Greek Mythology

Have you read Modern Greek Myth Retellings and want to read the source of the information and myths or heard something online about a Greek Myth and wasn't sure if it's true and you don't know where to start. Here's this list Epics along with plays

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created by Lovely-Medieval-Ken

last updated May, 2026

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Other resources to Read.

https://chs.harvard.edu/ The Center for Hellenic Studies from Harvard is a great place to explore, they have Homeric Hymns (like the one I linked) you can read for free. They also have primary sources things like "Selections from Sappho" or they have sections of the Homeric Iliad for free to read. https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/ They also have free books like "Regarding Penelope: From Character to Poetics" by Nancy Felson and so many others that's just one example (https://chs.harvard.edu/books/) really the website is just searching and being patient until you find something you like/find useful.

There's also https://www.theoi.com/ It's a website/project "exploring Greek mythology and the gods in classical literature and art. The aim of the project is to provide a comprehensive, free reference guide to the gods (theoi), spirits (daimones), fabulous creatures (theres) and heroes of ancient Greek mythology and religion."

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/ The Perseus Digital Library "Perseus has a particular focus upon the Greco-Roman world and classical Greek and Latin, but the larger mission provides the distant, but fixed star by which we have charted our path for over two decades. Early modern English, the American Civil War, the History and Topography of London, the History of Mechanics, automatic identification and glossing of technical language in scientific documents, customized reading support for Arabic language, and other projects that we have undertaken allow us to maintain a broader focus and to demonstrate the commonalities between Classics and other disciplines in the humanities and beyond." There's the entire Hesiod, Theogony on there for free, https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D1 Or even The Iliad is on there for free https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134

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Thank you for sharing this!

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No problem at all! I thought if anyone did end up seeing this list and was interested in it, then they also might be interested in these sources too lol!

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Definitely!!

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I will also put int the comments, Ovid's metamorphoses, which was Roman and not Greek. I will put this here because I know one of more famous myths that being of Medusa, there's a lot of misinformation around. In Greek Mythology Medusa was not a victim of assault and cursed. That version of the myth is written by Ovid and is the Roman version.

Here are some sources on that.

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D270 Hesiod Theogony, one of if not the oldest mentions of Medusa states that "Medusa who suffered a woeful fate: she was mortal, but the two were undying and grew not old. With her lay the Dark-haired One in a soft meadow amid spring flowers." The dark hair one being Poseidon. This makes no mention or implies assault. Not to mention it says a meadow not Athena's temple.

https://fass.open.ac.uk/sites/fass.open.ac.uk/files/files/new-voices-journal/issue13/robin-diver.pdf Here's a research paper/essay that states "There are several ancient versions of the Medusa story, but Ovid, as is often the case, was the author to introduce the r*pe narrative. In other versions, Medusa is either stated or implied to be born into her Gorgon status (see Hesiod’s Theogony: 270-283; Apollodorus’ Library: 2.4.1-5; Lucan’s Pharsalia: 9.619-99; Lucian’s The Hall: 19)"

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028%3Abook%3D4%3Acard%3D706 Here's Ovid's version "of those three sisters, snakes were interspersed in dread Medusa's locks. And he replied:— ā€œBecause, O Stranger, it is your desire to learn what worthy is for me to tell, hear ye the cause: Beyond all others she was famed for beauty, and the envious hope of many suitors. Words would fail to tell the glory of her hair, most wonderful of all her charms—A friend declared to me he saw its lovely splendour. Fame declares the Sovereign of the Sea attained her love in chaste Minerva's temple. While enraged she turned her head away and held her shield before her eyes. To punish that great crime minerva changed the Gorgon's splendid hair to serpents horrible. And now to strike her foes with fear, she wears upon her breast those awful vipers—creatures of her rage." And since it's Roman it doesn't use Athena/Poseidon but Minerva and Neptune.

https://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Gorgones.html This goes into Medusa and all the different versions. There is one version Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 46 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) which states that "It is affirmed by some that Medousa (Medusa) was beheaded because of Athene (Athena), for they say the Gorgon had been willing to be compared with Athene in beauty." But once again this doesn't imply/say assult/r*pe but rather comparing oneself against the Gods and getting punished, which is not new by any means. We see this with Athena and Arachne, we see this with Niobe boasting to leto and leto sending Apollo/Artemis to kill her children. getting Punished for hubris/boasting/comparing oneself against gods/immortal beings is not new.

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