Examines the historical development of Greco-Roman mythology, its heroes, and its influence on the history of Western civilization.

"China maintains a cultural tradition rich in folklore and myths about ancient gods and other supernatural beings"--

"Among the epic themes exploited in the myths from ancient India are universal ideas, concepts, and topics of the creation of the universe and humanity; love; religious devotion; good versus evil; the recurring horrors of war; and human destiny. The people of ancient India consistently developed these and other similar themes in highly colorful ways"--

"The Chinese people feel that the ethical qualities of their leading mythical characters mirror or echo the superior morality of their long-lived civilization overall. They believe that several of the heroes and deities in the myths were either real people or at least based on historical persons. In their eyes, therefore, their history is frequently highlighted by great individuals and deeds"--

Like peoples throughout history, the ancient Greeks maintained largely fanciful stories about how the world, animals, and humans came to be. At the core of those tales were descriptions of the origins of the gods. Unlike many societies, which envisioned gods fashioning the universe, the Greeks held that the universe came first and gave birth to the gods--Amazon.

At the very core of ancient Greek mythology dwelled the epic hero--most often a man but on occasion a woman--who was a larger-than-life figure blessed with extraordinary abilities, including superhuman strength, courage, and/or cunning. Such talents allowed a hero to do things that ordinary humans could not. These deeds included overthrowing tyrants, killing monsters, and fighting injustice.

The ancient Greeks were seemingly obsessed by stories involving hideous, dangerous monsters. Modern experts think that tales of blood-thirsty dragons, one-eyed giants, and other scary creatures may have served a social purpose. Namely people needed to recognize and accept the existence of ugliness and evil in order to properly appreciate concepts like beauty and goodness. --Amazon.

"The mythical character the ancient Greeks called Odysseus and the Romans called Ulysses is a true hero for the ages. The tale of his adventures has been retold countless times over the centuries. Yet it remains as exciting as it was when the Greek storyteller Homer first recited it close to three thousand years ago. In the great epic the Iliad, Odysseus is one of the Greek kings who attack the famous city of Troy. After winning the Trojan War, Odysseus...

"Whether one looks at gods walking the earth, heroes killing monsters, or evil villains threatening society, the great mass of ancient Greek myths seems to overflow with colorful characters and stories. These tales were in a sense among the meat and potatoes of the classical Greeks' cultural identity. They felt that in certain ways their myths explained where they came from and to some degree who they were as a people"--