Greek Mythology: A Traveler's Guide from Mount Olympus to Troy

by David Stuttard

Overview

A hands-on traveler's guide to the enthralling tales of Greek mythology, organized around the cities and landscapes where the events are set

The Greek myths have a universal appeal, beyond the time and physical place in which they were created. But many are firmly rooted in specific landscapes: the city of Thebes and mountain range Cithaeron dominate the tale of Oedipus; the city of Mycenae broods over the fates of Agamemnon and Electra; while Knossos boasts the scene of Theseus’ slaying of the Minotaur. Drawing on a wide range of classical sources, newly translated by the author, and illustrated with specially commissioned drawings, this book is both a useful read for those visiting the sites and a fascinating imaginative journey for the armchair traveler. The itinerary includes twenty-two locations, from Mount Olympus to Homer’s Hades, recounting the myths and history associated with each site and highlighting features that visitors can still see today.

Scholarly text, supported by quotes from primary sources and contemporary research, as well as the enticing stories of gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, enrich the reader’s literal or simply literary experience of these sites, whose significance still resonates today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500518328
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	222,043
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

David Stuttard is the author of many books on classical antiquity, including Greek Mythology: A Traveler’s Guide from Mount Olympus to Troy, The Romans Who Shaped Britain, and the recent Nemesis: Alcibiades and the Fall of Athens.

Table of Contents

Map 6

Introduction: Greek Mythology in Context 8

1 Mount Olympus: Dion & the Home of the Gods 14

2 Sunium: Poseidon's Cliff-Top Temple 29

3 Eleusis & the Mysteries of Demeter & Persephone 36

4 Delos: Sacred Island of Leto, Artemis & Apollo 45

5 Delphi: Seat of Apollo's Oracle, Haunt of Dionysus 53

6 Ephesus: Artemis & the Cult of the Mother Goddess 64

7 Paphos: Garden of Aphrodite 77

8 Pyfos: Where Nestor Ruled & Hermes Hid the Cattle of Apollo 87

9 Olympia: Pelops & the Games 96

10 Thebes: City of Dionysus, Oedipus & Heracles 104

11 Tiryns & the Labours of Heracles 121

12 Iolcus & Mount Pelion: Centaurs, Weddings & the Voyage for the Golden Fleece 136

13 Corinth & False Promises of Love 150

14 Argos: Land of Hera, Home of Heroes 159

15 Athens: Prize of Athene, Kingdom of Theseus 169

16 Knossos: King Minos & the Labyrinth 184

17 Calydon: A Boar Hunt & Golden Apples 193

18 Sparta & the Haunts of Helen 200

19 Mycenae & the Curse on Agamemnon's Family 209

20 Troy: A City Contested by Gods & Men 219

21 Ithaca & the Wanderings of Odysseus 236

22 Hades: Ephyra St the Gateway to the Underworld 249

Acknowledgments 261

Recommended Reading 262

Index 263