mythology, where to begin?

ian991

New Member
Hey I'm interested in reading some Greek mythology such as the story of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and melted his waxen wings or Medusa.

Does anyone know what I should look to read?
 

MythologyRetold

New Member
Well Mythology is super vast, but I always think a good starting point can be the very source texts themselves. The Iliad and Odyssey are both accessible books that tell a great story. Likewise the Metamorphoses by Ovid is a good read (Although this uses the Roman names as Ovid was Roman).

If you'd rather a collection of stories or an author talking presenting different variations of the stories, I think it depends what stylistic approach you want. For example, Edith Hamiltons Mythology book is often recommended, or Robert Graves as well. I mean, what sort of style of book where you looking for?
 

ian991

New Member
Here I found an interesting Article which tells about some of the most wonderful and fascinating legends about the sun from cultures around the world.

1. Aztecs (Mexico)
2. Ancient China (China)
3. Ancient Egypt (Egypt)
4. Ancient Greece (Greece)
5. Inuit (Greenland)
6. Maori (New Zealand)

The ancient Greeks believed that the sun travelled across the sky in a flying chariot ridden by Zeus’s son, Apollo, and driven by fiery horses. Apollo was important in Greek culture not only because he represented the sun, but also because he was seen to illuminate the worlds of music and reason. He brought logic and order to humanity and provided everyone with the light and warmth of the sun.

Source : Ancient-origins .net
 
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Katefle

New Member
You can always start online, if you’re looking for a basic intro. It’s dry reading, but Wikipedia can give you an overview of whichever culture’s mythology you’re looking for, and if you look at the references/citations at the end of the article, you should find additional resources to pursue. For an introduction to Greek mythology, I recommend Hamilton’s Mythology. If you want to delve deeper, Bullfinch’s mythology is good. For retellings, I love Rick Riordan, Joan Holub, and Madeline Miller.
 

Katefle

New Member
Here I found an interesting Article which tells about some of the most wonderful and fascinating legends about the sun from cultures around the world.

  1. Aztecs (Mexico)
  2. Ancient China (China)
  3. Ancient Egypt (Egypt)
  4. Ancient Greece (Greece)
  5. Inuit (Greenland)
  6. Maori (New Zealand)
The ancient Greeks believed that the sun travelled across the sky in a flying chariot ridden by Zeus’s son, Apollo, and driven by fiery horses. Apollo was important in Greek culture not only because he represented the sun, but also because he was seen to illuminate the worlds of music and reason. He brought logic and order to humanity and provided everyone with the light and warmth of the sun.

Source : Ancient-origins .net
Ooh! I’m going to check this out. Thanks for sharing :)
 
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