Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch

Odysseus sees Polyphemus by Joseph Mallord William Turner; This work of art and the reproductions thereof are in the public domain worldwide.  The reproduction is part of a collection of reproductions compiled by the Yorck project.  The compilation copyright is held by the Zenodot Verlagsgesellschaft MbH and licensed under the GNU Free Documentation license.
Odysseus sees Polyphemus by Joseph Mallord William Turner

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Running time: 14 hours, 54 minutes
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Orpheus Lamenting Eurydice, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Orpheus Lamenting Eurydice, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Summary from Librivox: Bulfinch’s Mythology, first published in 1855, is one of the most popular collections of mythology of all time. It consists of three volumes: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, and Legends of Charlemagne. This is a recording of the tenth edition of the first volume, The Age of Fable. It contains many Greek and Roman myths, including simplified versions of The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as a selection of Norse and eastern myths. Thomas Bulfinch’s goal was to make the ancient myths accessible to a wide audience, and so it is suitable for children. (Summary by Kathleen Gatliffe for Librivox)

This book is often used as a high school text.  Although the Wikimedia summary says it is appropriate for children,  you might consider one of our other mythology titles to be more interesting for younger children.

Apollo and Aurora by Lairesse

Stories of Gods and Heroes

The Age of Fable: Publishers and Authors Prefaces

The Age of Fable: Chapter 1, Introduction

Chapter 2, Prometheus and Pandora

Chapter 3, Apollo and Daphne–Pyramus and Thisbe–Cephalus and Procris

Chapter 4, Juno and her Rivals, Io and Callisto–Diana and Actaeon–Latona and the Rustics

Chapter 5, Phaeton

Chapter 6, Midas–Baucis and Philemon

King Midas with his daughter, from A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Chapter 7, Proserpine–Glaucus and Scylla

Chapter 8, Pygmalion–Dryope–Venus and Adonis–Apollo and Hyacinthus

Chapter 9, Ceyx and Halcyone

Chapter 10, Vertumnus and Pomon–Iphis and Anaxarete

Chapter 11, Cupid and Psyche

Chapter 12, Cadmus–The Mermidons

Chapter 13, Nisus and Scylla–Echo and Narcissus–Clytie–Hero and Leander

Chapter 14, Minerva and Arachne–Niobe

Chapter 15, Graeae and Gorgons–Perseus and Medusa–Atlas–Andromeda

Chapter 16, Monsters and Giants–Sphinx–Pegasus and Chimaera–Centaurs–Griffin–Pygmies

Chapter 17, The Golden Fleece–Medea

Chapter 18, Meleager and Atalanta

Chapter 19, Hercules–Hebe and Ganymede

Chapter 20, Theseus and Daedalus–Castor and Pollux–Festivals and Games

Chapter 21, Bacchus and Ariadne

Chapter 22, The Rural Deities–The Dryads and Erisichthon–Rhoecus–Water Deities–Camenae–Winds

John William Waterhouse, Penelope and the Suitors (1912)

Chapter 23, Achelous and Hercules–Admetus and Alcestis–Antigone–Penelope

Chapter 24, Orpheus and Eurydice–Aristaeus–Amphion–Linus–Thamyris–Marsyas–Melampus–Musaeus

Chapter 25, Arion–Ibycus–Simonides–Sappho

Chapter 26, Endymion–Orion–Aurora and Tithonus–Acis and Galatea

The Burning of Troy by Johann Georg Trautmann

Chapter 27, The Trojan War

Chapter 28, The Fall of Troy–Return of the Greeks–Orestesa nd Electra

Ulysses and the Sirens by John William Waterhouse

Chapter 29, Adventures of Ulysses–The Lotus-eaters–The Cyclopes–Circe–Sirens–Scylla and Charybdis–Calypso

Chapter 30, The Phaeacians–Fate of the Suitors

The Flight of Aeneas from  Troy, fresco painting by Girolamo Genga, 1507-1510

Chapter 31, Adventures of Aeneas–The Harpies–Dido–Palinurus

Chapter 32, The Infernal Regions–The Sibyl

Chapter 33, Aeneas in Italy–Camilla–Evander–Nisus and Euryalus–Mezentius–Turnus

Bulfinch Egypt dauingevekten, image released to public domain by the copyright holder

Chapter 34, Pythagoras–Egyptian Deities–Oracles

Chapter 35, Origin of Mythology–Statues of Gods and Goddesses–Poets of Mythology

Domenichino, Virgin and Unicorn, fresco, 1604-1605

Chapter 36, Monsters (modern)–The Phoenix–Basilisk–Unicorn–Salamander

Chapter 37, Eastern Mythology–Zoroaster–Hindu Mythology–Castes–Buddha–The Grand Lama–Prester John

Valkyrie by Peter Nicolai Arbo

Chapter 38, Northern Mythology–Valhalla–The Valkyrior

Chapter 39, Thor’s Visit to Jotunheim

Chapter 40, The Death of Baldur–The Elves–Runic Letters–Skalds–Iceland–Teutonic Mythology–The Nibelunger Lied–Wagner’s Nibelungen Ring

Chapter 41, The Druids–Iona

Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch

King Arthur Sir Galahad by Arthur Hughes

The Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur; The Mabinogeon, and The Hero Myths of the English Race

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Click here to view downloadable curriculum from CurrClick which could be used for a study of the Middle Ages. This link will take you away from My Audio School.
To stream this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.

This book is 10 hours and 33 minutes long.

King Arthur The Lady of Shalott by Henry Meynell Rheam

This text is frequently used for high school students.  For grammar students, I suggest one of the other King Arthur resources on My Audio School, which are better suited to that age group.

Summary from Wikipedia

Thomas Bulfinch (July 15, 1796 – May 27, 1867) explains the his work is an attempt tell the stories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source of amusement. We have endeavored to tell them correctly, according to the ancient authorities, so that when the reader finds them referred to he may not be at a loss to recognize the reference. Thus we hope to teach mythology not as a study, but as a relaxation from study; to give our work the charm of a story-book, yet by means of it to impart a knowledge of an important branch of education.

The Bulfinch version of myth, presents the myths in their literary versions, without unnecessary violence, psychology or ethnographic information. The Bulfinch myths are an indispensable guide to the cultural values of the American 19th century.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

The narrator of the Preface has a heavy accent, but the other chapters are read clearly.

Preface

Chapter 1 : Introduction

Chapter 2: The Mythical History of England

Chapter 3: Merlin

Chapter 4: Arthur

Chapter 5: Arthur (continued)

The Boy's King Arthur, p. 16, illustration by N. C. Wyeth

Chapter 6: Sir Gawain

Chapter 7: Caradoc Briefbras

The narrator mistakenly says that he is reading “chapter 18”, but later corrects himself and does, indeed, read “chapter 8”.

Chapter 8:  Launcelot

Chapter 9: The Adventure of the Cart

King Arthur,  The Lady of Shallot, by J. W. Waterhouse, 1888

Chapter 10: The Lady of Shalott

Chapter 11: Queen Guenever’s Peril

Chapter 12: Tristram and Isoude

Tristan and Isolde with the potion, John William Waterhouse

Chapter 13: Tristram and Isoude (continued)

Chapter 14: Sir Tristram’s Battle with Sir Launcelot

Chapter 15: The Round Table

Chapter 16: Sir Palamedes

Chapter 17: Sir Tristram

Sir Percival from The Boy's King Arthur

Chapter 18: Perceval

Chapter 19: The Sangreal, or Holy Graal

King Arthur Sangreal

Chapter 20: The Sangreal (continued)

Chapter 21: The Sangreal (continued)

Galahad, Bors and Percival achieve the Grail, tapestry by Edward Burne-Jones

Chapter 22: Sir Agrivain’s Treason

Chapter 23: Morte d’Arthur

Edward Burne-Jones, The last sleep of Arthur

The Mabinogeon

Introductory Notes, chapter 1: The Britons

Chapter 2, The Lady of the Fountain

Chapter 3, The Lady of the Fountain (continued)

Chapter 4, The Lady of the Fountain (continued)

Steall Waterfall in Glen Nevis Scotland, GB, image released to public domain by its author Toby Thurston

Chapter 5, Geraint, Son of Erbin

Chapter 6, Geraint, Son of Erbin (continued)

Chapter 7, Geraint, Son of Erbin (continued)

Chapter 8, Pwyll, Prince of Dyved

Chapter 9, Branwen, the Daughter of Llyr

Chapter 10, Manawyddan

Plains of Heaven by John Martin, 1851-1853

Chapter 11, Kilwich and Olwen

Chapter 12, Kilwich and Olwen (continued)

Chapter 13, Taliesin

Chapter 14, Hero Myths of the British Race



Myths and Legends of All Nations by Logan Marshall

The Last sleep of Arthur in Avalon, Burne-Jones

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Running time: 8 hours, 59 minutes

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Odysseus in the cave of Polyphemus by Jordaens

Preface

The Friend of Prometheus

The Labors of Hercules

Deucalion and Pyrrha

Theseus and the Centaur

Niobe

The Gorgon’s Head

The Golden Fleece–Part 1

The Golden Fleece–Part 2

cyclops Polyphemus

The Cyclops

Oedipus and the Sphinx

Antigone, a Faithful Daughter and Sister

Oedipus and Antigone by Antoni Brodowski

The Story of Iphigenia

The Sack of Troy

Beowulf and GrendelThe Good King Arthur: Narrative and the Coming of Arthur

The Good King Arthur: The Passing of Arthur

King Arthur Edward_Burne-Jones.The_last_sleep_of_Arthur

The Great Knight Siegfried

Lohengrin and Elsa the Beautiful

Detail from a portrait of Wilhelm Herold as Lohengrin

Frithioth the Bold

Wayland the Smith

Twardowski the Polish Faust

Ilia Muromec

El Cid

Kralowitz Marko of Servia


The Decision of Libuscha


Count Roland of France


The Cid


The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley

Perseus and Andromeda by Francis Cleyn (1635-1645)

Click here for this book’s internet archive page.

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Click here to see a selection of downloadable resources from CurrClick about Ancient Greece. This link will take you away from My Audio School.

To listen, click play in the box below or click on the links in this post.

HGFT Minotaur by Myron at Athens archeological museum , photo released into the public domain by its author Dagrappler

Preface

Part 1 of Perseus: How Perseus and his Mother Came to Seriphos

Part 2 of Perseus: How Perseus Vowed a Rash Vow

Frederick the Great as Perseus

Part 3 of Perseus: How Perseus Slew the Gorgon

Part 4 of Perseus: How Perseus Came to the Aethiops

Part 5 of Perseus: How Perseus Came Home Again

HGFT Jason entrainant les argonautes à la recherche de la Toison d'or.

Part 1 of The Argonauts: How the Centaur Trained the Heroes on Pelion

Part 2 of The Argonauts: How Jason Lost his Sandal in Anauros

Part 3 of The Argonauts: How They Built the Ship ‘Argo’ in Iolcos

Part 4 of The Argonauts: How the Argonauts Sailed to Colchis

Part 5 of The Argonauts: How the Argonauts Were Driven into the Unknown Sea

Part 6 of The Argonauts: What Was the End of the Heroes

Phaedra and Theseus by Leon Bakst

Part 1 of Theseus: How Theseus Lifted the Stone

Part 2 of Theseus: How Theseus Slew the Devourers of Men

HGFT Minotaur by George F. Watts

Part 3 of Theseus: How Theseus Slew the Minotaur

Part 4 of Theseus: How Theseus Fell by his Pride

Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens

Jason and Medea by John William Waterhouse

For this book’s internet archive page, click here.

Subscribe in iTunes

Download as a zip file

To read it yourself online, click here.

Click here to see a selection of downloadable resources from CurrClick about Ancient Greece and Rome. These links will take you away from My Audio School.

To listen, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.

Wenceslas Hollar The Greek gods Mars

01–Preface, Part I, Myths, and The First Dynasty

02 – The Second Dynasty: Chronus, Rhea, Division of the World, Theories as to the Origin of Man

03 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Zeus (Jupiter)

Wenceslas Hollar The Greek gods Jupiter

04 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Hera, Pallas Athene, Themis, and Hestia

05 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Demeter and Aphrodite

06 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Phoebus-Apollo

07 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Hecate and Selene

MLGR Wenceslas Hollar The Greek gods Diana and Hecate

08 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Artemis

09 – Third Dynasty: Olympian Divinities- Hephaetus and Poseidon

10 – Third Dynasty: Sea Divinities- Oceanus through Nike

11 – Third Dynasty: Sea Divinities- Hermes

12 – Third Dynasty: Sea Divinities- Dionysus

13 – Third Dynasty: Sea Divinities- Aides and Plutus

14 – Third Dynasty: Minor Divinities

Wenceslas Hollar The Greek gods Ceres

15 – Third Dynasty: Night and Her Children – Nyx through Eros and Psyche

16 – Third Dynasty: Night and Her Children- Hymen through the Charities or Graces

17 – Third Dynasty: Night and Her Children- Horae through Asclepias

18 – Third Dynasty: Roman Divinities

19 – Public Worship of the Ancient Greeks and Romans

20 – Greek Festivals

Minerva

21 – Roman Festivals

22 – Legends: Cadmus and Perseus

23 – Legends: Ion and Daedelus and Icarus

Orpheus Lamenting Eurydice, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

24 – Legends: The Argonauts

25-1 – Legends: Pelops and Heracles – part 1

25-2 – Legends: Heracles – part 2

26 – Legends: Bellerophon and Theseus

27 – Legends: Oedipus and The Seven against Thebes

28 – Legends: The Epigoni, Alcmaeon and the Necklace, and The Heraclidae

Trojan Horse, Lovis Corinth

29 – The Siege of Troy

30 – Return of the Greeks from Troy