The Chiron Dictionary of Greek & Roman Mythology: Gods and Goddesses, Heroes, Places, and Events of Antiquity - Softcover

This pocket guide offers concise information on the mythology of Greek and Roman cultures from Abdera to Zeuxippe, including gods, goddesses, heroes, kings and queens. Significant places, such as Mycenae, Crete, the Augean stables and the Garden of Hesperides are listed separately. Genealogical diagrams are provided to help the intricate web of kinship relationships. Over 270 drawings and charts enliven the margins and provide information on the cultural representations of these mythic figures throughout history.

This little lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology is intended to convey an impression of the multitude of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines that imprinted themselves on the imagination of men and women in antiquity. For our purposes, they include not only the important figures from famous legendary cycles and the greater gods, along with their spheres of competence and their deeds, but also a selection of the lesser-known figures who were woven into mythical and legendary tales.

The mythological material presented here was subject to artistic representation already in antiquity. An effort has been made to supplement the entries by means of illustrations drawn from the most varied periods, with a view to enlivening the textual material. The schematic genealogies dispersed throughout the volume are intended to help the reader begin to unravel the often very complicated kinship relations among a given set of persons, whether mortal or divine.

This guide is indispensable in decoding ancient Greek and Roman mythological figures, particularly as they reveal themselves in the complexities and depths of our unconscious mind.