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The Complete World of Greek Mythology | 
 enlarge | Author: Richard Buxton
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $26.37
You Save: $13.58 (34%)
New (14) Used (10) from $17.18
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 13824
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 7.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 0500251215
Dewey Decimal Number: 292.13
EAN: 9780500251218
ASIN: 0500251215
Publication Date: June 28, 2004
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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Book Description
A full, authoritative, and wholly engaging account of these endlessly fascinating tales and of the ancient society in which they were created. Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed—their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape. - "Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater.
- "Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities.
- "The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities.
- "Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes.
- "Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines.
- "A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld.
- "Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century.
Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks. 250 illustrations, 120 in color.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Excellent. June 17, 2005
S. Hebbron (Leicester UK)
65 out of 68 found this review helpful
An enormously engaging and highly explanatory work which details ancient greek religious beliefs and the works of the major playwrights and poets alike. What is of particular interest is how Gods and the stories of Myths of Gods and Godess's helped to explain the surrounding world to the people of the time. What is remarkable is these stories really were the first kind of documented evidence of humanity making sense of it's exsistance, purpose and meaning. A phenomena which has been occuring in revised and multi-cultural forms ever since.
The Myths are surprising, intelligent and familair at once, they are remarkable informative and have much contemporary resonance. A classic work on a classic subject.
Well Constructed and Visually Engaging January 21, 2007
Dan (Albany, NY)
35 out of 36 found this review helpful
I've been picking through the gamut of Greek myth texts for an introductory course, and I was fortunate to come across this beauty. It's not just a mythology text that the art historian can use, it's the ONLY classical myth "textbook" I have encountered that could legitimately appeal to art history classes. There are illustrations (usually color photos) on every page. The quality of the pages and binding itself is also really quality stuff. The narration is pretty standard. It's more of a summary text kind of thing than the various excerpts you find in other classical myth texts. I wouldn't use any of the other mythology texts, but this one makes a wonderful supplement to primary source material such as Homer, Hesiod and/or the tragedians. This thing raises the bar for the presentation of classical myth books.
Are the gods still with us? July 16, 2004
Paul Carleton (Pontiac, Michigan USA)
31 out of 150 found this review helpful
Seeing the recent movie "Troy" (twice) sparked my reading Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" (Lombardo's translation). But Homer left gaps, assuming his audience was familiar with the mythology. Buxton's book very nicely, comprehensively and entertainingly fills in those gaps. It's fun to read or just peruse by itself, or as a reference.
Even so I'm struck by the early Greeks' absolute belief in the gods, in the gods' presence, and in their power over men and events. Given those Greeks' knowledge of their world back then, I suppose such beliefs were to be expected. But we've come a long way in the intervening three millennia - still many today profess belief in God, the angels and saints. Based on what's known today about our world, in my book, "Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest for Science-Minded Skeptics", I propose an alternative to such beliefs.
The most beautiful book I have ever owned! January 9, 2007
Thomas Browder
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
Not only does The Complete World of Greek Mythology give the reader a panoramic view of the major motifs of ancient Greek mythology, but there are breath-taking illustrations on every page. It is a magnificent book! And what a bargain. The publishers could easily charge twice as much. Tom Browder
Like a lecture series sponsored by an art museum December 10, 2007
ennui (California)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a truly beautiful book, placing Greek myth in context. Well worth the price. The author's voice comes through quite nicely, and I do feel like I'm attending a lecture series at an art museum.
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