Classical Studies : Religion & Mythology :
a guide to Library Resources

STARTING POINTS

Dictionaries and encyclopedias will help if you need to define your topic and/or get an overview. The 16 volume Encyclopedia of religion is the standard reference work for all the world's religions including the Classical World. Specific dictionaries/encyclopedias for the Classical World can be identified through the following catalogue searches:

Classical mythology
Early Church
Greece Religion
Rome Religion
Women and mythology

Handbooks and guides are another way of getting started and can be identified through the following catalogue searches:

Classical Mythology
Greek Mythology
Church History

The following is a brief selection of overviews on ancient religious topics:

Classical mythology (8th ed. 2007) [print]
[Comprehensive survey of classical mythology with a web-based online companion for instructors and students]

Classical mythology (2005) [print]
[Hansen's well-regarded guide to the gods, heroes, rituals, and beliefs of the ancient world was originally published as the Handbook of Classical Mythology]

Greek religion (1994) [electronic]
[A survey of scholarly work on Greek religion. Part of the New Surveys in the Classics series. Also avalailable in print format ]

Roman religion (2000) [print]
[A survey of scholarly work on Roman religion. Part of the New Surveys in the Classics series]

More specialised sources are also available:

Descendants of the Gods [web access]
[Starting with Chaos, this extensive family tree traces the blood relationships of over 1,000 characters in Greco-Roman mythology]

Genealogical chart of Greek mythology (2003) [print]
[The first comprehensive genealogical chart of virtually all of the named figures of Greek mythology that can be shown to be related]

Genealogical guide to Greek mythology (1993) [print]
[C. Parada, who is the author of the book also maintains a web page called Greek Mythology Link]

Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae (LIMC). (8 vols,1981-1997) [print]
[An alphabetically arranged encyclopedia of art representing individual figures in classical mythology]

FINDING BOOKS USING THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Books can be found by searching the library catalogue. The following are terms which can be browsed using the Subject Heading option:

Astrology History
Christian hagiography
Christian saints
Church history Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
Cults Greece
Cults Rome
Emperor worship, Rome
Fathers of the Church
Funeral rites and ceremonies Greece
Funeral rites and ceremonies Rome
Gnosticism
Greece, Religion
Magic, Ancient
Mysteries, Religious
Mythology, Classical
Mythology, Greek
Mythology, Roman
Rome, Religion

Or construct your own keyword searches. Here are some examples:

topic: the emperor Julian and his relationship with pagan and Christian religions
suggested search: julian and (paganism or christianity)

topic: Hellenistic religions/Hellenism and religion
suggested search: hellenis? and religio?

topic: the contribution of Constantine to Christianity
suggested search: constantine and (christian? or "church history")

Click here if you need help with constructing keyword searches using techniques such as truncation and Boolean operators

FINDING JOURNAL ARTICLES, MONOGRAPHS ETC.

Databases listed in the Databases for Classics guide should be sufficient for finding journal articles on most topics, but those researchers needing to undertake a more comprehensive literature search should consult:

L'Annee philologique [print]
[The premier index for Classics - if it's unfamiliar, read this description before attempting to use it. See especially Section V.F: Religions in each annual printed volume for topics in religion]

Specialised bibliographies are also available:

Bibliography of classical folklore scholarship [web access]
[A bibliography of myths, legends and popular beliefs of ancient Greece and Rome]

Classified bibliography of the Graeco-Roman mystery religions [print]
[Covers the period 1924 to 1977. Published in Band II.17.1 of the print publication Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt. The table of contents is linked here]

Diotima bibliographies [web access]
[Bibliographies contained in the Web site Diotima : Materials for the Study of Women & Gender in the Ancient World. Topics include Greco-Roman Rituals and Divinities, Mythology]

Dreams of Antiquity [web access]
[A searchable database of bibliographic entries on dreams & visions in antiquity]

Early Church : an annotated bibliography of literature in English (1993) [print]
[Annotated bibliography of books and major articles dealing with the Early Church from the beginning of the second century to the end of the sixth]

From Nicaea to Chalcedon : a guide to the literature & its background (1983) [print]
[Contains 2 bibliographies - bibliography A for undergraduate studies and Bibliography B for advanced studies covering material published since 1960 thereby updating Quasten's Patrology]

Greek magical papyri : an introduction & survey ; annotated bibliography [print]
[Covers the period 1928 to 1994. Published in Band II.18.5 of of the print publication Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt. The table of contents is linked here]

Greek mythology : a select bibliography 1965-1990 [print]
[Published in Professor Bremmer's book Interpretations of Greek mythology]

Hermetism : a bibliographical approach [print]
[Published in Band II.17.4 of the print publication Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt. The table of contents is linked here]

Mentor : Guide bibliographique de la religion grecque (2 vols) [print]
[A bibliographical survey of Greek religion covering material published to 1990]

Minoan religion : a bibliography (1996) [print]
[A select annotated bibliography of published works on all aspects of Minoan religion]

Patrology (4 vols, 1964-1986) [print]
[The bibliography covers the Fathers of the Early Christian Church. It includes critical editions, translations (especially into English) & critical studies. See From Nicaea to Chalcedon for a continuation]

Pinax online bibliographies: Mythology & Religion [web access]
[Links to bibliographies on various topics]

Tod, Totenfursorge und Jenseitsvorstellungen in der griechischen Antike (1992) [print]
[Bibliography on death rituals in Greece]

Twenty-five years of research on Greek sanctuaries : a bibliography (1993) [print]
[Published in the book Greek sanctuaries : new approaches]

PRIMARY SOURCES

The following searches of the library catalogue will identify translated primary source material:

Greece Religious Sources
Rome Religious Sources
Early Church History Sources
Magic/Occultism Sources
Mysteries, Religious Sources

The following web-sites also include primary source material:

Classical Myth: the Ancient Sources
[Provides links to ancient texts and images available on the Web concerning the major figures of Greek and Roman mythology]

Early Church Fathers
[Searchable web-based version of the original 38 printed volumes of writings covering the first 800 years of the Church. The collection is divided into three series: The ante-Nicene fathers : the writings of the fathers down to A.D. 325 (v.1-10) -- Nicene and post-Nicene fathers. St. Augustine Volumes (v. 1-8) ; St. Chrysostom Volumes (v. 9-14) -- Nicene and Post-Nicene fathers. Series II (v. 1-14)

EarlyChurch.org.uk
[Covers the history of the Church from its foundation until c.600 CE. This site is a bibliographic guide listing primary and secondary sources by topic]

Guide to Early Church Documents
[This hypertext document contains pointers to Internet-accessible files relating to the early church, including canonical documents, creeds, the writings of the Apostolic Fathers and other historical texts relevant to church history]

Source book for ancient church history
[Facsimile edition of the book by J.C. Ayer first published 1949. Covers the period from the apostolic age to the close of the conciliar period]

WEB RESOURCES

Academic Info : Religion
[An annotated directory of Internet resources for the academic study of Religion]

Ancient Divination and Astrology on the Web
[Edited by Timothy Spalding, this annotated set of links to reliable information about ancient (primarily Greek and Roman) astrology and divination]

Classical mythology
[The site is maintained by Dr Robin Mitchell-Boyask at Temple University. It is focused largely on Greek Mythology, and is written primarily with undergraduates in mind]

Greek Mythology Link
[Articles and lists are from or based on the book Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology, by Carlos Parada]

Theoi project
[A comprehensive guide to the Gods, Spirits and Monsters of ancient Greek mythology and religion]

This page is maintained by Jennifer Osborn
Last update: 28 November 2007