Imaginary Greece The Contexts of Mythology [Paperback]

A study of Greek mythology in relation to its original contexts.Offering an analysis of how myths played a fundamental role in the lives of the Greeks, this study of the relationship between reality and fantasy focuses on three case studies--the landscape, the family and religion. It demonstrates how Greek mythology is a product of its people, place and time.Offering an analysis of how myths played a fundamental role in the lives of the Greeks, this study of the relationship between reality and fantasy focuses on three case studies--the landscape, the family and religion. It demonstrates how Greek mythology is a product of its people, place and time.This is a study of Greek myths in relation to the society in which they were originally told. It does not re-tell the myths; rather, it offers an analysis of how myths played a fundamental role in the lives of the Greeks. The relation between reality and fantasy is discussed by means of three case studies: the landscape, the family, and religion. Most of all, this book seeks to demonstrate how the seemingly endless variations of Greek mythology are a product of its particular people, place, and time.Introduction; Part I. Narrative Contexts: 1. Telling tales; 2. Myths in performance; 3. Performance into text; 4. Images in context; Part II. Re-Imagining the World: 5. Cookery and recipes; 6. Landscape; 7. Family; 8. Religion; Part III. What was the Point?: 9. The actors' perceptions; 10. Modern perspectives; Epilogue.