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"… an intelligent and well-conceived
book.... It will save students and teachers many hours because
it gathers together excerpts from ancient and modern writers to
expand
the points at which readers might connect
to this immortal
epic."
School Library Journal (print)
For thousands of years, The Odyssey has resonated throughout the
Western world. Homer has been an original source of inspiration to
writers, painters, sculptors, and filmmakers, as well as a vital
source of information about the mythology, history, and culture of
ancient Greece. This sourcebook uniquely blends commentary and primary
documents, situating the epic within historical contexts that are
important for students to understand.
The literary analysis chapter is ideal for readers coming to The
Odyssey for the first time, introducing the work with a chronology
of events and identification of major characters and themes. Topical
chapters carefully consider matters of mythology, geography, archeology,
and class issues pertinent to The Odyssey. Excerpts from classical
and scholarly sources, including Herodotus, Plato, Thucydides, and
Bulfinch, help students understand the historical framework, and
materials from government documents and newspaper accounts help students
make connections between The Odyssey's thematic ideas and current
events, such as the September 11th attacks and the ongoing conflict
in Ireland.
In addition, the online sourcebook provides the user access to:
- E-texts of The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Aenead, Theogeny, Works
and Days, The History of Herodotus, Plato’s Republic,
Aristotle’s Politics,
Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends
of Charlemagne, and more
- Biographical profiles of Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus, Strabo, Thucydides,
Socrates, Wilhelm Dorpfeld, Carl Blegen, Heinrich Schliemann, Sir Arthur Evans,
James Joyce, Joseph Campbell, and others
- Images of the Trojan War Myth
- Online sites featuring Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean, The
Mycenaean Bronze Age, and the Greek Dark Ages
- Glossary of characters from Homer’s The Odyssey
- Web-based study questions
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