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A sophisticated look into the eight Greek myths that remain the
most relevant to us today, exploring their powerful cultural impact
from their ancient origins to the present. The Greek myths have
been retold countless times, first by the conquering Romans, then
through the medieval and Renaissance eras of Europe, and finally
finding new expression in masterworks of art, literature and cinema
on the global stage. Classical scholar Richard Buxton explores the
stories at the heart of this ancient mythology and how they have
come to influence our society today. The Greek legends seem to
speak to us universally, their deities tantalizingly human - often
indulging in behaviours morally ambiguous at best and obscene at
worst - and their heroes dealing with dilemmas and destinies that
echo, if exaggeratedly, conflicts in our own lives. The dramatic
choices that such figures as Prometheus, Medea and Oedipus face
have resonated with audiences over thousands of years. Each chapter
focuses on a mythical character and the powerful stories and
interpretations that surround them. Yet the myths' relevance has
not been uniform; they shift with the cultural tide. They have
endured moments of censure, criticism, and even ridicule, but now
their influence can be recognized almost everywhere, from opera to
psychology, from fashion to contemporary art. How is it that these
tales have retained their power to connect with our own
fascinations, fears and desires, though they came from a world very
different from our own? Here Buxton charts their cultural impact
through a rich variety of re-imaginings, examining the many guises
they have taken through the ages and the profound truths that they
continue to illuminate.
A potent pantheon of gods, heroes engaged in epic battles, fearsome
mythical creatures and supernatural transformations - such
fantastical elements infuse Greek myths with a wonder and
excitement that's hard to beat. These tales of love, courage,
conflict and intrigue, shared for thousands of years, still
exercise a powerful influence on our modern lives. This
comprehensive collection of mythic stories brings to life the
origins of the Greek gods and their dominion over the world of
humankind. Here you'll find Zeus and hades, Artemis and Aphrodite,
with stories of demi-gods and humans alike. Jason and the
Argonauts, Perseus the Gordon-Slayer and the heart-breaking tales
of Troy sit alongside myths of crime and punishment, love and
courage and the adventures of Heracles. Part of Flame Tree's epic
collection of myths and legends, classic tales and modern short
stories.
Light and darkness played an important role beyond the division of
time in ancient Greek myth and religion; the contributors to Light
and Darkness in Ancient Greek Myth and Religion consider its
function on both the individual and social level as manifested in
modes of thought and behavior and expressed in language, beliefs,
ritual, and iconography. The book is divided into five parts: color
semantics, appearance and concealment, eye sight/insight, being and
beyond, and cult. Each subdivision contains a wealth of information
for the reader, ranging from detailed explanations of the interplay
between lexical categories that denote darkness and light and the
effect of blindness on metaphysical matters to the qualities of
cultic light. This unique volume will be of interest to readers in
fields as diverse as ancient Greek history, metaphysics, and
iconography.
It has often been asserted that Greek civilization underwent a
transition from myth to reason. But what does such an assertion
mean? And how much truth is there in it? Were the Greeks special in
having evolved our sort of reason, or is that a mirage? In this
book, some of the world's leading experts on ancient Greek myth,
religion, philosophy, and history reconsider these fundamental
issues. Among the problems they explore are: the history of the
Mythos/Logos opposition; myth and reason in practice; logic(s) of
myth; intersections involving myth/philosophy, myth/history,
myth/ethnography, and myth/technology. Some contributors are more
sceptical than others about whether the myth/reason polarity has
any future as a tool for the understanding of Greek society - or
any society. But what they all agree on is that a reconsideration
of the Greek case can help us to clarify much broader debates, for
example the debate about the cross-cultural viability (or not) of
myth and reason/rationality.
Fine Margins is the definitive story of how two mainstays of
English football took their feuding on to the game's biggest
stages. The Manchester City and Liverpool rivalry is synonymous
with the Premier League, but its roots go back much further. For
over half a century, these two clubs from opposite ends of the M62
have been perennial thorns in each other's side. Bill Shankly laid
the groundwork in the late 1960s before a series of clashes a
decade later further stoked the fires, culminating in an attack on
City's team bus in 1981 after they beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield.
The feud was reignited in the mid-1990s when Liverpool relegated
City on the final day of the 1995/96 Premier League season. When
they returned to the top flight, Manchester's blue half became the
scourge of Merseyside's Redmen, snatching players and points away
from them. Countless managers, players and directors have continued
what started in the Bill Shankly era, with the rivalry ramped up a
notch through the reigns of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever
told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been
repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and
reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and
television shows and in software for interactive computer games.
This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive
account of the world in which they developed their themes, their
relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to
the landscape. "Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main
literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts,
such as ritual and theater. "Myths of Origin" includes stories
about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the
first humans, and the founding of communities. "The Olympians:
Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main
divinities. "Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of
Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes. "Family sagas" explores
the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines. "A
Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the
mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the
Underworld. "Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich
tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance,
to the twenty-first century.
Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box
features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an
essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in
the world of the ancient Greeks."
Forms of Astonishment sets out to interpret a number of Greek myths
about the transformations of humans and gods. Such tales have
become familiar in their Ovidian dress, as in the best-selling
translation by Ted Hughes; Richard Buxton explores their Greek
antecedents. One pressing question which often occurs to the reader
of these tales is: Did the Greeks take them seriously? Buxton
repeatedly engages with this topic, and attempts to answer it
context by context and author by author. His book raises issues
relevant to an understanding of broad aspects of Greek culture
(e.g. how 'strange' were Greek beliefs?'); in so doing, it also
illuminates issues explored by anthropologists and students of
religion.
A Cyclops is popularly assumed to be nothing more than a
flesh-eating, one-eyed monster. In an accessible, stylish, and
academically authoritative investigation, this book seeks to
demonstrate that there is far more to it than that - quite apart
from the fact that in myths the Cyclopes are not always one-eyed!
This book provides a detailed, innovative, and richly illustrated
study of the myths relating to the Cyclopes from classical
antiquity until the present day. The first part is organised
thematically: after discussing various competing scholarly
approaches to the myths, the authors analyse ancient accounts and
images of the Cyclopes in relation to landscape, physique
(especially eyes, monstrosity, and hairiness), lifestyle, gods,
names, love, and song. While the man-eating Cyclops Polyphemus,
famous already in the Odyssey, plays a major part, so also do the
Cyclopes who did monumental building work, as well as those who
toiled as blacksmiths. The second part of the book concentrates on
the post-classical reception of the myths, including medieval
allegory, Renaissance grottoes, poetry, drama, the visual arts,
contemporary painting and sculpture, film, and even a circus
performance. This book aims to explore not just the perennial
appeal of the Cyclopes as fearsome monsters, but the depth and
subtlety of their mythology which raises complex issues of thought
and emotion.
The study of ancient Greek religion has been excitingly renewed in the last thirty years. Key areas are: religion and politics; archaeological finds; myth and ritual; gender; problems raised by the very notion of 'religion'. This volume contains challenging papers (updated especially for this collection) by some of the most innovative participants in this renewal, and includes an important introductory essay by Richard Buxton.
This work brings together eleven of Richard Buxton's studies of
Greek mythology and Greek tragedy, focusing especially on the
interrelationship between the two, and their importance to the
Greeks themselves. Situating and contextualizing topics and themes,
such as mountains, (were)wolves, mythological names,
movement/stillness, blindness, and feminization, within the world
of ancient Greece - its landscapes, social and moral priorities,
and mental structures - he traces the intricate variations and
retellings which they underwent in Greek antiquity. Although each
chapter has appeared in print in some form before, each has been
thoroughly revised for the present book, taking into account recent
research. The introduction sets out the principles and objectives
which underlie Buxton's approach to Greek myths, and how he sees
his own method in relation to those of his predecessors and
contemporaries.
The study of ancient Greek religion has been excitingly renewed in the last thirty years. Key areas are: religion and politics; archaeological finds; myth and ritual; gender; problems raised by the very notion of 'religion'. This volume contains challenging papers (updated especially for this collection) by some of the most innovative participants in this renewal.
This work brings together eleven of Richard Buxton's studies of
Greek mythology and Greek tragedy, focusing especially on the
interrelationship between the two, and their importance to the
Greeks themselves.
Situating and contextualising topics and themes, such as mountains,
(were)wolves, mythological names, movement/stillness, blindness,
and feminization, within the world of ancient Greece -- its
landscapes, social and moral priorities, and mental structures --
he traces the intricate variations and retellings which they
underwent in Greek antiquity. Although each chapter has appeared in
print in some form before, each has been thoroughly revised for the
present book, taking into account recent research. The introduction
sets out the principles and objectives which underlie Buxton's
approach to Greek myths, and how he sees his own method in relation
to those of his predecessors and contemporaries.
It is often said that Greek civilization underwent a transition from myth to reason. But what does this assertion mean? Is it true? Were the Greeks special in having evolved our sort of reason, or is that a mirage? Leading experts on ancient Greece here explore whether it is possible to maintain a distinction between myth, on the one hand, and philosophy, history, or technology, on the other.
In this illustrated study Richard Buxton analyses Greek literary
narratives and visual representations of the metamorphosis of
humans and gods, as evidenced from Homer to Nonnos. Such tales have
become familiar in their Ovidian dress, as in the best-selling
translation by Ted Hughes; Buxton explores their Greek antecedents.
He investigates such issues as: How do different contexts shape the
way in which metamorphosis is narrated? How do the assumptions of
commentators about 'strangeness' affect how metamorphosis is
interpreted? How far should an interpreter allow 'contextual
charity' to render more acceptable a belief such as that in
metamorphosis? What are the implications of the notions of
'astonishment' (Greek: thambos) in a range of narratives about
transformation? Throughout Forms of Astonishment Buxton draws
comparisons between the Greek evidence and data from other
religious traditions, ancient and modern; he also introduces
comparative material from the sciences, from modern painting and
literature, and from the cinema and computer graphics. In
investigating metamorphoses of gods Buxton revisits the concept of
anthropomorphism, arguing that the fact that Greek divinities were
believed to change shape does not undermine the fundamentally
humanlike form of Greek divinity. He also examines certain strands
of Greek tradition, particularly among the philosophers, which
called metamorphosis into question, whether in relation to the gods
or to humans. Individual chapters deal with transformations into
the landscape and into plants or trees-in the latter case
transformation stories are set against a background of cultural
beliefs about 'seminal' substances such as blood and tears.
Overall, Forms of Astonishment raises issues relevant to an
understanding of broad aspects of Greek culture, and illuminates
issues explored by anthropologists and students of religion.
With Some Information As To Their Agricultural, Medicinal, And
Other Uses.
With Some Information As To Their Agricultural, Medicinal, And
Other Uses.
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the
1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly
expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable,
high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
With Some Information As To Their Agricultural, Medicinal, And
Other Uses.
This is a study of Greek mythology in relation to its original
contexts. Part one deals with the contexts in which myths were
narrated: the home, public festivals, the lesche. Part two, the
heart of the book, examines the relation between the realities of
Greek life and the fantasies of mythology: the landscape, the
family and religion are taken as case-studies. Part three focuses
on the function of myth-telling, both as seen by the Greeks
themselves and as perceived by later observers. The author sees his
role as that of a cultural historian trying to recover the contexts
and horizons of expectation which simultaneously make possible and
limit meaning. He seeks to demonstrate how the seemingly endless
variations of Greek mythology are a product of a particular
community, situated in a particular landscape, and with these
particular institutions.
This is a study of Greek mythology in relation to its original
contexts. Part one deals with the contexts in which myths were
narrated: the home, public festivals, the lesche. Part two, the
heart of the book, examines the relation between the realities of
Greek life and the fantasies of mythology: the landscape, the
family and religion are taken as case-studies. Part three focuses
on the function of myth-telling, both as seen by the Greeks
themselves and as perceived by later observers. The author sees his
role as that of a cultural historian trying to recover the contexts
and horizons of expectation which simultaneously make possible and
limit meaning. He seeks to demonstrate how the seemingly endless
variations of Greek mythology are a product of a particular
community, situated in a particular landscape, and with these
particular institutions.
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