So you want to learn about Greek Mythology?

Hey friends, and welcome to a different kind of post! I recently made a video for work called The 12 Olympians: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greek Mythology and for me, I had so much fun writing and filming it, and it was probably because I was already really familiar with the stories from Greek Mythology. I thought to myself, this would be a good place to start for people who are just starting to get into the wealth of stories that Greek mythology has to offer, but where should they go from there? So, this is a little post with some book recommendations for people who want to learn about Greek mythology but have no idea where to start, or are a bit overwhelmed with the number of books out there! I am absolutely going to be drawing on my own experiences from learning about Greek mythology, so if you have any suggestions or helpful tips for those people who want to learn more, please leave a comment down below!!

Books to Read (Fiction!)

I know this may sound weird, but the place I started on my journey to learning about Greek mythology and becoming completely obsessed with it was Percy Jackson. Unlike many other people, I didn’t read this until I was about 15 or16, and honestly, I wish I had read it sooner. Not because I thought that it was too young for me (I still adore it), but because it meant I would have been exposed to the world of Greek myths far sooner. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is the place I’d start for anyone wanting to dip their toe into Greek mythology. It’s a 5 book series but they’re all pretty short, easy to read and very entertaining. But, while you’re reading about Percy, Annabeth and Grover go on quests, you’re actually being exposed to a lot of the core gods, monsters and myths of Greek mythology. So much of these books were inspired by myths, and once you finish this series, you will be familiar with the basic family tree of the Greek gods (well, as familiar as a person could be with that incestuous mess), as well as key monsters and stories which you will find in the ancient sources such as the Odyssey by Homer and Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. If you’re looking for more of a Young Adult book with a bit of action, then I would recommend giving Lore by Aexandra Bracken a read. It isn’t as full of Greek stories as the Percy Jackson series is, but you do still get a good glimpse into some of the beliefs of the ancient greeks, and specifically the myths of the goddess Athena. Along these same lines would be A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (definitely more of an adult book), which is a re-imagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone, but it’s set in an alternate, urban setting. These books are fun, but also dive into a bunch of different myths concerning the goddess Persephone, the god Hades and a bunch others!

Online resources (Articles, Videos and Podcasts!)

This is the part of this blog post where I’m just going to hype up the company I have the pleasure to work for, as well as some of my friends who are doing an amazing job bringing Greek mythology and history to a modern audience, and making it accessible! Online resources are so handy, especially since they’re easily accessible and more often than not, they’re free! If you’d prefer to read some stuff, then I would recommend World History Encyclopedia (I am biased because I work for them, but they also do amazing work.) You can find an introductory article here on Greek Mythology which is such a great place to start, and from there you can find articles on all the main gods, goddesses, myths and legends! If you’re more of a video lover, then you’re in luck because we publish youtube videos twice a week, and so far we have published this video on the 12 Olympians, a video all about Hermes, a video on Artemis, and a bunch more! If you’re looking for some fun videos that combine cute makeup looks with greek myths, then you should definitely check out Hannah’s videos on YouTube! I LOVE her videos on the myths of Persephone and Hades, and Echo and Narcissus, they’re short and sweet, easy to follow and end up with a super cute makeup look! Finally, your one-stop-shop for videos on mythology, ancient history, philosophers, as well as interviews and book reviews is Erica’s incredible website Moan Inc. You can find Erica and Moan on Instagram, Youtube, podcasts and via her website, and she’s working so hard to bring the ancient world to a modern audience in an engaging and fun way!

Where to Next? Ancient Epics, Texts and Retellings!

Looking for something a bit more challenging? Already know the basics and you’re ready to dive in deeper? I would definitely recommend beginning with Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. It’s a really short read, and although it’s an ancient text, it’s easy to read and is a great intro to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks. If you want to know a bit more about Theogony and Works and Days you can have a look at my review here! From here, I would then recommend The Library of Greek Mythology (also known as Bibliotheca) by Pseudo-Apollodorus. It reads very similarly to Theogony and Works and Days, but it’s a bit longer and delves deeper into the stories and myths of Greek Mythology, and you will find the stories of heroes such as Heracles, Theseus and Jason. Then, of course, you have the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer! I would personally recommend the E.V. Rieu translation of these two which are written in prose but still keep their poetic roots, and they’re super easy to read for stories that are over 2000 years old. You can read my thoughts on the Iliad here! Just remember, every translation is different, so if you’re not clicking with the first translation you try, pick up a different one! If you’re a fan of theatre, then reading Ancient Greek theatre is an awesome way to become familiar with some of the important figures and stories from Greek myths, and even though only a handful survive from what would have been hundreds of plays, we still have plays about some of the most interesting figures from Greek mythology such as Medea, Jason, Antigone, Oedipus, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Orestes and Electra (just to name a few!) They’re definitely easier to read than something like Shakespeare, and many editions now give you fantastic commentary and background info on the plays! My favourites are Medea by Euripides, Antigone by Sophocles and the Oresteia by Aeschylus. One thing I’ve noticed particularly in the past year or so is a HUGE boom in retellings, especially feminist retellings or retellings from female points of view. This surge in retellings seems to have been pioneered by Madeline Miller with her books The Song of Achilles and Circe, which are both brilliant, but if you’re just starting to dip your toe into Greek mythology, give Stephen Fry’s books Mythos, Heroes and Troy a go! Fry has such an entertaining way of retelling the myths but making them feel new - and, his somewhat linear narrative of the foundational Greek myths in Mythos is truly a massive feat. I would definitely recommend Mythos as an easy and enjoyable first step in learning about Greek mythology. If you’re interested in reading Classical Greek stories from a females point of view, I have a bunch on my TBR pile which include Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships, Pandora’s Jar and The Children of Jocasta, as well as Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne. I haven’t read some of these yet, but I can only assume it would be helpful to come into them with a bit of a basis for the original stories and texts, so maybe hit these types of books once you’re nice and familiar with the core gods, goddesses, myths and monsters of Greek mythology.

Hopefully I have given you everything you could possibly need to start your journey with Greek mythology! As noted, this is from my personal experience, so if you have any book recommendations or tips on getting familiar with Greek mythology then please, leave a comment below or reach out on instagram where you can find me at @kell_read!

Bite Sized Ancient History - The Mycenaeans

Recently, I did a poll on my Instagram (@kell_read), asking all of you what you would like to see more of on this blog other than my non-spoiler reviews. From this poll, the two most requested types of posts were book recommendations and Ancient History/Educational posts. So, here we are! This is going to be the first of many ‘Bite-Sized Ancient History with Kelly’ posts, starting with an introduction to one of my favourite cultures, the Mycenaeans. if you have any requests for cultures/ events/ art/ people from the ancient world then please let me know either in the comments below or on my Instagram!

Who were the Mycenaeans?

The Mycenaeans were a culture that flourished on mainland Greece between c. 1700 - 1100 BCE. They had numerous centres on Mainland Greece which appear to have functioned in both the religious sphere, and the administrative, due to the discovery of storage jars, rooms used as workshops and administrative records at these sites. The most famous of these sites are Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos, with Mycenae and Tiryns being World Heritage Listed even though Pylos is the best-preserved site (don’t even get me started!). Many Mycenaean sites (excluding Pylos), were surrounded by Cyclopean walls which are so-called because they are so large that it was believed that only the race of giant, one-eyed cyclops could have possibly built them! The Mycenaeans constructed monumental palatial structures, with one of the most famous architectural feats being the Lions Gate at Mycenae, along with their tholos tombs made of corbelled roofs which were used for elite burials.

The texts that we have from the Mycenaean palatial sites are primarily administrative documents, and these texts, along with the archaeological evidence have informed a lot about our understanding of the function of the centres, and the trade which was taking place between each Mycenaean site and, to an extent, other cultures. The Mycenaeans are known as the more violent and war-driven predecessors of the initial Bronze Age Aegean influential power, the Minoans, who were (and still sometimes are) considered a more peaceful culture who lived on Crete and Santorini. This perception of the Mycenaeans being more inclined to partake in violence and warfare comes from both the remaining art and the archeological record uncovered in palatial sites and burials. They are known for their depiction of figures on pottery, often wearing boars teeth helmets (of which multiple have been uncovered intact or in fragments), and their frescoes showing figure of eight shields. Most famously recognisable is the so-called ‘Mask of Agamemnon,’ named by Heinrich Schliemann who was insistent upon his discovery of the burial of the legendary king of Mycenae, Agamemnon (he was wrong since the body doesn’t date to the period of Agamemnon and the Trojan War). They have also produced beautiful inlaid daggers which have hunting scenes decorating them, and it is now believed that one of the two Vaphio cups (the one decorated with the violent scene), was actually made by a Mycenaean craftsman.

Why do we care about the Mycenaeans?

Well, when it comes to the Mycenaeans, they are pretty much considered the first Greeks, and they were very influential on the people who lived during the time of Classical Greece. For one thing, their language known as Linear B is considered the earliest form of the Greek language which developed from the script of the Phoenicians. From the extant tablets found in a number of Mycenaean palatial sites, the names of a number of gods venerated during the Classical Greek period including Poseidon, Hermes, Zeus, Apollo, and Athena to name a few have been deciphered. So, although there is what is often considered a ‘dark age’ between c. 1100- c. 800 BCE when the palatial sites regressed to smaller villages and writing ceased in Greece, many of the gods continued to be worshipped into the Classical Greek period from the Mycenaean age.

Another reason the Mycenaeans are such an important culture which still generates so much interest is that the Greek heroes from Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey date not to the Classical Greek period but to the Bronze Age. That’s right, your favourite guys Achilles, Patroclus, Nestor, Menelaus etc. were all Mycenaeans! Agamemnon was the legendary king of Mycenae, and Nestor was the legendary king of Pylos (my favourite Mycenaean site). In Greek mythology, prior to Agamemnon being the king of Mycenae, the hero Perseus (son of Zeus and Danae) was the first king and founder of the city and the Perseid dynasty.

The Mycenaeans are a culture which is still providing new information and new archaeological finds. Most recently, the works on the mortuary landscape at Pylos in the last 6-7 years has provided a new shaft grave, two new tholos (or beehive) tombs, and hundreds of precious grave goods, two of which provide evidence for earlier contact with the Near East and Egypt than initially believed. Most interestingly is the shaft grave which was mere metres from Tholos III and Tholos IV, tombs which were excavated by Carl Blegen and his team in the 1950s and 60s. This single burial consists of one body, a male who died between the ages of 30-35 years and dates to c. 1500s BCE or LH IIA. This grave, excavated by Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker in May 2015, has provided us with the most amazing sealstone depicting a battle scene, known as the Combat Agate, four gold signet rings with Minoan religious iconography, a gold necklace and hundreds of sealstones. Preservation work is still being conducted on the finds of this burial, but its discovery has prompted some questions; who was this man? Why wasn’t he buried in the tholos tomb which was in use when he was interred and why was he buried with so many artefacts either made by a Minoan craftsman, influenced by the Minoan culture or depicting Minoan religious scenes? If you can’t already tell, I’m so obsessed with Pylos and the Griffin Warrior burial and I can’t wait for more information that the artefacts may provide! There is other evidence for cross-cultural transmission between the Minoans and Mycenaeans, but this being such a new discovery brings the conversation about the extent of the relationship and communication between these groups back to the forefront of discussions! I will never tire of writing about the Mycenaeans, but if you’re interested in reading a piece I’ve written comparing the Minoans and Mycenaeans, you can find it on World History Encyclopedia here.

Books I recommend to learn about the Mycenaeans!

There is SO much out there about the Mycenaeans, but here I’ll recommend some that I have used during my own research, and I’ll link each of the books to their Goodreads page if you wanted to have a better look at them! One of the best ones I have encountered has been The Mycenaeans by Louise Schofield, which gives a wonderful overview of the culture (with heaps of images). Along those same lines is Lord William Taylour’s book by the same name. I could never recommend a book more than I do The Oxford Handbook of the Aegean Bronze Age edited by Eric Cline. I love these handbooks because you get such a huge range of topics, and by a range of scholars. This one isn’t just the Mycenaeans but the Aegean Bronze Age in general, and I’m sure you’ll see me recommend this one again! One that I absolutely loved about the trade, commerce, and identity in Mycenaean Greece is Mycenaean Greece, Mediterranean Commerce, and the Formation of Identity by Bryan Burns. If you’re more interested in the art of the Mycenaeans (and also the Minoans) then I would definitely recommend Minoan and Mycenaean Art by Reynold Higgins. This one is another really easy-to-read book that has heaps of visual aids and also makes some great comparisons between the cultures. Obviously, our number one text about Mycenaean heroes is The Iliad by Homer, since the Greek heroes featuring in this epic tale are from the Mycenaean period, and I would highly recommend it! I read the translation by E.V. Rieu and I thought it was wonderful! If you’re more an online learner and want to learn more about the Mycenaeans without purchasing books, then I’d re commend checking out World History Encyclopedia, who I have been working for for a few years now! I have a super fun video on them which you can find here, and if you click here, you will be redirected to our main article on the culture!

Is there a specific part of the Mycenaeans you’d like to know more about, whether it be art, architecture, trade, burial practices or something else? Let me know! This is just a small snapshot of the fascinating culture of the Mycenaeans, I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you learnt something!

Review: The Iliad by Homer (translation by E.V. Rieu)

★★★★☆

— Okay so I do go through the main plot of the Trojan War, so I guess there are spoilers? But also, this story is over 2000 years old so if you don’t want to know the main events of the Iliad don’t read this review —

The start of my relationship with the Iliad didn’t go so well, which is why I have only now just finished it and didn’t read it all throughout my three-year Ancient History degree or honours year. In 2018 I picked it up for the first time, I struggled, I put it down after the damned Book 4 catalogue of the ships and never read anymore. I pretty much just gave up on it. I left it in my ‘currently reading’ on Goodreads for over a year until I took it off, knowing I wasn’t going to pick it back up. 

In August last year (2020), I thought to myself, this is dumb, it’s time to pick the Iliad back up and give it another try. You’re older and wiser now (lol), you can do this. So I picked it up, I got back into it (I skipped the catalogue of the ships though), and then about 50% of the way through, I put it down and didn’t pick it back up for months. Every now and then I’d pick it up, read a section and then put it down. Until about a week ago. I picked it up, and I started reading it. And I kept reading it, and I finished it in about 4 days. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace, or maybe I just kept wanting books that I didn’t have to focus so much on, or maybe the second half of the Iliad is just way better than the first half (that’s what I reckon), because honestly, I loved it. 

So, after all that! After trying to read it for literally YEARS, I ended up loving it. It’s weird. So let’s get into this! The Iliad, by Homer is an early epic poem from Ancient Greece. It is believed to have been written down for the first time in the 8th century BCE, but would have been a well-known tale by then. It was initially part of the rich culture of oral poetry in Ancient Greece before being written down. This concept of oral poetry would have meant regions may have adapted and changed parts based on their city and culture which is such a fascinating phenomenon. There is also the idea that Homer was not actually one person but a whole bunch of people, but that is definitely something for another day. 

The Iliad tells the tale of the last year of the Trojan War, which had been raging for 9 years prior to the beginning of this book. The Trojan war started because Paris, the son of Priam the king of Troy, abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus who was the brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. Now obviously, Menelaus wasn’t okay with his wife being whisked off (voluntarily or against her will is also a topic for another day, and one that is still highly popular in discussions of the Trojan War), and so he pretty much rallied all the blokes he could from as many cities as possible to help him get Helen back. A lot of fighting happens, and the Iliad ends after the body of Hector (who has been killed by Achilles in response to Hector killing Patroclus) is returned to his family and wife. So that’s a simplified summary of the 10-year war. 

To the book! It was always so interesting reading this and remembering that this would have initially been spoken, not read. I absolutely loved keeping that in my mind whilst I read it, especially when passages were repeated and the use of epithets. You can only assume that these were features to keep it easier to memorise and relay to a crowd of people listening! The translation by E.V. Rieu was so wonderful, it was easy to read but didn’t feel to modern or jarring. I thought it really brought the story to life in a compelling way. 

I am not a fan of war books, I never have been and probably never will be. The fact that this documents the last year of the Trojan War wasn’t a good omen for me. I wouldn’t say that this is a traditional war book though, and honestly, the Greek gods are absolutely my favourite part of this. They are so vindictive, jealousy prone and downright human. They made me laugh so many times, they had childish feuds and are honestly just the most dysfunctional family you could imagine, and I am here for it. If you’re on the fence about it, read it if only for the part that Hera calls Artemis a ‘shameless bitch’ lol. 

The grief Achilles felt for the death of his closest friend and love, Patroclus, was palpable through the words. It was so raw, and the fact that he was wailing and displaying his grief in quite a feminine way was really interesting. The physical lament of pulling at hair and clothes was a tradition commonly observed by grieving women, so having Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Achaeans lamenting Patroclus in that way must have been a very explicit decision. I really would like to one day have my Ancient Greek abilities good enough that I could read this in the Greek. Anyone who thinks they weren’t lovers obviously hasn’t read the Iliad. I wouldn’t want my ashes to be buried in the same golden urn as someone who was just my super close friend. 

It’s hard to review a book that has over 2000 years’ worth of legendary history woven into it, but I thought it was such a great read (well definitely the last 50%). Reading how the citizens of Ancient Greece would have been living their lives in regards to their belief in the Greek gods is so incredibly interesting. How an arrow will go straight as long as you remember to sacrifice a young lamb in honour of Phoebus Apollo, as seen in Book 23 or if they have a favourite mortal, they will ferry them to safety without being asked. The complete incorporation of the Greek gods in the lives of every man and woman in this book is so striking. 

They’re my main thoughts and feelings about the Iliad, but I’m sure I’ll keep talking about it for a long long time, especially since I’d like to read different translations of it. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the Odyssey, and also Stephen Fry’s Troy. Have you read the Iliad? Which translation was it and did you enjoy it?? Lemme know! ❤️