Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction

Description

From Zeus and Europa, to Diana, Pan, and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do those myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? This imaginative and stimulating Very Short Introduction goes beyond a simple retelling of the stories to explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical myths in both high art and popular culture.

• Classical myths are a subject of enduring fascination, widely evoked and re-told in both high art and popular culture.
• A lively and wide-ranging exploration, placing the emphasis on understanding the myths rather than simply retelling them.
• Examines topics ranging from classical literature to contemporary art, Hollywood film, politics, psychoanalysis, and the Bible.
• Asks why sex is such a preoccupation in classical myths, looking at examples from 'Xena, warrior princess', to Mozart's 'Apollo and Hyacinthus'.
• Examines how classical myths have been used throughout history and around the world, to debate and dramatize questions of conflict, politics, sexuality, and our sense of our own origins.

About the Author(s)

Helen Morales, University Lecturer in Classics, and Director of Studies in Classics, Newnham College, Cambridge

Table of Contents

Foreword
1:Without bulls there would be no Europe
2:Contexts, then and now
3:Gods and heroes
4:Metamorphoses of mythology
5:On the analyst's couch
6:The sexual politics of myth
7:Mythology, spirituality, and the New Age
Conclusion
References and further reading
Timeline