Griffins, Cyclopes, Monsters, and Giants - these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts of the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than fictions? This is the arresting and original idea that Adrienne Mayor explores in The First Fossil Hunters. Through careful research and documentation, she shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact - in ancient people's discoveries of the enormous bones of long-extinct dinosaurs, mastodons, and other animals that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.
Amazons--fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world--were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons. But just who were these bold barbarian archers on horseback who gloried in fighting, hunting, and sexual freedom? Were Amazons real? In this deeply researched, wide-ranging, and lavishly illustrated book, National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor presents the Amazons as they have never been seen before. This is the first comprehensive account of warrior women in myth and history across the ancient world, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Great Wall of China.
Amazons--fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world--were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general
Traces the story of how ancient cultures envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices and human enhancements, sharing insights into how the mythologies of the past related to and shaped ancient machine innovations.
Claiming Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia as ancestors, Mithradates,
the ruthless king and visionary rebel who challenged the power of Rome in the
first century BC, inherited a wealthy Black Sea kingdom at age fourteen after
his mother poisoned his father. This title tells the story of Mithradates.
Beginning in the East, with its Ice Age monsters, and ending in the West,
where dinosaurs lived and died, this richly illustrated and elegantly written
book examines the discoveries of enormous bones in North America and uses of
fossils for medicine, hunting magic, and spells.
With the news full of talk about bioterrorism and chemical weapons, Mayor's exploration of the origins of biological and unethical warfare is an attention-grabber that follows through with fascinating illustrative episodes.
Traces the story of how ancient cultures envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices and human enhancements, sharing insights into how the mythologies of the past related to and shaped ancient machine innovations.
A treasury of astonishing mythic marvels--and the surprising truths behind themAdrienne Mayor is renowned for exploring the borders of history, science, archaeology, anthropology, and popular knowledge to find historical realities and scientific insights--glimmering, long-buried nuggets of truth--embedded in myth, legends, and folklore. Combing through ancient texts and obscure sources, she has spent decades prospecting for intriguing wonders and marvels, historical mysteries, diverting anecdotes, and hidden gems from ancient, medieval, and modern times. Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a treasury of fifty of her most amazing and amusing discoveries.The book explores such subjects as how mirages inspired legends of cities in the sky; the true identity of winged serpents in ancient Egypt; how ghost ships led to the discovery of the Gulf Stream; and the beauty secrets of ancient Amazons. Other pieces examine Arthur Conan Doyle's sea serpent and Geronimo's dragon; Flaubert's obsession with ancient Carthage; ancient tattooing practices; and the strange relationship between wine goblets and women's breasts since the times of Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette. And there's much, much more.Showcasing Mayor's trademark passion not to demythologize myths, but to uncover the fascinating truths buried beneath them, Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a wonder cabinet of delightful curiosities.
Schon die alten Griechen haben den Traum vom künstlichen Leben geträumt. Jahrhunderte, bevor moderne Technologien die Erfindung von Maschinen ermöglichten, haben Menschen sich Roboter vorgestellt und sogar die ersten automatisierten Geräte erfunden. Adrienne Mayor wirft einen völlig ungewohnten Blick auf die scheinbar vertrauten Mythen der Antike.
