Dictionary of Classical Mythology
Jennifer R. March
Language: English
Pages: 432
ISBN: 1782976353
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Jenny March’s acclaimed Dictionary of Classical Mythology, first published in 1998 but long out of print, has been extensively revised and expanded including a completely new set of beautiful line-drawing illustrations for this Oxbow edition. It is a comprehensive A – Z guide to Greek and Roman mythology. All major myths, legends and fables are here, including gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, dangerous women, legendary creatures and monsters. Characters such as Achilles and Odysseus have extensive entries, as do epic journeys and heroic quests, like that of Jason and the Argonauts to win the Golden Fleece, all alongside a plethora of information on the creation of the cosmos, the many metamorphoses of gods and humans, and the Trojan War, plus more minor figures – nymphs, seers, kings, rivers, to name but a few.
In this superbly authoritative work the myths are brilliantly retold, along with any major variants, and with extensive translations from ancient authors that give life to the narratives and a sense of the vibrant cultures that shaped the development of classical myth. The 172 illustrations give visual immediacy to the words, by showing how ancient artists perceived their gods and heroes. The impact of myths on ancient art is also explored, as is and their influence in the post-classical arts, emphasising the ongoing inspiration afforded by the ancient myths.
Also included are two maps of the ancient world, a list of the ancient sources and their chronology, the more important genealogies, and an index of recurrent mythical motifs.
Praise for the first edition:
“… the Dictionary of Classical Mythology is exemplary, indeed the best I have consulted … clearly and engagingly written …it not only gives reliable answers but also encourages reading on.” Simon Goldhill, Times Literary Supplement
“a prodigious, authoritative gazetteer, each entry both typographically and stylistically readable, and if you know more than is contained in these pages then you have no need of it.” Nicholas Lezard, Guardian Book of the Week
“Greek myths pervade our own art and literature almost as much as they influenced that of classical times, and this will be an invaluable guide.” The Good Book Guide
“… a modern encyclopaedia of myth and legend which is user-friendly in layout, presentation and style … vivid and readable.” Paula James, The Classical Review
“These stories are frequently the spark that ignites a wider interest in the classical world, and March provides a wealth of inflammatory material.” Charles Paterson, JACT Review
“This dictionary will still be valuable all through the next century.” Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones
“… vivid, detailed where it matters, yet concise, accurate, no padding, always to the point – it’s a joy to read.” Herwig Maehler
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
Quest for the Secret Keeper (Oracles of Delphi Keep, Book 3)
Medusa's Gaze and Vampire's Bite: The Science of Monsters
The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)
“what a stir she makes in the theatre, turning people rigid with fright.” Luckily Cresphontes was recognised by the old servant who was with Merope and he stopped her just in time. Mother and son were joyfully reunited and together they plotted revenge on Polyphontes. Merope, pretending to be reconciled to the death of her son, suggested a sacrifice in thanks for his supposed death to which the young stranger would be invited. The delighted king agreed. During the ceremony, Cresphontes was given
was sacrificed in honour of Achilles, as his share of the spoils from Troy’s destruction (Fig. 142). In Homer’s Odyssey (11.467–540), Odysseus meets the shade of Achilles in Hades, in company with Patroclus, Antilochus and the Great Ajax. Odysseus tries to console Achilles for his death by speaking of the authority he holds among the dead, and he replies unforgettably (489–91): “I would rather be alive and toiling as serf to another man, one with no land and nothing much to live on, than be king
himself bravely as the Latin commander, killing many of the enemy, including PALLAS (4), Aeneas’ young protégé. Finally Turnus resolves to spare his men further tribulation by meeting Aeneas in single combat to settle the issue. B oth men fight staunchly; then Aeneas wounds Turnus in the thigh, and is about to spare his life and grant his request to be carried back to his aged father Daunus, when he suddenly sees that Turnus is wearing Pallas’ sword-belt as a battle spoil. “Are you to escape me
again by the healer Asclepius. He was renamed Virbius from vir (“man”) and bis (“twice”). Because of the manner of his death, no horses were allowed in the grove. [Virgil, Aeneid 7.761–82; Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.497–546, Fasti 3.263–8, 6.735–56.] Virgo (The Virgin) A constellation usually thought to represent ERIGONE (1), the daughter of the Attic farmer Icarius who introduced Dionysus’ gift of wine to his neighbours. Sometimes Virgo is said to represent some abstract concept such as Dike
the swan sings high and clear, as he wings his way to alight on the banks of the river Peneius; and about you the sweet-tongued minstrel with his clear-voiced lyre always sings both first and last. Apollo travelled over the earth, seeking a place to found his oracular shrine. His first choice was Haliartus in western Boeotia, but the nymph of the local spring, TELPHUSA, had no wish to share with him, so she persuaded him to travel onwards to Mount Parnassus. Here he chose the ideal spot, at
