Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Edith Hamilton
- ISBN：0446574759
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Summary
For nearly seventy years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling， enchanting， and fascinating world of Western mythology。 From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom， Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today。 An essential part of every home library， Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas， the primary characters， the triumphs， failures， fears， and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago - and is still spellbinding to this day。
Edith Hamilton is the acclaimed author of The Greek Way and The Roman Way， which have been read by generations of readers around the world。 She was made an honorary citizen of Athens in 1957。
Edith Hamilton is the acclaimed author of The Greek Way and The Roman Way， which have been read by generations of readers around the world。 She was made an honorary citizen of Athens in 1957。
Reviews
Carly
，
Had to read this freshman year of high school a long long time ago。 My parents wouldn't let me leave my room until I finished reading it。 I literally cried from how frustrating it was to read （I'm a crybaby though）。 It's like a long lecture and goes on and on。 One of the worst books I've ever read。。。 Had to read this freshman year of high school a long long time ago。 My parents wouldn't let me leave my room until I finished reading it。 I literally cried from how frustrating it was to read （I'm a crybaby though）。 It's like a long lecture and goes on and on。 One of the worst books I've ever read。。。 。。。more
Nabila
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Very good introduction to Greek mythology in particular。 The introductions to the various myths with information on the sourcing was surprisingly entertaining as well。
Alli
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Banging read ！ Got through it pretty quickly， good mixture of short （less than a page） descriptions of various figures in mythology and longer retellings of the main stories ， I found it very informative and cool loved it and will reread
Kalena W
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4/5 stars， a very enjoyable collection of greek mythologyI have been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was in 5th grade， so it's safe to say I know a lot about it。 I didn't go into this book expecting any shocking revelations or entirely new stories， but I did read a few。 This was read mostly as a touch-up for my greek mythology knowledge。 I'm going to take some time to talk about some of my favorite parts of Greek mythology since this review is literally about a book dedicated to these stor 4/5 stars， a very enjoyable collection of greek mythologyI have been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was in 5th grade， so it's safe to say I know a lot about it。 I didn't go into this book expecting any shocking revelations or entirely new stories， but I did read a few。 This was read mostly as a touch-up for my greek mythology knowledge。 I'm going to take some time to talk about some of my favorite parts of Greek mythology since this review is literally about a book dedicated to these stories。 I have always loved the Greek gods， it's hard to choose favorites。 Apollo and Artemis interest me with them being twins and the duality they hold。 Athena always had intrigued me because of how strong she is。 Dionysus is really interesting especially in this set of stories。 And Hades and Persphone are always a favorite， no matter how the tale is spun。 My favorite Greek hero will forever be Achilles， he holds president over my heart wayyy before Hercules ever would。 While Hercules is certainly the most well-known hero， and a hero at times， he just doesn't equal Achilles。 Hercules is aggressive and prone to killing people when he's in these spurts of rage， and he is just not that interesting。 Achilles is a great hero and had Patroclus by his side who was another amazing figure of mythology。 If having your ashes （Achilles） put into your best friend/lovers' ashes （Patroclus） isn't gay I don't know what is， to be honest。 The most hilarious story of greek mythology for me will always be the Fall of Troy。 I'm specifically pointing out the Trojan Horse， this is such a well-known and beloved story but it's really funny。 I know that this had never been done before， but it's so funny the Trojans never thought to check it out。 I still feel a bit bad for the slaughter that went down after the horse was rolled into the city， but it's hilarious nonetheless。 "Ah yes， our enemy left us a giant gift outside our city after war for years， let's take it inside"Overall this was a fun little reminder of why I love Greek mythology so much。 All of the myths and stories are explained very nicely and still told in a mythical manner。 For people who want to learn more about greek mythology this is perfect， and for those who want a brush up on their knowledge， it is a lot of fun。 。。。more
Dmitry
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“By race we are connected with the Norse; our culture goes back to the Greeks。 Norse mythology and Greek mythology together give a clear picture of what the people were like from whom comes a major part of our spiritual and intellectual inheritance。”Beautifully written and thorough compilation of Greek mythology （with a sprinkle of Norse）。 In the world of art and literature and in the general understanding of western society， this is foundational reading。 Can’t wait to revisit these now-familiar “By race we are connected with the Norse; our culture goes back to the Greeks。 Norse mythology and Greek mythology together give a clear picture of what the people were like from whom comes a major part of our spiritual and intellectual inheritance。”Beautifully written and thorough compilation of Greek mythology （with a sprinkle of Norse）。 In the world of art and literature and in the general understanding of western society， this is foundational reading。 Can’t wait to revisit these now-familiar stories as I continue exploring sculpture and eventually delve into some of the original works by the likes of Homer and Aeschylus。 Favorite myths/storylines:-- The House of Atreus。 The terrible sin of Tantalus doomed this family tree for generations （the hand of its curse touched even the noble life of Theseus）， to be redeemed only by Orestes who suffered from the guilt of killing his mother to avenge his father Agamemnon’s murder but was successful in his quest to be made clean。 His absolution even changed the Erinyes （the Furies） from their frightful aspect into the Benignant Ones， the Eumenides， protectors of the suppliant。-- Theseus， protector of the defenseless， the great Athenian hero。 The rest of Greece admired Hercules the most。 Both were courageous， but Theseus was also compassionate and wise。-- The Trojan War。 The Greeks were kind of jerks here， especially in the final sacking of Troy。 One of the heroes， Aeneas managed to escape and founded the Roman race。-- Orpheus and Eurydice。 “He dared more than any other man ever dared for his love。 He took the fearsome journey to the underworld。 There he struck his lyre， and at the sound all that vast multitude were charmed to stillness。 The dog Cerberus relaxed his guard; the wheel of Ixion stood motionless; Sisiphus sat at rest upon his stone; Tantalus forgot his thirst; for the first time the faces of the dread goddesses， the Furies， were wet with tears。 The ruler of Hades drew near to listen with his queen… He drew iron tears down Pluto’s cheek， and made Hell grant what Love did seek。” And then he messed up， lost his love， and got dismembered by frenzied Maenads。 But at the foot of Mount Olympus where his remains lie， the nightingales sing more sweetly than anywhere else。-- Pygmalion and Galatea。 A sculptor who scorned women but was hopelessly in love with a statue he created。 Amused with this novel form of love， Venus brought the stone to life and the two loved and married。 Their son Paphos gave his name to Venus’ favorite city。 ---“God’s daylight is sweet even to the old。”“There were two men in that little band who scorned to weigh the chances of success or failure， to whom the extreme peril of the attempt was a reason for making it （of Nisus and Euryalus）。”“Here Phaethon lies who drove the Sun-god’s car。Greatly he failed， but he had greatly dared。”“King Midas has asses’ ears。”---Some quotes from the Norse section:“Fasting men make poor fighters。”“The one safety for the conquered was to hope for no safety。”“A man knows nothing if he knows notThat wealth oft begets an ape。” 。。。more
Andrew
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All of the old familiar stories I had heard in one place。 A good way for the casual reader to revisit all of them。 As I'm not terribly interested in mythology， I didn't worry about the source material， but the author did a good job of mentioning the sources and then just telling the story trying to bring it to life。 Definitely a classic from 1942 still worth reading。 All of the old familiar stories I had heard in one place。 A good way for the casual reader to revisit all of them。 As I'm not terribly interested in mythology， I didn't worry about the source material， but the author did a good job of mentioning the sources and then just telling the story trying to bring it to life。 Definitely a classic from 1942 still worth reading。 。。。more
Leah
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Edith Hamiltons dive into Greek and Roman （as well as Norse） mythology still gave me new insight about some stories and characters， although I have read multiple books on the topic by now。 Particularly the introduction talks about interesting facts about Greek and Latin writers from antiquity and the overall culture surrounding myths and gods/goddesses。 I also enjoyed the way Hamilton used original lines from the poems she is using to retell a story。 Unfortunately， some parts lacked in detail， f Edith Hamiltons dive into Greek and Roman （as well as Norse） mythology still gave me new insight about some stories and characters， although I have read multiple books on the topic by now。 Particularly the introduction talks about interesting facts about Greek and Latin writers from antiquity and the overall culture surrounding myths and gods/goddesses。 I also enjoyed the way Hamilton used original lines from the poems she is using to retell a story。 Unfortunately， some parts lacked in detail， felt repetitive or even confusing。 Other than that， the collection had a good structure and a beautiful book design in general。 Full-page， coloured illustrations （as well as some small ones）， a golden cover under the dust jacket， and intricate Greek ornaments on every page really set the mood。 。。。more
Sofía
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Really good， especially for those just starting to get into Greek mythology， like myself。 Even though this book was written eighty years ago， the author's work perdures through the decades， with such a beautiful arrange of the events laid to us by the great Greek poets。I really enjoyed this one， it's such a great introduction to greek mythology， and it's also told in such a light， pleasant way。 I listened to it in audiobook and I could almost feel as if the author was a friend I was having coffe Really good， especially for those just starting to get into Greek mythology， like myself。 Even though this book was written eighty years ago， the author's work perdures through the decades， with such a beautiful arrange of the events laid to us by the great Greek poets。I really enjoyed this one， it's such a great introduction to greek mythology， and it's also told in such a light， pleasant way。 I listened to it in audiobook and I could almost feel as if the author was a friend I was having coffee with that was telling me， personally， these stories。 I had never cared for Greek mythology before， but after this book I want to read everything I can find on the subject。 And I feel I will be able to understand the full stories because now I get the background of each god and hero explained to me。 。。。more
Jim Camerlinck
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My choice of novel for my English major。 The definitive source for your Greek mythological tales。
Jesse Sutherland
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This was a great intro to the myths and helpful for understanding retellings， but I do wish she had gone more in depth on certain stories， like Medusa， Orion， and Sisyphus。 And when she starts the Norse mythology section， I can definitely tell this was written in the 40s
Hira
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Has easily become one of my favorites。 Even though it’s a collection of myths， it sort of reads like a novel， and I was always so excited to read the next myth because I knew what I read earlier would help me understand what was to come。 The way the author writes her own reflections and understanding of certain tales WHILE the tale is being told is SO much fun to read。 It took me a month to finish but I learned more from this book than any other book I’ve ever read。 I’m so sad it’s over。
Shianne
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I only read it for school but still a good book。 All my favorite Greek stories all in one place。
Caroline
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Great reference book for Greek mythology。 Margene says it is what got her interested in the subject。
Liz Doyle
，
This is not a fun read， but it is chock full of compiled information and stories of Greek and Roman Mythology。
Gwen
，
This is a non-fiction about mythology which probably isn't designed to be read cover to cover and more as a book to dip into when you need to it。 It covers the stories of many famous mythological figures， mainly of Greek mythology but there are some Roman mythology stories throughout and a Norse mythology section at the end。 I'd say if you want to learn more about mythology and need a reference book to look back if you forgot who's who， this a good book to have。 I think my favourite section was This is a non-fiction about mythology which probably isn't designed to be read cover to cover and more as a book to dip into when you need to it。 It covers the stories of many famous mythological figures， mainly of Greek mythology but there are some Roman mythology stories throughout and a Norse mythology section at the end。 I'd say if you want to learn more about mythology and need a reference book to look back if you forgot who's who， this a good book to have。 I think my favourite section was the section on stories of romance because it showcased different types of love and it had a section on Orpheus and Eurydice who's story I find really emotional and interesting。There were a few of chapters that made me feel emotional because of the pure harshness of what was done to certain people and families。 I'd say these emotional scenes are the ones I felt were written the best because this book has excerpts taken from famous poetry and stories around the myths therefore these scenes， aside from war， are what is focused on。 It took me a while to get through this book， probably because I read it cover to cover which isn't what it's designed for。 The only issue I had with this book was the family trees which must've been difficult to include in the first place because mythological family trees are incredibly confusing。 I struggled to differ between who was someone's child and who was someone's child in-law because the arrows weren't always clear， in my opinion。 I think there could've been a key to help make this a bit clearer。 If you already are a fan of mythology or want to learn more I'd recommend this！ Although， probably don't try to read it all at once otherwise it might be a bit too much information。 。。。more
Shelby Luke
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i didnt technically finish this， but i feel like you dont have to start and finish this book in one go。
Abby Hatch
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Way too long for the quality of the stories。 I have read a few of these stories in the past and this book left out a lot of things， sometimes details that were essential to the story。 If you're just looking for some notes on Greek， and some Norse， mythology， this would be good， but if you're looking for the actual stories， I would not recommend。 Way too long for the quality of the stories。 I have read a few of these stories in the past and this book left out a lot of things， sometimes details that were essential to the story。 If you're just looking for some notes on Greek， and some Norse， mythology， this would be good， but if you're looking for the actual stories， I would not recommend。 。。。more
chai
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Finally finished this book after 6 months。。。 its not bad I just don't have the attention span to finish it Finally finished this book after 6 months。。。 its not bad I just don't have the attention span to finish it 。。。more
Ben Rogers
，
It was a great book。 I am surprised how I liked it more than Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold， but there it is！Some of the stories are so interesting！ Would recommend for mythology fans。 3。8/5 It was a great book。 I am surprised how I liked it more than Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold， but there it is！Some of the stories are so interesting！ Would recommend for mythology fans。 3。8/5 。。。more
Mary Lu
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❤️ :> After 2 years of keeping it in my shelf， I finally decided to read it！ I really regret not reading it more earlier
Hồ Vinh
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The shaking scream tears apart the silent night。 A moment ago， the strongest man on earth was blessed with a joyous family， yet now， his maddening tears dropped on nothing but their moveless bodies。 From behind， Theseus motioned towards the enormous man and clasped on his bloodstained hands。 So be it， the Athens city shared this blood debt; the man hence decided to continue his suffering， departed home and started his life-long tragic ordeal to redeem himself， oftener known as "The Labors of Her The shaking scream tears apart the silent night。 A moment ago， the strongest man on earth was blessed with a joyous family， yet now， his maddening tears dropped on nothing but their moveless bodies。 From behind， Theseus motioned towards the enormous man and clasped on his bloodstained hands。 So be it， the Athens city shared this blood debt; the man hence decided to continue his suffering， departed home and started his life-long tragic ordeal to redeem himself， oftener known as "The Labors of Hercules"。 The image shattered。 That story does not sound familiar to us whatsoever， but here comes the primitive form of Greek mythology。 It's blunt; it's human; it's how the true legacy is rooted。 The book captures its essence and covers an expansive set of tales， both well-known and less popular。 The author divided stories into Gods the Creators （or rationale of the unknown）， Love， Heroes， The Trojan War， and brief myths。 Naturally， I'm particularly interested in Heroes and the Trojan War， but knowing there is still hope in Pandora's box is such a relief！I now see why Jason of the Argonauts cannot be on par with Perseus， Theseus， Hercules， or Atalanta; apart from war trophies， a hero is defined by his act towards people， and by all means， he has no class。 Theseus， the epitome of civilized Athens， the founding father of commonwealth and council halls， stands nowhere but on top。 Hercules， whose bravery is second to none， being there for everyone and deserves eternal happiness。 And don't let me start on how perfect a symbolic feminism Atalanta is。Trojan War， a game set by Gods and played by humans， ingenious humans。 Takes side， if you will， Odysseus， Achilles and Hector are loveable by all。 Good fighter alone does not justify it， but the respect they earn and their decision moves your heart。 Little did I know， the ruin of Troy set foot for the birth of Rome， the next great Empire in history。 Two random thoughts did occur to me。 First， would pop culture erase those original values one day， with their message in glitter？ Agree that we alter some details to fit the young demographic， but Theseus should be known better over Jason the betrayer。Second， how difficult it is to retell myths with minimal resources？ How far can you adapt without disrespect or change it completely？ And showing a paragraph-long tale piquing no one's interest， either。 Honestly， the writing is not stably good from head to toes， but I'm thankful for the author's research effort and bringing this Greek mythology world to me。 。。。more
Ria
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This is the book that got me into Greek Mythology。 Hamilton summarizes the epic myths and helps modern readers get to the heart of each story。
ur mom
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*3。5 guys 😭😭 after a MONTH， I have finally finished it。 This book。 This book sent me into a slump。 It slew me with its knowledge， but that same knowledge bringeth me back to life。 Jk I'm still sad。 *3。5 guys 😭😭 after a MONTH， I have finally finished it。 This book。 This book sent me into a slump。 It slew me with its knowledge， but that same knowledge bringeth me back to life。 Jk I'm still sad。 。。。more
Liselotte
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Not as much mythology as I expected （I'm not really sure what I expected， but just a little bit more than just Greek and Roman basically haha）， but still interesting to have :） Not as much mythology as I expected （I'm not really sure what I expected， but just a little bit more than just Greek and Roman basically haha）， but still interesting to have :） 。。。more
M。M。 Strawberry Library & Reviews
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Fantastic reference book and introduction to mythology， whether you're a kid or an adult。 The illustrations that come with this edition are a real treat。 Fantastic reference book and introduction to mythology， whether you're a kid or an adult。 The illustrations that come with this edition are a real treat。 。。。more
Ryan Beck
，
A solid collection and synopsis of a variety of Greek myths。 While the collection doesn't contain the nuance of the myths that they herald from （which shouldn't be expected since the Illiad is shortened to two chapters） this book of Mythology is a great starting point and reference for the entirety of the Greek canon。 Mythology by Edith Hamilton could serve as a solid start to figure out the gist of a huge variety of Greek myths and discover which ones you may be interested in pursuing further。 A solid collection and synopsis of a variety of Greek myths。 While the collection doesn't contain the nuance of the myths that they herald from （which shouldn't be expected since the Illiad is shortened to two chapters） this book of Mythology is a great starting point and reference for the entirety of the Greek canon。 Mythology by Edith Hamilton could serve as a solid start to figure out the gist of a huge variety of Greek myths and discover which ones you may be interested in pursuing further。 。。。more
Kalli Williams
，
Gives a good overview of most of the notable Greek deities， however I do wish there was more depth to it。 Perfect if you are looking for a master book of better-than general information。
C Newbould
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Read sections:Roman GodsPart III - Heroes prior to the Trojan WarAdventures of OdysseusPart VII - Norse Mythology
Jon Vincent
，
I couldn't read this book in one sit。 Took me months to finish， but I liked it anyway。 Edith Hamilton's Mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek， Roman， and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture--the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present。 We meet the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla。 We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus。 We hear th I couldn't read this book in one sit。 Took me months to finish， but I liked it anyway。 Edith Hamilton's Mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek， Roman， and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture--the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present。 We meet the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla。 We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus。 We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece， Cupid and Psyche， and mighty King Midas。 We discover the origins of the names of the constellations。 And we recognize reference points for countless works of art， literature， and cultural inquiry--from Freud's Oedipus complex to Wagner's Ring Cycle of operas to Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra。 Praised throughout the world for its authority and lucidity， Mythology is Edith Hamilton's masterpiece--the standard by which all other books on mythology are measured。 。。。more
Aaron N。 Hall
，