Featuring fresh new translations, this second edition of Classical Myth differs from other texts by putting the divine myths and principal legends of the Greeks and Romans in the contexts - anthropological, historical, religious, sociological, and economic - from which they emerged, including their debt to the ancient Near East. Barry B. Powell presents the classical myths as told by authors from Homer to Vergil, then analyzes and interprets them.

Interspersed are short essays on the later history of the myths and their importance to writers, artists, film-makers, and philosophers down to our own times. The many photographs of ancient works of art show how the myths were visualized. The book concludes with a history of later theories about classical myth, demonstrating their continued importance for us today.