4 h 52 minAudiobook5 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What kind of world puts gods above the clouds and sends mortals out to face monsters?
In Old Greek Stories, James Baldwin brings the gods and heroes of Greece into plain, lively English. Zeus rules on Mount Olympus, while mortals face dangers that test their courage. Tales of gods, fire and the first humans invite you into a world where the forces of life take the shape of powerful beings.
The stories move from the gods to heroes, monsters and hard tasks. Each tale stands on its own, so you can enter without a guide to Greek myth. Together, they reveal how the Greeks explain fire, the seasons, courage and fate through stories. Baldwin keeps the telling clear and full of wonder.
What you’ll discover
- The gods on Olympus Meet Zeus and the gods whose powers touch the sea, harvest, hunt and home.
- Heroes put to the test Follow mortals as they face monsters, danger and tasks that call for courage.
- Fire and the first humans Explore tales that connect human beginnings with a world ruled by powerful beings.
- Questions shaped into stories Discover how Greek myths give story form to the seasons, courage and fate.
- A clear way into myth Enjoy lively tales that stand alone and lend themselves to reading aloud.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy myths, heroes and monsters will love these connected adventures. They also suit families who read aloud together and enjoy discovering the stories behind familiar names and sayings.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Jupiter wins the sky and ends the Golden Age
- Prometheus brings fire and Pandora opens the casket
- Floods, stones and a weaver teach the cost of pride
- Apollo moves among people and learns kindness
- Cadmus and Perseus set out on daring quests
- Atalanta joins the hunt and Athens faces a choice
- Theseus grows strong and meets Daedalus's world
Who’s who
- PrometheusA Titan whose name means Forethought, he steals fire from the sun to help shivering people.
- PandoraThe clay woman made by the Mighty Folk, she is given many gifts, including curiosity, and a golden casket.
- PerseusA young man who promises a wicked king the head of Medusa and sets out with magic gifts.
- AtalantaRaised by a bear and then by hunters, she is the swiftest huntress in Greece and wants only the woods.
- TheseusA strong young prince from Troezen who seeks his father in Athens and defeats robbers along the way.
- AriadneThe daughter of King Minos, she pities the young captives from Athens and plans to save the bravest of them.
- JupiterKing of the sky and earth, he rules the Mighty Folk and often punishes those who defy him.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 4 h 52 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 5 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Antiche storie greche
by James Baldwin · 1895
Prometheus carries fire from the sun in a hollow reed while Jupiter refuses people even a spark.
Medium level2–5 hours to read25 languages
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In short
What if a woman opens one forbidden casket and lets diseases and worries loose in the world? Old Greek Stories is a collection of tales by James Baldwin, who retells the old myths simply as stories.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Jupiter wins the sky and ends the Golden Age
The book begins with the Mighty Folk who live among the clouds on a high mountain. Jupiter rules sky and earth, his brother Neptune rules the sea, and his pale brother Pluto rules the Lower World of the dead. Around them gather Venus, Athena, Juno, Mars, Mercury and Vulcan, the blacksmith with his forge in a burning mountain.
Before them, the Titans ruled under old King Saturn, and that time was the Golden Age. Spring lasted all year, fruit hung ripe on every tree, nobody worked, and nobody was richer than anybody else. Jupiter, helped by one-eyed Cyclopes and hundred-handed monsters, fought a ten year war and chained the Titans in a prison below the earth.
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What is Old Greek Stories about?
It retells Greek myths as connected tales, from Jupiter and the Golden Age through Prometheus, Perseus and Atalanta to Theseus and the Minotaur, each told as a story with its own heroes and monsters.
Why does the book use Roman and Greek names together?
Baldwin often gives both names, such as Jupiter or Zeus and Neptune or Poseidon. He mostly uses the Roman names for the Mighty Folk. Athena is also introduced as Minerva, but the stories generally call her Athena.
Who are Prometheus and Pandora?
Prometheus is the Titan who steals fire for humankind. Pandora is the woman made by the Mighty Folk, who receives many gifts and a casket she is told never to open.
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