The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion

Book Overview

Drawn from the acclaimed Oxford Classical Dictionary, The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion offers a fully rounded guide to all aspects of religious life and thought in ancient Greece and Rome. Highly authoritative, this new book covers not only Greek mythologies and Roman festivals, but also devotes attention to topics such as Greek and Roman religious places, monuments, authors and texts, religious organization, imagery, divination, astrology, and magic. Unlike many other references on ancient Greece and Rome, the Dictionary also includes many entries on Judaism and Christianity in the classical world.
The editors, area advisors for the third edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary, have selected, revised, edited, and in some instances completely recast a large number of entries from the OCD to create this handy and accessible reference. The main text is supplemented by an important introductory essay providing overviews of mythology, religious pluralism in the ancient world, and the reception of myths from antiquity to the present. In addition to a helpful thematic index and extensive cross-references, the text is further supported by three maps and six genealogies.
Backed by the authority and scholarly rigor of the renowned Oxford Classical Dictionary, The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion is a valuable A-Z reference and is as ideal a tool for students and teachers of ancient history as it is for all classics lovers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192802887
• ISBN13: 9780192802880
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 599 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 9.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Exelent for the novise. Very recomendeble

Useful Reference, Fascinating Read

No doubt this book was intended as a reference work and will be used as such by those who purchase it, for the most part. But, being the rather rum fellow that I am, I read the book from cover to cover and must report that it makes a dashed good read, at least for the peculiar bunch who, like myself, enjoy reading through such compilations. Just one fascinating example: I should never have known, had I not read through the work, that, according to ancient folklore, "A man who sees them becomes possessed by nymphs. They punish unresponsive lovers...." or that "Around 400 BC inscriptions mention Archedemus from Thera....who withdrew to a cave to devote himself to a monklike worship of the Nymphs." Clearly, entries like these prove rich ground for pondering male/female relations. And this is just one example! The perfect book for the Classicist near you....or perhaps yourself.