Aratus of Soli was a third century BC didactic poet at the court of Antigonus Gonatas of Macedonia, where he wrote his famous astronomical poem ‘Phaenomena’ (Appearances). It describes the constellations and other celestial phenomena, while the latter section is chiefly concerned with weather lore. Aratus’ poem was extremely popular both in the Greek and Roman world, as demonstrated by the large number of commentaries and Latin translations. He enjoyed immense prestige among Hellenistic po...

'Athena seized the writhing serpent and hurled it into the sky, and fixed it to the very pole of the heavens.' The constellations we recognize today were first mapped by the ancient Greeks, who arranged the stars into patterns for that purpose. In the third century BC Eratosthenes compiled a handbook of astral mythology in which the constellations were associated with figures from legend, and myths were provided to explain how each person, creature, or object came to be pl...

An ancient Greek guide to the heavens, translated in a new accessible modern English edition.A poetic guide to the heavens, the Phaenomena of Aratus—dating from around 270 BCE—was widely known across the ancient world, second only in fame to the works of Homer. Beginning with an invocation to Zeus, the poem describes the constellations of the northern and southern skies, the celestial sphere, and weather signs. Aratus's vivid work offered a complete handbo...

After the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Phaenomena was the most widely read poem in the ancient world. Its fame was immediate. It was translated into Latin by Ovid and Cicero and quoted by St. Paul in the New Testament, and it was one of the few Greek poems translated into Arabic.Aratus’ Phaenomena is a didactic poem—a practical manual in verse that teaches the reader to identify constellations and predict weather. The poem also explains the relatio...

"A version that has been long awaited, and likely to become the new standard."—Washington PostOvid's epic poem—whose theme of change has resonated throughout the ages—is one of the most important texts of Western imagination, an inspiration from Dante's times to the present day, when writers such as Salman Rushdie and Italo Calvino have found a living source in Ovid's work. Charles Martin combines a close fidelity to Ovid's text with verse that catches the speed and liveli...

Learn more about Greek and Roman Mythology with this comprehensive and fully illustrated book.Audience:Intended for everyone interested Greek and Roman Mythology. Written in plain English.FEATURES:- Fully illustrated with maps, art, and photographs - Search for the words or phrases - Navigate from Table of Contents or read page by page - Add Bookmarks - Designed for optimal navigation on electronic devices with a small screen - Access the guide anytime, anywhere - at home, on the train, in...

The modern, unacademic idiom of A.D. Melville's translation opens the way to a fresh understanding of Ovid's unique and elusive vision of reality.

A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2024Stephen Fry’s beloved retelling of the Greek myths, now presented in a deluxe edition with stunning original illustrations.Rediscover the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of these timeless tales, from the majestic heights of Mount Olympus to the eerie depths of the Underworld, and from Eros and Psyche’s against-all-odds romance to Prometheus’s gift of fire to mankind. Fry draws out the humor and pathos ...

In a momentous publication, Seamus Heaney's translation of Book VI of the Aeneid, Virgil's epic poem composed sometime between 29 and 19 BC, follows the hero, Aeneas, on his descent into the underworld. In Stepping Stones, a book of interviews conducted by Dennis O'Driscoll, Heaney acknowledged the importance of the poem to his writing, noting that 'there's one Virgilian journey that has indeed been a constant presence, and that is Aeneas's venture into the underworld. Th...

Not just the stories, but what they mean. Are myths really the repositories of deep wisdom and mystical secrets?Readers' Favorite Book Award WinnerWhat is myth, and why does it have such a hold on the human imagination? How does myth relate to near forms such as legend and fairy tale, and to other modes of understanding such as religion and science? What is a hero, what is a monster, and what function does magic serve? How has our relationship with...

A challenging, wide-ranging collection of monologues from history’s greatest dramatic worksFrom the stately and poetic Greek tragedies to the lively, bawdy Restoration comedies, the classical repertoire is a treasure trove of often-overlooked materials for male and female, young and old. The solo pieces collected here vary widely in mood, style, and level of challenge; they include a generous supply of Shakespeare and his contemporaries; and they’re fleshed out wit...

**NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization takes us on a journey through the landmarks of art and bloodshed that defined Greek culture nearly three millennia ago.“A triumph of popularization: extraordinarily knowledgeable, informal in tone, amusing, wide ranging, smartly paced.” —The New York Times Book Review**In the city-states of Athens and Sparta and throughout the Greek islands, honors could be won in making lov...