Stage 1: The Perfect Starting Point
Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" (1942) — This is THE beginner book. Hamilton retells the major myths clearly and accessibly, covering the gods, the heroes, the Trojan War, and the great tragedies. It's been the standard introduction for over 80 years for good reason.
If you want something more modern, Stephen Fry's "Mythos" (2017) retells the same stories with wit, humor, and infectious enthusiasm. Fry clearly loves these myths, and it shows on every page.
Stage 2: The Original Sources
Once you have the basics, go to the original ancient texts. Start with:
Homer's "Odyssey" — More accessible than the Iliad. It's an adventure story: Odysseus trying to get home after the Trojan War, facing monsters, witches, and gods. Richmond Lattimore or Emily Wilson's translations are excellent.
Homer's "Iliad" — The story of the Trojan War. It's dense and intense, focusing on the rage of Achilles over just a few weeks of the ten-year war. This is the foundation of Western literature.
Stage 3: The Deep Cuts
Hesiod's "Theogony" — The creation of the world, the birth of the gods, and the Titan War. This is where the cosmology comes from.
Ovid's "Metamorphoses" — A Roman poet's retelling of Greek myths, focusing on transformation. Many of the versions we know today (including Medusa's backstory) come from Ovid.
Apollodorus's "Library" — An ancient mythology encyclopedia that catalogs virtually every myth. Dry but comprehensive.
Stage 4: The Tragedies
The Greek playwrights turned myths into the world's first great dramas. Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" is the greatest tragedy ever written. Euripides' "Medea" and "The Bacchae" are intense and psychologically modern. Aeschylus's "Oresteia" trilogy covers the aftermath of the Trojan War.
Stage 5: Modern Retellings
Madeline Miller's "Circe" and "The Song of Achilles" — Beautifully written novels that bring mythological characters to vivid life. Pat Barker's "The Silence of the Girls" retells the Iliad from the women's perspective. These books are why Greek mythology is experiencing a massive renaissance right now.