From Achilles to Christ

by Markos, Louis

• ISBN13: 9780830825936
• ISBN10: 0830825932
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-08-30
• Publisher: Ivp Academic

Summary

"The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact." C. S. LEWIS In From Achilles to Christ, Louis Markos introduces readers to the great narratives of classical mythology from a Christian perspective. From the battles of Achilles and the adventures of Odysseus to the feats of Hercules and the trials of Aeneas, Markos shows how the characters, themes and symbols within these myths both foreshadow and find their fulfillment in the story of Jesus Christ the "myth made fact." Along the way, he dispels misplaced fears about the dangers of reading classical literature, and offers a Christian approach to the interpretation and appropriation of these great literary works. This engaging and eminently readable book is an excellent resource for Christian students, teachers and readers of classical literature. Market/Audience Readers of stories and essays Christian secondary school teachers Students Home-school networks C. S. Lewis readers Endorsements "Through cogent readings of Homer, Sophocles, Virgil and others, Louis Markos searches the classics of antiquity for 'traces, remnants and intimations of that wisdom which made us.' Written in a clear and compelling manner, this timely study deserves a wide audience." ROGER LUNDIN, Blanchard Professor of English, Wheaton College "Louis Markos is one of the most exciting writers around today and there are few more able to lead us on a tour through God's gallery of myth than he is." JOSEPH PEARCE, Writer-in-Residence and Associate Professor of Literature, Ave Maria University Features and benefits Offers a Christian defense, interpretation and appropriation of classical literature Dispels misplaced fears about the dangers of reading classical literature Provides an excellent resource for Christian students and teachers of classical literature

Author Biography

Louis Markos is professor of English at Houston Baptist University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Only Complete Truth	p. 9
Homer
Hesiod's Theogony: In the Beginning	p. 27
Homer's Iliad I: A History of Conflict	p. 36
Homer's Iliad II: Civilization versus Barbarism	p. 49
Homer's Iliad III: A New Ethic	p. 60
Homer's Iliad IV: From Wrath to Reconciliation	p. 69
Homer's Odyssey I: Coming of Age	p. 79
Homer's Odyssey II: Coming Home	p. 89
Homer's Odyssey III: The Journeys of Odysseus	p. 100
The Greek Tragedians
Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound: The Birth of Tragedy	p. 115
Aeschylus's Oresteia: Pagan Poets and Hebrew Prophets	p. 124
Sophocles' Oedipus: The Human Scapegoat	p. 135
Sophocles' Antigone and Electra: Questions of Duty	p. 146
Sophocles' Women of Trachis and Philoctetes: The Tragedy of Character	p. 157
Euripides' Electra and Medea: The Naive and the Sentimental	p. 167
Euripides' Bacchae and Hippolytus: Apollonian versus Dionysiac	p. 179
Virgil
The Sacred History of Rome	p. 193
The Making of a Roman Epic	p. 202
Virgil's Aeneid I: The Fall of Troy	p. 210
Virgil's Aeneid II: Aeneas and Dido	p. 219
Virgil's Aeneid III: To Hell and Back	p. 229
Virgil's Aeneid IV: Just War?	p. 237
Conclusion: The Myth Made Fact	p. 247
Bibliographical Essay	p. 251
Index	p. 258
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.