Greek Myths I.

Greek myths have co-created Western culture and continue to influence the way we think to this day. We commonly say someone has an Oedipus complex, a narcissistic disorder, or has opened Pandora's box. The Olympian gods and Greek heroes are still all around us. Majestic statues of Poseidon stand on fountains, the terrifying faces of Medusa protect important buildings, naked Aphrodites emerge from baths in gardens, and muscular Heracleses slay monsters with clubs. In literary works and plays inspired by Greek myths, we find everything we love – role models to follow and cautionary tales, reflections on the meaning of life, mysteries, adventure, intrigue, eroticism, and humour. In this book, divided into two volumes that cover all the Greek mythical stories that have survived to us, both immortal and mortal protagonists tell their tales. Although this interpretation of the well-known myths is new, it is consistently based on ancient sources, and its aim is to fully introduce readers to the amazing world where people lived alongside the Greek gods. The first volume includes myths about the creation of the world, gods, and humans. The second, forthcoming volume will cover the Greek epics, beginning with that of Perseus and ending with the Trojan War. The publication of this book was financially supported by the State Fund of Culture of the Czech Republic.