西方文明在整个人类文明中占有重要的地位。西方文明的核心是由“两希”构成。一个是希伯来文化，其最高成就为犹太人创作的《圣经》，它是西方文明发源的灵感源泉之一；另一个是比希伯来文化更为古老的希腊文化，其辉煌灿烂文化的种子就包孕在希腊神话史诗中。作为西方文化的根源，希腊神话对世界的影响无疑是巨大的。
本书波澜壮阔的文化氛围、悲壮的历史、光怪陆离的故事，为读者掀开了那令世界难以忘怀的扉页，敞开了一扇观察和认识古希腊乃至欧洲文化的窗口。内容包括潘多拉魔盒、俄耳甫斯与欧律狄刻的生死恋、九头蛇怪海德拉、亚马逊女战士、金苹果、雅典娜女神、泰坦擎天神、迈达斯国王的点金术、金羊毛……希腊神话的核心是以人为本，歌颂了人的美好，坚信人的力量，虽名为神话，实为人的神话。

Pandora's Box
Orpheus and Eurydice
The Labors of Hercules
The Son of Zeus--Hercules.
The Lion of Nemea
The Horrible Hydra
The Wild Pig
Cleaning the Stables
The Amazons
The Golden Apples
Pygmalion's Statue
The Great Hero Perseus
The Birth of Perseus
Dictys' Discovery
Given a Dangerous Task
The Goddess Athena
The Three Blind Sisters
The Gorgon Medusa
The Titan Atlas
Andromeda and the Sea Monster
Stopping an Unwanted Wedding
Return to Argos
King Midas and His Golden Touch
Jason and the Argonauts
A Murdered Father
Pelias' Trick
The Argo and the Argonauts
King Phineus
Losing Hylas
The Test
The Golden Fleece
Daedalus and Icarus
The Story of Theseus
The Birth of Theseus
The Four Giants
Theseus Meets His Father
Theseus and the Minotaur
Bellerophon and the W'mged Horse Pegasus