# Introduction explained — Bulfinch’s Mythology

> Chapter companion for Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch.

## What happens

This introductory chapter explains that the ancient Greek and Roman religions are no longer practiced but remain vital through their myths, which are essential for understanding classical and modern literature. It describes the Greek conception of the universe: a flat, circular earth centered on Greece, surrounded by the River Ocean, with the Hyperboreans in the north and the Aethiopians in the south. The Elysian Plain lies in the west. The gods dwell on Mount Olympus, with Jupiter as their king, and the chapter recounts the succession myth from Chaos through the Titans to Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. It also introduces various Roman deities and household gods.

## Themes in this chapter

### Cultural Transmission and Education

The chapter frames mythology as essential knowledge for understanding literature and art, emphasizing the transmission of classical culture.

## Character check-ins

### Jupiter

King of the gods; son of Saturn; divided the universe with Neptune and Pluto.

### Neptune

Brother of Jupiter; received the ocean as his domain.

### Proserpine

Brother of Jupiter; received the underworld as his domain.

### Phoebus Apollo

God of music; plays the lyre for the gods on Olympus.

### Minerva

Goddess who weaves robes for the goddesses; associated with wisdom.

### Vulcan

Divine smith and architect; builds the houses of the gods and fashions their equipment.

## Key lines

> The religions of ancient Greece and Rome are extinct. The so-called divinities of Olympus have not a single worshipper among living men. They belong now not to the department of theology, but to those of literature and taste.

The ancient Greek and Roman religions are no longer practiced; their gods are now subjects of literary and artistic study rather than worship.

_Sets the purpose of the book: to preserve myths for cultural and literary appreciation._

> The Greeks believed the earth to be flat and circular, their own country occupying the middle of it, the central point being either Mount Olympus, the abode of the gods, or Delphi, so famous for its oracle.

The Greeks thought the earth was a flat disk with Greece at its center, and that Mount Olympus or Delphi was the central point.

_Describes the ancient Greek cosmological model._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters/i-introduction
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters