The Story of Myth

With unparalleled audacity and finesse, Sarah Iles Johnston cuts loose from traditional scholarship and connects us with the complicated, mysterious, high-wattage world of Greek myths. How did they gather their power and energize audiences? Johnston shows us how stories about Zeus, Theseus, Arachne, or Hecate not only entertained, engaged, and animated in their time but also did the important cultural work of shaping beliefs and values. -- Maria Tatar, author of <i>Enchanted Hunters</i> and coeditor of <i>The Annotated African American Folktales</i> Why people tell stories based on myths and how they come to believe those stories is central to understanding religion. In this compelling book, Sarah Johnston offers brilliant new analyses of the Greek myths and the stories through which they circulated in the ancient world. It will change the way in which we talk about myths, Greek literature, and religion. -- T. M. Luhrmann, author of <i>When God Talks Back</i> Sarah Johnston has produced a wholly original treatment of ancient Greek mythology. Writing with verve and lucidity, she gives us a new way to understand myth's enduring power to speak to us all. -- Peter Struck, author of <i>Divination and Human Nature</i> The Story of Myth provides a vivid and clear account of how Greek myths engage ancient and modern audiences both cognitively and emotionally. Johnston probes the rich, elaborate evidence found in myths to uncover what the ancient Greeks thought and felt about their world. Using comparisons that range from the ancient myths of other cultures to contemporary movies and television series, Johnston shows parallels in modes of thought and expression while highlighting what makes Greek mythology distinctive. -- Radcliffe Edmonds, author of <i>Myths of the Underworld Journey</i> An excellent overview of Greek myth. -- Robert A. Segal * Times Higher Education * In this elegantly written, meticulously researched volume, Johnston invites the reader to consider how ancient Greek audiences experienced myths and to take seriously the narrative forms, rich with plots and characters (many gods, even more heroes), in which these compositions appeared. * Choice * Entertaining and clarifying. -- Carl Rudbeck * Svenska Dagbladet *