# My big fat greek...mythology **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056 "2003-02-01T05:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/1 "2003-02-01T05:39:38Z")
anyone here a fan of greek mythology? How about anyone here wanting to know more? A penny for anyone’s thoughts on their favorite greek mythology or how we refer back to it through entertainment… ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/2 "2003-02-01T05:46:11Z")
I love Greek Mythology and my name’s taken from a minor deity, Deimos. Personally, my favorite myth’s always been Hades abduction of Persephone and the seasonal tie-in. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/3 "2003-02-01T05:47:25Z")
Gah. I got my user names mixed up… I’m Deimosan on another message board but am Aesiron here. Stupid, stupid, stupid. ---
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/4 "2003-02-01T06:01:01Z")
i haven’t been exposed to greek mythology at all up to this point. Any recommended reading for me to ‘catch’ up? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/5 "2003-02-01T06:03:46Z")
My suggestion would be to go to the public library and just grab two or three dozen books out of the children’s section since most of the adult books I’ve read on the topic are deathly boring. Avoid Edith Hamilton’s Mythology at all costs unless you’re in **dire** need of a cure for insomnia. ---
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/6 "2003-02-01T06:05:19Z")
i know Homer’s the Odessy is greek, but where can i find stuff dealing with Hades, Persephone. I don’t get to libraries much, considering i live a ways out of town, so i usually order or buy books. Are there actual written tales? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/7 "2003-02-01T06:10:23Z")
In elementary school, I was given a copy of DeLaurie’s Book Of Greek Myths. I read it so much it started falling apart. I still have it though. I’m also a huge fan of Eddie Campbell. He’s done a lot of comics based on Greek myths. There are many differences(non spoilers-at 3000 or so Bacchus discovers that gods aren’t so immortal after all. Zeuss has been murdered by Argus’ grandson The EyeBall Kid) However, it’s clear that Eddie has really done his research on the myths, history and culture. Additionally, Eddie gives the unedited versions of the tales. Generally, kids books leave out things like Zeuss castrating Cronos or the Bull of Minos impregnating Io. Tomes written by proffessors and linguists leave the details in but are dry, lifeless, and almost impossible to read. Eddie gives the story without removing details or life. BTW-I’ve written my own view of the myth of Orpheus. It’s a few pages. My wordprocessor of choice is dos based WordPerfect. But, I could , convert the file , post it or upload it elsewhere and provide a link if enough Dopers are interested. ---
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/8 "2003-02-01T06:12:55Z")
what is the name of those unedited works so i can order them? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/9 "2003-02-01T06:21:47Z")
I’d definitely be interested, DocCathode. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/10 "2003-02-01T06:28:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruralrage \* > \*\*i haven’t been exposed to greek mythology at all up to this point. Any recommended reading for me to ‘catch’ up? \*\* To answer the OP, I’ve been nuts over Greek Mythology since I was around 8 years old. I’ve always been really big on the Oedipus myths, and any involving the Delphi Oracle, so one of the high points of my life was visiting Thebes and Delphi in person. And I know that this isn’t exactly GREEK Mythology, but I’ve always been pretty partial to Virgil’ Aeneid, which was a sequel to Homer’s Iliad which follows the losers of the Trojan war (while The Odyssey followed the winners) To answer ruralrage, I highly suggest starting with [By Jove! Brush Up Your Mythology by Michael Macrone](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0062720198/qid=1044080612/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0328618-6215157?v=glance&s=books) which presents many of the Greek characters and myths in beginners terms, similar to the For Dummies books. I still refer to this book from time to time. Once you get acquanted with the major gods and themes, [Edith Hamilton’s Mythology](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446607258/qid=1044080725/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-0328618-6215157) is an excellent retelling of all of the Greek Myths. If Hamilton’s seems too easy-reading or not enough detailed, [Bulfinch’s Mythology](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375751475/qid=1044080798/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-0328618-6215157) is a more classic and detailed telling of these. Happy mything! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/11 "2003-02-01T06:35:45Z")
[Eddie Campbell’s Bacchus](http://www.eddiecampbellcomics.com/bacchus/) It is to Greek mythology what The Straight Dope is to…to…science, and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/12 "2003-02-01T07:48:16Z")
The [Encyclopedia Mythologica](http://pantheon.org) is a fun place to play around, swinging from link to link and learning a few more minor deities. Slight hijack, but has anybody else here been to the [Perseus Project](http://www.perseus.tufts.edu) ? The great thing about it is that it contains anything you’d ever possibly want from classical literature; the bad thing is that, at least to me, it is darned near impossible to navigate or make sense of. Is this anybody else’s experience? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/13 "2003-02-01T09:07:04Z")
Robert Graves’ [“The Greek Myths”](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140171991/qid=1044090102/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-1110244-8844633?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) is _the_ gold standard of mythology (and favored by academics everywhere for being so comprehensive, yet is still quite accessible). A must-read and a classic, for sure. He also penned [“Greek Gods and Heroes”](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0440932211/qid=1044090217/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/103-1110244-8844633?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), which is a wonderful companion book – detailing the full stories of all the folks inhabiting those myths. And for getting youngsters into mythology, I also highly recommend D’Aulaire’s book of Greek Myths. I read that thing to death in elementary school. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/14 "2003-02-01T14:04:53Z")
I would second [p]peepthis’s\*\* recommendation of _The Greek Myths_\*. As well as retellings of the myths, it gives references to the places in Greek literature where the myths are told, so you can check out the originals, too. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/15 "2003-02-01T16:40:26Z")
I have a lovely 19th-century _Bullfinch_, with scads of great illustrations. If I were ever to become religious, I’d believe in the old Greek and/or Roman gods. _They_ had personality! Always turning people into shrubbery and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/16 "2003-02-01T19:11:51Z")
I am a big fan of Greek and Roman Mythology. It all started in 6th grade when I took Latin I. I didn’t particularly like the class, but I loved learning a little bit of mythology along with it. That little bit got me hooked. Since my aunt found out, I have been the recipient of huge, heavy mythology books. 🙂 On our trips to Rome and Greece, my parents couldn’t get me to shut up and stop telling the stories behind every statue or temple we came across. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/17 "2003-02-01T21:44:06Z")
You can always watch [Oh Brother Where Art Thou](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0190590) for a brief introduction to Homer’s Odessy. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/18 "2003-02-01T21:59:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peepthis \* > \*\* > And for getting youngsters into mythology, I also highly recommend D’Aulaire’s book of Greek Myths. I read that thing to death in elementary school. \*\* Me too! I remember it very fondly, and would recommend it to any child and most adults looking for a fun and interesting introduction to the Greek myths. ---
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/19 "2003-02-01T22:00:51Z")
I’m the type of person that enjoys reading the more in depth stuff than not…do they make anthologies for greecian literature or mythology? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056/20 "2003-02-01T22:24:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **peepthis** \* > \*\*Robert Graves’ [“The Greek Myths”](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140171991/qid=1044090102/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-1110244-8844633?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) is _the_ gold standard of mythology (and favored by academics everywhere for being so comprehensive, yet is still quite accessible). A must-read and a classic, for sure. He also penned [“Greek Gods and Heroes”](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0440932211/qid=1044090217/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/103-1110244-8844633?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), which is a wonderful companion book – detailing the full stories of all the folks inhabiting those myths. > > And for getting youngsters into mythology, I also highly recommend D’Aulaire’s book of Greek Myths. I read that thing to death in elementary school. \*\* Read Graves with a salt shaker handy, though, to provide adequate numbers of grains of salt – his interpretation of the origin of almost all myths is founded on the theory of a matriarchal pre-Greek society with castration of priests, worship of the _Magna Mater Deorum_, and various other trimmings that may not concur with your anthropological or mythological tastes. Definitely thorough and well researched, though! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-mythology/152056.md?page=2)