Why do i have to start with the greeks?

>>8694506
You don't have to but they created the foundations of a lot of common English storytelling tropes/structures and have had an enduring presence in the imaginations of artists throughout history.

>>8694506
Is there any chart about the Romans?

>>8694535
it's the chart about the greeks

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>>8694535
yeah

>>8694530
Wouldn't I already be familiar with said storytelling then? I've read a lot of non-ancient stuff.

What sort of tropes/structure?

The shit is amazing. Why wouldn't you want to start with them. They laid the groundwork for western civilization. Plus a lot of it is comfy as fuck.

>>8694546
Thanks!

So many starting with the greeks, and they don't even know where they're going...

But hey at least it's a road, right?

>>8694559
>>8694552
>>8694541
>>8694530

To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's

>>8694506
>not starting with the Sumerians (The Epic of Gilgamesh

Which is better, Bibliotheca by Appolodorus or Edith Hamiltons Mythology?

The Iliad is the shit
You'll be glad

>>8694953
Edith Hamilton's Mythology. Bibliotheca only gets mentioned by not-serious elitists, it requires the reader to know somewhat of greek mythology and his current time, and is just a compilation summary of the myths he heard. Edith Hamilton designs her book for the modern audience who isn't familiar with Greek myth and gives a consistent and thorough chronological (albeit short) introduction to the anthropology of mainly Western pagan myths. It's not a big-boy book that you read after reading a bunch of Greek myths and poems, nor is some anthropological book to give a concise discussion on myths in general; but it's purpose is to mainly help readers just getting into Greco-Roman myth (although it has sections on Mesopotamian and Germanic and Nordic myths).

Don't get caught up with other introductions to Greek-Roman myth. If you already have someone elses' (like Robert Graves) that's fine, but there's really no point of getting anything other than Edith's Mythology. The point of such books is just to make it easier for you to learn the primary gods and heros then getting you involved in the chronological canon of myths without having you trip-over all the references to other myths or backgrounds like you will probably experience if you just try to rely on Wikipedia articles before diving into something like the Iliad.

No one is stopping you from reading all of the books in that image.

you can go ahead and read Homer without Edith Hamilton.
If you know nothing of the Iliad, read this backstory page.
http://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/arch/iliad/IliadGuide01.html

>>8696381
>ucsd
ayyyyy

>>8694951
>not starting with the creation epic

>>8694748
>one's own way
nice meme

>>8694951
>Not starting with cave paintings

>>8694506
How come nobody ever fucking mentions the scholastics?
Oh that's right this is the elliot rodger fan forum.

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>>8694506

>>8694506
2bh you can only really call yourself a smug elitist if you drop the translations and learn ancient greek

>>8696633
I don't understand

>>8694506

Because philosophy is successive, each idea follows another, each idea is examined and either refuted or added to, leading to new ways. The Greeks have the distinction of laying the foundations western philosophic thought and have some of the oldest extant writings and teachings.

>>8698130
i went there

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>>8694546
to be fair, you can get away with just reading Metamorphosis, Aenied, and the Gallic War (as well as the stoic stuff if you're interested) as long as you have a good understanding of Roman History. I hear there's some good podcasts about Rome that go through it's history too, had a good conversation with a friend who's listening through them now.

>right now I'm depressed because they're going through this bad streak of emperors, and now its like if a guy doesn't completely fuck it up they praise him

why are historical conversations so based?

>>8694748
Thanks for the aphorism. I'm sure we're all better for it.

Also, arguable.

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>>8694506
You don't.
You could also Rise With The Russians.