The Greek and Roman Myths, A Guide to the Classical Stories – Free Download

What are Greek and Roman myths?

And Why is it Worth Studying them?

If the Greek and Roman myths were no more than a set of stories about magical transformations and squabbling gods there would be little point in reading about them. For a start, there are a huge number of such myths, all packed with bewildering names and genealogies. Why do we need to know these and why should we care?

We should care because the myths describe the ancients’ view of the world, and the archetypes of heroes, wronged women and powerful yet frighteningly arbitrary gods shaped how the Greeks and the Romans saw themselves and their relationship with the universe. Indeed so powerful are many of these archetypes that they are still used today. When psychologists (who share their name with Psyche, a mythological princess) refer to an Oedipus complex or a narcissist they are using these archetypes, for the myths which feature Oedipus and Narcissus describe certain aspects of the human condition so powerfully that they have never been bettered.

And this brings us to a further reason for reading the myths: these stories have survived almost three thousand years not because they are cultural paradigms, thematic sequences of motifemes (or whatever buzzwords academics now favour), but because in the end they are powerful and hugely enjoyable narratives….