Resources — Researching and Writing Greek Mythology
My strongest memory from my time as a Classics student is of writing an essay on the various representations of a minor goddess in Ancient Greek vase paintings. I poured over all sorts of resources, studied images, essays, and even read an entire (albeit, rather short) book on the goddess herself. All for one five-page essay. Can you imagine if I was writing a novel?
It is wonderful to see the outpouring of novels dedicated to the retelling of various goddesses and women from the ancient myths. And one certainly doesn’t have to be a Classics student to love and understand Greek mythology. But, if one wants to write about Greek mythology, as so many are nowadays, then they must do as students do: research. Hopefully, in this article, I can offer some resources that can make the research process much more accessible, and perhaps far less daunting, so that creatives with an interest in writing about these myths can do so armed with all of the knowledge and confidence that they need.
Research always starts with the basics. So, the first thing you should do is identify which myth you want to tackle. But how can you pick one when there are just so many? I recommend starting here: https://www.theoi.com/. This is one of the most organized and in-depth resources that I can offer you. It has every mythical god (major and minor), creature, hero, and constellation that you could possibly want. Not only that, but each page also provides further resources and information on the various versions of the myths. With such a broad reach of information, not only will you likely come across an aspect of Greek mythology that sparks a fire in you, but you will also find everything you need to understand all of the versions of it. Another great website for this foundational research is https://www.thecollector.com/. Each article is written by a certified scholar, and you can find ones on many popular topics about Greek mythology, such as gods, their myths, and their history.
Another factor you should have a solid foundation in are the Creation myths. After all, no matter what mythological figure you have chosen, they will exist within a universe as imagined by the people of that era. One thing you should ask yourself is whether your figure appears more prominently in Greek or Roman mythology as, while Roman mythology borrows heavily from the Greek, the myths don’t always transfer over in the exact same forms. If you are more interested in Greek mythology, I would suggest reading Hesiod’s Theogony: https://www.theoi.com/Text/HesiodTheogony.html. Whereas, if you are interested in Roman mythology, you should absolutely read Ovid’s Metamorphoses: https://www.theoi.com/Text/OvidMetamorphoses1.html. I suggest reading Ovid no matter what: his writing includes tellings of myths that are unfinished in other spaces, or are told differently by the Greeks as compared to the Romans.
These resources are some of the best starting points you can get for research. However, I have to emphasize that the research should by no means stop there. Remember, these myths aren’t just stories: they are relics of history that can inform us about the time and the people who lived in it. Therefore, when you are rewriting or adapting a myth, you are working within a context that is thousands of years old, and is so different from ours today that it wouldn’t make sense to retell it without having the proper context. For example, many Greek and Roman myths take place during wars; through them, we learn what war was like for men, for women, for cities and society as a whole. And they don’t just exist as verbal stories: some myths, especially those that take place during wars, were told on stage as tragedies by playwrights like Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus. So, if you can, read about your chosen myth in all of its contexts, not just the standardized version of their story. Say you are writing about Cassandra. Does Ovid tell us anything about her? What about the ancient tragedies? The Oresteia, a stage trilogy by Aeschylus, will give you even more insight to Cassandra and the contexts of her life. Find out what the scholars say, too. Read about what life looked like for women during war, like in this book on combat trauma in Ancient Greece: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137398864 (I recommend Chapter 8: ‘Women and War in Tragedies’). With this breadth of information, you can write about the society and events through which someone like Cassandra lived much more faithfully.
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to history. Retellings are wonderful, and they can help people feel as though the myths are more accessible. So, the more information you can get your hands on, the better, and more honest your retelling will be. After all, that is what many of these myths are doing: being honest about life, the way people view it, and the harsh realities we face in it. But, above all, remember to enjoy the process, and fall in love with your chosen topic. Happy researching!
Tatianna Kalb, Drama Editor
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