Library of Apollodorus
A comprehensive ancient handbook cataloguing Greek myths, genealogies, and heroic narratives
The Meaning of Library of Apollodorus
The Library, traditionally attributed to Apollodorus of Athens though likely composed in the first or second century CE, is the most systematic mythological compendium to survive from antiquity. It organises Greek myth into a coherent chronological framework, beginning with the primordial gods and the succession of divine rulers, proceeding through the genealogies of the major divine and heroic families, and culminating in the stories of the Trojan War and its aftermath. The text covers the births and deeds of the Olympians, the labours of Heracles, the voyage of the Argonauts, the Theban cycle, and the fate of the house of Atreus. Its value lies not in literary artistry but in its role as a reference work — it preserves countless myth variants and genealogical details found nowhere else. Medieval and Renaissance scholars relied heavily on the Library as their primary guide to Greek mythology, and it remains an essential reference for modern mythographers.
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None recorded
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Fun Fact
The Library preserves myth variants that would otherwise be completely lost, making it the single most important reference work for Greek mythology
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Bibliotheca
💭 conceptLiterature
An alternative title for the mythological handbook attributed to Apollodorus, cataloguing the full scope of Greek myth
Apollodorus
💭 conceptMythography, compilation
Author of the Bibliotheca, the most comprehensive surviving handbook of Greek mythology
Hyginus
💭 conceptMythography, fables
Roman-era mythographer whose Fabulae preserves hundreds of concise Greek myth summaries
Herodotus
💭 conceptHistory, ethnography, Persia
Father of History whose Histories records mythological traditions alongside the Persian Wars narrative
Theogony
💭 conceptLiterature
Hesiod's epic poem describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods
Diodorus Siculus
💭 conceptHistory, universal chronicle
Sicilian historian who compiled a universal history preserving many otherwise lost mythological traditions
Dionysiaca
💭 conceptLiterature
Nonnus's sprawling epic poem narrating the life and conquests of the god Dionysus in forty-eight books
Homeric Hymns
💭 conceptLiterature
A collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns celebrating individual Olympian and chthonic deities
Hesiod
💭 conceptDidactic poetry, cosmogony
Boeotian poet who composed the Theogony and Works and Days in the archaic period
Strabo
💭 conceptGeography, ethnography
Greek geographer whose seventeen-book Geography records mythological traditions alongside physical descriptions
Plato
💭 conceptPhilosophy, myth, forms
Athenian philosopher who both critiqued traditional myths and created powerful new ones in his dialogues
Descendants of Aeolus
💭 conceptDynasty, lineage
The vast family tree stemming from Aeolus son of Hellen, encompassing many of Greece's greatest heroic houses