List of figures
Preface
Abbreviations
1. Sources for Greek Myth
2. First Beginnings and the Age of the Titans
First beginnings
The marriage of Earth and Sky
Cronos and the Titans
3. The Three Great Divine Families
The descendants of the Titans
The family of Earth and Sea
The family of Night
4. The Rise of Zeus and Revolts against his Rule
How Zeus established himself as the supreme god
The marriage of Zeus and the completing of the Olympian circle
Revolts against Zeus and the Olympian order
5. Hades, Demeter and the Mythology of the Underworld
Hades, Persephone and Demeter
Mythology of the Underworld
Other myths of Demeter
6. Hera, Hestia and Poseidon
Hera, the consort of Zeus and goddess of marriage
Hestia, the virgin goddess of the hearth
Poseidon, the lord of the seas and the earthquake
7. Apollo, Artemis and Athena
Apollo and Artemis, the twin children of Zeus and Leto
Athena, goddess of warfare and handicrafts
8. Dionysos, Hermes, Hephaistos and Aphrodite
Dionysos, the god of wine and ecstasy
Hermes, divine messenger and trickster
Hephaistos, the divine blacksmith
Aphrodite, goddess of love
9. Lesser Deities and Nature-spirits
10. The Early Mythical History of Argos
The first Inachids in Argos and in Egypt and Phoenicia
Danaos returns to Argos with his daughters, the Danaids
Proitos and Acrisios, and the arrival of Bellerophon and Melampous
Perseus and his immediate descendants
11. The Life of Heracles
The birth of Heracles and his early life at Thebes
The twelve labours of Heracles
Heracles’ servitude to Omphale and major campaigns
The later life of Heracles in northern and central Greece
12. The Return of the Heraclids
13. Minos, Theseus and the Myths of Crete
Minos, the Minotaur and the young Theseus
The family of Minos and later kings of Crete
14. The Kings of Athens
The reign and adventures of Theseus
The earlier kings of Athens
15. Theban Mythology from Cadmos to Oedipus
Cadmos and the founding of Thebes
Regents and interlopers
The tragic history of Oedipus
16. The Theban Wars
The Seven against Thebes and the myth of Antigone
The second Theban War and its consequences
How the Theban Wars affected the dynastic history of Argos
17. The Family of Deucalion and Hunt for the Calydonian Boar
Deucalion and his family
Legends of Aetolia and the hunt for the Calydonian boar
18. Jason and the Argonauts
The origin of the golden fleece and why Jason was sent to fetch it
The voyage of the Argonauts
Jason and Medeia in Greece
19. The Early Pelopids and the Family of Achilles and Ajax
The early history of the Pelopids
Achilles, Ajax and the Asopid family
20. The Royal Families of Troy and Sparta
The Trojan royal family
The old Spartan royal family
The origin of the Trojan War
21. The Trojan War
The Greeks cross over the sea and lay siege to Troy
The first nine years of the war
Foreign allies and final confrontations
The fall of Troy and sack of the city
22. The Return Journeys of the Greek Heroes
The returns of the Greeks
The wanderings of Odysseus
The murder of Agamemnon and later history of the Pelopids
23. Aeneas, Romulus and the Origins of Rome
24. Legends of Arcadia and Final Miscellany
The legends of Arcadia
A final miscellany
Bibliographical note
Genealogical tables
Main Index
The Great Olympian Gods
Selective Geographical Index
Biography
Robin Hard has published translations of the Library of Apollodorus, the only surviving comprehensive ancient handbook of Greek mythology, and of treatises on astral mythology and various philosophical works.
'The new Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology retains all the acclaimed virtues of the 2004 edition, a completely rewritten and meticulously updated version of H.J. Rose’s time-tested compendium. But this latest version provides an even more useful tool: Robin Hard has totally reorganized the earlier presentation of the often-complex stories about gods and heroes, more lucidly streamlining and sequencing the material, highlighting interconnections, and drawing attention to such matters as ancient cosmology and cult. The result is a fresh, clear narrative, featuring a strong story line while also attuned to curious lesser-known variants. An ideally accessible reference work, it can also be read straight through, with pleasure'.
Richard Martin, Stanford University, USA
