The Dictionary of Classical Mythology [Mass Market Paperback]

John Edward Zimmerman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0553257765 | ISBN-13: 978-0553257762 | Publication Date: June 1, 1983

"A knowledge of classical mythology is indispensable in understanding and appreciating much of the great literature, sculpture, and painting of both the ancients and the moderns. Unless we know the marvelous stories of the deities and heroes of the ancients, their great literature and art as much later work down to the present day will remain unintelligible. Through the centuries from Chaucer, Spencer, Shakespeare, and Milton on, not only the major writers but also hundreds of lesser writers have retold the old tales or used them as a point of departure for new interpretations in terms of contemporary problems and psychology."—From author's Introduction

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A knowledge of classical mythology is indispensable in understanding and appreciating much of the great literature, sculpture, and painting of both the ancients and the moderns. Unless we know the marvelous stories of the deities and heroes of the ancients, their great literature and art as much later work down to the present day will remain unintelligible. Through the centuries from Chaucer, Spencer, Shakespeare, and Milton on, not only the major writers but also hundreds of lesser writers have retold the old tales or used them as a point of departure for new interpretations in terms of contemporary problems and psychology."--From author's Introduction

From the Inside Flap

"A knowledge of classical mythology is  indispensable in understanding and appreciating much of  the great literature, sculpture, and painting of  both the ancients and the moderns. Unless we know  the marvelous stories of the deities and heroes of  the ancients, their great literature and art as  much later work down to the present day will remain  unintelligible. Through the centuries from  Chaucer, Spencer, Shakespeare, and Milton on, not only  the major writers but also hundreds of lesser  writers have retold the old tales or used them as a  point of departure for new interpretations in terms  of contemporary problems and psychology."--From  author's Introduction

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553257765
• ISBN-13: 978-0553257762
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Ancient > General
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Folklore & Mythology
  • #50 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

130 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent, Concise, but Serious Dictionary, August 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Mass Market Paperback)

Zimmerman's classical dictionary is one of the best for an introduction to classical myth and classical dictionaries. The book manages to avoid the story-telling of strictly popular "myth books" and to avoid information that will be extranneous to a novice reader. At the same time, each entry gives sources, so readers know, for example, that the story of Philomela was covered Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Sidney, Keats, and a host of others as well as Apollodorus. In other words, it is a fantastically useful resource for readers of English literature as well as classical. The affordability of the volume (and the portability of it) has made it an absolutely essential first-buy for anyone serious about reading. Even when working in the most precise and demanding forms of editing and annotation of literature, Zimmerman's book is still the first-grab, first-glance entry point to further research.

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I needed!, May 20, 2003

By 

Diana Poskrop - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has one thing most (as far as I can tell) classical mythology references don't have: PRONUNCIATION for every entry. It's clear and complete, with even obscure references, and includes main sources.

At any price, this is an excellent resource.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Reference Book, April 12, 2002

By 

"wtw7775" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Mass Market Paperback)

This is quite possibly the best, inexpensive reference material ever. This is very good. The entries are clear and concise. The names have pronunciation guides and where they are mentioned. It also has entries over the authors who wrote the works. The entries also have cross-references to other entries in the book. The font of the book is clear and there is enough white space to where the words do not seem cluttered. While this may seem not that important, when you are having to look up a character very fast so you can respond to a question, you will be thankful. I have only one problem with this book. Some of the entries on the groups of characters, such as the muses, only reference you to the names of the characters, not what they did together as a group. Even with this, this book is something you can buy and not worry about making a wrong buy.