Where should I start with Greek mythology

[Bloodyjack 794]

So being a practicing wiccan Greek mythology is very important to me and I wish to start studying it. But there's just so much I have no idea where to start. So many adaptions, parodies, reimaginings etc. So what should I start with. I mainly want to focus on the gods, goddesses and deities

[peto flex 2,641]

I have really old Greek mythology book... like from 1912 year  It is pretty rare and so far the myth for Arachne is my favourite. Start with the "World Creation" and the titans 

[Jewel 3]

Don't look at Christa Wolfs version of Medea (Medea. A Modern Retelling) it's downright awful and destroys the original without adding anything. Other than that, i really liked the Percy Jackson books as beginners guide to a few greek stories.

Start with the more well known ones

[ryanripley 86,575]

the beginning! 

i read a book called The Greek and Roman Myths and it did a good job at explaining the origins and some seperate gods

[Luxe Ford 3,481]

I've taken an interest in Greek and Egyptian mythology since I was a child and still learned a lot by rhe Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan.

They're not excactly an overview, but the facts are correct. As you mentioned, even the most scholarly work will be confusing because they're not standardised like The Bible. Myths change over time. Especially when there's mostly an oral tradition.

 

[imnotyourbabe10 5,995]

Edith Hamilton's Mythology is a classic.

[The Louvre 3,423]

2 minutes ago, Luxe Ford said:

I've taken an interest in Greek and Egyptian mythology since I was a child and still learned a lot by rhe Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan.

They're not excactly an overview, but the facts are correct. As you mentioned, even the most scholarly work will be confusing because they're not standardised like The Bible. Myths change over time. Especially when there's mostly an oral tradition.

 

Yeah I really enjoyed those books too!

I also had Latin and Greek in high school and the msot interesting thing we've read was Ovid's Metamorphoses by far. Maybe you can look for some translation? The names are all in Latin of course, but the myths originate in Greece. It has some beautiful stories about Arachne and Athena, Apollo and Daphne, Orpheus and Eurydike, and Narkissos

[Green Detox 2,779]

How i wish this was the main stable concept for ARTPOP

[Head Empty 22,552]

I recently read Mythos by Stephen Fry. It's a compilation of a lot of the stories and legends and introduces many important figures. Very comprehensive and easy to read, but it's a lot of information compressed into a book that could've easily been twice as long. 

[Andreu 37,216]

Eros and Psique by Apuleu is my favourite

Like a fairytale almost

As said above Ovidi's metamorphoseon is a great start too

28 minutes ago, Jewel said:

Don't look at Christa Wolfs version of Medea (Medea. A Modern Retelling) it's downright awful and destroys the original without adding anything. Other than that, i really liked the Percy Jackson books as beginners guide to a few greek stories.

Start with the more well known ones

I was about to say that some of my friends say Percy Jackson books are a great start but I was a bit skeptical

[Green Detox 2,779]

Summary and Analysis: Greek Mythology The Beginnings — Creation

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/mythology/summary-and-analysis-greek-mythology/the-beginnings-8212-creation

 

[Sweet Olive 422]

http://www.theoi.com/

[Quartz 11,923]

You should totally play God of War 

[Esteban 2,294]

I think it's interesting to read different kind of literature from antiquity because mythology is mixed with history and contemporary questions.

It's easy to begin by epic poetry (les épopées) like The Iliad and The Odyssey from Homer or The Argonauts from Apollonios de Rhodes.

Then, comedy with the work of Ménandre for example.

Then lyrical poetry like the "odes" of Pindare or the poems of Sappho ( one of the first odes about lesbianism)

Then, tragedies with Alceste, Electre, Iphigénie, Medea and my favorite Les Bacchantes from Euripide. I think it's important to read Orestie from Eschyle too..

Then, philosophy with Heraclite.

Take a good book of history of greek mythology next to you when you read that literatury and AFTER and only after you could play to God of war 

I think it's good to know Roman mythology too!