Greek Mythology

"This monograph offers an introduction to ancient Greek mythology through the theme of cosmogonies and theogonies, that is, myths of origins that narrated the creation of the world and the birth and succession of the gods. It emphasizes the myths' literary "lives," as well as their cultural contexts, functions, and receptions. The book also features important foundational myths relating to the early stages of mankind, such as the sequence of the Five Races of Man, the first sacrifice, the creation of woman and the Flood, which are part of the core Greek mythology about beginnings. The centerpiece of the volume is Hesiod's Theogony and parts of the Works and Days, which are, with Homers' epics, the earliest Greek literary texts preserved. This book includes freshly translated excerpts from canonical sources, and it also discusses "alternative" Greek traditions, such as Presocratic ideas and especially Orphic cosmogonies, often absent from standard myth overviews. The book places strong emphasis on the convergence between Greek and Near Eastern myths, and the historical and cultural background that allowed for this crossfertilization. Besides giving an overview of the central narrative threads, the book discusses different aspects of the myths, such as their performative contexts and their religious and ritual relevance, including their association with mystery cults, as well as their long reception, from later antiquity to modern times"--