Homer / Edition 1

by Barry B. Powell

Overview

This concise book is an ideal introduction to Homer – the poet and his two great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

• 
  
• Student-friendly introduction to Homer.
  
• Provides historical background and literary readings of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
  
• Makes use of the author’s own original research.
  
• Assumes no prior knowledge of Greek.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780631233862
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	10/17/2003
Series:	Blackwell Introductions to the Classical World , #7
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Barry B. Powell is Halls-Bascom Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His previous publications include Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet (1991), A Short Introduction to Classical Myth (2001), Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature (2002), and Classical Myth (fourth edition, 2004).

Table of Contents

Chronological Chart.

Preface to the Second Edition.

Preface to the First Edition.

Introduction.

Part I: Background:.

1. The Philologist’s Homer.

2. The Historian’s Homer.

3. The Reader’s Homer.

Part II. The Poems:.

4. The Iliad.

5. The Odyssey.

6. Conclusion and Summary: Homer's Complementary Poems.

Part III: Reception:.

7. Homer and The Philosophers.

8. Homer and The Poets.

Notes.

Appendix: For Further Reading.

Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Finally we have in English a companion to the poems of Homer that each and every reader should and can consult. Powell's Homer can be recommended without reservation to students at any level, as well as to older readers. Even professional Classicists are likely to find surprises in store for them."Jack Davis, University of Cincinnati

"Thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating...I read it through with pleasure, with general agreement, and with flashes of lightbulb-over-the-head-type enlightenment." Allan Griffiths, University College, London

"Powell (classics, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison; Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature) offers an impressive introduction to Homer, focusing on the epic texts for which he is known, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Part 1 presents lucid overviews of various debates surrounding Homer's texts. The author divides the discussion into three sections: the philologist's Homer (from the perspective of language and text), the historian's Homer (The Iliad and The Odyssey as historical, archaeological, and anthropological sources), and the reader's Homer (his plot, style, and figurative language). Part 2 examines the various stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey, assessing their greatness and why they endure. While Powell expresses strong opinions on the various ways in which Homer is read, his treatment is always balanced. This work is witty, lucid, and more thorough than Paolo Vivante's Homer. Highly recommended." T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

"Powell admirably wrestles an almost impossible amount of material into a coherent presentation for his target audience ... It is well written in a clear and accessible style. Honest in his aims, Powell admirably introduces the genius and challenge of the Homeric works." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"The book has a refreshingly personal touch ... Powell succeeds very well in making Homer's poetry and Homeric problems appealing to his intended readers." Classical Bulletin

Editorial Reviews

Remains the substantial and erudite introduction that it was on first printing. Powell writes with confidence, elegance, and a brisk tone, which means that the book, though aimed at an audience of specialists and non-specialists alike, is still a pleasure for the professional Homerist to read. Powell's book does a superb job of covering a wide range of relevant material, while remaining an entertaining and engaging walk through the state of the art of Homeric scholarship at the opening of the twenty-first century.” New England Classical Journal

Praise for the first edition:

“Powell admirably wrestles an almost impossible amount of material into a coherent presentation for his target audience ... It is well written in a clear and accessible style. Honest in his aims, Powell admirably introduces the genius and challenge of the Homeric works.”
Bryn Mawr Classical Review

“The book has a refreshingly personal touch ... Powell succeeds very well in making Homer’s poetry and Homeric problems appealing to his intended readers.”
Classical Bulletin

“Powell offers an impressive introduction to Homer, focusing on the epic texts for which he is known, the Iliad and the Odyssey … Highly recommended.”
Library Journal

“…this is a useful book as it introduces a wide range of topics with clarity…will certainly inspire readers to pursue the further study of Homer.”
Bryn Mawr Classical Review, February 2008

From the Publisher