Handbooks

LE XI COGRAPHER:A wri er of dict onaries, a
harmless drudge.
Dr.Samuel Johnson

Collections of myth in the classical world begin early. We are most familiar with literary
epics that survive intact, Hesiod'sTheogonyin Greek and Ovid'sMetamorphosesin Latin
(the latter very popular in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and beyond). Other ancient
collections that were more utilitarian than literary existed and they come to us incomplete
and/or via sources that quote only portions of the originals: the many volumes of
Callimachus (ca 310B.C.) who worked in the great Library of Alexandria; theBibl otheca
("Library,")of Apollodorus, who may or may not be the learned Apollodorus of second
centuryB.C. Athens; theFabulae ("Fables", more correctlyGenealogiae, second century
A.D.)of Hyginus; and theMi ologiaein three books by Fulgentius (ca.A.D. 467-532), a
Christian bishop who alleogorized the ancient stories.

Baldwin, James.AStory of theGolden A ge. Illus. Howard Pyle. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1897. [Creative, expansive retelling in a single narrative of all
stories leading up to Homer.]

Berens, E. M.AHand- BookofMythology:The M ythsand Legends of Ancient Greeceand
Rome. New York: Maynard, Merrill, n.d. [Inscribed 1888. "The want of an
interesting work on Greek and Roman mythology, suitable for the requirements of
both boys and girls, has long been recognized by the principals of our advanced
schools" (Preface).].

Bray, Frank Chapin.TheWorldof Myths. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, [1935]. 323p.
[Alphabetical list of subjects, pp. 52-119.]

Bulfinch, Thomas.TheAge of Fable,or Beaut es of M yt hology. New, revised and enlarged
ed. Ed. J. Loughran Scott. Philadelphia: David McKay, 1989. 501p. Rpt. Dover,
2000. [A version of Bulfinch that deals exclusively with the classical world. Dover's
newBulf nch,edited by John Berseth, retails for less than $3.00 (ISBN
0486411079).]

Bulf nch's M yt hology.TheAge of Fable,The Ageof Chivalry,LegendsofCharlemagne.
New York: Modern Library, n.d. 778p. [Originally published 1855, and the source
of many subsequent handbooks.]

Clarke, Helen A.AGuide to M ythology. The Guide Series. 1910. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, Page, 1913. [Arranged in seven categories—animals, plants and trees,
etc.] 399p.

Gardner, Jane F.Roman M yths. Published in cooperation with British Museum Press.
Austin: U of Texas P, 1993. 80p. [Lovely illustrations.]

Gayley, Charles Mills.TheClassi cMythsin Engli sh Li erature andinArt . 1893. New ed.
Boston: Ginn, 1939. 597p. Rpt. Tannen, 1991. 597p. ["Based Originally on
Bulfinch'sAgeofFable(1855). Accompanied by an Interpretative and I llustrative
Commentary."]

Grant, Michael.Myths of the Greeksand Romans. Cleveland: World, 1962. 487p. [Begins
with the stories of Homer and, secondarily, six other "themes."]

Graves, Robert.The Greek M yths. 1955. 2 vols. Baltimore: Penguin, 1957. 370, 412pp.
Illus. and condensed, 1 vol. 1981. 224p. Rpt. Penguin, 1993. 782p. [Informative and
eccentric.]

Guerber, H. A.Myths of Greece andRome:Narrated with Special Referenceto Li erature
andArt 1883. New York: American Book, 1921.

Hamilton, Edith.Mythology. Illus. Steele Savage. Boston: Little, Brown, 1942. 497p. [A
public school staple.]

Harris, Stephen L., and Gloria Platzner.ClassicalMythology: Imagesand Insi ghts. 3rded.
Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2000. 1086p. [A fine work with many primary texts
included.]

Herzberg, Max J.Myths andTheir Meaning. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1935. 504p.
[Written to help Latin students.]

Kerenyi, Karl.TheGods ofthe Greeks. Trans. Norman Cameron. London: Thames &
Hudson, 1951. 304p.

Kirkwood, G. M.AShort Guide to Classi cal M ythology. Holt, 1959. Rpt. Wauconda, IL:
Bolchazy-Carducci, 1995.

Kravitz, David.Who's WhoinGreek and RomanMythology. Illus. Lynne S. Mayo. New
York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1975. 246p.

Mayerson, Philip.ClassicalMythologyinLiterature, Art, andMusic. Glenview, IL: Scott,
Foresman, 1971. 509p. [Reissued by Focus Classical Library, 2001.]

Morford, Mark P.O., and Robert J. Lenardon.ClassicalMythology. 1971. 6th ed. White
Plains, NY: Longman, 1999. 636+45. Oxford UP, 2000. [ Through many editions, a
standard in the field.]

Murray, Alexander S.ManualofMythology: Greek andRoman, Norseand OldGerman,
Hindooand E gyptianMyt hology. Philadelphia: David McKay, 1895. Rev. William
H. Klapp. New York: Tudor, n.d. ["Revised and Corrected on the Basis of the
Twentieth Edition of Petiscus."]

Powell, Barry B.ClassicalMyth. 2d ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995, 1998.
671p.

Pyle, Katharine.HeroicTales fromGreek Mythology. Retold and Illus. the author. 1928.
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1934. 312p.

Rose, H. J.AHandbook of LatinLiterature: From the E arliestTimes to theDeath of St
Augustine. Bibliog. by E. Courtney. London: Routledge, 1958. Rpt. Bolchazy-
Carducci.

Tatlock, Jessie M.Greek andRoman Mythology. Illus. New York: Century, 1917. 372p.

Tripp, Edward.TheMeridi an Handbook of Classi cal M ythology. New York: New
American Library, 1970. [Formerly titledCrowell sHandbook of Classi cal
Mythology.]

White, C.A.TheStudent's M ythology, a Compendium. Rev. ed. New York: A.C. Armstrong
Son, 1895. 315p. ["In Accordance with Standard Authorities. Arranged for the Use
of Schools and Academies." Q&A format.]