Methods of Interpreting Greek Myths
Students of mythology have always inquired into the meaning both of mythology in general and of particular myths. If one takes a historical perspective, it becomes apparent that there is no single, immanent meaning either for mythology as a whole or for i
ndividual myths. Instead, it becomes clear that myths function as a kind of symbolic language that is capable of bearing different meanings in different contexts. Some of these meanings present themselves as the true meaning of a myth, others acknowledge
the possibility that they may be only one among many possible meanings. It is particularly important to realize that the idea of multiple meanings is not a modern invention, but that the ancients also debated the meanings of their myths and proposed multi
ple interpretations, some of which appear to us mutually incompatible.
A Sampling of Influential Approaches
created 2/4/97