About
How we draw the map
Myth Map Hellas is a small editorial project that reads Greek myth with a map open beside it.
Who we are
We are the editors of Myth Map Hellas, writing from Australia. We are readers and travellers with a long interest in Greek myth and the places it comes from, and we publish as a team rather than under individual names. Every entry is researched and written by the editors and checked against the ancient sources before it goes up.
Why a map
Greek myths were not told in a vacuum. A shepherd on Parnassus, a pilgrim at Delphi or a colonist under Etna heard the stories as explanations of the ground under their feet. Pinning each myth to its place makes the stories easier to remember and easier to visit, and it often shows why a particular version grew up where it did.
How an entry is built
- Region label. The region and approximate coordinates of the main place.
- The place, then the myth. The landscape first, then the story told about it.
- What's there today. Sites, museums and paths a visitor can actually see. We leave out opening hours, prices and timetables, which change often; please check them locally.
- Where the sources disagree. Myths survive in many versions, and we name the differences rather than smoothing them over.
Our sources
We work mainly from ancient authors in public-domain translations, among them Hesiod in H. G. Evelyn-White's 1914 translation, Apollodorus in J. G. Frazer's 1921 translation, Homer in A. T. Murray's translations, Ovid in Brookes More's 1922 translation, and Pausanias. Many of these texts are freely available through Project Gutenberg and the Perseus Digital Library. When we are not sure of an exact wording, we paraphrase rather than quote.
About the illustrations
The engraved maps and plates on this site, including the map of Greece on our home page, were created digitally for Myth Map Hellas in the style of old copperplate cartography. They are decorative: the map is not to scale and should not be used for navigation. The storm-lit Parthenon on the home page is the site's main illustration and was likewise made digitally.
What we do not do
We carry no advertising, no sponsored entries and no tracking. We do not accept payment to feature a place. If we ever change that, we will say so plainly on this page.
Corrections
If you spot an error in a story, a place name or a What's there today note, please write to the map desk. We correct mistakes promptly and note significant corrections at the end of the entry.