Customer Reviews

Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Finally! There has been such need for a work like this and the editors/translators have done a fine job indeed. I teach live, online courses on mythology at The Lukeion Project and this year I will be developing a way to make this a required purchase for the fall 2008 session. Everything I need to teach a high quality course in mythology is availabe here (with the addition of my favorite translations of the epics and tragedies, of course). Any serious mythology educator must have this book.

Bullfinch is O.K., but, while it's good, it only gives
passing reference to many of the Greek myths, e.g. Theseus,
the most revered myth of ancient Athens. The various books
from my local library and Amazon all had similar weaknesses,
some too simple as stories for very young folks or not
detailed enough in terms of the stories' origins. I wanted
a definitive text and took a chance on this book. I was not
disappointed.

Just reading about the Linear B in the Preface is worth 10
times its price. From Zeus's violent coup to Sinon's
convincing the skeptical Trojans the horse was a gift of the
gods, the book presents the myths from the original sources
with their original magic and power. I'm not an expert but
the translations appear to be excellent. The detailed index
organizes the different traditions for each story and
character.

This book makes clear why the Greek myths have captivated
generations.

Here is an outstanding compilation of samples from ancient Greek and Roman myths. Samples a wide range of well known, and lesser known myths from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Intro's are given to the myth's author, time and related issues in brief.

A very helpful resource for students of ancient history, mythology or even the new testament, since the new testament was written in an environment wherein many were steeped in these very sorts of tales either orally or in writ.

This could have been a good buy and an excellent source for any teacher. In the kindle version I received and will return, some of the text (eg., selections from Aeschyus) is too small to read and can't be enlarged. The maps. charts. and valuable lists have the same problem. It is a production problem that is, at best, inane. It makes the entire work a dud.

This is a pity. Their introduction is good, a miracle from academics, and is designed as a tool for teaching.

Good compendium. Open translation without bias. great for open disscusion in a classroom setting.

Having recently acquired an iPad 2, I downloaded the Kindle application for transferring my extensive Kindle library to to the new device. I must say, that even though these are Kindle purchased books, the reading experience is greatly enhanced by the iPad versatility of being able to isolate and enlarge all the maps, pictures, and texts. With regard to this particular book, there was no need to enlarge the text itself, as it is already quite large on the iPad version of the Kindle book. Therefore, the book is a great buy, in addition to a great visual presentation, if you are able to read it on the iPad.

The book arrived in good condition, and was a required textbook for a course. It is a book that gives modern people a glimpse into the past of ancient times.
Thank-you

I needed this book for my Greek and Roman mythology class; it arrived a few days after I started needing it. But the book was in perfect condition, so it was worth the wait. And it is a perfect book for any mythology class. It has many translated myths so they are easier to read and interpret but you do not lose the story. They come from many different authors so you're not just getting one person's viewpoint since myths are interpreted many different ways. It was an amazing book to get!

As a former pastor who studied the ancient Greek language, and as a teacher of ancient civilizations, I found this to be an excellent resource from a scholastic point of view. People simply interested in finding Greek myths and reading them as readily as we find a book in the library will be sorely disappointed with this book. But if you understand the literary process by which the myths are collected, then this becomes an indispensable addition to your library. Organizationally this was very well thought out and adeptly executed in presentation. This is a job well done!