I want to learn about Greek mythology

[Parkandride]

Purely because I just read a buzzfeed article about Disneys Hercules and remembered I'd loved the Greek history bit in primary school

Where should I start? Books, websites, apps? Not much free time but I'm a quick reader. Don't think I can dive into the Iliad though, basic and easy baby steps is what's required!

Robert Graves - Greek Myths is a great place to start.

Greek Myths & Legends by Usbourne Books is also a good one.

If you love a beautiful read, find a copy of Seamus Heaney’s translation of ‘Burial at Thebes’.

It’s stunning in its succinct and clear presentation of the drama. Reading the fables retold in a pedestrian way is so dull. Try to get good translations of the original Greek (and do try the Roman’s versions too - I love Ted Hughes Tales from Ovid’ Metamorphosis).

If they are well translated in unflowery English, they are divine to read, not too challenging as I thought they would be.

I’m currently reading Mythos (Stephen Fry) and really enjoying it!

It's a kids' book, but Atticus the Storyteller is lovely. Otherwise I second Robert Graves.

That would be my suggestion too

Robert Graves greek myths 1 & 2

We went to one of Stephen Fry's 'Mythos' trilogy of performances yesterday (Heroes). I think we might get the audiobook of Mythos for listening to during car journeys, that might be an entertaining introduction perhaps?

For kids I'd second Atticus
www.amazon.co.uk/Atticus-Storyteller-100-Stories-Greece/dp/1842552791

I got into classics through Robet Graves I Cladius. The Roman stuff is more accessable, then got into the greek stuff.

Jeff Wright's Trojan war podcast I love

trojanwarpodcast.com/

And then books by Mary Renault

Read the bloody Iliad

There's an app called myths baby, she's really good.

Podcast not app sorry!

Agree with Freda. At all costs avoid translations written in tedious, flowery, elizabethan over the top style. Greek myths and Homer especially are meant to be brutal, violent and ugly. Robert Fagles(I think thats his name) does simpler, more modern translations

Seamus Heaneys Aeneid translation is also brilliant.

I used to love them as a kid and had a couple of books my mum had in the 50s which taught me the very basic stories. Always crushed on Perseus.

My kids have an usbourne version which we quite like.

I also enjoyed the Stephen fry mythos books - have them as audio books. I'd say they are good for early teens upwards as obviously a good few sex references but not in an ott way.

I second (third?) the Mythos recommendation. Saw all three shows this weekend and looking forward to reading the books

I am so pleased I saw this thread. I loved the mythology we were taught in Classics Studies at school, but got completely fed up of Ovid and even the Aeneid after having to translate them for Latin A Level. I always wanted to read them to DS when he was little but couldn't find any translations suitable for little ones (internet still in its infancy back then). I ended up retelling what I could remember from school, but I'm not convinced I was a good story teller because he preferred The Ghost of Thomas Kempe and Roald Dahl

The Orchard book of Greek Myths is lovely

Read Circe and The Song of Achilles, both by Madeline Miller, and The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.

Oh wow this is all amazing, I knew I'd get some good recommendations.
Literally everything you're saying is gobbledygook right now but I will learn!

And The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and Weight by Jeanette Winterson. I love retellings of stories that look at the original from a new perspective.

Loved the Circe, The Song of Achilles (just accidentally typed that as ‘The Dong of Achilles’ which I expect is a completely different kind of entertainment) and The Silence of the Girls.

Boilingfrog - I typed The Dong of Achilles initially too and had a little pause to think about what kind of book that would be 😂

Read Circe by Madeleine Miller it’s newly out and is awesome

You can find a lot of this for free on spotify as well. Penelopiad is on there

Dont know why but I cant really get into Circe at the moment. Is it worth piling on though? (im at just after prometheus' imprisonment)

I'm so glad you recommended that MsTSwift and I can't believe no-one else has yet mentioned it. Slackers.