Publisher's Synopsis
GREEK MYTHS by OLIVIA COOLIDGE Illustrated by EDOUARD SANDOZ. Contents include: A Table of the Chief Gods of Ancient Greece vii Introduction ix L Stories of the Gods The Trickery of Hermes 3 The Loves of Apollo 9 Phaethon, Son of Apollo iz Athene's City 18 Arachne zz The Origin of the Seasons z8 The Mysteries of Dionysus 36 II The Loves of the Gods Cupid and Psyche 43 The Spring Flowers 58 Eternal Youth 6z III Early History of Mankind The Creation of Man 67 The Coming of Evil 70 The Great Flood 73 IV. Men's Rivalry with Gods Niobe 79 Daedalus 85 Midas 90 V. Love Stories of the Heroes The Great Musician 101 The Lover of Beauty 107 The Fortunate King no Pyramus and Thisbe 12.0 Baucis and Philemon 12.5 VI. Adventure Stories Atalanta's Lovers 131 The Killing of the Chimera 141 Medusa's Head 150 The Golden Fleece i6z VII. Great Heroes Theseus 187 Heracles 105 A List of Proper Names and Pronunciation Guide 143 A TABLE OF THE CHIEF GODS OF ANCIENT GREECE Older Gods ZEUS Latin, Jupiter. King of Gods. Symbols: thunderbolt and eagle. HERA Latin, Juno. Queen of Gods. Symbol: pea cock. HADES Latin, Pluto. God of underworld. Brother of Zeus. POSEIDON Latin, Neptune. God of sea. Brother of Zeus. Symbols: bull and trident. DEMETER Latin, Ceres. Goddess of grain. Mother of Persephone, Latin, Proserpina. Younger Gods Also Cypris. Latin, Venus. Goddess of love and beauty. Symbols: the dove and the seagull. Born from the sea. Also Phoebus Apollo. Latin, Phoebus or Apollo. God of the sun, god of prophecy, god of poetry and song. Symbols: golden chariot, golden lyre, golden bow and ar rows, laurel. ARES Latin, Mars. God of war, ARTEMIS Latin, Diana. Twin sister of Apollo. God dess of the moon, huntress, goddess of un married girls. Symbols: silver chariot, sil ver bow and arrows. ATHENE Also Pallas Athene. Latin, Minerva, Athena. Goddess of wisdom, goddess of household arts, a goddess of war. Symbols: owl, olive, Gorgon's head. APHRODITE APOLLO Vll DIONYSUS EROS HEPHAISTOS HERMES NYMPHS MINOR OLYMPIANS SEA GODS WOODLAND GODS SKY GODS UNDERWORLD GODS Latin, Bacchus. God of wine, god of tragedy. Symbols: ivy, vine. Rites known as myster ies or orgies. Followers, Bacchantes. Latin, Cupid. Son of Aphrodite, God of love. Latin, Vulcan. God of metalworkers and craftsmen. The lame god. Latin, Mercury. Messenger of the Gods, god of thieves. Symbols: winged hat and san dals, staff with two snakes twined round it, called the caduceus. Minor Gods Woodland nymphs called DRYADS, river nymphs, sea nymphs called NEREIDS, cloud nymphs, EOS, Latin j Aurora, goddess of dawn. THE MUSES, nine goddesses of poetry, history, music. THE GRACES. IRIS, goddess of rainbow, HEBE, goddess of youth. GANY MEDE, cupbearer of Gods. NEREUS, father of sea nymphs. PROTEUS, god who can change into many shapes, PHORCYS, god of the sea beasts - seals, sea lions, PAN, half goat, half man. God of herdsmen. Symbol: reed pipes. THE SATYRS, goat gods like THE CENTAURS, half horse, half man. THE WINDS, especially ZEPHYR, the warm, gentle west wind, and BOREAS, the stormy north wind. CHARON, the ferryman over the river Styx. INTRODUCTION: GREEK LEGENDS have been favorite stories for many cen turies. They are mentioned so often by famous writers that it has become impossible to read widely in English, or in many other literatures, without knowing what the best of these tales are about. Even though we no longer believe in the Greek gods, we enjoy hearing of them because they appeal to our imagination. The Greeks thought all the forces of nature were spirits, so that the whole earth was filled with gods. Each river, each woodland, even each great tree had its own god or nymph. In the woods lived the satyrs, who had pointed ears and the shaggy legs of goats. In the sea danced more than three thou sand green-haired, white-limbed maidens. In the air rode wind gods, cloud nymphs, and the golden chariot
