"Among the epic themes exploited in the myths from ancient India are universal ideas, concepts, and topics of the creation of the universe and humanity; love; religious devotion; good versus evil; the recurring horrors of war; and human destiny. The people of ancient India consistently developed these and other similar themes in highly colorful ways"--

"Greek mythology has long been one of the major literary underpinnings of Western (European-based) culture. What many Westerners do not realize, however, is that very similar tales exist in the mythologies of cultures and peoples around the globe. Looking at the many similarities among the gods and myths of past peoples around the globe, it is only natural to wonder how those parallels came about. A number of modern scholars have concluded that it...

"Humans are mortal, in that they are born, grow old, and eventually die. In contrast, the gods were immortal; they never aged and they lived forever. The other factor separating the mortals from the immortals in Greek eyes was the immense power those gods wielded. That power could either aid and support human civilization or utterly destroy itA sense of wonder based on respect for the gods is an ever-present facet for of all the hundreds of surviving...

Examines the historical development of Greco-Roman mythology, its heroes, and its influence on the history of Western civilization.

"The age-old theme of good triumphing over evil is common in Hindu mythology. Large numbers of Hindu myths describe fights between the devas and asuras. Such battles are in a sense built into Hinduism and its mythology,"--

"Whether one looks at gods walking the earth, heroes killing monsters, or evil villains threatening society, the great mass of ancient Greek myths seems to overflow with colorful characters and stories. These tales were in a sense among the meat and potatoes of the classical Greeks' cultural identity. They felt that in certain ways their myths explained where they came from and to some degree who they were as a people"--

Discusses heroes in the mythology of various cultures, including Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, China, and Native America.

"Considering the prevalence of war throughout history, it is understandable that every ancient human society had at least one god who oversaw its workings. In spite of the numerous cultural differences among these peoples, their war-gods had certain traits in common. All were associated with fighting, weapons, victory, and courage in battle, which were and remain universal themes"--Provided by publisher.