classical mythology
Greek and Roman
Classical mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece and Rome—stories of gods like Zeus and Jupiter, heroes like Hercules and Odysseus, and monsters like the Minotaur.
These narratives explain natural phenomena, human nature, and cosmic order.
The term distinguishes Greco-Roman myths from Norse, Egyptian, or other mythological traditions.
Classical mythology pervades Western art, literature, and language: The Achilles' heel reference comes from classical mythology.
- HermesOlympian messenger deity
- winged sandalsMythical flying shoes
- HeraclesGreek demigod, twelve labors
- twelve laborsTwelve arduous undertakings
- ZeusGreek sky god
Greek gods · Minotaur · Cerberus · mortal realm · Mount Olympus · Athena · Odysseus · Theseus · hero's journey · Medusa · epic · Apollo · Hades · hubris · Artemis · Olympians · Aphrodite · Troy
- classicsHomer, Iliad, the Iliad, Odyssey, the Odyssey
- Renaissance artMichelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian
- personificationsMother Nature, Father Time, Grim Reaper, Lady Luck, Lady Justice
- British ArtBritish painters, Tate, David Hockney, Tate Gallery, Francis Bacon
- DanteDivine Comedy, Inferno, Dante, Paradiso, Beatrice
- French theaterRacine, Tartuffe, classical tragedy, Andromache, Horace
classical mythologyNorse mythology
Scandinavian pagan religion
Egyptian mythology · Hindu mythology · Chinese mythology · Celtic mythology · Japanese mythology
classical mythologymodern science
Post-Enlightenment systematic investigation
science · history · scientific knowledge · evolutionary biology · physics
classical mythologymodern fiction
Recent imaginative prose works
contemporary literature · science fiction · documentary · realism · secular humanism