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| Homer. The Odyssey. | | Elibron Classics, 2001, 241 pages |
| | | The Odyssey's exact dates and the nature of its composition are subjects of endless controversy; however, most scholars believe it to have been composed slightly after the Iliad. Although many support the ancient attribution of the two epics to one author, some contend that a different 'Homer' composed each of the two works. Odysseus' long journey from Troy to his home at Ithaca comprises, scholars believe, a number of different myths, most likely assembled by the poet to represent the journey of one hero. Seductive women, terrible monsters, and divine wrath merge to make Odysseus' perseverance all the more striking, his unmatched strength and wits all the more heroic and captivating.
Elibron Classics presents the Odyssey in translation by T.E. Shaw (Colonel T.E.Lawrence). |
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| Homer (c. 8th century BCE), list of works | | | Seven ancient cities claimed Homer as a native. His actual existence, however - let alone his authorship of The Iliad and The Odyssey - has never been conclusively established. The life of the poet has been a subject of historical controversy since ancient times; some traditions hold that he was a slave, or that he was blind, but such conjectures seem to be unfounded analogies to other poets. The epics themselves are widely believed to have been composed by two different poets, but many scholars site stylistic unities to suggest that each poem was the creation, from traditional lore, of one poet, not an amalgamation of many poets' work. Regardless, the epics are cornerstones of western literature and endless sources of self-knowledge and entertainment. |
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