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The Gods of the Greeks Paperback – January 17, 1980

by Karl Kerenyi (Author), Carl Kerenyi (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 17 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Thames & Hudson; Reissue edition (January 17, 1980)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0500270481
  • ISBN-13: 978-0500270486
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #242,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 starsThe Greek Gods in their shining glory, and darkest gloom.
By A Customer on May 28, 1998
Format: Paperback
Never have I read a book quite like this one. This is not a book full of retelling of myths, but a book full of detailed info on the relevance of these gods to the ancient Greeks. Information on their worship, their origins prior to Olympian times, and many of the contradicting stories of their births, and how these stories relate to the times from which they came. If you love mythology, but are curious as to the more down to earth aspects of these gods, read this, and you will find yourself seeing the gods as more than just the vulgar fictions of a primitive society. Perhaps you will even begin to see them as they should be seen, as Gods.
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5.0 out of 5 starsExceptional Mythology book!
By Tracy Marks VINE VOICE on December 21, 2000
Format: Paperback
This may be the most thorough and most readable book I've read on mythology, and I've read dozens. Currently, I'm using it as the primary source for the myth course I teach. It provides information about gods that most other basic myths neglect, often fascinating as well as significant. Get it now - it's been remaindered late in 2000 and will soon be out of print.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWow
By O. Long on September 7, 2008
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I wish I had read this book when I was in High School. It may not be ovid, or homer, but the book is great. Its simple to read and hard to put down. Praise the Muses for allowing this book to come to being.
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4.0 out of 5 starsComprehensive and useful
By grozny on February 14, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This is a good, solid summary of Greek Mythology. It does not try to oversimplify or codify. It is not a book for those who want pleasant stories; it is a book for those who want some flavor of what it was like. Nor does he bowdlerize; The stories are crude and beautiful and a challenge to those still inhibited by the nonsense of "paganism" and "heathens."
He does, however, have a point of view that really intrudes only in the introduction. His privilege. Otherwise, you're in the company of a fine scholar and a fine writer.
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5.0 out of 5 starsAn Interesting Look At A Complicated Subject
By Kindle Customer on June 16, 2015
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
It's an older book, but with lots of information concerning the Greek religion. I loved his book on and titled Dionysus. He tells us about the Greeks as if he was simply telling you about his religious beliefs which makes it far more interesting. I recommend this book. The ancient Greek religion is far more complicated and interesting then it is given credit for.
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4.0 out of 5 starsA well sourced presentation of Greek myths
By Jordan Bell on December 18, 2014
Format: Paperback
This book is a collection of stories about the Greek gods taken from ancient writings. Reading Greek myths, especially to children, gives us the pleasant feeling of visiting a world where we aren't sure how things work. We also read Greek myths to get ideas of Greek cosmology and ideas about fate and for standard comparisons to use in writing. For example, when talking about avoiding two dangers it is common to refer to sailing between Scylla and Charybdis. One should at least know that when Odysseus faced these two dangers, he did not find a safe line between them but rather was advised by Circe to sail closer to Scylla, because Scylla would only kill a few of his sailors rather than Charybdis sinking his ship; Scylla snatched six sailors, one in each of her six heads (Odyssey 12.246). But this isn't Scylla's only appearance in extant Greek writings, and Kerenyi gives descriptions of her by Lycophron and from Euripides' "Medea". Elsewhere Kerenyi tells us from the "Orphicorum fragmenta" that a visitor to the Underworld should drink from the spring on his right hand, Mnemosyne (Memory) and not from the spring on his left hand, Lethe (Forgetfulness). Similarly, most educated people have some vague idea of Prometheus giving fire to mankind, and Kerenyi assembles material about Prometheus from several sources. From Plato's "Protagoras" we are told that Prometheus's brother Epimetheus distributed abilities to mortals and heedlessly did not give man any protection from beasts, and then Prometheus stole fire from a temple of Hephaestus and Pallas Athene. From Hesiod's "Works and Days" we learn that Zeus withheld fire from mankind because Prometheus once divided a bull and gave Zeus the worse part.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsconcise
By Gabs on May 12, 2014
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I admit I was expecting something else. This book is like a very-very brief summary of the most important myths, but it gives you an overall but good idea and it always says where you can find the bombastic original text ^^ (and another good thing is that it gives the various versions of the same myth; the occasional insight of the author is also good).

All in all good, I do not regret it, it is like a quick but good scan.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA Library Essential
By J. Dehne on March 30, 2014
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Clear, insightful, and written with a personable touch. This is a highly informative and interesting read. Kerenyi presents not only the most well known and accepted myths, but the lesser known ones as well and discusses why and how they became part of the culture of mythology.

I highly recommend!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Good overview of basic Greek religion

Published 4 months ago by Daniel Samson
5.0 out of 5 starsexcellent book on the origins of the greek gods

Excellent book on the greek gods. Author does a fairly good job of telling the many stories behind the gods. You can get a little lost reading it though.

Published 7 months ago by JR
2.0 out of 5 starsGreek mythology that reads like and encyclopedia is sooo boring

I only got about halfway through this book before I gave it up. When reading greek mythology, I prefer to read it in story form, which is just so much more interesting and... Read more

Published 17 months ago by Donne Knudsen
4.0 out of 5 starsOne of the best books for research on Greek mythology!

I use this book as my "go to" for great research on ancient Greece. In all of my research I've found his to be some of the best around. Read more

Published on September 25, 2013 by DJ
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Best book on Greek Mythology

this is sort of a sacred book to me, in that it can be read again and again, to discover prismatic reflections on the human condition, transmitted from our greatest human... Read more

Published on August 28, 2013 by David Todd
4.0 out of 5 starsBreezing through the Greek Gods

This is one book that will take you to the very beginning of creation and take you all the way up to the birth and death of Dionysus. Read more

Published on May 21, 2013 by S. Cranow
5.0 out of 5 starsexcellent read

This book is wonderful. It has 1-3 different origin stories for each of the major gods/goddesses listed in the book, and it is written in a way that makes it a pleasure to read,... Read more

Published on April 9, 2013 by Bess1491
5.0 out of 5 starsPacked with detail

This book has a terrific amount of detail. I especially appreciate the exact quotes from the sources provided along with careful translations.

Published on February 24, 2013 by Anon

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