Mythology : timeless tales of gods and heroes / Edith Hamilton ; illustrated by Jim Tierney.

Originally published: Boston : Little, Brown, ©1942.

Includes index.

Introduction to classical mythology -- Part One . Gods, the creation, and the earliest heroes -- The Gods -- The two Great Gods of earth -- How the world & mankind were created -- The earliest heroes -- Part Two. Stories of love and adventure -- Cupid and Psyche -- Eight brief tales of lovers -- The quest of the golden fleece -- Four great adventures -- Part Three. Great heroes before the Trojan War -- Perseus -- Theseus -- Hercules -- Atalanta -- Part Four. Heroes of the Trojan War -- The trojan war -- The fall of Troy -- The adventures of Odysseus -- The adventures of Aeneas -- Part Five. Great families of mythology -- The house of Atreus -- The royal house of Thebes -- The royal house of Athens -- Part Six. Less important myths -- Midas - and others -- Brief myths arranged alphabetically -- Part Seven. Mythology of the Norsemen -- Introduction to Norse mythology -- The stories of Signy & Sigurd -- The Norse Gods -- Genealogical tables.

Monsters, mortals, gods, and warriors: For over sixty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago-and still spellbinding to this day.