/dup/ - btfo

I recently read The Greek Myths (1955) by Robert Graves together with my Orthodox Christian discord server group.

Given the extent to which Greek mythology has influenced Western culture, art, and literature, I had what in hindsight were excessively high expectations of it, most of my knowledge having previously been from reading on it as a lad in the condensed versions found in encyclopedias. For a book with such salacious details and barbarities, you would think it would be at the very least, engaging, but, no, I found this to be a real plod to get through. It tends to relate each tale in a meandering way, then Graves explains the background and naturalistic explanations behind the myth. It's ok, but it's not great. In addition, it's hard to tell how much of Graves' explanations are based upon facts and research or merely upon his own conjectures. As far as the Greek heroes and heroines, frankly, I was disappointed -- most seemed lustful, cruel, capricious, petulant, and arbitrary - their primary claim to greatness being great feats of strength or great beauty more than any really great character or integrity. The Greek gods, who guide and influence most of the events in these myths, not only are no better than their human counterparts -- they are worse. Zeus, for example, far from coming across as the Supreme Being and Leader of the Gods, is more a lustful old goat, using his powers to sate his own incontinent desires and to unjustly and cruelly inflict his power upon his lessors based more upon whims and caprice instead of any standard of morality or ultimate justice. The same applies to the lesser Greek gods as well. Given the degenerate nature of Greek mythology and ancient Greek pagan religion, I finish this first volume convinced that Greco-Roman culture succeeded for as long as it did more in spite of these than because of them, and can see how the rise of a new faith, Christianity, with its belief in a holy, perfect God eventually supplanted it altogether. In my own mind, after reading this book, it did make me appreciate even the perfection, justice, mercy, and grace of the the one true God - so much in contrast to the weakness, foulness, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Greek pagan pantheon.