Classical Mythology

This offering from the Modern Scholars series advances the proposition that Roman mythology deserves more attention. Sure, it owes much to the Greeks, Professor Meinek asserts in a London accent, but its variations, additions, and interpolations speak volumes about Roman culture, upon which so much of ours derives. Working extemporaneously from notes, punctuating his remarks with revolting lip-smacking, the author rattles on, unable to inculcate us with his enthusiasm. He makes a potentially fascinating subject dull. He also forgets to give us essential information; for instance, he mentions that the Romans imbued Mars with more importance than the Greeks did Ares but fails to mention that they're equivalent. The attractive accompanying brochure could use some additional proofreading. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

In 14 lectures, Professor Meineck treats listeners to the energy and humanity that characterize the stories at the basis of our cultural heritage. He begins with the Olympian theogony, drawing especially on Hesiod, and then jumps into the stories of Homer and the dramatists, showing how their works expressed the history, politics, and religion of the culture and created the Greeks' sense of themselves. Each lecture begins with a deliberate pace. But as it develops, the professor's excitement increases, his pace quickens, and his Cockney accent sharpens markedly. The listener, like Odysseus, rolls through mysterious but carefully charted seas with the acclaimed professor, like the goddess Athena, guiding the ship. It's a fascinating journey made even more accessible by a thorough companion text, notes, and a bibliography. P.E.F. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine