Preface

Part I

Definitions and Background

 1. The Nature of Myth

 2. The Cultural Context of Classical Myth

 3. The Development of Classical Myth

Part II

Divine Myth

 4. Myths of Creation I: The Rise of Zeus

 5. Myths of Creation II: The Origins of Mortals

 6. Myths of Zeus, His Wife Hera, and His Brothers Poseidon  and Hades

 7. Myths of the Great God Apollo

 8. Myths of Hermes, Pan, Hephaestus, and Ares

 9. Myths of the Female Deities Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena

 10. Myths of Fertility I: Demeter and Related Myths

11. Myths of Fertility II: Dionysus

 12. Myths of Death: Encounters with the Underworld

Part III

Legends

 13. Introduction to Heroic Myth: The Mesopotamian Legend of Gilgamesh

 14. Perseus and Myths of the Argive Plain

 15. Heracles

 16. Theseus and the Myths of Athens

 17. The Myths of Crete

 18. Oedipus and the Myths of Thebes

 19. Jason and the Myths of Iolcus and Calydon

 20. The Trojan War

 21. The Fall of Troy and Its Aftermath

 22. The Return of Odysseus

Part IV

Roman Myth

 23. Legends of Aeneas

 24. Legends of Early Rome

Part V

Interpretation

 25. Theories of Myth Interpretation

 

Reference Charts

        Chronology of the Ancient World

        The Greek and Roman Pantheon

Credits

Index and Pronunciation Glossary