The flower myths usually involve beautiful youths dying tragically, and Hamilton sees these as poeticized versions of early stories of human sacrifice. The stories of heroes often explain the founding of cities or bloodlines (like Aeneas, the mythological forefather of the Romans), but other myths explain natural phenomena like the constellations or the origins of flowers, while others serve no purpose other than pure entertainment. She groups the short biographies around the Trojan War, a mythological battle that involves many of the most famous heroes and is immortalized in Homer’s epics. Hamilton begins with early heroes like the Titan Prometheus, and then famous mortal heroes, which she describes in depth, like Theseus, Hercules, Achilles, Odysseus, and Aeneas. The stories begin to multiply and expand as the gods, especially the lecherous Zeus, copulate with humans and give birth to both heroes and tales of tragic love. They then create humans, who populate the earth along with other supernatural creatures. The gods, who are children of the Titan Cronus, overthrow their father (led by Zeus) and rule the universe. Next comes Love, and with it Heaven and Earth, and then monsters and the godlike Titans. The Greek creation story begins with only Chaos, Night, and Death. Lesser gods and supernatural creatures include Eros, nymphs of all kinds, and personifications of abstract concepts like Justice and Memory. Other important gods are Demeter, goddess of corn, and Dionysus, the god of wine, both of whom live on earth. Hamilton then introduces the major Greek gods, who live on Mount Olympus: Zeus, the chief and god of thunder and sky, Hera, his sister and jealous wife, his fierce, independent daughters Athena and Artemis, his sons cruel Ares and poetic, prophetic Apollo, his brothers, Poseidon the sea god and Hades the god of the dead, Hestia, his sister and the protector of the hearth, the clever messenger Hermes, the craftsman Hephaestus, and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.
In her introduction, she gives her reason for studying these myths, as she sees them as precursors to Western thought and useful to modern Americans. The book holds only a loose chronological order, as the mythological world is so huge and entangled that Hamilton must often reference characters and stories that are explained much earlier or later. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago-and still spellbinding to this day.įund 164 BookQuick Marketing Purchased 78087 NEJ PHP 3,595.Edith Hamilton’s Mythology is like a huge study guide itself, as it overviews the principle Greek and Roman myths and briefly delves into Norse mythology.
From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. Monsters, mortals, gods, and warriors: For over sixty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. Introduction to classical mythology - Gods, the creation, and the earliest heroes - Stories of love and adventure - Great heroes before the Trojan War - Heroes of the Trojan War - Great families of mythology - Less important myths - Mythology of the Norsemen - Genealogical tables. Originally published: Boston : Little, Brown, ©1942. List(s) this item appears in: Print Books 2022 Star ratings An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago-and still spellbinding to this day.
Summary: Monsters, mortals, gods, and warriors: For over sixty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology.
0 kommentar(er)
