Who was Pandora and what was in her famous box? How did Achillesget his Achilles heel? What exactly is a Titan? And why is one computervirus known as a Trojan horse?<br /><br />The myths of ancient Greece and Rome can seem bewilderinglycomplex, yet they are so much a part of modern life and discoursethat most of us know fragments of them. This comprehensive companiontakes these fragments and weaves them into an accessible andenjoyable narrative, guiding the reader through the basic stories ofclassical myth.<br /><br />Philip Matyszak explains the sequences of events and introducesthe major plots and characters, from the origins of the world andthe labors of Hercules to the Trojan War and the voyages of Odysseusand Aeneas. He brings to life an exotic cast of heroes and monsters,wronged women and frighteningly arbitrary yet powerful gods. Healso shows how the stories have survived and greatly influenced laterart and culture, from Renaissance painting and sculpture to modernopera, literature, movies, and everyday products.