![]() Unlike the retelling of folklore, however, this encyclopedia approaches them sometimes with a more factual discussion, which I appreciated. Much like Hamilton's Mythology, this book serves as a great introduction to Greek myth and history without much detail. I would consider this encyclopedia completely separate from Hamilton's Mythology apart from in style and the occasional mention in the introduction. ![]() I will briefly give a summary for those only wishing to read this book, however. Much of my praise and criticism for this book is shared with my review of Hamilton's work. I expect to make good use of it as I continue reading other books on classical mythology.Īn informative encyclopedia and an excellent companion to the 75th-anniversary edition of Edith Hamilton's Mythology. Throughout the book are several family trees showing how the various characters relate to one another, which can be rather interesting considering how promiscuous some of them were. After these are a short appendix of gods, a glossary of sources, and an index. The book is organized into four main sections: Gods, Goddesses, Spirits, and Nymphs Heroes, Heroines, and Peoples Monsters, Prodigies, and Hybrid Creatures and Places and Landmarks. They are more artistic in many ways, showing the artist’s interpretation of the character. The illustrations are very different from those I’m used to in other books and that’s not a bad thing. I like the design and it’s printed on nice thick paper. The edition of the book I have is impressive, a solid hardcover with a very classy-looking book cover. This is a good thing and something I’d expect in an encyclopedia like this. If you read the entire book straight through, not necessarily something I’d recommend though I did, you will encounter a lot of duplicate material as many characters are part of the same story, so each character entry will detail their part in that story. ![]() In fact, in many cases the stories have changed over time so multiple sources are mentioned with descriptions of how the stories differ between sources. I also enjoyed how many entries provided source references (such as Ovid, Virgil, Strabo, Herodotus, Plutarch, etc). It’s not an exhaustive resource, but does give you enough to understand that subject’s place within the mythos, and it provides a list of other entries related to this one. It’s a great resource when looking for a little more info on some specific character, creature or place mentioned elsewhere. This isn’t a book full of the stories, you can find others with those (the book recommends Mythology by Edith Hamilton), but instead an encyclopedia of the subjects and locations you’ll find in the stories. I’m certainly no scholar of classical mythology but I do enjoy reading the stories and about the various characters and places in them. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway. In addition to being an important standalone work, Classical Mythology A-to-Z is also written, designed, and illustrated to serve as an essential companion to the bestselling illustrated 75th-anniversary edition of Mythology by Edith Hamilton, including 10 full-color plates and 2-color illustrations throughout by artist Jim Tierney. Each definition includes cross-references to related characters, locations, and myths, as well their equivalent in Roman mythology and cult. Written by Annette Giesecke, PhD, Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware, this brilliant reference offers clear explanations of every character and locale, and captures the essence of these timeless tales.įrom the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus and the heroes of the Trojan War to the nymphs, monsters, and other mythical creatures that populate these ancient stories, Giesecke recounts, with clarity and energy, the details of more than 700 characters and places. An encyclopedic A-to-Z guide, this beautifully illustrated volume offers hundreds of rich, fascinating definitions of 700 major and minor characters, creatures, and places of classical mythology.Ĭlassical Mythology A-to-Z is a comprehensive and engrossing guide to Greek and Roman mythology.
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