Eternal Drama: The Inner Meaning of Greek Mythology [Paperback]

Edward Edinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena—do the gods and goddesses of Greece have anything to say to us that we haven't already heard? In this book, based on a series of his lectures, the eminent Jungian analyst and writer Edward F. Edinger revisits all the major figures, myths, oracles, and legends of the ancient Greek religion to discover what they can still reveal—representing, as they do, one of the religious and mythic foundations of Western culture. Building on C. G. Jung's assertion that mythology is an expression of the deepest layers of mind and soul, Dr. Edinger follows the mythic images into their persistent manifestations in literature and on into our modern lives. He finds that the gods indeed continue to speak as we grow in our capacity to listen and that the myths express the inner energies within all of us as much as ever. Heracles is eternally performing his labors, Perseus is still confronting Medusa, Theseus is forever stalking the Minotaur, and Persephone is still being carried off to life in a new realm.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Edinger, a Jungian psychologist, examines the major figures in Greek mythology and analyzes the gods, goddesses, and heroes of these myths to find archetypes described by Jung. Basing his book on a series of lectures he gave in the 1970s, Edinger traces Jungian archetypes through poetry, literature, and the dreams of patients and shows how others have built on the myths. Unfortunately, when he describes the personality types of the mythical figures and explains how people today manifest an Apollo personality or are psychologically akin to Ares, the author makes connections and generalizations that are sometimes hard for the reader to accept. Still, this book would be helpful to students of Jungian psychology who want a perspective on the ties between Jung and the Greek myths. Appropriate for large public and academic collections.
Marguerite Mroz, Baltimore Cty. P.L.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A compelling answer to fundamental questions about why and how we should read myths. . . . A book rich with fresh readings of well-known myths, buttressed by illuminating linkages between the Greek, Hebrew, and Christian roots of our modern psyche."— Parabola

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570626731
• ISBN-13: 978-1570626739
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Temenos, March 23, 2006

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Center For Depth Harris "Temenos" (Newport Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Eternal Drama: The Inner Meaning of Greek Mythology (Paperback)

This book is an excellent overview of the "inner meaning," thus the psychological value of the unconscious images that are represented in Greek Mythology. If the reader is not interested in that, I would not buy it. The material here is for learning more about the language of the psyche. The book covers all of the major figures of Greek Mythology that are most relevant to understanding the inner meaning of various symbolic forms as they might appear in dreams or other spontaneuous productions from the unconscious. Other reviews of mythology such as Bulfinch's or Edith Hamilton cover the basic "facts" or objective features of mythology, while this book again is focused on relating the figures of Greek Mythology as part of the living heritage of the psyche, the collective unconscious. In this respect, the book is most valuable.

4 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Psychology of Ancient Greece, October 2, 2005

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Robert S. Robbins (Williamsport, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Eternal Drama: The Inner Meaning of Greek Mythology (Paperback)

In addition to the Greek myths and heroes, the author analyzes the Trojan War, Greek drama (Oedipus), oracles, Dionysus, Orphism, and the Eleusinian Mysteries. Unfortunately, he does not always establish the psychological truth of his interpretations which therefore lack authority. Jungian psychology claims that our dreams are a form of personal mythology in which our private concerns are made into myth. I find this a credible arguement because my dreams frequently contain mythological content, usually a monster that I slay.