What is the best way to learn Greek mythology?
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at
6:01 pm
Greek mythologies as in the stories of Greek mythological figures, like Perseus, and Odysseus, etc.
It's interesting, but I don't like reading long texts summarizing the stories.
It won't help me remember them. TV documentaries, though, help. I remember the stories (for example, the two mentioned above, which stories I learned on TV), even just the main happenings.
What other things will help me remember them?
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Tagged with: greek mythological figures • greek mythologies • odysseus • perseus • texts • tv documentaries
Filed under: Greek Language
Although books with illustrated pictures may seem like they are for kids, they can be a really useful way to get your attention in mythology, because they explain it correctly and simple. It was this book, "D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths", that magneted me to Greek Mythology and made it interesting to me. You can also try:
"Atticus the Storyteller’s 100 Greek Myths"
"The Orchard Book of Greek Myths"
"Favorite Greek Myths"
Then, you might later try "The Greek Gods" and "Heroes and Monsters of Greek Myth" by Bernard Evslin. Some of those books have mutual myths. Reading a myth again from different versions is the best way to help remember it.
Now, you can also try the internet, which is filled with pictures and myths. I reccomend http://www.theoi.com
You also seem to have said that you like videos such as documanteries and etc. Well one documentray I know is "The Greeks Gods", by the History Channel. But cartoon videos explain it very well too. You might want to go to http://www.howstuffworks.com and put "Myths of Ancient Greece" in the search bar. You will find cartoon videos of myths such as Pandora’s Box, Eros and Psyche, Daedalus and Icarus, as well as several Greek Myth short documentaries.
Movies are also good. I reccomend movies such as "Jason and the Argonauts" or "Troy", but I do NOT reccomend movies such as "Clash of the Titans" or "Hercules" (the cartoon), as they are completely different from the original myth, unless you want to read the original myth first and then later compare & contrast them.
It was by doing these things which made a Greek Mythology genius. Now I’m writing my own Greek Myths book. So good luck trying them!
You can read the Percy Jackson And The Olympians series by Rick Riordan.
Those are series of funny and easy to read book that tells the adventures of a young hero (from mythology) with the gods, etc.
It’s the best way to understand and remember mythology =)
Hope this helps!
I love Greek mythology! There was this series that use to come on the History channel called Clash of the Gods. It featured stories about Zeus, Perseus & Medusa, Odysseus, Hercules and others. You can watch the videos on the History channel website. The link is below. Hope this helps.
http://www.history.com/search?search-field=clash+of+the+gods&x=0&y=0
Reading is the best way.
Sounds like your typical of youth today; short attention span, aversion to intelectual excercise, need to have everything loaded in for you.
C’mon, kid, crack a book, read the words, and let your imagination do the rest. You still have an imagination, I hope?
Watch all the greek mythology movies, despite the fact that they are almost always very different from the actual story. Ex. Troy
Taking a college course.
There is something seriously wrong with your question/comment. Not picking on you. But, READING is the only way anyone ever gets a full understanding of something. Would you go to a Doctor learned how to do medicine through videos? How about a lawyer who got a degree for watching 100 episodes of Law and Order. You will never get a full or even tepid understanding of Greek mythology through TV and stupid Hollywood movies.
READ the Illyad and the Odyssey by Homer first.