The Gods of The GreeksDrawing on a wealth of sources, from Hesiod to Pausanias and from the Orphic Hymns to Proclus, Professor Kerényi provides a clear and scholarly exposition of all the most important Greek myths. After a brief introduction, the complex genealogies of the gods lead him from the begettings of the Titans, from Aphrodite under all her titles and aspects, to the reign of Zeus, to Apollo and Hermes, touching the affairs of Pan, nymphs, satyrs, cosmogonies and the birth of mankind, until he reaches the ineffable mysteries of Dionysos. The lively and highly readable narrative is complemented by an appendix of detailed references to all the original texts and a fine selection of illustrations taken from vase paintings. ‘...learned, admirably documented, exhaustive...’—TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ‘...it most emphatically must be the book that many have long been waiting for...’—STEPHEN SPENDER ‘Kerényi’s effort to reinterpret mythology...arises out of the conviction that an appreciation of the mythical world will help Western man to regain his lost sense of religious values....(His) theory of myth and his actual interpretations of mythical themes...help to point the way to...a new kind of humanism.’—A. Altman, Philosophy |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 44
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... 2. NIGHT, THE EGG AND EROS Another story of the beginning of things was passed down in the sacred writings preserved by the disciples and devotees of the singer Orpheus. But latterly it is to be found only NIGHT, THE EGG AND EROS 22.
... 2. NIGHT, THE EGG AND EROS Another story of the beginning of things was passed down in the sacred writings preserved by the disciples and devotees of the singer Orpheus. But latterly it is to be found only NIGHT, THE EGG AND EROS 22.
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... sacred awe.{9} According to this story, she was a bird with black wings.{10} Ancient Night conceived of the Wind and laid her silver Egg{11} in the gigantic lap of Darkness. From the Egg sprang the son of the rushing Wind, a god with ...
... sacred awe.{9} According to this story, she was a bird with black wings.{10} Ancient Night conceived of the Wind and laid her silver Egg{11} in the gigantic lap of Darkness. From the Egg sprang the son of the rushing Wind, a god with ...
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... sacred womb and fell to her knees.{22} He was king amongst the sons of Ouranos and did not wish any other god to succeed to his possession of this dignity. He had been told by Gaia, his mother, and by his father, the starry Sky, that he ...
... sacred womb and fell to her knees.{22} He was king amongst the sons of Ouranos and did not wish any other god to succeed to his possession of this dignity. He had been told by Gaia, his mother, and by his father, the starry Sky, that he ...
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... sacred awe of the goddess Night.{39} According to the tales of the disciples of Orpheus, an account of which I shall postpone until later, Nyx was herself a threefold goddess.{40} Amongst the Children of Night were the goddesses of Fate ...
... sacred awe of the goddess Night.{39} According to the tales of the disciples of Orpheus, an account of which I shall postpone until later, Nyx was herself a threefold goddess.{40} Amongst the Children of Night were the goddesses of Fate ...
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... sacred books of Orpheus were familiar with a tale{81} according to which Phorkys, Kronos and Rhea were the eldest children of Okeanos and Tethys—who, in turn, were the offspring of Earth and Sky; or, as I have already said, of the upper ...
... sacred books of Orpheus were familiar with a tale{81} according to which Phorkys, Kronos and Rhea were the eldest children of Okeanos and Tethys—who, in turn, were the offspring of Earth and Sky; or, as I have already said, of the upper ...
Contents
Companions 73 | |
ORPHIC STORIES 95 | |
CHAPTER VIIMetis and Pallas Athene 99 | |
CHAPTER VIIILeto Apollon and Artemis 111 | |
CHAPTER XIPoseidon and his Wives 150 | |
CHAPTER XIIThe Sun the Moon and their Family 156 | |
CHAPTER XIIIPrometheus and the Human Race 172 | |
PROMETHEUS 183 | |
186 | |
ASCENSION 200 | |
CHAPTER XVDionysos and his Female Companions 206 | |
DIONYSOS 214 | |
CHAPTER IXHera Ares and Hephaistos 129 | |
CHAPTER XMaia Hermes Pan and the Nymphs 137 | |
SOURCESKEY TO ABBREVIATIONS 225 | |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 232 | |
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Common terms and phrases
According already amongst ancient Aphrodite Apollon appeared Ariadne Artemis Asia Minor beautiful begat birth Boeotia bore born brother called cave chariot child companions Cretan Crete Daktyloi dark daughter deities Delos Delphi Demeter Dionysos divine earth Erinyes Eurynome father female fºr Gaia gave giant god’s goddess gods golden Gorgons Greek Hades hand Heaven Hekate Helios Hephaistos Hera Herakles Hermes hero heroic saga Hesiod Hesperides Homer husband immortal island Kabeiroi King Korybantes Kouretes Kronos later Leto maiden mankind marriage means mentioned Moirai moon mortal mother Muses mythology Night nymphs Okeanos Olympian Olympus original Orion Orpheus Ouranos Ov.M Pallas Athene Persephone phallic Phorkys Poseidon primordial Prometheus Rhea sacred Selene Semele serpent shape Sirens sister Skylla sons spring stories concerning surname tale Telchines tell Tethys Themis thou Titans tºl told tºll took tººl Underworld vase vase-painting wife winged word worshipped Zeus Zeus’s