/lit/ - Literature

>>17237425
>Do I honestly have to read every page of this before the Iliad?
No, you can read it dishonestly too.
You also don't need it before Homer if you're not an absolute retard who knows nothing about Greek mythology and can't check the notes if some part or name from Homer confuses you.

You don't. They didn't have to take a look into their "mythology" from the outside, they lived in it. Zeus? He's real. Athena? She did come from his head and she is wise. You didn't really need to read the Bible to know enough of Christianity to understand it's influence. A reference to their bloodline here, another to their children there, it's already in your head, probably from way back in school. Kids fucking love myths, I may not remember the labors of Hercules, but I do remember that I was entertained by the idea.

I'm halfway through the Iliad (Fagles), by the way. Don't distract yourself with a dry book when you're planning to get into an ancient shounen.

>>17237425
Maybe just make a list of characters to follow if you get confused. Learning mythology is fun to do by diving into the works directly, rather than treating it like a dry scholarly exercise.

>>17237502
Athena is the most based God, followed by Artemis

what are some good books to learn about their gods.
is timeless tales of gods and heroes any goo

Just read theogony. Its really short and provides a good rundown of greek mythology.

>>17237425
You're not going to understand or like the Iliad either way so it doesn't really matter. Anyway,
>starting with the greeks
>by reading a 20th century American

>>17237425
You don’t. I read a very brief overview of greek mythology I copped in a museum way long ago and it did me fine. The articles in that book were wikipedia tier, but it had cool archaeology pictures so it made up for it, just read wikipedia.

>>17237543
Ovid's Metamorphoses

>>17237425
Try the Great Courses lectures on the Iliad from Audible. That's a good intro for your first read. The Fagles translation has a great introduction as well.

just look up the myths as you encounter them. there is (usually) no single tradition for every myth you come across; there have dozens of regional variations, the ones you encounter are just the way Homer/Ovid and misc. decide to represent them in their narrative

*blocks your path*

no, try me instead

Filtered

the only myth that you need to really know about is the judgement of paris and it's after-effects

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgement_of_Paris

>>17237425
I never had any trouble understanding the Iliad (or Odyssey) without prior knowledge of Greek mythology.

Though it helps a lot. The mythology was basically the pop culture of their time, so it's like trying to watch a 1970s movie without a familiarity with the era. You can still get behind it just fine, but having knowledge of the culture and contexts of those eras goes a long way.

>>17237481
>No, you can read it dishonestly too.
XDDDD

>>17237425
Imagine getting filtered by edith fucking Hamilton lol

>>17237425
No, my version of the illiad (pic rel) had useful notes and character descriptions

>>17237828
Planning on reading, does he use greek or latin names of the gods?

>>17239631
Where was Ovid from my nigger

>>17239648
Stfu

>>17239653
Seething

>>17237526
>Artemis
Gib waifu.

>>17239619
Gf gave me this version for Christmas, planning to read it after i finish current book i'm on. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it?

>>17239912
Finished odeyssee last week, it was a good read. I think the samuel butler translation is quite nice although he does use dubious words like 'hitherto' and others like it, also im planning on reading Aenid and Metamorpheses next and Butler didnt translate those so i hope there isnt too much of a difference between the way Butler translates homer and Fagles translates the romans.

All in all a good translation tho and very useful notes.
However Butler has some theories on the the author of the Odyssee that you shouldnt take seriously

>>17239946
Yes im aware i wrote odyssey wrong

>>17237425
I just got the audiobook to listen to while I work. Doesnt waste my reading time.

Yes you have to read every page. Each book is like a level in a video game. Ifmyou try to skip it or speed run there will be consequences down the line

>>17237526
>t. Odysseus

>>17237425
you don't have to do anything you don't want to bb gurl ;)