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My goal is to create a comprehensive on-line encyclopedia of all things dealing with Ancient Greece. Further, it is my goal to create an electronic resource that will be accurate and easy to use. Your suggestions, comments and criticisms are very welcome.
Spelling: This is one of the most difficult aspects of Greek Mythology . . . rendering the Greek names into English is a nightmare! Different translators use different spellings. I have tried to include as many alternate spellings as possible. I hope the overall result will be one of assistance rather than hindrance.
You might be aware that there is no C in the Greek alphabet but numerous writers use a C when they translate the Greek letter Kappa and thus, the goddess Kirke becomes Circe . . . as you can see, this drastically changes the pronunciation of her name from KEER-kee to SIR-see. You will find both Circe and Kirke listed in this encyclopedia so that you will be able to find her regardless of which translation you are reading . . . I have treated most names with Ks in the same way. Some spelling conventions have been kept to avoid confusion so you will find names like Attica and Acropolis without the K . . . as long as the use of a C doesn’t change the pronunciation of a word, I have used it instead of a K.
Documentation: Some of the entries in this encyclopedia are undocumented, i.e. the source of the information is not given. BE CAREFUL of these undocumented references! It has been my experience that mythology has many “writers” and few “researchers.” I have tried to be as accurate as possible but many of the sources I used were unclear in their documentation.
Redundancy: There is a good deal of redundancy in this encyclopedia. In other encyclopedias on this subject, I’ve found that the authors fear redundancy and thus complicate and retard the process of research. For example, let’s say that you need information regarding the sisters Philomela and Prokne . . . if you look-up Prokne in most other encyclopedias you will be instructed to “See Philomela” or visa versa . . . in this encyclopedia, you will find identical entries for both sisters regardless of which one you look-up first. I want your first query to yield the information you desire and not require you to search and then re-search.
Completeness: Some of the entries are very brief. In some cases that is because little is known about the subject. Other entries are brief because I have not had time to give a more complete definition. If you can’t find exactly what you need please don’t be discouraged . . . I plan to up-date this encyclopedia regularly.
I hope you will find the information you desire and that you will not hesitate to offer your opinion as to the usefulness of the information provided.
Sincerely, Michael W. Stewart
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