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The Mycenaean Origin of Greek Mythology
By Martin P. Nilsson
[1932, copyright not renewed]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, January 2006. This text is in the
public domain in the United States because it was not renewed at
the US Copyright Office in a timely fashion as required by law.
These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided
this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies.
Chapter I. How Old is Greek Mythology?
The myths in literature, 1. Comparative mythology, 2. Euhemerism, 3. Historical school of mythology, 5. Mythology and epics, 8. The Homeric question, 10. Archaeological and historic evidence, 12. Comparative study of epics, 15. Development of epics, 16. The epical technique, 18. Mycenaean origin of Greek epics, 21. Its development, 23. Mycenaean origin of myths, 26. Myths in Mycenaean art, 31.
Chapter II. Mycenaean Centers and Mythological Centers
Chapter II: Introduction
1. Argolis
Mycenaean sites 36. Perseus 40. Danae 42. Atreus 43. Pelops 44. Agamemnon 45. Agamemnon as a god 46, in Asia Minor 48. Tiryns 50. Bellerophon 51. Ionia in mythology 54. Allies of the Trojans 55. Lycians and Cilicians 57. Greeks in S. Asia Minor 59. The Proetides 62. Io 63. Argos 63. The Danaides 64.
2. Laconia
Laconia in the Mycenaean age 68. Agamemnon at Sparta 69. Helen 73. Hyacinthus 76. The Dioscuri 76. The Apharetidae 78.
3. The Dominion of Pylos
Messenia etc. in the Mycenaean age 79 Nestor's Pylos 82. The Seven Cities 84. The Minyans 86. The Pylian epos 87.
4. The Rest of the Peloponnese
Mycenaean remains; myths 90. Myths of Olympia 91.
5. The Ionian Islands
Ithaca 95. Odysseus and the Cephallenians 96. Cycle of Odysseus 99.
6. Southern Boeotia
Mycenaean remains 100. Thebes 101. Oedipus 102. The War of the Seven 106. Adrastus 113. Amphiaraus 115. Tydeus 116. Capaneus 117. The cycle of the Seven 118. The Epigonoi 120. Cadmus 120. Foundation myths 122. Amphion and Zethus 124. Cadmus the Phoenician 126.
7. Northern Boeotia and Thessaly
Orchomenus 127. Gla 128. The Minyans and Orchomenus 129. Athamas 133. The Argonauts 136. Mycenaean remains around Iolcus 137. The Minyans in Thessaly 139. Tyro 141. The Minyans and Pylos 142. The league of Calaureia 144. Aulis 145. The Minyans as traders 146. Delphi 148. Trade 148. Other tribes 150. Decline of Minyan power 151. Colonization of Ionia 153. Achilles 156. The Centaurs 158.
8. Attica
Mycenaean remains 159. Mythical kings, etc. 162. Theseus 163. Birth and youth 165. Troezen 167. The Marathonian bull 169. The rape of Helen 170. The abduction of Ariadne 171, of Persephone 173. Peirithous 174. The Labyrinth 175. The Minotaur 176. Minos 177.
9. Conclusion
Argolis 181. Midea 182. Other provinces of the Peloponnese 182. Central Greece 184. Calydon 186.
Chapter III. Heracles
The cycle of Heracles 188. Names of personages in folk-tale and in myth 189. Localization of myths 192. Cults of Heracles 193. Alleged Heracles epos 194. Classification of myths 195. The praxeis 196. Homeric myths 198. The strong man 201. The fight with Death 203. The apotheosis 205. Localization at Thebes and at Tiryns 206. Eurystheus' vassal 209. Cycles of Labors 211. The Labors 213. Character of the Labors 217. Conclusion 219.
Chapter IV. Olympus
The Pantheon in various peoples 221. The Greek State of the Gods 222. The fifth book of the Iliad 225. The mountain of the Gods 228. The Heavens 229. Why the Gods dwell on Olympus 230. Thessalian origin of epics 232. The tagos 233. Mt. Olympus 234. Olympus pre-Greek 236. The Mycenaean kingship 238. The King of the Gods 234. The State of the Gods 248.