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Greek Mythology Bookshop

I have listed a few authors and books that I personally recommend and, since there are literally thousands of books on Greek topics, I have also included a few dozen books that you might find interesting.

My Favorite Books

  1. The Iliad of Homer by Richmond Lattimore
    ISBN: 0226469409
    This is the book that started me on the path to this web site. This translation of The Iliad illuminates the Trojan War, in a way that suits its poetic grandeur. I believe Mr. Lattimore's use of names was crucial to making the characters as dynamic and graphic as possible.
  2. The Odyssey of Homer by Richmond Lattimore
    ISBN: 0060931957
    Richmond Lattimore gave this ancient poem a spirit and vitality that had gone untapped for millennia. By sacrificing the rhyming aspects of the poem he captured the dramatic and human elements that must have made this story so inspiring to the ancient Greeks.
  3. Art and Myth in Ancient Greece: A Handbook by T. H. Carpenter
    ISBN: 0500202362
    Mr. Carpenter seems to have the right combination of education and articulation that can make history and it's artifacts come alive in his hands. This book is full of facts, insights and great photos.
  4. The Art and Culture of Ancient Greece, 1100-480 B.C. by Jeffrey M. Hurwit
    ISBN: 08014941X
    This book is a treasure trove of information about pre-historic Greece. Mr. Hurwit presents an organized and compelling picture of the early Greeks and maps their evolution from simple nomads into the founders of Western culture. This book is informative, entertaining and full of excellent photos.
  5. The Argonautika: The Story of Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece (Hellenistic Culture and Society, No 25) by Apollonios Rhodios, Peter Green (Translator)
    ISBN: 0520076877
    There are several good translations of the Quest for the Golden Fleece but I consider this book to be the most readable. It also has a complete index and an informative glossary.
  6. The Homeric Hymns translated by Apoltolos N. Athanassakis
    ISBN: 0801817927
    Mr. Athanassakis is one of my favorite Greek translators because he seems to present the material faithfully without trying to modernize and explain the text as he goes along. The Homeric Hymns were ignored for centuries and Mr. Athanassakis has finally given them the treatment they deserve.
  7. Hesiod: Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica, Loeb Classical Library volume 57
    ISBN: 0674990633
    The Loeb Classical Library books give the Greek and English texts on facing pages. This arrangement makes it easy to follow the Greek words (especially the Greek proper names) as you read the translation. This particular book is full of complete poems as well as tantalizing fragments and commentary revolving around the Trojan War.
  8. 7 Greeks by Guy Davenport
    ISBN: 0811212882
    This book is inspiration at it's finest. Just reading the introduction of this excellent book will convince you that Mr. Davenport is as much a poet as he is a scholar. He brilliantly presents the works of poets such as: Sappho, Alkman, Anakreon, Arkhilokhos and others.

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Other Books On My Desk

  1. Hesiod: The Work and Days/Theogony/the Shield of Herakles, translated by Richmond Lattimore
    ISBN: 0472081616
  2. The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, complied and edited by Sir Paul Harvey
    ASIN: B00005WJX8
  3. Herodotus: The Histories translated by David Grene
    ISBN: 0226327728
  4. The Iliad of Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald
    ISBN: 0385059418
  5. The Odyssey of Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald
    ISBN: 0374525749
  6. Greek and Roman Maps by O.A.W. Dilke
    ISBN: 0801858976
  7. Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell & Scott
    ISBN: 0199102066
  8. Plutarch: The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives, translated by Ian Scott-Kilvert
    ISBN: 0140441026
  9. The Theban Plays of Sophocles: King Oedipus; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone, translated by E. F. Watling
    ISBN: 0140444254
  10. Aesop: Complete Fables by Robert Temple and Olivia Temple
    ISBN: 0140446494

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Richmond Lattimore and David Grene

Any book that includes Mr. Lattimore's or Mr. Grene's name is guaranteed to be a quality book. To name a few:

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Apoltolos Athanassakis

Another wonderful translator is Apoltolos N. Athanassakis. I highly recommend any of his books.

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Loeb Classical Library

The Loeb books are unique in that they have the Greek and Latin texts included with the English translations. They only come on a hardback edition and usually cost $21.50 each. I've listed a few of the Greek sources that I have found most useful.

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Oxford Books

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Penguin Classics

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Last But Not Least

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