A Genealogical Chart of Greek Mythology

Foreword by Timothy Gantz

A Genealogical Chart of Greek Mythology

272 pp., 16 x 10.75, appends., index

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-8078-2790-1
    Published: June 2003

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Awards & distinctions

A 2003 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

This unique work is the first comprehensive genealogical chart of virtually all of the named figures of Greek mythology that can be shown to be related. The product of more than 35 years of research, the book includes a 72-page continuous chart that links 3,673 named figures into a single "family tree" spanning 20 generations and an 80-page index that provides a citation to an authoritative ancient source for each relationship.

The genealogy begins with Chaos and--based on works by Hesiod, Homer, Aeschylus, Pindar, Bacchylides, Herodotus, Euripides, Apollodorus, Pausanias, Diodorus Siculus, and scores of other ancient poets, playwrights, and writers--continues down through the Titans, the gods, legendary kings, and such well-known figures of literature as Odysseus, Jason, Antigone, and Helen of Troy, as well as hundreds of obscure figures, including their spouses, paramours, children, and descendants.

The chart shows all of the known relationships--parental, marital, and extramarital--of each figure. In addition to furnishing a citation for each relationship, the index provides brief descriptive information and indicates the quadrant and page of the continuous chart where the relationship is depicted. A two-page master chart illustrates the relationships among the principal figures.

About the Authors

The late Harold Newman was a lawyer and author of four dictionaries in the field of decorative arts.
For more information about Harold Newman, visit the Author Page.

Jon O. Newman is a federal appellate judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City. He lives in Connecticut.
For more information about Jon O. Newman, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

"Exhaustive. . . . Embrace[s] the entirety of Greek myth. . . . The layout and typography are of quite stunning complexity and elegance. The ingenuity, research, decision-making and interminable grind at intractable (and often incompatible) testimony that ha[s] gone into [this] truly Herculean labor almost def[ies] comprehension."—Los Angeles Times Book Review

"A surprisingly happy book to use."—Times Literary Supplement

"This book [is] an indespensable tool for every classicist who works in the field of mythology. It should find its way on the shelves of each Classics department as a standard reference book."—Scholia Reviews

"The Newmans' chart . . . should be in any collection supporting research in classical studies.—CHOICE

"A major contribution to our understanding of how ancient Greeks organized the vast corpus of figures constituting what we call Greek mythology. . . . I am quite grateful to have it at my disposal."—Timothy Gantz

"A unique reference resource, invaluable to those working with Greek mythology. A must-purchase for college and research libraries."—Jeffrey Kaimowitz, Watkinson Library, Trinity College