The Heroes of the Greeks [Paperback]

Carl Kerenyi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1978

The heroes of Greek mythology - Achilles, Orpheus, Herakles, Oedipus and others - preoccupied the minds of the ancient Greeks no less than the gods themselves. This study uses original sources, archaeological findings and psychological insight to provide an account of the lives of these mythical figures. The narrative is complemented by illustrations from vase paintings and genealogical tables of celebrated and lesser-known mythicl figures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An extremely valuable book. -- The Listener

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (August 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 050027049X
• ISBN-13: 978-0500270493
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #648,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Greek Myth, September 11, 2010

By 

Muttley - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Heroes of the Greeks (Paperback)

This book is packed with material to delight the serious student or enthusiast of Greek myth. Kerenyi had vast academic knowledge of the field and was also a key figure in the "psychological" approach to the Greek Gods in terms of archetypes (He worked and corresponded with Jung). In this and GODS OF THE GREEKS he seeks to lay out the basic raw material of the mythology as it's come down to us. The text may come across as dry or even obscure to some modern readers, but this is also its strength. In many other presentations of Greek myth it's often hard to tell where the original material ends and the scholarly interpolation begins (I'm looking at YOU, Robert Graves)... In sum, if you want an entertaining storyteller, Kerenyi might not be your guy (try Gustav Schwab maybe); but if you want to get close to the original mythology this and GODS OF THE GREEKS should be among your primary resources.

6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, May 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Heroes of the Greeks (Paperback)

This is a great story which help to understand about the Greek gods. It is great for beginners. It helps explain about them and what they mean. I would recomend this to anyone interested in Greek Mythology.