How Accurate Is 'Mythos' Compared To Original Greek Myths?

Question

Reading 'Mythos' by Stephen Fry, and his retellings are so vivid, but I wonder how much is embellished versus faithful to the ancient Greek myths. Any insights?

Neori Momo · Answer

This is a modern re-telling of a classic web serial ‘Mythos’ and is not strictly academic in its interpretation of the original stories and characters. There are many differences in the motivations and timelines of characters for example, but that can also be fun in its own right. Another story playing with divine lore is ‘Raised By Gods’ which follows the life of a mortal child brought up by a group of bickering gods. The humor in this story stems largely from the ways in which the characters’ dysfunction affects the myths of the gods.

Gracie · Answer

I read ‘Mythos’ by Stephen Fry as well as read through the original Greek myths. Although Fry has remained true to the core of the myths in ‘Mythos’, there are a number of things that he has adapted to ensure that the book runs as a story rather than as a collection of myths. Fry’s retelling of the Greek myths includes many personal anecdotes and comments as well as numerous instances of humor, especially of the modern kind. Where he has dealt with complex genealogies between the Titans he has sometimes had to simplify them in order to convey the information. Also there are occasions where he has merged two minor myths in order to make a point. There is, however, nothing that he has written regarding the huge conflicts such as the Titanomachy and the release of Pandora’s box of evils upon the world. If you want pure myth then ‘Theogony’ is better, but if you want myths with a wink then ‘Mythos’ is better.

Ian · Answer

'Mythos' by Greg Bryon Fry is a great book that tries to balance accessibility and fidelity to the ancient texts. The personalities of the Olympians are pretty close to traditional portrayals of them – Ares is a warmonger, Aphrodite is very, very charming etc… The dialogues between the two though are written in a really witty and contemporary style. The book also effectively plots out the major storylines such as the travails of Prometheus and the Abduction of Persephone, though it omits many of the regional variations (Dionysus’s origins for example are quite contentious in myth).

This is as opposed to Ovid's Metamorphoses, which is even more accurate but not a good gateway into Greek mythology. By softening some of the sharper edges of the ancient stories, and generally approaching them with a far more positive tone than the source material had, Greek Mythos is stellar as a gateway into Greek mythology. It also links these very old stories to modern themes very effectively – Athena's birth from Zeus' head as an instance of the 'eureka' moment and the creative solution to a problem that we all have from time to time, for example.

Valeria · Answer

Reading ‘Mythos’ by Loki’s side felt like being regaled with old stories by a good friend. The main events of Greek mythology are there: Odysseus outwitting the Cyclops, Icarus flying too close to the sun. However, Fry’s talent with language has re-presented these ancient tales in a fresh and individual voice, incorporating some psychological insights which are not to be found in Ovid’s versions of the same stories, particularly with the tragic tale of Echo and Narcissus. He recounts the cosmic events of Greek mythology too. Furthermore, he has managed to develop and convey the intricate messy love life of Zeus as well as the other gods – in a coherent and manageable way to read about.

One of the greatest things about Fry’s book of mythology is that he lavishes as much attention to lesser known stories and figures as to the very best known ones – so we get lots of wonderful tales about the Judgement of Paris as well as out of the way nymphs like Daphne. The book is not a strict line by line retelling of the ancient myths – in some cases Fry will favor a Roman version of a myth over a Greek one for example – and so will not be of use to those purists looking for a strictly accurate retelling of the ancient tales. For everyone else though, it is unmatched – a brilliant way to get into the spirit of the stories. Other books that capture the essence of characters in ancient myths are Madeline Miller’s ‘Circe’ for starters.

Erme Rojas · Answer

One of the book’s greatest strengths as a narrative is also its greatest weakness as historical accuracy: it is coherent. The original myths were a patchwork, often contradictory and fragmentary. In order to construct a single narrative, Fry must take many passages and smooth over their differences. The resulting single narrative is far more satisfying than the original chaotic mess of myth, but it is less accurate as a depiction of the plural, varied, often contradictory ancient traditions from which it sprang. A single, clear story is better for beginners than the mass of conflicting material that scholars must wade through, but it is an oversimplification none the less.

Tn hargreeves · Answer

This is a great supplementary textbook, it is highly recommended for generating interest and giving students a narrative account of ancient myths. However, as with any primary source, it should not be substituted for students’ reading of said source, as well as other neutral summaries and accounts of the myths. A student could easily come away with the Fry version of a particular myth, and as a result it would be best to use this textbook outside of the classroom as supplementary reading for self-study or purely for pleasure. The writer successfully portrays the glorious human flaws of the ancient gods and heroes and helps readers feel that they have encountered each of the main characters in the book, thereby coming away with a far better understanding than they would have received from a list of all of the ‘facts’ about the myths of ancient peoples. In the long run such a ‘taking on board’ of these stories in this way will no doubt prove to be far more valuable than the correction of simple facts for the continuation of the stories of these long-dead cultures.

Lisa Dickens · Answer

A note on comparing ‘Mythos’ by Brian Frye to the ‘original’ Greek myths. The Greek myths were oral traditions for centuries, and therefore were changing all the time with every new storyteller, region, and time period. So, when you talk about the ‘accuracy’ of ‘Mythos’ it is always important to ask, ‘accuracy to what source?’ Frye is using the works of Hesiod, Homer, the Athenian playwrights, and the Roman poets of the Augustan Age, among others. He gets the major stories right – Prometheus gives fire to man, Pandora’s box is opened, and Zeus engages in many affairs. The inaccuracy of ‘Mythos’ (and it is hard to call it that) is mostly a function of the tone and connecting material that Frye supplies in abundance. Much of the connecting material is quite modern and uses contemporary psychology to make clear motivations that in the ‘originals’ are often less than clear. All in all, Frye is presenting his readers with a carefully curated view of a very old and very messy canon.

How Accurate Is 'Mythos' Compared To Original Greek Myths?

7 Answers

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