Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, 75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition

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To sum up the points in its favor: Hamilton does well on the three basic criteria (accessibility, credibility, extent of coverage) the writing is clear, she is commendably rigorous about sourcing, and there are no glaring gaps in the extent of coverage. Both of my "test myths" were covered well; the story of Procne and Philomela particularly so. The family trees for the major Gods and important families of mortals are a really useful feature. Many of the facts in The Greek Way (1930) have surprised modern readers. One reviewer in Australia explained Hamilton's view "that the spirit of our age is a Greek discovery, and that the Greeks were really the first Westerners, and the first intellectualists." The same reviewer also credited the book with noting that modern concepts of play and sport were actually common activities to the Greeks, who engaged in exercise and athletic events, including games, races, and music, dancing, and wrestling competitions, among others. [49]

Most wanted for crimes against humanity are Aphrodite, Hera, Athena, Poseidon and Apollo. Nevertheless, none of the Olympians could be considered Angels and they’ve all got blood on their hands by the closing of this book. Hamilton draws from a number of other authors besides Homer: other Greeks, such as Hesiod, Pindar, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and Romans such as Ovid, Virgil, and Apollodorus. At the beginning of each chapter, Hamilton notes which authors she has used as source material for that chapter’s stories. Such citations are important, as these different authors—widely separated by time and worldview—tell radically different kinds of stories. Hamilton’s introduction offers a chronological overview of these original authors, reminding us that the Romans wrote roughly 1,000 years after Homer and about 500 years after the Greek tragedians. This time difference is significant, as the warring, fractious conglomeration of independent Greek city-states made for a very different society from the immense, stately Roman Empire, the largest and most stable empire the world had ever seen. Augustus’s Rome was a rich, sophisticated, and decadent culture, and its literature reflects this spirit. Whereas myths were very practical for the Greek authors, defining their religion and explaining the world around them, Roman authors treated the myths as elaborate fantasies told purely for entertainment or as cultural hallmarks that were used to justify Roman world dominance as a divinely decreed manifest destiny. Another son of King Priam, Hector is the bravest and most famous of the Trojan warriors. Unlike his brother Paris, he faces challenges with great strength and courage. His death ends the Iliad. Aeneas Pindar in the early fifth century tells the tale about the feast Tantalus made the gods and protests that it is not true. The punishment of Tantalus is described often, first in the Odyssey, from which I have taken it. Amphion's story, and Niobe's, I have taken from Ovid, who alone tells them in full. For Pelops winning the chariot race I have preferred Apollodorus, of the first or second century A.D., who gives the fullest account that has come down. The story of Atreus' and Thyestes' crimes and all that followed is taken from Aeschylus' Oresteia. This is one only two such books I still have, 15 years out of high school: this and Strunk and White. This is a good book to have lying around the house, not because you need it every day, but because it is a great reference for things like settling family bets and cheating on the brown questions in Trivial Pursuit. Dig it out of the boxes in your basement sometime, under the term paper from freshman comp, and have a look over it. It really is a great reference guide to ancient mythos, it's easily accessible, and well written. Generations of high school teachers can't be all THAT wrong.

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The author discusses the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in detail in it. This book is divided into seven parts. They are the

Also known as Ouranos or Father Heaven. Born out of Earth, he becomes Earth’s husband and proceeds to father all the original creatures of the earth, including the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Furies. The Titans We meet the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla. We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. It's almost as bad as Bulfinch telling the readers which myths are Christian enough to be included and which had to be shortened/changed for his "genteel" readers. It is precisely the original stories I want to be told about or at least I want a thorough comparison!Alice remarked, "Instead of the grandeur and beauty of Aeschylus and Sophocles, it seemed that the important thing was their use of the second aorist." See Singer, 74–75. Three mysterious sisters who affect the paths of all in the universe. Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis assigns each person’s thread, and Atropos snips the thread of life at its end. Since fate is the only force to rule above both gods and men, the fates arguably have more power than anyone else in the Greek universe. Odysseus Prefatory notes were written by Hamilton; the introduction was written by Cairns. See Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns, ed. (1961). The Collected Dialogues of Plato, Including the Letters. Bollingen Series. Vol.LXXI. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. (Second printing, with corrections, March 1963; third printing, October 1964; fourth printing, October 1966; fifth printing, March 1969; sixth printing, May 1971. I was a history major in college, so this was fascinating to me. I get that it's not for everyone, but if you want to learn more about mythology in general, this is the book for you.

In 1950 Hamilton received an honorary degrees of Doctor of Letters from the University of Rochester and the University of Pennsylvania. She was also the recipient of an honorary degree from Yale University in 1960. In addition, Hamilton was elected to the American Institute of Arts and Letters in 1955 and the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1957. [30] [53] [54]Hamilton received the National Achievement Award in 1951 as a distinguished classical scholar and author. She received the award along with Anna M. Rosenberg, Assistant Secretary of Defense. The award was created in 1930 to honor women of accomplishment and inspire others. [5] In 1906 Hamilton became the first headmistress of the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland. [27]

What I do like is how Edith Hamilton tells these tales. One of my favourites here is Cupid and Psyche. It starts with: Bruce Catton (May 25, 1936). "A Modern Message From Ancient Israel". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. Although her books were successful and popular among readers, she conceded "that it was hopeless to persuade Americans to be Greeks" and that "life had become far too complex since the age of Pericles to recapture the simple directness of Greek life... the calm lucidity of the Greek mind, which convinced the great thinkers of Athens of their mastery of truth and enlightenment." [4] The Prophets of IsraelThe “Choosers of the Slain,” these splendid female warriors select and carry dead warriors to Valhalla. Signy The terrifying irrational has no place in classical mythology. Magic ... is almost nonexistent. Ghosts never appear on earth in any Greek story." Francisco de Goya, Saturn Devouring His Son, in which the titan Saturn eats all his children so that they won't be the death of him. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes is a book written by Edith Hamilton, published in 1942 by Little, Brown and Company. [1] It has been reissued since then by several publishers, including its 75th anniversary illustrated edition. [2] It retells stories of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology drawn from a variety of sources. The introduction includes commentary on the major classical poets used as sources, and on how changing cultures have led to changing characterizations of the deities and their myths. It is frequently used in high schools and colleges as an introductory text to ancient mythology and belief.