7 Ancient Texts For Beginners

Head to https://squarespace.com/ladyofthelibrary to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code LADYOFTHELIBRARY Curious about ancient Greco-Roman literature but don’t know where to start? In this video, I walk you through 7 beginner-friendly ancient texts that are perfect for newcomers to mythology, history, and classical philosophy. Whether you're interested in epic tales or the origins of Western thought, these books are a great entry point into the ancient world. With accessible language, timeless themes, and deep cultural significance, these texts offer a window into the minds of people from thousands of years ago—and they’re more relevant than you might think. 🔗 Sources and references below (affiliate links included): Hesiod's Theogony & Words and Days, trans. M. L. West. https://amzn.to/4krI5im Apollonius, Argonautica, trans. Aaron Poochigian, https://amzn.to/4mmNYPP Apollonius, Argonautica, trans. Richard Hunter https://amzn.to/44PefzM Greek Plays. trans. Mary Lefkowitz and James Romm https://amzn.to/3H5rfaM Euripides, Bacchae trans. Philip Vellacott https://amzn.to/44NvH7L Euripides, Bacchae trans. Anne Carson https://amzn.to/3H6m7TE Euripides, Medea trans. Rachel Cusk. https://amzn.to/3H6V4aQ Euripides, Medea, trans. Philip Vellacott https://amzn.to/3H0x6hD Euripides, Medea, trans John Davie https://amzn.to/3YWAgZM Livy, Histories 1-5, trans. T. J. Luce. https://amzn.to/4krqlDF Plato's Symposium, trans. Christopher Gill. https://amzn.to/3Ztcchh Ovid's Metamorphoses, trans. David Raeburn https://amzn.to/3SI5L67 Ovid's Metamorphoses, trans. Stephanie McCarter https://amzn.to/43lTTM7 Homer's Odyssey, trans. Robert Fagles. https://amzn.to/4mp7kn7 Homer's Odyssey, trans. Emily Wilson https://amzn.to/4j6SKxP Freeman, Eve. n.d. “How Far Do Translations Shape Our Understanding of Ancient Literature?” https://www.st-hughs.ox.ac.uk/wp-cont.... GET MORE FROM ME: ✨ Support me on Patreon:   / cinzia   💌 Sign up for my newsletter: https://substack.com/@cinziadubois 🎥 Nerdy Self-Help Channel: @TheAnnotatedMind 🎙️The Annotated Mind Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mr3k4w4m ➡️🎙️Listen to The Annotated Mind on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/2rxpjsdv 📩 Video Request form: https://forms.gle/zF6HjhJGZPR2hVx69 🌍 My website/blog: https://www.ladyofthelibrary.com SOCIALS: 📚 Bookish Insta:   / lady.of.the.library   🦋 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cinzia-duboi... 🎓 PhD Insta:   / the.literary.academic   📱 TikTok:   / lady.of.the.library   📚 Goodreads:   / c-dubois   WHO AM I? Hey there, I’m Cinzia DuBois On this channel, I talk about dark and ancient history, literature and folklore. ❗️DISCLAIMER I'm very dyslexic, so I apologise for any mispronunciations that occur when I'm reading scripts for videos. Additionally, whilst flattered, I'm only a PhD student and not a professional educator. As such, I would advise against ever citing my videos or using them as an academic resource: please instead cite references for papers I list in the description box.