Scylla: The Sea Monster Who Was Made From a Goddess and Cannot Be Killed
Scylla is one of the most precisely described monsters in Greek mythology. She has twelve feet, six necks, each neck […]
Ancient Mythology
Ancient Mythology
Ancient Mythology: The Stories That Shaped the World
Before history was written down, it was told. The great mythological traditions of the ancient world were not simply entertainment or primitive attempts to explain natural phenomena. They were the frameworks through which entire civilisations understood their place in the universe, the nature of their gods, the obligations of the living to the dead, and the rules that governed everything from the weather to the proper conduct of war. They were serious business, and they deserve to be treated as such.
This section covers the major mythological traditions of the ancient world. At present the coverage is deepest in Greek mythology, which has the largest body of content on the site, but the section will expand over time to include Norse, Chinese, Native American, and other traditions as that content develops. Each tradition is covered on its own terms rather than filtered through the lens of the popular culture versions that have accumulated around them, because the original material is almost always stranger, richer, and more interesting than any adaptation has managed to convey.
The articles here are written for people who want to understand what the myths actually said, who the figures in them actually were, and why the civilisations that produced them considered these stories worth preserving across centuries. Browse by subcategory below, or explore the articles directly.
King Midas: The Golden Touch, the Donkey Ears, and What the Tradition Actually Says About Desire
King Midas appears in two separate Greek myths that are not directly connected to each other but that between them
Narcissus and Echo: The Origin of Narcissism and One of the Most Psychologically Precise Myths in the Tradition
Narcissus was the most beautiful young man in Greece and he knew it. He rejected every person who fell in
Icarus and Daedalus: The Labyrinth Builder, the Wax Wings, and the Boy Who Flew Too High
Daedalus was the greatest craftsman and inventor in Greek mythology. He built the Labyrinth that contained the Minotaur. He made
The Judgement of Paris: The Beauty Contest That Started the Trojan War
The Trojan War began at a wedding. Peleus and Thetis were married, and all the gods were invited except Eris,
Theseus: The Hero Who Killed the Minotaur, Built Athens, and Made Almost Every Wrong Personal Decision
Theseus is the national hero of Athens, the founder-king whose mythology explains what Athens was and what it stood for.
Demeter: The Goddess of the Harvest Whose Grief Created Winter
Demeter is the goddess of grain, agriculture, and the fertility of the earth. She is one of the most important
Hephaestus: The Divine Craftsman Who Made Everything Worth Having in Greek Mythology
Hephaestus is the god of fire and the forge, the divine craftsman of the Greek pantheon, and the maker of
Ares: The Greek God of War That Nobody Actually Liked, Including His Own Parents
Ares is the god of war in Greek mythology, and he is one of the least respected figures on Olympus
Jason and the Argonauts: The Golden Fleece, Medea, and the Quest That Went Wrong After It Succeeded
The quest for the Golden Fleece is one of the great adventure narratives of Greek mythology: a hero, a ship