Greek Mythology: An Introduction [Hardcover]

Professor Fritz Graf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1993

This revised translation of Fritz Graf's highly acclaimed introduction to Greek mythology offers a chronological account of the principal Greek myths that appear in the surviving literary and artistic sources and concurrently documents the history of interpretation of Greek mythology from the 17th century to the present. First surveying the various definitions of myth that have been advanced, Graf proceeds to examine topics such as the relationship between Greek myths and epic poetry, the connection between particular myths and shrines or holy festivals, the use of myth in Greek song and tragedy, and the uses and interpretations of myth by philosophers and allegorists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Graf's Greek Mythology immediately established itself, when it was first published in German in 1985, as the best introduction then available. Historical in three senses -- a brief history of theories of myth, a view of the historically changing roles of myth, a sense of the processes of inventing, forgetting, and renewing myth -- the book's strength lies in its combining an understanding of myth as essentially narrative, with an appreciation of the issue of authorship... This is a new edition, with footnotes, numerous minor alterations to the text, and a thoroughly updated bibliography." -- Times Literary Supplement

"The best general introduction to Greek mythology in English." -- Lowell Edmunds, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Full of compelling insights... A superior work on Greek mythology done by a first-rate scholar." -- Paul Properzio, New England Classical Newsletter and Journal

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801846579
• ISBN-13: 978-0801846571
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,330,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding historical approach to Greek Myth, September 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Greek Mythology: An Introduction (Paperback)

I'm a bit puzzled by the previous review's claim that this book does not spend much time discussing different approaches to mythology. That's what the first two chapters of this book are all about!. Graf first provides a historical discussion of "myth", "mythology", and their meanings from ancient Greece up throught the end of the 19th century. The second chapter discusses the various approaches to myth that have been dominant in the 20th century-- the myth-and-ritual school, psychoanlalysis, structuralism, etc. For each of these, Graf provides both a discussion of the various approaches, as well as a critical discussion of their merits and shortcomings. (Perhaps the previous reviewer skipped these chapters?)

The remaining chapters of the book offer up a kind of intellectual and cultural history of Greek mythology from the Mycenean Age to the late Hellenistic era, discusing how the various stories that make up what we call "Greek Mythology"
were various understood, approached, told, retold, changed, transformed valued, revalued, etc., from approximately 1200 BC through the Roman era. One chapter deals with Homer, Hesiod, and the early poetic traditions. Another deals with the religious/ritualistic ue of myth, another with tragedy, another with history, and yet another with late "mythography" and criticism.

All in all, I'd say this is an excellent introduction to the study of Greek mythology within the historical, cultural, and literary context in which its stories emerged, were established, and were later fixed. Please be aware, however, that it is not a mere "handbook" (a la Edith Hamilton or the New Larousse Handbook of Mythology). Rather it is an scholarly analysis into the historical cultural function(s) of myth in ancient Greece-- but one which is presented on a general, survey level,.... so that it can easily be read and appreciated by
non-scholars.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good general introduction, May 15, 2000

By 

TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Greek Mythology: An Introduction (Hardcover)

Graf's mythology handbook of the Classical world is a great begining text for undergraduates or those merely reading for their improvement. Howeer, he spents little time on comparative approaches between mythology which most textbooks at least pay lip service to.