SECTION A: Books written, co-written or translated by Robert Graves

A72 THE GREEK MYTHS [1955]

a. First edition:

ROBERT GRAVES | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE [TWO] | PENGUIN BOOKS

Collation: I: [A]16 B–M16, 192 leaves; II: [A]16 B–N16, 208 leaves.

I: 2pp. blank; p.[1] PENGUIN BOOKS | 1026 | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE | ROBERT GRAVES | [publisher’s emblem]; p.[2] blank; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] publisher’s, edition and printer’s notices; pp.[5]6–7 CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE; p.[8] frontispiece; pp.[9] 10–13 [14]–[15] 16–23 INTRODUCTION, with pp.[14]–[15] being a map; p.[24] blank; p.[25] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE; p.[26] blank; pp.[27]28–370 text, with pp.[48, 83, 89, 101, 131, 151, 281, 319, 349, 356] being unnumbered; pp.[371]–[382] publisher’s advertisements, with p.[372] being blank. Inner front and inner back covers have publisher’s advertisements.

II: p.[1] PENGUIN BOOKS | 1027 | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME TWO ROBERT GRAVES | [publisher’s emblem]; p.[2] blank; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] publisher’s and printer’s notices ; pp.[5]–6 CONTENTS OF VOLUME TWO; p.[7] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME TWO; p. [8] blank; pp.[9]10–376 text, with pp.[25, 40, 80,113,145, 207, 241, 290, 313, 346] being unnumbered; pp.377–412 INDEX; pp. [413]–[416] publisher’s advertisements; [folding map tipped to outside edge of inner back cover].

18 × 11.2 cm. Bulk: I: 1.8 cm.; II: 2.0 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Bound in white paper covers printed in brown and black; front has brown columns down each side with publisher’s emblem half-way down in right-hand column; middle white space reads: [in brown:] PENGUIN BOOKS | [heavy rule across whole cover] ROBERT GRAVES | [brown rule] | The Greek | Myths | VOLUME ONE [TWO] | [brown rule] [summary of 9 ll.] | [heavy rule across whole cover] | [in brown:] 3/6; back has same arrangement of brown columns, the publisher’s emblem being in the left-hand column; middle white space reads: [in brown:] PENGUIN BOOKS [heavy rule] [photo of Graves] | [biographical note of 25 ll.] | [heavy rule] | Not for sale 3/6 in the U.S.A. [price only in brown]; spine has brown bands top and bottom, inside which the heavy rule; at bottom, upright: 1026 [1027]; spine reads from bottom to top: Robert Graves [publisher’s emblem upright in brown] The Greek Myths · Volume 1 [2]; inside front covers is blurb; inside back cover has advertisement for Wife to Mr Milton in Volume I and for Count Belisarius in Volume II.

Price: 3s.6d. per volume. Number of copies unknown. Published 24 February 1955. The first and second editions of this bibliography say A72a was issued in white dust-jacket printed in brown and black like cover. I have never seen a copy in a dust-jacket.

Notes: Impressions: 2nd, November 1955; 3rd, 1957.

In some copies, the map in Volume II is tipped to the inside edge of the inner back cover.

This book has been translated into Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish and Turkish.

A72b. First American issue ([1955]):

ROBERT GRAVES | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE [TWO] | PENGUIN BOOKS | BALTIMORE ∙ MARYLAND

Collation: I: [1]–[12]l6, 192 leaves; II: [1]–[13]16, 208 leaves.

Remainder as A72a, except pp.I.[4] and II.[4] have publication, publisher’s, copyright and printing notices and pp.I.[382] and II. [416] are blank.

Measurements and paper as A72a. Covers as A72a

Price: $0.95 per volume. Number of copies: 35,000. Published 17 June 1955.

Notes: Impressions: 2nd, January 1957; 3rd, June 1959; 4th, May 1961.

Some copies of the first impression have affixed to the front cover a white gummed label (3.5 × 5.3 cm.) printed in red: [heavy rectangular rule box enclosing all:] [light rectangular rule box enclosing all: | Original

In Volume II the map is tipped to the inside edge of the inner back cover.

There is also an American issue bound in red simulated cloth boards; back blank; front stamped in gold with facsimile signature of Graves; spine stamped in gold: ROBERT | GRAVES | [rule] THE | GREEK MYTHS | I [II]; top edges stained blue; white wove endpapers; price: $6.50 the set; 3,000 copies published in 1955 in a slipcase, without dust-jackets.

Issued cardboard slipcase covered in grey-green paper with a white paper label printed in grey and black, 17.1 × 10.2 cm., is pasted to one side of the slipcase.

Also in 1957, Penguin issued a two-volumes-in-one impression:

2 pp. blank; p. [1] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE | ROBERT GRAVES [publisher’s emblem]; p. [2] blank; p. [3] title-page; p. [4] publisher’s, edition and printer’s notices; p. [5] 6-7 CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE; p. [8] frontispiece; pp. [9] 10-13 [14] - [15] 16-23 INTRODUCTION, with pp. [14] - [15] being a map; p. [24] blank; p. [25] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE; p. [26] blank; pp. [27] 28-370 text, with pp. [48, 83, 89, 101, 131, 151, 281, 319, 349, 356] being unnumbered; pp. [371] - [372] blank; p. [1] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME TWO | ROBERT GRAVES [publisher’s emblem]; p. [2] blank; p. [3] title-page; p. [4] publisher’s, edition and printer’s notices; p. [5] 6 CONTENTS OF VOLUME TWO; p. [7] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME TWO; p [8] blank; pp. [9] 10-376 text, with pp. [25, 40, 80, 113, 145, 207, 241, 290, 313, 346] being unnumbered; pp. 377-412 INDEX; pp. [413] – [414] blank.

18.1 × 10.9 cm. Bulk: 3.6/4.3 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed; top edges stained blue. White wove endpapers. Grey cloth spine stamped: Robert Graves | [rectangular single-rule box enclosing 3 ll.:] THE | GREEK | MYTHS | Penguin Books; front and back covers simulated black leather.

Price: Unknown. Dust-jacket does not bear a printed price. Grey dust-jacket printed in black.

There is no folding map at back of Volume Two.

The Penguin 1957 two-volume impression in black cloth and the Penguin two-volumes-in-one impressions are virtually identical to A72c, produced by Braziller.

A72c. Second American ‘edition’ (1957):

ROBERT GRAVES | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE [TWO] | GEORGE BRAZILLER, INC. | NEW YORK 1957

Collation: I: [1] –[9]16 [10]12 [11]–[12]16, 188 leaves, but retaining also the signing of the English issue A72a; II: [A]16 B–N16, 208 leaves.

I: 2pp. blank; p.[1] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE | ROBERT GRAVES; p.[2] blank; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] publication, copyright, LC card and printing notices; pp.[5]6–7 CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE; p.[8] blank; illustration, verso blank; p.[9]10–370 as A72a; pp.[371]–[372] blank.

II:p.[1] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME TWO | ROBERT GRAVES; p.[2] blank; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] publication, copyright, LC card and printing notices;pp.[5]6-412 as A72a; pp.[413]-[416] blank; [map pasted to inside back cover].

Price: $6.50 for two volumes. Number of copies undetermined. Published in 1957; second impression: 1959.

Notes: There is also a two-volumes-in-one issue of 5,000 copies, which differs as follows: no map; top edges stained blue; grey cloth spine stamped: Robert Graves | [rectangular single-rule box enclosing 3 ll.:] THE | GREEK | MYTHS | George Braziller; front and back covers simulated black leather (black paper was used in some copies); price $4.75 (some copies are priced $5.00); published 28 October 1957. There was a reprint in 1959 bound in full grey cloth, in dust-jacket priced $5.00.

A72d. Second English ‘edition’ ([1958]):

Collation: [A]/A28/8B/B2–Z/Z28/82A/2A28/82B6, 390 leaves.

p.[1] GREEK MYTHS; p.[2] blank; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] publisher’s, publication, copyright and printer’s notices; pp. [5]6–9 CONTENTS; p.[10] illustration; pp.[11]12–24 INTRODUCTION; two leaf map, first recto and last verso blank; p. [25] GREEK MYTHS; p.[26] blank; pp.[27]28–738 text, with pp.[48, 83, 89, 101, 131, 151, 281, 319, 349, 356, 371, 387, 402, 442, 475, 507, 569, 603, 652, 675, 708] being unnumbered; [map pasted to p.[739]]; pp.[739]740–774 NAME INDEX; pp.[775]–[776]blank.

Price: 30s. Number of copies: 2,999. Published 6 March 1958 in white dust-jacket printed in yellow, chestnut and black.

Notes: Impressions: 2nd,15 November 1958 (1,500 copies); 3rd, November 1961; 4th, February 1965; 5th, October 1969; 6th, March 1980 [Stated ‘First edition, second impression March 1980’].

The introduction has been revised for this edition (beginning with the 3rd impression); and note 4 of Chapter 104 is new.

Penguin Books published a ‘Combined Edition’, paperback impression of this edition in 1992, of which there were at least 42 inpressions. The front cover shows Persephone and Hades in the Underworld.

Penguin Books published in 2011 a two-volume impression in paper covers and termed on the front covers ‘The Definitive Retelling’.

Graves, Robert. ‘The Greek Myths’. London: Penguin Books, [2012]. Penguin Books published on 2 August 2012 in paper covers in their Penguin Classics series a ‘Deluxe Edition’ with an introduction by Rick Riordan. The book was printed in the U. S.

Penguin reissued the book in 2017 as ‘The Complete and Definitive Edition’. White covers printed in red and black.

A72e. Second English ‘edition’, Pelican impression ([1960]):

ROBERT GRAVES | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE [TWO] | PENGUIN BOOKS

Collation as A72a.

I: 2pp. blank; p.[1] PELICAN BOOKS | A508 | THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE | ROBERT GRAVES | [series emblem]; pp.[2]–[8] as A72a; pp.[9]–10 FOREWORD; pp.[11]12–24 INTRODUCTION; pp. [25]26–370 as A72a; p.[371] MAP OF THE GREEK WORLD; pp. [372] – [373] map; p.[374] blank; pp.[375] –[382] publisher’s advertisements, with p.[376] being blank.

II: as A72a.

18.0 × 10.7 cm. Bulk: I: 1.8 cm. II: 2.1 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Bound in white paper covers printed in blue and black.

Price: 5s. per volume. Number of copies: I: 25,000; II: 24,000. Published in 1960.

Notes: Impressions: 2nd, 1962; 3rd, 1964; 4th, 1966/1967 5th, 1969; 6th, 1971; 7th, 1972; 8th, 1973; 9th, 1974; 10th, 1975; 11th, 1975; 12th, 1977; 13th, 1977; 14th, 1978; 15th, 1979; 16th, 1980; 17th, 1981; 18th, 1982; 19th, 1983; 20th, 1984; 21st, 1985; 22nd, 1986; 23rd, 1986; 24th, 1987. There were approximately forty impressions overall up to the early 2000s.

From 1961 Penguin also published this ‘edition’ in the United States altering only the price on the front cover, the imprint, and the printing and manufacturing notices. There were impressions in 1961, 1964, 1966, 1968. These impressions were printed in the United States.

The text is that of A72d.

In 1988 Moyer Bell Limited, Mt. Kisko, New York published a two volumes-in-one impression which appears to be a photographically reproduced reprint of A72e. There as a second impression in 1994.

In 1997 Easton Press, Norwalk, Connecticut issued a two-volume impression, bound in full teal leather elaborately stamped in gold and brown on covers and spine; all edges gilt; silk endpapers.

A72f. Third English ‘edition’, Condensed edition ([1981]):

Collation: [1]– [3]8 [4]4[5] –[13]8 [14]4 [15]8, 112 leaves.

p.[1] [geometric designed rule, in grey] | GREEK | MYTHS | [geometric designed rule, in grey]; p.[2] frontispiece; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] publisher’s, copyright, rights reservation, publishing, condensor’s, ISBN, printer’s and picture credit notices; pp.[5]–[8] CONTENTS; p.[9] [geometric designed rule, in grey] | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | [geometric designed rule, in grey]; pp.[10] 11–215 text, with pp.[18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 30, 31, 44, 50, 51, 54, 55, 78, 79, 83, 86, 87, 106, 107, 111, 114, 115, 128, 134, 142, 143, 146, 147, 150, 151, 170, 171, 174, 175, 182, 183, 191, 202, 203, 206, 207] being unnumbered; pp.[216]217–224 [geometric designed rule, in grey] | INDEX | [geometric designed rule, in grey].

24.5 × 18.8 cm. Bulk: 1.6/2.1 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. White wove endpapers. Bound in simulated navy blue cloth; front and back blank. Spine stamped in silver, top to bottom: GREEK MYTHS ROBERT GRAVES | [upright, at foot:] CASSELL

Price: £9.95. Number of copies unknown. Published 27 August 1981 in white dust-jacket printed in orange, blue, black and grey.

Notes: The condensation was carried out by John Buchanan-Brown.

Impressions: 2nd, 1985; 3rd, 1992.

Book Club Associates, London impressions: 1st, 1981; 2nd, 1984.

Doubleday & Co., Garden City, New York impressions: 1st, 1981; 2nd, 1982.

Penguin Books, London inpressions in paper covers: 1st, 1984; 2nd, 1986; 3rd, 1987. There were at least thirteen impressions.

Book Club Associates, London (reduced size format, 19.5 × 12.8 cm. Bulk: 1.7/2.5 cm.): 1st, 1985; 2nd, 1987; 3rd, 1987; 4th, 1988; 5th, 1989; 6th, 1991; 7th, 1991; 8th, 1992; 9th, 1993.

Quality Paperbacks Direct, London issue: 1st, 1991; 2nd, (issued in hard cover and paper covers), 1992; 3rd, 1993; 4th, 1993.

A72g. Fourth English edition [1996]:

Collation: [1-20] 21-700

p. [1] THE GREEK MYTHS; p. [2] blank; [frontispiece, back blank, The birth of Aphrodite]; p. [3] title-page; p. [4] publisher’s, edition, copyright, illustrator’s, printer’s and binder’s notices; pp. [5] – [7] CONTENTS; p. [8] blank; p. [9] ILLUSTRATIONS; p. [10] blank; pp. 11-20 EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION; pp. 21-32 AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION; pp. 33-34 FOREWORD; pp. 35-666 text, with illustrations facing pp. 48, 65, 80, 96, 152, 225, 240, 272, 289, 319, 336, 353, 417, 432, 560; pp. 667-700 INDEX.

24.2 × 16.7 cm. Bulk: 4.5/5.4 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Tan wove map endpapers printed in black; inner sides blank. Top edges stained dark brown. Dark brown leather spine; front and back burnt sienna cloth covers blocked with image of Leda and the Swan in black and white; junction of leather and cloth on front and back covers has a Greek-key design in gold. Spine stamped in gold: [top to bottom]: THE GREEK MYTHS

Issued without dust-jacket in brown paper-covered cardboard slipcase with Greek-key design vertically in gold on front and back. The third and later impressions were in orange paper-covered slipcases printed in gold.

Price: £44.95. Number of copies unknown. Published in June 1996.

Notes: The first and second impressions of this edition were issued in a one-volume format. The third impression was issued in both one-volume and two-volume formats. Subsequent impressions were issued in two volumes.

Impressions: 1st, 1996; 2nd, 1997; 3rd (one volume issue), 1998; 3rd (two-volume issue) 1998; 4th, 1998; 5th, 1998; 6th, 1999; 7th, dated1999; 7th, dated 2000; 8th, 2000; 9th, 2001; 10th, 2001; 11th, 2001; 12th, 2002; 13th, 2002; 14th, 2002; 15th, 2003; 16th, 2003; 17th, 2005; 23rd, 2011.

Reference: Nash 853, p. 287.

A72h. Fifth English edition [2001]:

Collation: [1]-[22]16 [23]4 [24]8 [25]-[27]16, 412 leaves.

p. [i] ROBERT GRAVES | THE GREEK MYTHS; p. [ii] list of books in the Robert Graves Programme; p. [iii] title-page; p. [iv] edition, publisher’s, copyright, rights reservation, BL cataloguing, Arts Council of England assistance and printer’s notices; p. [v] CONTENTS; p. [vi] blank; p.[vii] – xxviii EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION; p. [1] THE GREEK MYTHS | COMBINED EDITION; p. [2] blank; p. [3] – 7 CONTENTS; p. [8] frontispiece; pp. [9] – 10 FOREWORD; pp. [11] – 24 INTRODUCTION; p. [25] THE GREEK MYTHS | VOLUME ONE; p. [26] blank; pp. [27] -738 text; p. [739] MAP OF THE GREEK WORLD; pp. [740] – [741] maps; p. [742] blank; p. [743] MAP SHOWING SITES | MENTIONED IN THE TEXT; pp. [744] – [745] maps; p. [746] blank; pp. 747-782 INDEX; pp. [783] – 790 ENDNOTES; p. [791] Appendix B; p. [792] Appendix A; p. 793 Appendix B; pp. [794] – [795] blank; p. [796] A limited edition of 500 copies of this book were printed, | of which 400 were numbered. | This copy is number | [number stamped in] | of 460.

21.5 × 13.5 cm. Bulk: 5.5/ 6.3 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. White wove endpapers printed in pale fawn with a repeated motif in white: [within a cartouche:] Robert | Graves; inner sides of endpapers blank. Bound in black simulated cloth; front and back blank; spine stamped in gold: [down spine:] Robert Graves [in two lines:] THE GREEK MYTHS | Edited by Michel W. Pharand | [upright:] CARCANET

Price: £50.00. There were 500 copes of which 460 were numbered. Issued in white laid paper dust-jacket printed in pale green, dark green and black. The dust-jacket design is by Stephen Raw.

Note: There is an error in which Appendix A and Appendix B are printed out of order: p. [791] is the first page of Appendix B; p. [792] is Appendix A; p. 973 is the second page of Appendix B. This was later corrected in some copies, in which the leaf containing pp. [791] and [792] is a cancel pasted onto a stub.

Return to Section A List