The Greek myths are among the best known of the world. Yet their origins were extremely diverse. Some enshrined rituals, others had a quasi-scientific meaning; some myths can be traced to ancient native religions, still others are explicable in psychological or anthropological terms.
Whatever their inspiration, the tales of Zeus, Hera, Athena and the other residents of Mount Olympus, as well as the deeds of Heracles, Theseus, Oedipus and the heroes of the Trojan War have proved a fertile source for artists and poets for 2500 years.
In this book John Pinsent tells familiar and unfamiliar stories of the Greek gods and heroes, and traces the development of particular myths from their most primitive forms to their most sophisticated versions. He explains Greek mythology as the dynamic product of Greek history, Greek society and Greek religion.
