Greek Mythology

by Richard Stoneman

As familiar to most people as the characters in the Bible, the great legendary heroes and stories of classical Greece are a unique leagacy, their traditions having influenced the art, literature and culture of Western Europe like no other. However it is difficult to piece together a coherent picture of the genuine uncorrupted tradition of Greek mythology. The book deliberately excludes Roman myths which blur the true image of the Greek heritage. In dictionary form it covers all the major figures of Greek mythology and provides a handy but comprehensive guide. It has gods, heroes, men, places, mythical creatures and religious terminology as well as some illustrations. Some post classical folklore and legends are also Alexander the Great, vampires and the terrible kallikantzaroni for example...

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

"I was born just a few miles from Exeter and have been an Honorary Fellow in the department since 1996. I spent thirty years as a classics editor, most of those years for Routledge; since retiring from that role in 2006, and returning from London to live in Devon, I have been taking an active part in university affairs, including teaching, research and a planned conference.

The core of my research interests has been the continuity of the Greek world and Greek tradition up to the present day. I have written anthologies and travel guides reflecting this interest. Since the early 1980s the main focus of my research has been Alexander the Great, especially in later legend. I have recently participated in several international conferences on the Ancient Novel and on Philip and Alexander. I am currently writing a biography of Xerxes and a study of Megasthenes.

Besides Latin and Greek, my languages include fluent German and adequate French, Italian and Modern Greek. I am taking classes in Turkish and Persian.

I am also Chairman of Westminster Classic Tours (www.westminsterclassictours.com), a company which runs gület tours to classical sites around the Turkish coast and Greek Islands.

In 2009 I was appointed Consulting Editor in Classics to I.B. Tauris Publishers in London, and am actively seeking new authors for their classics programme, and for the series I edit, 'Understanding Classics'.

In 2010 I organised a conference at Exeter University, in conjunction with the Institute of Arab and islamic Studies, on 'The Alexander Romance in Persia and the East'. There were delegates from every continent."

Reviews

[Dejanira Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Def bringing this to Greece with me! I'll have something to refresh my memory while I'm on the plane


Also... I love finding my name in books that have to do with Greek Myths haha

[John Marszalkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a teenager a couple of decades ago, this was my favorite book. I had tried reading several books on Greek Mythology, but Richard Stoneman's Greek Mythology: An Encyclopedia of Myth and Legend was the book at kept coming back to.
I wasn't a big fan of reading as a teen, so when I say that I would read from this book every night for my own enjoyment, that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Out of everyone I knew personally at the time, I was the authority on Greek Mythology, thanks to studying from this book.

Like many other people, I enjoyed old movies like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, as well as video games like Wrath of the Gods. And things like that could be enjoyed by anyone. Adding this book into my life was what took me from just a fan of films and games and transformed me into a student of mythology.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential companion to The Iliad and The Odyssey.