Details

Subject(s)

• Mythology, Greek [Browse]
• Mythology, Roman [Browse]

Editor

• Hansen, William F., 1941- [Browse]

Translator

• Hansen, William F., 1941- [Browse]

Illustrator

• Fawkes, Glynnis [Browse]

Summary note

The first anthology ever to present the entire range of ancient Greek and Roman stories--from myths and fairy tales to jokes Captured centaurs and satyrs, talking animals, people who suddenly change sex, men who give birth, the temporarily insane and the permanently thick-witted, delicate sensualists, incompetent seers, a woman who remembers too much, a man who cannot laugh--these are just some of the colorful characters who feature in the unforgettable stories that ancient Greeks and Romans told in their daily lives. Together they created an incredibly rich body of popular oral stories that include, but range well beyond, mythology--from heroic legends, fairy tales, and fables to ghost stories, urban legends, and jokes. This unique anthology presents the largest collection of these tales ever assembled. Featuring nearly four hundred stories in authoritative and highly readable translations, this is the first book to offer a representative selection of the entire range of traditional classical storytelling. Set mostly in the world of humans, not gods, these stories focus on figures such as lovers, tricksters, philosophers, merchants, rulers, athletes, artists, and soldiers. The narratives range from the well-known--for example, Cupid and Psyche, Diogenes and his lantern, and the tortoise and the hare--to lesser-known tales that deserve wider attention. Entertaining and fascinating, they offer a unique window into the fantasies, anxieties, humor, and passions of the people who told them. Complete with beautiful illustrations by Glynnis Fawkes, a comprehensive introduction, notes, and more, this one-of-a-kind anthology will delight general readers as well as students of classics, fairy tales, and folklore.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• The Kinds of Ancient Story
• The Present Book
• KINGS AND PRINCESSES. Cupid and Psyche
• The Treasury of Rhampsinitos
• The Pharaoh and the Courtesan
• GODS AND GHOSTS. Divine Epiphanies
• The Muses Appear to Hesiod
• The Muses Appear to Archilochos
• Thamyris Competes against the Muses
• Stesichoros's Palinode
• Asklepios Heals Pandaros
• Asklepios Reveals Secrets of the Gods
• Athena Saves the Lindians
• The Altar of the Vulture God
• A Fortune in Water
• The Rescue of Simonides
• Lower Mythology
• Narcissus
• Rhoikos and the Nymph
• The Great God Pan Is Dead!
• Bogies
• Shape-Changers
• The Werewolf
• The Empousa
• Ghosts
• Philinnion
• The Last Princess at Troy
• The Grateful Dead Man
• Murder at the Inn
• Letter from the Middle of the Earth
• The Haunted House
• The Haunted Baths
• The Haunted Battlefield
• The Hero of Temesa
• Periander's Wife
• Early Wonder-Workers
• Abaris the Hyperborean
• Aristeas of Prokonnesos
• Hermotimos of Klazomenai
• Epimenides of Crete
• Pherekydes of Syros
• Pythagoras
• Transmigration of Souls
• Pythagoras Remembers an Earlier Life
• Pythagoras Discerns a Friend's Soul in a Dog
• Empedokles Recalls His Earlier Lives
• The Woman Who Remembers Too Much
• Magicians and Witches
• Pases the Magician
• Attack by Star-Stroke
• A Woman Dies from Spells
• The Soul-Drawing Wand
• Apollonios Cures a Plague
• The Magician's Apprentice
• Evil Landladies
• Divination and Seers
• The Language of Birds
• The Acquisition of the Sibylline Oracles
• What the Sibyl ants
• Bacchus Forsakes Antony
• Cato Explains a Portent
• Cato on Soothsayers
• Fate
• Polykrates's Ring
• Zeus, Why Me?
• The Last Days of Mykerinos
• Kleonymos's Near-Death Experience
• Eurynoos's Near-Death Experience
• Curma's Near-Death Experience
• Jews, Christians, and Pagans
• The Origin of the Septuagint
• Miracles of Jesus
• Paul and Barnabas Mistaken for Pagan Gods
• The Discovery of the True Cross
• The Last Delphic Oracle
• You Have Won, Galilean!
• The Murder of Hypatia
• LEGENDS ON VARIOUS THEMES. The Bizarre
• Capture of a Satyr
• Capture of a Centaur
• Sightings of Mermen and Mermaids
• The Self-Sustaining Beast
• In Love with a Statue
• Animal Offspring
• The Ugly Man
• Male Parturition
• Sudden Change of Sex
• Periodic Ecstasy
• The Laughing Tirynthians
• The Man Who Loses His Laugh
• A Strange Tomb
• The Lame Man and the Blind Man
• Irony
• Intaphrenes's Wife
• A Parent's Request
• Plato's Characters
• The Unbreakable Glass Bowl
• Animals
• The Dolphin Rider
• The Grateful Dolphin
• Androkles and the Lion
• How Ophiteia Gets Its Name
• Xanthippos's Dog
• The Accidental Killing of a Cat
• Children
• The Children Play King
• The Children Play Priest
• The Children Play War
• A Child Steals from the Goddess
• Friends
• Damon and Phintias
• Friends Unknown
• Abauchas's Choice
• Rulers and Tyrants
• Plato Teaches a Tyrant about Democracy
• The City of Forbidden Expression
• Ismenias's Subterfuge
• Queen for a Day
• The Absentminded Emperor
• Justice
• Zeus's Ledger
• The Golden Ax
• The Judge of the Ants
• Tarpeia's Reward
• The Cranes of Ibykos
• The Murder of Mitys of Argos
• An Eye for an Eye
• The Trial of the Courtesan Phryne
• The Problem of Dreamt Sex
• The Disputed Child
• Abusive Son of an Abusive Father --
• TRICKSTERS AND LOVERS. Trickery and Cleverness
• Trophonios and Agamedes
• The Dishonest Banker
• The Joint Depositors
• The Two Thieves
• Aesop and the Figs
• Never Heard Before
• The Slaves Take Over
• The Milesians Hold a Party
• Saving Lampsakos
• The Suckling Daughter
• A Donkey's Shadow
• The Hoax
• Lovers and Seducers
• Zeus and Hera Wrangle over Sexuality
• The Affair of Ares and Aphrodite
• Iphimedeia Desires Poseidon
• Hippolytos and Phaidra
• The Husband's Untimely Return: 1
• The Husband's Untimely Return: 2
• The Signal
• The Widow of Ephesos
• Sleeping with a God
• The Pergamene Boy
• Aesop and the Master's Wife
• The King's Trusted Friend
• Dream-Lovers
• The Astute Physician
• Hero and Leander
• Xanthos, Who Longs for His Wife
• Ariston and His Friend's Wife
• Olympians in the Bedroom
• ARTISTS AND ATHLETES. Artists and the Arts
• Herakles Fooled
• Nature Fooled
• Painter Fooled
• The Sculptor Polykleitos
• Models for Helen of Troy
• Helen's Chalice
• Archilochos: Lethal Iambics
• Hipponax: More Lethal Iambics
• The Cicada
• A Singer's Compensation
• Pindar's Sacrifice
• Pindar's House
• Phrynichos Fined
• The Chorus of Aeschylus's Eumenides
• Sophocles on Himself and Euripides
• I See a Weasel
• Mother, I Call to You
• Saved by Euripides
• How Menander Composes His Plays
• The First Line of Plato's Republic
• Ovid's Worst Lines
• Athletes
• The Origin of the Stadium
• The First Marathon
• The Origin of Nude Athletes
• The Origin of Nude Trainers
• Polymestor the Sprinter
• Ageus the Long-Distance Runner
• Milon the Wrestler
• Eumastas the Strongman
• Theagenes's Statue
• Poulydamas the Pancratiast
• Kleomedes Runs Amok
• Astylos Angers His Hometown
• Exainetos Pleases His Hometown
• Glaukos the Boxer
• The Reluctant Dueler
• MEMORABLE WORDS, NOTABLE ACTIONS. Portents
• The Infant Pindar on Mt Helikon
• The Infant Plato on Mt Hymettos
• Young Demosthenes in Court
• Characterizations
• A Statue of Homer
• Themistokles and the Man from Seriphos
• Aristeides the Just
• Timon the Misanthrope
• The Arrest of Theramenes
• Socrates's Hardihood
• Socrates Ponders a Problem
• Demosthenes's Handicaps
• Delivery!
• Only Human
• What Alexander Sleeps Upon
• Cleopatra's Wager
• The Lamprey Pools
• A Principled Man
• Nero Fiddles
• Where Would He Be Now?
• A Slave's Eye
• The People of Akragas
• Laconic Spartans
• Too Many Words
• A Spartan Mother
• Discussion at Thermopylae
• Alexander the Great Becomes a God
• On Spartan Adultery
• Delusion
• Menekrates, Who Calls Himself Zeus
• Menekrates-Zeus Writes to King Philip
• Philip Hosts Menekrates
• Hannon's Birds
• The Woman Who Holds Up the World with Her Finger
• The House Called Trireme
• The Happy Shipowner
• The Happy Playgoer
• Memorable Words
• Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
• Which Came First?
• Alter Ego
• Give Me a Place to Stand, and I'll Move the World!
• Life Is Like the Olympic Games
• The Die Is Cast
• Et tu, Brute?
• In Hoc Signo Vinces
• Memorable Experiences
• Toxic Honey
• A Narrow Escape
• The Great Fish
• The Discovery of Archimedes's Tomb
• Summing Up and Last Words
• Counting One's Blessings
• Socrates
• Theophrastos's Lament
• Vespasian's Last Words
• Deaths
• Aeschylus
• Euripides
• Philemon
• Diogenes the Cynic
• Zenon
• Cleopatra
• Petronius Arbiter
• Archimedes --
• SAGES AND PHILOSOPHERS. Truth and Wisdom
• The Seven Sages and the Prize of Wisdom
• Thales on Life and Death
• A Question of Responsibility
• A Problem of Identity
• Secundus the Silent Philosopher
• Converting to Philosophy
• Plato
• Axiothea
• Epicurus
• Benefits and Perils of Philosophy
• Aristippos on the Philosopher's Advantage
• Aristippos on the Benefits of Philosophy
• Antisthenes on the Benefits of Philosophy
• Diogenes on the Benefits of Philosophy
• Krates on the Benefits of Philosophy
• The Most Useful Man in Ephesos
• Protagoras's Books Burned
• Sinning against Philosophy
• The Philosophic Life
• Thales in the Well
• Thales and the Olive Presses
• Wealth vs Wisdom
• Simonides's View
• Aristippos's View
• The Cynics
• Diogenes on Being Laughed At
• Diogenes and the Lantern
• The Meeting of Diogenes and Alexander
• Alexander's Offer
• Diogenes on Personal Attire
• Diogenes on Temple Theft
• Diogenes on a Public Reading
• Diogenes Visits a Brothel
• Diogenes on the City of Myndos
• Watch Out!
• Krates and Hipparchia
• Monimos on Wealth
• Philosophers Criticize One Another
• Diogenes Criticizes Plato
• Plato Criticizes Diogenes
• Plato Characterizes Diogenes
• Diogenes on Plato's Theory of Ideas
• Diogenes on a Definition of Plato's
• Diogenes on the Impossibility of Motion
• Education and Learning
• A Song before Dying
• The Entrance to Plato's Classroom
• The Delian Problem
• The Worst Punishment
• Discoveries and Inventions
• The Invention of Hunting
• The Invention of Board Games
• The Original Language
• Thales Inscribes a Triangle in a Circle
• Thales Measures the Height of the Pyramids
• Thales Predicts an Eclipse
• The Pythagorean Theorem
• Eureka!
• Happiness and Contentment
• The Origin of Human Miseries
• The Rock of Tantalos
• The Sword of Damocles
• King Midas
• Wealth and Happiness
• Water and a Loaf of Bread
• Gold vs Figs
• Untouched by Grief
• The Happy Mute
• Pyrrhos and Kineas
• Drinking
• The Third Cup of Wine
• On Behaving Like Animals
• The Different Stages of Life
• The Different Kinds of People
• The Different Kinds of Women
• Aesopic Fables
• The Fox and the Crane
• The Dog with a Piece of Meat
• The Raven with a Piece of Meat
• The King of the Apes
• The Ape with Important Ancestors
• The Sour Grapes
• The Ant and the Cicada
• The Lion's Share
• The Race of the Tortoise and the Hare
• The Lion and the Mouse
• The Plump Dog
• The Transformed Weasel
• The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs
• The Tortoise That Wishes to Fly
• The King of the Frogs
• The Astronomer
• The Shepherd Who Cries -Wolf !
• Here Is Rhodes!
• The Belly and the Feet
• The Oak and the Reed
• Short Fables
• The Mountain in Labor
• The Attentive Donkey
• NUMSKULLS AND SYBARITES. Traditional Numskulls
• Margites
• Meletides
• Koroibos
• Morychos
• Akko
• The Foolish Kymaians
• The Foolish Abderites
• Other Numskulls
• Carrying the Load
• Acquiring Sense
• Seeing the Doctor
• The Trained Donkey
• The Books
• The Slave
• A Call of Nature
• The Twins
• The Funeral
• The Ball in the Well
• The Educated Son
• The Travelers
• The Grateful Father
• A Pair of Twins
• The Fugitives
• The Pillow
• Wits
• Too Healthy
• What Does It Taste Like?
• All in the Family
• The Strongest Thing
• Caesar's Soldiers Sing
• Miscellaneous
• Not at Home
• The Portent
• The Deaf Judge
• The Scythian
• The Cold Reading
• The Covetous Man and the Envious Man
• The Delicate Sybarites
• Uncomfortable Sleep
• The Suitor
• Noise Policy
• The Affliction of Work
• Excursions to the Country
• Chamber Pots
• Piped Wine
• Policy on Parties
• Dancing Horses
• Tall Tales
• Topsy-Turvy Land
• Frozen Speech
• Thin Men
• Appendix Across the Genres: Ancient Terms, Belief, and Relative Numbers
• Notes on the Tales
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Ancient Sources
• List of International Stories.

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Other title(s)

Book of Greek and Roman folktales, legends, and myths

ISBN

• 9780691170152 ((hardcover ; : alkaline paper))
• 0691170150 ((hardcover ; : alkaline paper))

LCCN

2016019001

OCLC

956263772

Other standard number

• 40026929745

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