Bibliotheca of Apollodorus
The Library, a Greek prose handbook of mythology in three books plus an Epitome, generally dated to the first or second century AD and falsely ascribed to Apollodorus of Athens; it runs from the rule of Sky to the death of Odysseus, names the older authors it follows, and records variants with "some say". Cited here as Apollod. book.chapter.section in Frazer's Loeb translation.
Why this wins its question: Explains what "Apollod. 2.5.12" means and why the Epitome has its own numbering, lists the authors the Library itself cites, and shows the reader where it diverges from Hesiod, so the citations in this corpus can be weighed.
Key takeaways
- A Roman-era handbook, not an archaic poem; its authority is that it summarises older authors it often names.
- Books 1–3 survive; the Trojan and Odyssean matter is known only from the Epitome.
- Where it differs from Hesiod (Dicte, the lots, Typhon's sinews) the difference is a datable shift in the tradition, and this corpus records both.
Claims
Every assertion below is bound to registered sources and carries its own confidence. Weight them; do not treat the page as uniformly authoritative.
The Bibliotheca is a compendium of Greek myths, heroic legends and genealogies arranged in three books, generally dated to the first or second century AD; it is conventionally called Apollodorus's because it was falsely attributed to the second-century BC scholar Apollodorus of Athens, whence the modern label Pseudo-Apollodorus.
Its span, from the text itself: it opens "Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world" (Apollod. 1.1.1), the surviving Book 3 breaks off while Theseus is clearing the road to Athens (Apollod. 3.16.2), and the Epitome, an abridgement preserving the lost end, continues with Theseus's remaining brigands (Apollod. E. 1.1) through the Trojan War to four versions of the death of Odysseus (Apollod. E. 7.36–40).
It names its authorities: Hesiod's Shield of Heracles and Pindar on Perseus's kibisis (Apollod. 2.4.2), Pherecydes on the serpents in Heracles's cradle (Apollod. 2.4.8), Acusilaus on the Cretan bull (Apollod. 2.5.7), Herodorus, Pherecydes, Demaratus and Dionysius on whether Heracles sailed on the Argo (Apollod. 1.9.19), Simonides on the Amazon's name (Apollod. E. 1.16) and the author of the Little Iliad on the men in the Horse (Apollod. E. 5.14).
It keeps variants side by side with "some say": Danae seduced by Proetus or by Zeus as gold (Apollod. 2.4.1); Theseus chosen for the tribute "or, as some affirm, he offered himself voluntarily" (Apollod. E. 1.7); Helen taken to Troy, or "as some say" a phantom of clouds while she stayed in Egypt (Apollod. E. 3.5); Medea's children killed by her or by the Corinthians (Apollod. 1.9.28).
Its value is systematic completeness: the Twelve Labours in order, with the two Eurystheus refused to count (Apollod. 2.5.1–12), the roster of the Argonauts (Apollod. 1.9.16), the ships at Aulis totalled at "one thousand and thirteen" (Apollod. E. 3.11–14), and the suitors of Penelope listed by island, fifty-seven from Dulichium alone (Apollod. E. 7.26–30).
Set against Hesiod it shows where the tradition moved: Zeus is born in a cave of Dicte with Curetes and nymphs, not Hesiod's Mount Aegeum (Apollod. 1.1.6; Theog. 477–484); the brothers cast lots for sky, sea and Hades where Hesiod has acclamation (Apollod. 1.2.1; Theog. 881–885); Typhon cuts out Zeus's sinews and is buried under Etna where Hesiod's is cast into Tartarus (Apollod. 1.6.3; Theog. 855–868).
Questions answered
- Who wrote the Bibliotheca of Apollodorus?
- The Bibliotheca is a compendium of Greek myths, heroic legends and genealogies arranged in three books, generally dated to the first or second century AD; it is conventionally called Apollodorus's because it was falsely attributed to the second-century BC scholar Apollodorus of Athens, whence the modern label Pseudo-Apollodorus. source
- When was the Bibliotheca written?
- The Bibliotheca is a compendium of Greek myths, heroic legends and genealogies arranged in three books, generally dated to the first or second century AD; it is conventionally called Apollodorus's because it was falsely attributed to the second-century BC scholar Apollodorus of Athens, whence the modern label Pseudo-Apollodorus. source
- What does the Bibliotheca contain?
- Its span, from the text itself: it opens "Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world" (Apollod. 1.1.1), the surviving Book 3 breaks off while Theseus is clearing the road to Athens (Apollod. 3.16.2), and the Epitome, an abridgement preserving the lost end, continues with Theseus's remaining brigands (Apollod. E. 1.1) through the Trojan War to four versions of the death of Odysseus (Apollod. E. 7.36–40). source
- What is the Epitome of Apollodorus?
- Its span, from the text itself: it opens "Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world" (Apollod. 1.1.1), the surviving Book 3 breaks off while Theseus is clearing the road to Athens (Apollod. 3.16.2), and the Epitome, an abridgement preserving the lost end, continues with Theseus's remaining brigands (Apollod. E. 1.1) through the Trojan War to four versions of the death of Odysseus (Apollod. E. 7.36–40). source
- Does Apollodorus cite his sources?
- It names its authorities: Hesiod's Shield of Heracles and Pindar on Perseus's kibisis (Apollod. 2.4.2), Pherecydes on the serpents in Heracles's cradle (Apollod. 2.4.8), Acusilaus on the Cretan bull (Apollod. 2.5.7), Herodorus, Pherecydes, Demaratus and Dionysius on whether Heracles sailed on the Argo (Apollod. 1.9.19), Simonides on the Amazon's name (Apollod. E. 1.16) and the author of the Little Iliad on the men in the Horse (Apollod. E. 5.14). source
- How reliable is Apollodorus?
- It keeps variants side by side with "some say": Danae seduced by Proetus or by Zeus as gold (Apollod. 2.4.1); Theseus chosen for the tribute "or, as some affirm, he offered himself voluntarily" (Apollod. E. 1.7); Helen taken to Troy, or "as some say" a phantom of clouds while she stayed in Egypt (Apollod. E. 3.5); Medea's children killed by her or by the Corinthians (Apollod. 1.9.28). source