Gods & Mortals in Classic Mythology: Dictionary

by John Hazel and Michael Grant

Book Overview

Who's Who in Classical Mythology is an indispensable guide to all the Greek and Roman mythological characters, from major deities such as Athena and Bacchus, to the lesser-known wood nymphs and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0880290366
• ISBN13: 9780880290364
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Dorset Press
• Length: 365 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A solid reference book

Written by Michael Grant, one of the great Classicists of the 20th Century, this volume offers comprehensive descriptions of the histories and traits of hundreds of characters and creatures from Greek and Roman mythical traditions. Despite the volume of material he is working with the author gives us thorough accounts in each entry, making this a excellent reference book for anyone with an interest in mythology or the Classical world.

one of the best

This book is one of the best i've ever read on Greek/Roman myth, and i've read many in my life. This book contains entries on characters rarely found anywhere else such as Nox, the Greek personification of night. As such i often use this book as a measuring stick against other books in this area.

Great Reference On-The-Fly

Grant and Hazel have provided a finely grained and authoritative dictionary-style reference that is quite handy for identification of any figure from classical mythology. The book will prove useful for keeping at one's side when reading Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Euripides and company. Very helpful appendices include genealogical trees, alphabetical list of classical authors referred to, and clear and informative maps.

Resource Only

Who's Who is an excellent resource, but it is not meant for those who wish to sit down and read Greek myths. The book is set up in an encyclopedic fashion. References to specific Greek mythological figures are easy to locate. However if you are looking for Greek myths in story form, this is not the text for you.

Excellent resource and excellent fun

I bought this book as preparation for a Mediterranean study-cruise. It is a sort of encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology. Any classical mythological name can be found here with a synopsis of their major stories Just be warned: each character's story tends to be so interesting as to lead you to look up all the other characters that appear, and you will find yourself reading for hours.