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Homer (c. 800
BC)
Homer
A blind Greek poet from the 9th or 8th century BC, who introduced the Greek myth in the ancient literature. His major works are the Iliad, which describes the last year of the Trojan war, and the Odyssey, in which the adventures of Odysseus after the Trojan war are given. Homer's works are regarded not only as the oldest, but also the richest sources for studying Greek mythology.
Hesiod (700 or 770 BC)
Greek poet, whose work Theogony is the oldest systematic Greek mythology. Theogony, apart from giving the genealogy of the gods, also covers the creation of the world (cosmogony). Hesiod's other works include the poem Works and Days and a short epic called the Shield of Heracles.
Greek poet. From his works survived only the Epinicea, which consists of triumphal odes written to celebrate athletic victories. These odes also venerate gods and include myths about them.
Greek geographer who was the author of the book Description of Greece. In his book, he describes in detail what he saw when he travelled through Greece, and visited Athens, Delphi, Olympia and other famous Greek cities. The book gives valuable information about classical art, customs and religion.
Famous Greek dramatist. He wrote about 90 plays (tragedies and satyr plays) with themes from the mythology, but only seven have survived. His most important work is the trilogy Oresteia (Agamemnon, Choephoroe and Eumenides), in which he dramatizes the period from Agamemnon's return from Troy and murder, to Orestes' matricide and purification. Among other Aeschylus' works, the famous are Seven Against Thebes and Prometheus Bound.
Euripides (c. 485 - 406 BC)
Euripides
Famous Athenian tragedian. From about 75 tragedies and satyr plays he wrote, only 17 have survived. His famous plays with mythological themes are: Alcestis, Andromache, The Bacchae, Electra, The Phoenician Women, Hecuba, Helen, Heracles, The Children of Heracles, Hippolytus, Iphigenia at Aulis, Iphigenia in Tauris, Ion, Medea, Orestes and The Trojan Women.
Sophocles (c. 496 - 406 BC)
Sophocles
Great tragic dramatist of ancient Greece. He wrote about 123 plays, of which only seven have survived. His famous tragedies with mythological themes are: Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Trachinian Women, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus.
Apollonius Rhodius (c. 295 - 230 BC)
Famous Greek poet. In his epic in four books Argonautica, he describes the voyage of the Argonauts.
The great Roman poet. In his epic poem the Aeneid ("the story of Aeneas") he describes the wanderings of Aeneas from Troy to Italy.
The Roman poet. His greatest poetic achievement is The Metamorphoses, in 15 books, in which he described about 250 Greek myths.