The next five categories divide the gods by domain, namely the gods of. What are some recommended excellent books on greek and. Take the myths and depictions of how the gods looked 2000 years ago and change them to meet your vision and story. They have a lot of quirks and foibles and they do all the things that humans do. The mythology of ancient greece and ancient rome is the older than feudalism namer of many tropes, in addition to wellknown gods, heroes and monsters. I dont find many textbooks approachable and sort of gave up on finding an understanding of classical greek stories. For example, cupid is the roman god of love and eros is the greek god of love. Basically, im sick of scouring through wikipedia to get information on the background stories of all the gods and goddesses. Another deservedly popular and impeccably newbiefriendly. Greek gods vs roman gods difference and comparison diffen. It is a collection of myths and stories from the three eras.
Their stories move the imagination and have captivated people for thousands of years. This article puts together a handpicked list of books based on greek mythology that you can have in your book shelf. Basically, im sick of scouring through wikipedia to get information on the background stories of all the gods and. Edith hamiltons mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the greek, roman and norse myths that are the keystone of western culturethe stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present. Although apollo and dionysos, artemis and aphrodite, zeus and hermes are household names, it is much less clear what these divinities meant and stood for in ancient greece. Readers get to enjoy percys sardonic and somewhat goofy voice, and, as with all percy books, the humor in the chapter titles alone draws you in. Like all greek myths, these fictionalized retellings contain love and sex, poetry and passion, and. The first of thesethe olympian gods, titan gods, and primordial godsrepresent the three generations of deities to rule the cosmos. The following is a list of gods, goddesses and many other divine and semidivine figures from ancient greek mythology and ancient greek religion. After an introduction to how the greek myths describe creation, readers meet the titans, learn how they were defeated by the olympians, and get profiles of the 12 major greek gods and their various exploits, conquests, and origin stories.
Greek mythology is told through a large collection of written texts, and in greek representational arts, such as vasepaintings and sculpture. Of all the ancient greek facts, their stories of the gods have to be one of the most fascinating. From immortal gods, goddesses, and heroes to unusual creatures and demigods, these greek mythology books for kids are filled with action, drama, and adventure. The following is a family tree of gods, goddesses and many other divine and semidivine figures from ancient greek mythology and ancient greek religion. The twelve great gods of the greeks were known as the olympians.
Whats so fascinating about the greek myths in particular is that the gods are terribly human. For more great fantasy reads, check out our fantasy books for kids and 10. You will learn some interesting facts about each god as you read down the page. For somewhat older people who are curious about the stories and reallife history related to greek myths, a good choice is thomas bulfinchs the age of fable or stories of gods and heroes coupled with ovids metamorphoses. Aug 25, 2014 learning more about the world of the gods and goddesses from greek or other cultures is a good way of showing that these larger than life characters were frequently the symbols of a host of. Popular greek gods books meet your next favorite book. The 10 best greek mythology books norse mythology for smart.
The 10 best greek mythology books norse mythology for. Robert graves 18951985 was a poet, novelist, and critic. Mar 08, 2010 im looking for a good book full of information on greek gods and goddesses, and general greek mythology. The book talks about the origins of the olympian gods and of their ancestors, the titans and the protogenoi and other stories from their lives. The essential olympians names are given in bold font. The stories of the gods and goddesses from ancient greek mythology are hugely popular. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. His first volume of poems, over the brazier 1916, reflects his experiences in the trenches, and was followed by many works of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.
Son of zeus, he disseminated the will of his divine compatriots through various means, notably oracles. Im looking for a good book full of information on greek gods and goddesses, and general greek mythology. Though she is often depicted as reserved and austere, she was mercilessly vindictive. However, there are many lesserknown greek gods that are just as interesting, sometimes even more so, than the popular kids. The greek gods are still very much present in modern consciousness. Here are the best greek mythology books by the experts.
Click here to view or buy daulaires book of greek myths at amazon, where its. Greek and roman mythology, king arthurs legends, and medieval. Whether on mythology in general or particular branches, what are the best books you have read on the subject. Zeus cheats and lies and he is the most appalling serial adulterer. These and many other familiar questions will be answered in greek gods and heroes laurelleaf books pocket book. Its a mystery why ancient greeks worshipped their gods, because their gods were all complete dickheads. The patron god of the silverswirling achelous river. This page is a list of the names of greek gods in ancient mythology and their roles. Ouranos could take human shape and visit the earthwhich was good, because the sky is way up there and longdistance. She was one of the three charites and the wife of the god hephaestus. List of greek gods and goddesses gods and monsters. Bulfinchs mythology the age of fable, or stories of gods and heroes.
In ancient greek mythology, actaeon was a prince of thebes and famed hunter. For a list of just greek goddess names, click here. Could you recommend a good book on greek mythology. Mythology retells ancient myths youre familiar with, like hercules, or. However, there are many lesserknown greek gods that are just as interesting, sometimes even more so, than the. There have been many greek gods mentioned across thousands of stories in greek mythology from the olympian gods all the way down to the many minor gods. The gods are immortal and have magical, though limited, powers.
In this lesson plan, students will gain an understanding of greek mythology and the olympian gods and goddesses. For more great fantasy reads, check out our fantasy books for kids and 10 thrilling books for teens who love fantasy. It was easy to make a myth about it, and to say that it was down to the gods. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. On april 21, 20, rick riordan announced on his twitter that he was writing. An important element of ancient greece, the roman republic and the roman empire classical mythology is sometimes referred to as greek mythology by people who dont think the romans contributed much or take the. The goddess hestia listed here in the second rank was sometimes included amongst the twelve. The characters, stories, themes and lessons of greek mythology have shaped art and literature for thousands of years. A painting of dionysus and satyrs by the brygos painter 5th century bce.
Nice story, learned alot of good things in those books. The lightning thief by rick riordan, the sea of monsters by rick riordan, the battle of the labyrinth by rick riordan. This classic book is one of the most popular and bestselling books for those who want to read about greek mythology. The twin brother of artemis, apollo was among the most important read. What are some good greek mythology book titles answers. The last olympian the demigod files percy jacksons greek gods, illustrated by john rocco the lightning thief. The best books on greek myths, as recommended by author lucy coats. What you cannnnn do and i suggest this is the one you choose. Greek mythology is not only interesting, but it is also the foundation of allusion and character genesis in literature.
Timeless tales of gods and heroes by edith hamilton. A complete and enjoyable text which ive read since i was 8 and never stopped. This list includes both major and minor male gods from both greek and roman mythology. This book brings together a team of international scholars. Apollo belvedere, restored roman copy of the greek original attributed to leochares, 4th century bc. In fact, they have been very much neglected in modern scholarship.
If youre still fascinated with greek mythology books, or looking for percy jackson or circe readalikes, youll find the best of them here for adults, teens, and kids alike. Indeed, there are far more similarities than differences. What makes the folklore behind these ancient greek deities stand out is the way their stories have deviated from those of other. Greek mythology are books about or based on the ancient greek myths as well as. Join national geographic kids as we meet some of them it was believed that the family of greek gods lived in a cloud palace above mount olympus the highest mountain in greece. Percy jacksons greek gods is a collection of stories from greek mythology told from the demigod percy jacksons point of view. Reading for adults with limited knowledge of greek myths for somewhat older people who are curious about the stories and reallife history related to greek myths, a good choice is thomas bulfinchs the age of fable or stories of gods and heroescoupled with ovids metamorphoses. These gods were thought to have special powers, and each had control over a different aspect of life. The odyssey by homer, the song of achilles by madeline miller, the iliad by homer, bulfinchs mythology by.
This website is an easytofollow overview of the many greek gods and goddesses of greek mythology. Best books about greek mythology for a starter this year i started to be very interested in mythology and know i came here to have some books about greek mythology recommended about everything or maybe the books from the most important stories heracles, perseus and. The queen goddess of olympus, hera was both sister and wife to zeus. Much like edith hamiltons mythology, daulaires book of greek myths was originally published decades ago in 1962, in fact but has yet to be surpassed to this day.
It will be continually updated with additions, corrections and more information on each of the gods. The text is very easy to read and understand as the author robert graves has written the book in extremely prosaic way. Aegle aigle the goddess of the radiant glow of good health. The greeks created images of their deities for many purposes. He is best known for his novel, i, claudius 1934, which won the hawthornden and james tait black memorial prizes, and for his influential the white goddess. From aphrodite to zeus, if you need concise facts on a greek god or. Athena poseidon hermes ares zeus aphrodite hera artemis hades apollo hephaestus hestia welcome to our greek gods and goddesses page here on history for kids. The theban hero was trained by the centaur chiron and eventually slain by artemis, the goddess of the hunt, the moon, the forest, and archery. The best books on greek myths five books expert recommendations. The book starts with the greek origin myth and goes on to give a pretty good summary of most of the major greek gods. The list is presented in alphabetical order by greek name, with commonly alternate names following, including both roman and etruscan versions.
Readers also learn a number of word origins such as volcano coming from vulcanus and plenty of tidbits such as why. The list is presented in alphabetical order by greek name, with commonly alternate names following, including both. An important element of ancient greece, the roman republic and the roman empire. Bulfinch is widely available, including online, and the stories entertain as well as explain, with the caveat that he prefers roman names like jupiter and. What are the best books on greek myths for young children. Together they presided over every aspect of human life. If youre into mythology, you know you dont have to look any further than googling sex stories about greek gods to find something that. I set the kids to doing this with our friends from the e family while i got groceries, so the pictures are all taken by the kids. I want a book with information on each of the greek gods. List of 10 best books to read about greek mythology. If i wanted to learn about greek mythology, what would be the. Ever since its original publication in 1942, edith hamiltons mythology has. Theres more than just greek and roman mythology, too.
If i wanted to learn about greek mythology, what would be. It provides a detailed description and history of the greek myth and has had a great impact on many writers. Nov 29, 2018 books that have inspired my paranormal novels latest being the chrysomelia stories, starting with persephones orchard, andor are similar to them. The following list of greek gods and goddesses is a complete list of the major and minor deities of greek mythology. The complete world of greek mythology by richard buxton. It is a classic book that has dense writings about greek mythology, from the origin of the universe to the trojan war. Jul 22, 2019 greek mythology books retellings, translations, and commentary continue to be some of my favorite reads. The greek gods and goddess were like humans in almost every way. If ever wanting to read a good book on mythology go to the library and ask for the book the lightening thief. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our.
Most of us have heard of famous greek gods such as zeus and apollo a well as demigods such as heracles and perseus and many others from myths and legends. Percy jacksons greek gods is thorough, easy to read, and high on entertainment value. And how they have moved into the modern world and changed their appearances. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the above. Best books for kids and adults interested in greek mythology. The fantastic in every sense of the word books on this list draw from indian, norse, japanese, chinese, and korean myths. The most evil of them has to be hera, the queen of gods. From the olympian gods and goddesses right down to the many minor gods and goddesses found in greek literature, youll find quick and fun information on many gods and goddesses. Hermes goes to juvie and ares, the manly mans manly man are two greats. For a complete list of greek gods and goddesses, click here. Most of these were functionaries or minions of the twelve. Hercules is overrated to be honest but he is still good but he is a weak god compared to ares hermes and any around that area he wouldnt even stand a chance against any gods he should just stay a hero.
The first of thesethe olympian gods, titan gods, and primordial gods represent the three generations of deities to rule the cosmos. Though many of the more wellknown myths jason and the argonauts, hercules, etc are only mentioned in passing, youre given a run down of the pantheon with stories that most people havent heard of. Although greek gods are arguably better known, greek and roman mythology often have the same gods with different names because many roman gods are borrowed from greek mythology, often with different traits. 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 practices.
My favorite book about greek mythology is the ancient greek hero in 24 hours by harvard professor gregory nagy. List of 10 best books to read about greek mythology penlighten. The lightning thief by rick riordan, the sea of monsters by rick riordan, the battle of the labyrinth by rick riordan, the t. 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. Books about the classical beliefs are classified in two different areas in dewey decimal libraries. We have some fun facts and pictures for you to color.
The gods, much like the greek goddesses of history, have very exaggerated personalities and they are plagued with personal flaws and negative emotions despite they immortality and superhero. What are some good titles for a book about greek mythology. Also the way dc comics and george perez drew the greek gods is also a no no. Actaeons crime varies depending on the source, but his ultimate fate remained constant. The norse gods thor and loki are major hollywood hunks, neil gaimans american gods is coming to television, and it. Heroes, gods and monsters of the greek myths offers easytoread, easytounderstand stories about the great greek myths. The ancient greeks believed there were a great number of gods and goddesses. Learning more about the world of the gods and goddesses from greek or other cultures is a good way of showing that these larger than life characters were frequently the symbols of a host of.
Their characters have been popularized and subsequently immortalized by famous ancient greek playwrights such as homer and hesiod. Aug 19, 2017 almost all major greek divinities are bad or have done bad things, save for athena and hestia aka the only good and sane ones. Ares is the unpopular and feared greek god of war and his roman. The gods of the ancient greek pantheon are divided into various categories on the following pages. We follow the drama of the trojan war and the wanderings of odysseus. Edith hamiltons book, mythology, is the best book on mythology besides classic textbooks. Apr 07, 2014 most of us have heard of famous greek gods such as zeus and apollo a well as demi gods such as heracles and perseus and many others from myths and legends.
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