Apollodorus · 1st or 2nd century AD (author uncertain)
The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome
ΒιβλιοθήκηThe Library is a continuous prose summary of Greek myth and heroic legend. In three books it runs from the origin of the gods, through the genealogies of the great Greek families, to the youth of Theseus, where the text breaks off. The Epitome, a shorter later abridgement, takes up the story with Theseus and continues through the house of Pelops, the Trojan War, the returns of the Greek heroes, and the wanderings of Odysseus.
Contents · 44 passages
- 1.1.1–7Uranus, the Titans and the birth of Zeus372 words
- 1.2.1–7Zeus and the Titanomachy; the children of the Titans442 words
- 1.3.1–6Zeus's children, the Muses, Orpheus and the birth of Athena568 words
- 1.4.1–5Leto, Apollo and Artemis; Python, Marsyas and Orion570 words
- 1.5.1–3Demeter and Persephone: Eleusis and Triptolemus359 words
- 1.6.1–3The Giants and Typhon907 words
- 1.7.1–10Prometheus, Deucalion's flood and the family of Hellen1077 words
- 1.8.1–6Oeneus, Meleager and the Calydonian boar1084 words
- 1.9.1–15Athamas, Sisyphus, Salmoneus, Melampus and Admetus1914 words
- 1.9.16–22Jason and the Argonauts: the voyage to Phineus1538 words
- 1.9.23–28Jason and Medea: the Golden Fleece, the return and Corinth1618 words
- 2.1.1–5Inachus, Io and the Danaids1607 words
- 2.2.1–2Acrisius and Proetus; the daughters of Proetus449 words
- 2.3.1–2Bellerophon and the Chimaera308 words
- 2.4.1–5Perseus: Danae, Medusa and Andromeda1369 words
- 2.4.6–12Amphitryon, Alcmene and the youth of Heracles1457 words
- 2.5.1–6The Labours of Heracles (1-6): the Nemean Lion to the Stymphalian Birds1506 words
- 2.5.7–10The Labours of Heracles (7-10): the Cretan Bull to Geryon's Cattle1525 words
- 2.5.11–12The Labours of Heracles (11-12): the Golden Apples and Cerberus1147 words
- 2.6.1–4Heracles, Iphitus and Omphale759 words
- 2.7.1–8Heracles' wars, Deianira and the death of Heracles2012 words
- 2.8.1–5The return of the Heraclids1028 words
- 3.1.1–4Europa, Minos and the birth of the Minotaur778 words
- 3.2.1–2Catreus, Althaemenes and Nauplius344 words
- 3.3.1–2Minos's son Glaucus and the seer Polyidus307 words
- 3.4.1–4Cadmus and the founding of Thebes829 words
- 3.5.1–9Dionysus, Pentheus, Niobe and Oedipus1715 words
- 3.6.1–8The Seven against Thebes1399 words
- 3.7.1–7Creon, Antigone, the Epigoni and Alcmaeon1038 words
- 3.8.1–2Lycaon and his sons; Callisto and the birth of Arcas408 words
- 3.9.1–2Arcas, Auge and Telephus; Atalanta and Melanion534 words
- 3.10.1–9Hermes, Asclepius, Leda and the suitors of Helen1531 words
- 3.11.1–2Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri) and the children of Menelaus324 words
- 3.12.1–7Dardanus, Priam and the royal house of Troy1594 words
- 3.13.1–8Peleus, Thetis and the youth of Achilles911 words
- 3.14.1–8Cecrops, Athena and Poseidon, and the early kings of Athens1319 words
- 3.15.1–3.16.2Erechtheus, Aegeus, Minos's war on Athens and the birth of Theseus1655 words
- E.1.1–24Theseus and the Minotaur; Daedalus, Phaedra and Pirithous1515 words
- E.2.1–16Tantalus, Pelops and the house of Atreus1082 words
- E.3.1–35Paris and Helen; the muster at Aulis and the landing at Troy2303 words
- E.4.1–7The Iliad in brief: Achilles' anger, Patroclus and Hector524 words
- E.5.1–23The death of Achilles, the Wooden Horse and the fall of Troy1431 words
- E.6.1–29The returns from Troy: Nauplius, Agamemnon's murder and Orestes2156 words
- E.7.1–40The wanderings of Odysseus, the suitors and his death2355 words
English translation by Sir James George Frazer (1921). Original text: Sir James George Frazer (ed.), Apollodorus, The Library, 2 vols., Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1921 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).
Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.