by Michael Grant (Author)
The myths told by the Greeks and Romans are as important as their history for our understanding of what they believed, thought and felt, and of what they expressed in writing and visual art. Mythology was inextricably interwoven with the entire fabric of their public and private lives. This book discusses not only the purely fictional myths, fairy-tales and folk-tales but the sagas and legends which have some historical grounding. This is not a dictionary of stories, rather a personal selection of the most important and memorable. Michael Grant re-tells these marvellous tales, and then explores the different ways in which they have appeared throughout literature. It is an inspiring study, filled with quotations from literary sources, which gives the reader a fascinating exposition of ancient culture as well as an understanding of how vital the classical world has been in shaping the western culture of today.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 512
Edition: New edition
Publisher: Orion
Published: 16 Mar 2001
ISBN 10: 1842124293
ISBN 13: 9781842124291
Book Overview: * 'A book one could show to Sophocles without apology' Guardian * Compact handbook packed with useful, accessible information * 'Michael Grant is justly recognised as an expert and civilised guide to the ancient world' Economist