This list is derived from the list of sources and translations and so it has the same scope. The reason is because, while graves is truly an excellent storyteller, the vast majority of the time he. The lightning thief by rick riordan, the sea of monsters by rick riordan, the titans curse by rick riordan, the battle of th. I loved the percy jackson series when it first came out. The 10 best greek mythology books norse mythology for. Martin 2003 the penguin book of classical myths by jenny march 2008. Another deservedly popular and impeccably newbiefriendly. From immortal gods, goddesses, and heroes to unusual creatures and demigods, these greek mythology books. During an extended trip to greece, they studied and sketched the countryside, the people, and the architecture and artifacts of long ago. Best greek mythology books to read for adults and kids. Writers such as the 2ndcentury bc greek mythographer apollodorus of athens and the 1stcentury bc roman historian gaius julius hyginus compiled the ancient myths and legends for.
Bc to the present, influencing writers from antiquity to robert graves. Ive been searching for a book on greek myths that would be simple enough for my 5yearold, and greek myths for young children stories for young children fits the bill perfectly. A concise guide to ancient gods, heroes, beliefs and myths of greek mythology greek mythology norse mythology egyptian mythology celtic mythology book 1. Greek mytholgy are books about or based on the ancient greek myths as well as gods and goddesses.
Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual. A myth is a sacred narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form. Theres a bewildering array of books out there on greek mythology, especially at the beginner level. Greek mythology has changed over time to accommodate the evolution of their culture, of which mythology, both overtly and in its unspoken assumptions, is an index of the changes. Bulfinchs mythology originally published as three volumes by thomas bulfinch 1855 mythology by edith hamilton 1942 myths of the ancient greeks by richard p. In the first book of the iliad, the son of zeus and leto apollo, line 9 is as instantly identifiable to the greek.
The complete world of greek mythology by richard buxton. Rival classes of the greek myths by euhemerus, plato and sallustius were developed by the neoplatonists and later revived by renaissance mythographers. Best books for kids and adults interested in greek mythology. I discussed this book in my phd dissertation because of the sophisticated way the east german author reanimates the myth of the greek prophetess cassandra, cursed by apollo never to be. Ingri and edgar parin daulaires book of greek myths, published by doubleday in 1962, was an elaborately illustrated compendium of greek mythology, 192 pages in 46 chapters. First of all, check the background of some popular mythology writers and look for their bestselling books.
Daulaires book of greek myths kindle edition by daulaire, ingri, daulaire, edgar parin. Brian baek august 18, 2016 authors, book lists, fantasy, historical fiction, history, humor, literary fiction, young adult. The iliad is set during the trojan war, the tenyear siege of the city of troy by a coalition of greek. These two authors were telling the stories in completely different ways and taking. Who created greek mythology and who wrote all those. Scroll below to find out the best greek mythology books. This list last updated in april of 2019 was written with the intention of helping you make that decision. The history of mythology is excruciatingly complex, and difficult to compile for traditional authors. Currently, the best greek mythology book is the timeless tales of gods and heroes.
Timeless tales of gods and heroes by edith hamilton. The only work of its kind to survive from classical antiquity, the library of apollodorus is a unique guide to greek mythology, from the origins of the universe to the trojan war. A fantastic way to introduce young people to greek mythology this book should. For more great fantasy reads, check out our fantasy books for kids and 10 thrilling books. Also look for books with varying accounts from greek myths. The best books on greek myths, as recommended by author lucy coats.
Whether its adapted fairy tales, rewritten classic literature, updated fables, or modern greek mythology retellings, im a sucker for rereading tales ive already been told in new and exciting. Read about greek gods and myths in books by ancient and modern authors. The term mythology can refer to a body of myths or to any traditional story. Which ones are most deserving of your hardearned money. Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world. All culture archaeology art books history mythology philosophy photography theater. Some greek myths are native to greece, others migrated into greece from asia minor, mesopotamia, and the levant. Unfortunately, its difficult for a newcomer to get started on the subject, as there are hundreds of books on greek mythology. His books are often used in the college classroom, and hes translating homers odyssey himself. The result was daulaires book of greek myths, the standardbearer of mythology. Best books for kids and adults interested in greek mythology read about greek gods and myths in books by ancient and modern authors.
The greek lovegoddess aphrodite aka venus, for example, is thought. List of 10 best books to read about greek mythology. Greek mythology is the precursor to modern religion. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading daulaires book of greek myths. If you are like me, you love revised fairy tales, and the revision of greek or roman mythology to new purposes is just as satisfying. This genre includes books varying from nonfiction to fiction. My copy of the complete world of greek mythology came with a completely different cover to the one shown here, however, i dont care because the book itself is excellent. The 5thcenturybce greek historian herodotus remarked that homer and hesiod gave to the olympian gods their familiar characteristics. Different people find greek mythology to be meaningful for different reasons. The fantastic in every sense of the word books on this list draw from indian, norse, japanese, chinese, and korean myths. Below is a list of books about greek mythology, based on or inspired by these myths. It combined both my love for ancient history and mythology. Bibliotheke, library, also known as the bibliotheca of pseudoapollodorus, is a compendium of greek myths and heroic legends, arranged in three books, generally dated to the first or second century ad the author.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Ever since its original publication in 1942, edith hamiltons mythology has. Spark an interest in greek mythology with these fabulous kids books that recount the classic stories or use them as inspiration for new and exciting tales. Introducing your kids to greek mythology books at an early age can be an excellent way to excite them as well as inspire them to be adventurous and imaginative. Well, first of all, i am going to mention that i do not recommend robert gravess the greek myths 1955. Theres one for children, one for teenagers, one for scholars, one to read out loud and one. These books are the best greek mythology books from past and present. What is the best book that has a complete collection of. Hesiods theogony tells the origin stories of many of the gods. It is a classic book that has dense writings about greek mythology, from the origin of the universe to the trojan war. A captivating guide to greek mythology, egyptian mythology, norse mythology, celtic mythology and roman mythology by matt clayton nov 26, 2017 4.
Apollodorus library has been used as a source book by classicists from the time of its compilation in the 1st2nd century bc to the present, influencing writers. Bound in sturdy hardcover, the book is wellwritten and ably adapted by author. Besides that look for the ones that you might find interesting and easy vocabulary should be what describe your book. Theres more than just greek and roman mythology, too. Currently, the best greek mythology book is the timeless tales of gods and. But whatever it is that draws you to greek mythology, youll probably find at least a book or two on this list that fits what youre looking for.
Powell is a master of greek mythology and wrote many books on the subject, both fiction and nonfiction. The mark of athena by rick riordan, the battle of the labyrinth by rick riordan, the iliad by homer, the lost. In print for over fifty years, daulaires book of greek myths has introduced generations to greek mythology and continues to enthrall young readers. If youre fascinated by greek mythology books, or looking for percy. Numerous sciences and literary genres were founded by greeks, and many of their writings have survived more or less complete. Most greek heroes accomplish amazing exploits and tend to have fun doing it.
Lucy coats, author of one of the best books greek myth books for children, recommends her own favourites. The 10 best greek mythology books norse mythology for smart. The odyssey by homer, the song of achilles by madeline miller, the iliad by homer, bulfinchs mythology by. Greek mythology is an amazing subject, full of complex characters and lore. A greek himself, evslin translates each myth into english while retaining many of the smaller details that other authors tend to overlook when they. This list describes 10 of the most influential ancient greek writers. Mortals and monsters, quests and adventures by stephen fry. This series of greek heroes and gods takes the nonfiction myths. If you mean ancient literature, there are probably a few things that come close. It provides a detailed description and history of the greek myth and has had a great impact on many writers.
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