Thank you for visiting. This article is one installment in a series that explains the “original texts” of the world’s myths and religions — an index page summarizing the original texts of “Greek mythology.”
Greek mythology — Zeus, Heracles, the Trojan War — is one of the world’s most famous mythologies, but in fact there is no “single scripture” that gathers its stories.
Greek mythology has been handed down to the present through several classical literary works left by various poets and writers.
Because these original texts are so vast in content, this series explains them in detail in articles divided by major source text. This page introduces the big picture and what each article covers.
The “strength” of the gods and heroes of Greek mythology has been introduced previously in ranking form, so please use that as a reference too.
You can also view the complete index of the world’s myths and religions, including others besides Greek mythology, from the page below.
The Big Picture of Greek Mythology’s Original Texts
Since Greek mythology has no fixed canon like the Bible, you grasp its whole picture by combining classics of differing content and date of composition.
The major original texts divide broadly, by their role, into three: “those that tell the origin of the gods,” “the heroic epics,” and “those that compile the myths.”
Listing the major original texts gives the following.
| Original text | Author | Date | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theogony | Hesiod | c. 700 BC | Article 1 (origin of the gods) |
| Works and Days | Hesiod | c. 700 BC | Article 1 (origin of the gods) |
| Iliad | Homer | c. 8th century BC | Article 2 (the Trojan War) |
| Odyssey | Homer | c. 8th century BC | Article 3 (journey home) |
| The Library (Bibliotheca) | Apollodorus | c. 1st–2nd century AD | Article 4 (hero tales) |
| Metamorphoses | Ovid | c. AD 8 | Article 4 (myth compilation) |
Now, let me introduce what each article explains.
Article 1: The Origin and Genealogy of the Gods (Hesiod)
The first part of the series, based on Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, explains how the world and the gods were born.
It covers in detail the birth of the world from Chaos, the three generational successions running from Uranus → Cronus → Zeus, the great war with the Titans, the “Titanomachy,” and the lineup and roles of the twelve Olympian gods. It also explains myths concerning the origin of humankind, such as Prometheus’s fire and “Pandora’s box,” and the five ages of man.
Article 2: Homer’s “Iliad” (the Trojan War)
The second part of the series explains Homer’s epic “Iliad” (24 books), following the flow of its text.
It richly explains everything from the outbreak of the Trojan War, beginning with the goddesses’ “Judgment of Paris,” through the wrath and withdrawal of the hero Achilles, the death of his friend Patroclus, the single combat with Hector, and on to the famous “Trojan Horse” and the city’s fall as told in the Epic Cycle.
Article 3: Homer’s “Odyssey” (the Journey Home)
The third part of the series explains Homer’s other epic, the “Odyssey” (24 books).
Following the story’s structure, it explains the 10-year journey home of the cunning Odysseus, who contends with monsters such as the one-eyed giant Polyphemus and the Sirens as he heads for home, and his return in disguise and revenge on the suitors.
Article 4: Hero Tales and Myth Compilations (Apollodorus, Ovid)
The fourth part of the series, based on Apollodorus’s The Library, which systematically compiles the myths, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, explains the many hero tales and transformation myths.
It introduces the “Twelve Labors” of the greatest hero, Heracles, one by one, and also covers Perseus, who slays Medusa; Theseus, who fights the monster of the labyrinth; the voyage of the Argo in quest of the Golden Fleece; the tragic king Oedipus; and transformation tales such as Daphne and Narcissus.
Article 5: Greek Tragedy (the Three Great Tragedians)
The fifth part of the series explains “Greek tragedy,” myth performed in the theater.
It covers the masterpieces of the three great tragedians: the “Oresteia” trilogy, which breaks the chain of revenge by law; “Oedipus Rex” and “Antigone,” which defy fate; “Medea,” the betrayed woman; and “The Bacchae,” on divine wrath.
To Learn More
Conclusion
In this article, I introduced the big picture of Greek mythology’s original texts and what the five articles of the series cover. How was it?
Greek mythology has no single scripture like the Bible; its whole picture emerges by combining classics of differing character — “the origin of the gods,” “the heroic epics,” and “hero tales / myth compilations.”
In addition, the plays of the “three great tragedians” — Aeschylus’s Oresteia, Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, Euripides’s Medea — are also important original texts that hand down the myths to today.
Besides Greek mythology, I also explain the original texts of Japanese, Norse, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian mythology, and Christianity (the Bible). For the full list, see the complete index of the world’s myths and religions.
For the strength of the gods and heroes of Greek mythology, please use this ranking article as a reference too.
I hope you’ll read the next article too.
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📚 Series: The Original Texts of Greek Mythology (1/6)
