The Greek Myths: Volume One (urspr publ 1955; utgåvan 1957)

I can say several things conclusively.
1) I will not be reading volume 2
2) Having read this, I have no desire whatsoever to return to those "Golden Days."
3) To take a phrase from Steinbeck and his friend Ricketts, "It might be so."

This is a work far beyond my experience or knowledge, so I can say nothing about the worthiness of the scholarship, etc. I can only say what I thought as a reader.

I found the individual stories variously enlightening, appalling, entertaining, interesting and somewhat dull, depending on how obscure the people in the tales were. The names were multitudinous, many were similar and interchangeable, which didn't help me keep track at all.

Sources were listed, most of which I will never read, but it is good to know they are there. I do wish heartily that an edition had been published with photographs of the items and murals from which some of the tales were supposedly derived. I may take a little time on Google to see if I can find any of them. I suspect that when I do, it will be like looking at a sonogram of a baby and being told that it is this sex or that, or anything else about it. They all pretty much look a jumble to my untrained eyes, and when I have looked at other ancient art and been told what it represents, all I can do is say, "Oh? Um, hmmm."

As for Graves fixation on the Moon goddess and all that is represented or misrepresented by the myths, that is where I invoke the above Steinbeck quote, because who is to say it isn't?

Graves asserts that there are many common threads in ancient religions and more modern ones. It is undeniable as far as many of the stories go, however, all would seem to be quite watered down now from the original intent, and for that I have to say, thank Whomever you wish, because those practices were horrid! Like the wine of Olympus which had to be watered lest it drive mortals insane, I would say the same goes for these early religious practices. I am heartily glad that we now have only representations of most of them. Enough said.

Here's one more thought. It doesn't pay to be the most beautiful, talented, wise or athletic. The gods will pay attention to you if you are, and that is almost never a good thing.

I am glad to have read this, it helps much with cultural references, and I will be saving it as a reference book. ( )

LOS MITOS GRIEGOS

Apasionado por el mundo clásico, Robert Graves publicó en 1955 esta recreación narrada de los mitos griegos, que se ha convertido con el paso de los años en una obra de referencia ineludible para iniciarse en el fascinante mundo de la antigüedad. La erudición y la magistral prosa de Graves combinadas dan como resultado una deslumbrante inmersión en los avatares de los héroes y los dioses, a través de una sucesión de mitos que siguen hoy iluminándonos sobre temas eternos como las pasiones, el odio, los celos, la culpa, la ambición, la codicia, el miedo, la traición, los deseos inconfesables... Firjadores de un universo simbólico que ha marcado el imaginario de Occidente a lo largo de la historia, por estas páginas desfilan Zeus, Narciso, Afrodita, Hermes, Atenea, Orestes, las Parcas, Apolo, Poseidón, Dioniso, Perseo, Sísifo, Midas, Teseo, Edipo, Penélope, Heracles... Un delicioso paseo por el mundo de los mitos griegos.

Los mitos griegos sistematizan el amplísimo material de la mitología clásica de acuerdo con un método consistente en reunir en una narración armoniosa todos los elementos diseminados de cada mito, apoyados por variantes poco conocidas que pueden ayudar a determinar su significado, y en responder a todas las preguntas que van surgiendo en términos antropológicos o históricos.

This work remains the standard for most modern explanations of ancient myths, with sections devoted to each mythical legend followed by Graves' explanations. I find he takes the approach of a poet, rather than an academic, which makes it easier to digest. He does seem to take certain stands, such as calling out the Greeks for preferring thunder and lightning (Zeus) over the sun (Helius). How dare they. Graves is very thorough with notes upon notes, to the point that I lost track of Plato's Atlantis. As a reader, I use this whenever I have a yearn to jog through the multitude of Olympians who cause me confusion.

Book Season = Year Round (the gods never sleep) ( )

This analysis from the admittedly uneducated Graves is one of the most scholarly treatises on the Greek myths. Magnificent on every level. ( )