First published 2016
David Stuttard's comprehensive exploration of Greek mythology unveils the intricate world of gods, heroes, and monsters that shaped Western storytelling. From Zeus's thunderbolts to Heracles's impossible labors, these narratives reveal a complex pantheon where divine beings interact with mortals in brutal, unpredictable ways. Each myth emerges as a vivid drama of power, transformation, and consequence—where immortal beings play out human emotions on a cosmic scale. Stuttard traces these stories from their earliest origins through generations of oral tradition, revealing how Greek myths encode fundamental human experiences of love, conflict, ambition, and survival. By presenting these ancient tales with scholarly precision and narrative verve, he demonstrates how mythological archetypes continue to resonate in contemporary culture and imagination.
Genres: mythology, non-fiction, ancient, ancient-history
Vibes: scholarly, thought-provoking
Tropes: mythology
Setting: Greece
Period: Ancient
256 pages · Hardcover · Thames & Hudson