The standard orientation to the Greek mythological world. Hamilton covers the creation of the gods, the major heroes, and the full Trojan cycle in clear, engaging prose that requires no prior knowledge. Read Part Four (The Trojan War) at minimum. Its limitations are real — it occasionally smooths over contradictions and reflects its era's assumptions — but as a first map of the territory it remains unmatched.

The most comprehensive single-volume treatment of Greek mythology in English. Graves retells every major myth with full source citations, variant traditions, and his own idiosyncratic interpretive commentary. The commentary is controversial among classicists — Graves had strong theories about matriarchal origins that color his readings — but the retellings themselves are vivid and authoritative. An invaluable reference to return to during and after your reading of the Iliad.

The mythological reference book of the ancient world — a comprehensive summary of Greek myth from the creation to the Trojan War and its aftermath, written by an ancient compiler who had access to sources now lost. Not a book to read cover to cover, but invaluable as a reference when the Iliad mentions a character or event whose backstory you do not know. The Robin Hard translation is recommended for its clarity and useful notes.