The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome

A Guide to the Classical Pantheon

Philip Matyszak

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English

Thames & Hudson
29 September 2022

Ancient history: to c 500 CE; Religion & beliefs

The essential illustrated guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome, vividly retelling their stories and exploring their origins.

Who were the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome? What did they mean to the people who worshipped them? Although their time of widespread worship has long passed, the Greek and Roman gods have fascinated and inspired writers and artists for millennia. From Aphrodite to Apollo, Poseidon to Zeus, these are some of the most recognizable characters in Western culture, yet there is a much richer past behind famous paintings of the birth of Aphrodite or the bold iconography of Zeus and his thunderbolts.

The Greek and Roman gods are enthralling characters in the enduringly powerful Iliad, Odyssey and Metamorphoses. They are immortal and powerful yet also vain, vindictive and vulnerable. Moreover, as manifestations of death, fertility, love and war, the gods are also our key to understanding how the Greeks and Romans saw their world. Philip Matyszak presents this pantheon in all their complexity, guiding us from Mount Olympus to the depths of Hades. Each chapter focuses on an individual god or goddess, beginning with their 'biography' as understood by the Greeks and Romans and exploring the origins of the legends. Matyszak mixes history with vivid retellings of the myths in which the gods have a starring role, from stories of cosmic creation and universal war to disastrous weddings and freak discus accidents. This sumptuously illustrated guide to the gods of Greece and Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in mythology and classical civilization.

The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome: A Guide to the Classical Pantheon

By: Philip Matyszak
Imprint: Thames & Hudson
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 250mm, Width: 195mm,
Weight: 1.100kg
ISBN: 9780500024188
ISBN 10: 0500024189
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 29 September 2022
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction FIRST-GENERATION OLYMPIANS Zeus / Jupiter Hera / Juno Aphrodite / Venus Hades / Pluto Poseidon / Neptune Demeter / Ceres THE NEXT GENERATION Athena / Minerva Artemis / Diana Hermes / Mercury Ares / Mars Dionysus / Bacchus Hephaestus / Vulcan BEYOND OLYMPUS Janus Hecate / Trivia Hestia / Vesta Isis Serapis Asclepius / Aesculapius Mithras EPILOGUE Between Human and Divine

Philip Matyszak is the author of many bestselling books on classical civilization, including The Greek and Roman Myths, Chronicle of the Roman Republic, The Sons of Caesar, Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day, Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day and, most recently, Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World.