Ancient Greek Myths & Legends

Myths & Legends

by Philip Ardagh, Virginia Gray (Illustrator)

Retells some of the most famous Greek myths about gods, goddesses, humans, heroes, and monsters, explaining the background of the tales and how they have survived.

Genres: Mythology, Classics

64 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 1999

About the author

Over six-and-a-half feet tall, with a bushy beard, Philip Ardagh is not only very big but also very hairy. He is the author of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy and when not writing silly books, Mr. Ardagh is quite serious and frowns a great deal. He lives in a seaside town somewhere in England with his wife and their son, Fred.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of eight volumes in the World Book Myths and Legends Series by Philip Ardagh - a British children's author better known for his Eddie Dickens Trilogy - this title offers a brief introduction to ancient Greek mythology, focusing primarily on the stories of the human heroes, rather than the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Like Ancient Egyptian Myths & Legends , it is a fairly modest undertaking, presenting thirteen selections, a list of further reading, a "Who's Who" in mythology, a glossary, and in index - all in 64 pages!

Here the reader will encounter the tale Midas and His Golden Touch, in which a greedy king learns that gold isn't the most precious thing after all; Medusa - The Snake-Haired Monster, slain by the hero Perseus; The Man Who Loved Himself, and who gave his name (Narcissus) to a psychological condition; and The Minotaur in the Maze, in which Theseus saves his fellow Athenians from sacrifice in the Labyrinth on Crete. Also to be found in this collection are: Prometheus' Gift to Humans, in which people gain the precious resource of fire; Icarus - The Boy Who Reached Too High, in which a young boy fails to heed his father's warning, with disastrous results; Pegasus - The Winged Horse, who sprang from the head of the slain Medusa, and was briefly the steed of Bellerophon; and The Twelve Labors of Heracles, that most heroic of all the Greek heroes. Other selections include: Odysseus and the One-Eyed Giant, Orpheus and the Underworld, The Wooden Horse of Troy, Jason and the Argonauts, and Oedipus - Doomed by Prophecy.

Unfortunately, I was not as favorably impressed by this entry in the series, as I was by the one devoted to ancient Egyptian mythology. None of the stories read particularly well, feeling almost like rushed summaries, with many details missing. Of course, I'm far more familiar with Greek mythology, than with Egyptian, so it's possible that I simply didn't pick up on similar flaws contained in the volume devoted to the latter. But I think my lack of satisfaction this time around is chiefly owing to the inclusion of thirteen stories in Ancient Greek Myths & Legends, rather than the seven found in most other volumes in the series. No wonder everything felt rushed - there simply wasn't room to do justice to each tale! I would advise young readers interested in this subject to consider a different introductory volume on Greek mythology, such as the excellent D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths .

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient Greek Myths & Legends by Philip Ardagh – with a look at some of the anti-heroes of this age, Orange Jesus is at the top of the list https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...

9 out of 10


It is striking to look again at the Greek legends and see that there were horrible things happening with the Gods – Zeus was such a philanderer that he would not get any following today…well, disregard that, they follow the likes of Orange Jesus, over seventy million cult members in America, and hundreds of millions elsewhere

Tartarus was the deep abyss that was used for the wicked, and this is why I see Orange Jesus as belonging to that awful place – he is a recurring theme, some could say an obsession, but he represents evil to me, in pure form, with vile desires, a cheat, the Confidence Man https://realini.blogspot.com/2023/09/...
Sisyphus might have been worse than Orange Jesus, on some levels, the former killed visitors, breaking the laws of hospitality, while the latter was responsible for the dead who took his advice on Covid – drink disinfectant – Ulysses might be the son of Sisyphus, and thus we have an important contribution to world civilization here

Contempt https://realini.blogspot.com/2016/11/... by Alberto Moravia is an outstanding magnum opus, in which the author argues that Ulysses did not want to come back to his home, and this is why he took those ten years on the way, not so much the Cyclops (we have one at the club) and the rest
Sisyphus has tried to lie to Persephone, queen of Tartarus, telling her that he has no grave (which he made sure he did not have, knowing he would try a ruse) and has to return, being perhaps the only one to return from this abyss, and he will have that terrible punishment, he has to carry a huge stone, again and again…

Tantalus is another punished figure – I like to think that Orange Jesus and those like him will get some of those penalties, sometime soon – who had taken ambrosia and nectar from the gods, and then he killed his son, and cut him into pieces https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
Which brings to mind the cruel Medea, when she took part in the voyage of the argonauts, looking for the Golden Fleece, she would kill her half-brother, to stop her father from taking revenge, throwing the head over board, and then later, killing her own children, after Jason would break the marital vows and abandoned her…

Tantalus is sent into a lake, but when he tries to bend and drink, the water withdraws, thus he is eternally thirsty, and when he wants to eat fruit, that is beyond his reach, always, ergo we have ‘tantalizing’ from this son of Zeus…Ixion is another ruffian, that we can (I do) compare with this vicious Orange Jesus
Ixion wants to marry, and promises gifts, but when the time comes, he choses a loathsome stratagem, he invites his father-in-law to a banquet, and when the latter accepts, he is taken near a big fire, pushed into it and burned to death, however, Zeus took pity and purified the killer, who felt no remorse and pushed the limit further…

The audacious moron tried to seduce Hera, the wife of no other but Zeus, and at this, the supreme god sent a double, made of a cloud, and when this character fornicated with the illusion, a centaur, the creatures that had the upper body of a human and the lower part the parts of a horse – Ixio is sent to the same Tartarus
Another terrifying story is that of Antigone, one of the daughters of poor Oedipus – the king finds that he had married his mother, killed his father, and he takes his eyes out, so he has to be guided around by his daughter, while the sons lock him up, feeling betrayal and humiliation at the tragedy that had unfolded, their mother committed suicide

Polynices and Eteocles are the sons of the now blind former king, they agree to have power in succession, first the latter for one year, and then his brother, only when Polynices returned from Argos, Polynices refuses to abandon the throne and hence an army from Argos is sent to Thebes, where a battle is looming
Ismene is the daughter that tries to get Oedipus involved, thinking he may support one of the rivals, in their massive clash, but the blind king feels it is not legitimate to back any of the brothers, who had anyway turned against him…he is tired, exhausted, and he dies, departing for the land of the dead, the drama is not yet ended

The two armies fight for hours, until a combat between the two leaders is suggested, and Polynices and Eteocles fight each other, the latter sees that the former is dead, celebrates, but just like in those thrillers we see at the cinema, the fallen warrior takes the sword and with his last breath, makes the effort and murders his sibling
Creon, the king of Thebes (and uncle to the two dead brothers, I think I remember) leaves the body of Polynices for the dogs, as a warning for those who fight the city, but that is gruesome, for the soul would then wonder forever, finding no peace, and Antigone begs the king to change this awful decision, in vain…
Because she disobeys the order, and takes her brother’s corpse, she is must die in her turn, and she enters the tomb of her family, the guards seal it and she is walled alive, celebrated as a figure of resistance, with her liberty was born…

Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se

There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...

Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works

‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’

‚Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus’

“From Monty Python - The Meaning of Life...Well, it's nothing very special...Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”

[Mafalda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talvez o menos preferido em termos de ilustrações, mas as histórias estão bem contadas e, apesar de terem sido adaptadas para leitores mais novos, mantêm a sua essência.

Mitos e lendas incluídos:
- Midas e o Seu Toque Dourado - história do rei Midas e do seu ambicioso desejo aos deuses, que rapidamente se revelou ser uma maldição.
- Medusa, o Monstro Que Em vez de Cabelos Tinha Serpentes - fala sobre a horrorosa Górgona Medusa e de como Perseu a derrotou.
- O Homem Que Se Amava a Si Mesmo - lenda de Narciso e do seu amor por si mesmo.
- O Minotauro no Labirinto - terrível história de traição, morte e desespero, que nos conta a origem do Minotauro e como foi derrotado.
- A Oferta de Prometeu aos Humanos - conta-nos como Prometeu trouxe o fogo para os humanos, em segredo, e foi depois castigado por Zeus.
- Ícaro, o Rapaz Que Quis Ir Demasiado Longe - fala-nos deste tolo rapaz que quis voar tão perto do Sol...
- Pégaso, o Cavalo Alado - conta as aventuras deste magnífico cavalo e de Belerofonte, que o domou com a ajuda da deusa Atenas.
- Os Doze Trabalhos de Héracles - "De zero a herói sem hesitar. De zero a herói, já cá está!" E mais nada.
- Ulisses e o Gigante de Um Só Olho - famosa história de como Ulisses e os seus companheiros enganaram o ciclopes Polifemo.
- Orfeu e o Mundo Subterrâneo - aquela vez em que Orfeu quis trazer a sua falecida amada de volta ao mundo dos vivos, mas esqueceu-se que não poderia olhar para trás.
- O Cavalo de Madeira de Tróia - com que os gregos enganaram os troianos.
- Jasão e os Argonautas - e a sua fantástica jornada pelo tosão de ouro de um carneiro mágico.
- Édipo, Condenado por Profecia - conta como Édipo, sem saber, matou o seu pai e casou com a sua própria mãe.

[Cheeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a thorough introduction to Greek myths and legends. It is perfect for the elementary reader because the stories left out a lot of the gory details while still being descriptive and adventurous. Ancient Greek Myths and Legends, by Philip Ardagh, is a compilation of the most well-known Greek myths and legends. At the beginning of the book there is an introductory section that gives the reader the definitions of myth and legend as well as background information on the Greeks and their many gods. What a smart addition to the book for those readers who are unfamiliar with these kind of stories. The book was boldly and richly illustrated in the Greek style by Virginia Gray. The illustrations were helpful in creating a picture of what the ferocious beasts and Greek heroes may have looked like. I read the legend of Midas and His Golden Touch about the greedy king who was granted his wish of wanting everything he touched to turn into gold. This wish backfired on King Midas and in the end he realized what was really important to him. My 9 year old son absconded with the book after we read a few short stories together and finished the entire book in 24 hours! This book opened his eyes to a new genre waiting to be explored. Ancient Greek Myths and Legends is a book I plan to have on my classroom shelf for students to borrow.

[Taylor Troncin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not exactly what we were looking for. There was too much text for such a young reader. We had hoped this book would have more illustrations and more engaging stories, but overall my son and I were not too impressed. (However, I do love Greek mythology...)

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Greek Myths that I read with the kids. I skipped the last chapter on Oedipus. Too creepy to read to my son. I'll let him discover that legend on his own.

[Bec0072 · Rating 5 out of 5]

rtjiret.jrelrhkltrjgrdlytrjhrejhktjlgjreklje
rhdffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffgggguuuuuuuu

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Greek myths. Not the most clear but will give children a reference point.