A Guide to The Odyssey

by HEXTER, RALPH

• ISBN13: 9780679728474
• ISBN10: 0679728473
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 1993-11-30
• Publisher: Vintage

Summary

It seems almost impossible for a contemporary reader fully to grasp The Odyssey without an education in classical mythology, archaeology, and geography. But this masterly companion to Homer's epic bridges the gulf that separates us from the Homeric world. Its scholarly introduction, illustrations, chronology, and hundreds of specific line references permit us to understand what The Odyssey meant to its original audience and to sift through the layers of meaning and cultural reference it has acquired for later readers.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
Homer and the Archeological Reader
Poet and Poem, Singer and Song
History and Geography
The Gods
Violence
Fathers and Sons
Men and Women, Families and Couples
Memory
A Final Word Before Reading
Notes
Chronology
Map and Illustrations
Commentary
Book I: A Goddess Intervenes	p. 3
Book II: A Hero's Son Awakens	p. 31
Book III: The Lord of the Western Approaches	p. 43
Book IV: The Red-Haired King and His Lady	p. 51
Book V: Sweet Nymph and Open Sea	p. 69
Book VI: The Princess at the River	p. 84
Book VII: Gardens and Firelight	p. 95
Book VIII: The Songs of the Harper	p. 104
Book IX: New Coasts and Poseidon's Son	p. 122
Book X: The Grace of the Witch	p. 137
Book XI: A Gathering of Shades	p. 147
Book XII: Sea Perils and Defeat	p. 159
Book XIII: One More Strange Island	p. 166
Book XIV: Hospitality in the Forest	p. 175
Book XV: How They Came to Ithaka	p. 189
Book XVI: Father and Son	p. 202
Book XVII: The Beggar at the Manor	p. 212
Book XVIII: Blows and a Queen's Beauty	p. 223
Book XIX: Recognitions and a Dream	p. 234
Book XX: Signs and a Vision	p. 256
Book XXI: The Test of the Bow	p. 264
Book XXII: Death in the Great Hall	p. 275
Book XXIII: The Trunk of the Olive Tree	p. 282
Book XXIV: Warriors, Farewell	p. 292
Who's Who in The Odyssey	p. 309
Bibliography: Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 353
Acknowledgments	p. 363
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.