Anthology of Classical Myth (Second Edition)

This new edition of Anthology of Classical Myth offers selections from key Near Eastern texts—the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Epic of Creation (Enuma Elish), and Atrahasis; the Hittite Song of Emergence; and the flood story from the book of Genesis—thereby enabling students to explore the many similarities between ancient Greek and Mesopotamian mythology and enhancing its reputation as the best and most complete collection of its kind. Click here to see the full Table of Contents (PDF) for Anthology of Classical Myth (Second Edition).

SKU
27916g

Primary Sources in Translation

Edited and Translated by Stephen M. Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, and Stephen Brunet, with an Appendix on Linear B Sources by Thomas G. Palaima

September 2016 - 680 pp.

Grouped product items
Format ISBN Price Qty
Cloth (no dust jacket) 978-1-62466-498-4
$58.00
Paper 978-1-62466-497-7
$28.50
Instructor Examination (Review) Copy 978-1-62466-497-7
$3.00

eBook available for $21.95. Click HERE for more information about Hackett eBooks.

This new edition of Anthology of Classical Myth offers selections from key Near Eastern texts—the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Epic of Creation (Enuma Elish), and Atrahasis; the Hittite Song of Emergence; and the flood story from the book of Genesis—thereby enabling students to explore the many similarities between ancient Greek and Mesopotamian mythology and enhancing its reputation as the best and most complete collection of its kind.

Click here to see the full Table of Contents (PDF) for Anthology of Classical Myth (Second Edition).

 

Reviews:

"The translations of [the newly-added] Near Eastern sources are admirably clear, and the glossaries and introductions are useful tools for those uninitiated into the complexities of Near Eastern mythology. The inclusion of Near Eastern precedents for Greek and Roman mythology will ultimately add depth to any study of the topic and makes the point that the Mediterranean region was connected cross culturally, causing the transmission of motifs, narratives, and ideas into Greece and Rome from the East. These sources will allow the instructor of myth who uses this volume as a supplementary textbook to incorporate a more diverse set of perspectives into the course. The Near Eastern texts presented allow the comparison of flood stories, intergenerational conflict among the gods, and the animosity of gods towards mortals. The inclusion of the Hittite Song of Emergence is particularly noteworthy and timely as the text and its parallels in Hesiod's Theogony have received recent scholarly discussion about the interpretation of this cultural overlap.
     "In short, the Anthology of Classical Myth remains an excellent supplementary text for mythology courses . . . and the addition of the Near Eastern Myth appendix only broadens its scope."
     —Christina A. Salowey, in the Bryn Mawr Classical Review

 

From reviews of the first edition:

"This book is a treasure-trove. It will be hugely useful to instructors teaching any level of mythology course. Not only does it provide, under one cover, good translations of the two complete books essential to every course (Theogony; Homeric Hymns), but it also offers hundreds of pages of additional primary material. . . . No other book in English offers such a wide range of well-translated and important sources. This will be the perfect complement to courses in myth and ancient civilization, making exploration of the mythic heritage richer and more intellectually exciting for all. . . .
     "The quality of translation is universally high—passages are simple, direct, accurate, yet preserve (as the editors wished) a good sense of the native stylistic variations found in the range of excerpts."
     —Richard Martin, Stanford University

"I am astonished by the simplicity of the idea, and, at the same time, the complexity of the effort, that joined to produce this outstanding work . . . the organization is impeccable and the selection is provocative.
     "[An] invaluable contribution to the way we teach Classical myth at the university level."
     —Monica Cyrino, University of New Mexico

"I believe any mythology teacher who uses primary texts should order this volume for their classes; I certainly will. While the combination of Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns in one volume is in itself welcome, the addition of Apollodorus, Pausanias, Lucian, and Ovid's Heroides, among many others, should prove irresistible to experienced teachers of myth. . . . The introductory materials are very clear and well presented."
     —Robin Mitchell-Boyask, Temple University

 

About the Authors:

Stephen M. Trzaskoma and R. Scott Smith are Assistant Professors of Classics, University of New Hampshire.

Stephen Brunet is Associate Professor of Classics, University of New Hampshire.