The Myths of Herakles in Ancient Greece [Hardcover]

Mark W. Padilla (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 1998

The Myths of Herakles in Ancient Greece surveys the rich legacy of Herakles's representations during the Archaic and Early Classical periods and joins to this survey a scholarly apparatus that summarizes and refers to a good portion of the work completed on the meanings and descriptions of these manifestations. Organized into complementing 'synchronic' and 'diachronic' perspectives, the Greeks' most popular but also most complex 'hero-god' emerges to the reader in a straightforwardly written appreciation.

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About the Author

Mark W. Padilla is Associate Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor of Classics at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: University Press Of America (April 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761810501
• ISBN-13: 978-0761810506
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,570,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There is good news and bad news, January 15, 2011

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GDP "TPL" (Northbrook, IL USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Myths of Herakles in Ancient Greece (Hardcover)

In the midst of a mildly obsessive interest in the enduring Hercules myth (and, by extension, Greek Mythology and Greek Tragedy), this book was ordered and greatly anticipated by this reviewer. My interest was originally piqued by preparation for an upcoming performance of Handel's 'Hercules' and included the literature generally considered as the sources for the libretto. At best I am a lay historian who has learned far more than I ever intended to about the protean Hercules.

First, the bad news: The product description indicates that the text is a "survey" and includes a "scholarly apparatus" for analyzing the various artistic expressions of the myth in the Archaic and Early Classical periods of Ancient Greece, but this doesn't adequately describe the full scholarly tone of the work. It was of some surprise to find the book is a 33 page treatise, with an additional 34 pages of footnotes (the footnotes are in a smaller font and therefore represent materially more relative content). The survey is very concise, and a fair knowledge of Hercules and the associated literature from the two periods is necessary to fully appreciate it. There is an extensive bibliography and two indexes (general and works cited) that make up the "advertised" 112 pages. Caveat emptor.

As for the "scholarly apparatus" it is reflected in the main body's two chapters, each of which offer a different lens through which to view the Hercules myth. Chapter One is a "diachronic approach" or a chronological review of the literature and other arts that compose and document the Hercules myth, while Chapter Two is a "synchronic approach" or Hercules as of a point in time (or during the defined periods, in this case), investigated by comparing contradictory elements found in the very nature of Hercules (e.g., "Hercules is a civilizing force, but not civilized" ... see footnote 198 for the source). Of course the contradictions found in Hercules at any given time are as nothing compared to the temporal contradictions presented by such diverse portrayals of the hero/deity as found in Sophocles, Euripides or the Broughton/Handel oratorio.

Then the good news. After the initial surprise the book turned out to be a wonderful treat. Despite its scholarly conciseness, the survey is exceptionally clear and the prose flows rather naturally while many of the footnotes (which total 297, or 9 per page) provide substantive information for an informed reader. The footnotes also represent the key to appreciating the bibliography by providing insight into which of the many works listed could be fruitful further reading. For those readers among us who routinely read footnotes (few things are more pleasing than a good footnote), intensely review bibliographies (often reading the latter before reading the main text), and count a few annotated bibliographies among our favorite books, this book is a dream.

Rating such a book is problematic. Reasonable people could reach very different conclusions ... one to five stars .. and all might be considered fair, depending upon very personal needs, preparedness, and perspectives. If one were interested in a more narrative treatment of the literature on Hercules I would recommend Herakles Theme by G. Karl Galinsky (which encompasses Homer to 20th century literature). As for me, the subject book provided helpful content and my list of books to read just expanded significantly (OK, maybe this is not just a mild obsession).