Gods and Heroes of the Greeks: The Library of Apollodorus [Paperback]

The immortal characters of Greek mythology enact their dramas, conflicts, and passions in theLibraryof Apollodorus. Probably composed in the first century A.D., it is the only Greek handbook of mythology to survive antiquity, and is a major source of our knowledge of Greek myths. 

Beginning with the birth of the gods and ending with the death of Odysseus, theLibrarytraces the destinies of such great mythic figures as Prometheus, Oedipus, Heracles, Daedalus, and the heroes of the Trojan War. Sir James G. Frazer called the Library an accurate record of what the Greeks in general believed about the origin an early history of the world and their race. 

Michael Simpsons new translation captures the fine simplicity and straightforwardness of the original. Leonard Baskins drawings throw a unique contemporary light on this ancient world. 

MICHAEL SIMPSONis professor of classics and comparative literature, University of Texas at Dallas.

This book is more than a translation of ApollodorusLibrary; it is a serviceable reference work of primary and secondary sources for Greek mythology. In an introduction to the translation, Simpson discusses the style of the original and enumerates the ancient sources used in its compilation. A definition of myth and remarks on the special character of Greek mythology are also included here. Especially valuable are notes, which cite Apollodorus source or sources for each myth, indicate departures from these sources, comment on the significance of relevant aspects of each of the myths, and cite current bibliographical references which could serve as a neat point of departure for further research.Classical Outlook