Classical Mythology, 7th Edition - obinfonet: dia logou

INTERPRETATION AND DEFINITION OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY 29
The historian Livy (59 B.C.-A.D. 17) recorded the foundation myths of Rome
in the first book of his Ab Urbe Condita. He is the source for many of the legends
from Roman history that are closer to myth than history. Other Roman writers
had antiquarian interests, but none wrote continuous accounts comparable with
those of Livy.
Later in the first century A.D., there was a literary renaissance during the
reign of the emperor Nero (54-68). The tragedies of Seneca present important
versions of several myths, most notably those of Phaedra and Hippolytus,
Medea, and Thyestes, the last named being the only surviving full-length version
of the myth.
In the generation following Seneca, there was a revival of epic. The Argonautica
of Valerius Flaccus (ca. 80) and the Thebaid of Statius (d. 96) are important
versions of their respective sagas. After this time, there are few original
works worth notice. One exception is a novel by the African rhetorician Apuleius
(b. 123) formally titled Metamorphoses but better known to us as The Golden Ass.
This is our source for the tale of Cupid and Psyche, while its final book is invaluable
for its account of the mysteries of Isis.
Interest in mythology continued to be shown in a number of handbooks of
uncertain date. We have mentioned the Bibliotheca of Apollodorus in Greek; in
Latin, compendia were written by Hyginus (perhaps in the mid-second century)
and Fulgentius (perhaps an African bishop of the sixth century). This tradition
was revived during the Renaissance, especially in Italy, and we discuss some of
the important handbooks of mythology in Chapter 27.
The Eclectic Variety of the Sources. It is readily apparent that this literary heritage
offers infinite variety. The religious tales of Hesiod contrast with the sophisticated
stories of Ovid. The historical legend of Herodotus differs in character
from the legendary history of Homer. The philosophical myth of Plato and
the romantic storytelling of Apuleius reveal contrasting spiritual hues. The dramatic
environments of Aeschylus and Seneca are worlds apart. Yet all these authors
from different periods and with diverse art provide the rich, eclectic heritage
from which a survey of Graeco-Roman mythology must be drawn.
Translations. All the Greek and Roman works named here (except for the late
Latin handbooks of mythology) are available in inexpensive translations. The
Loeb series includes texts with facing translations, the latter of widely varying
quality and readability, with improved, new editions made available annually.
The translations published by Penguin and by the University of Chicago Press
are generally both reliable and in some cases distinguished. But there is considerable
choice and contemporary translations (some of them excellent) of standard
works appear with surprising and gratifying frequency. 48 Yet one needs to
be wary. Dover publications offers several Greek and Roman translations that
should not be purchased indiscriminately; dramas are available individually,
in thrift editions at an extremely modest price, but the poetic translations by