The World of Homer
The World of Homer
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USDEpic poetry, notably the Iliad and the Odyssey, stands as one of the most enduring legacies of ancient Greece. Although the impact of these epics on Western civilization is widely recognized, their origins remain the subject of heated debate. Were they composed in a single era or over the course of centuries? Were they crafted by one or by many poets? Do they reflect historical reality? These and other important questions are answered in this book. Using a fresh, dynamic approach, Michael Cosmopoulos reconstructs the world of the Homeric poems and explores the interplay between poetry, social memory, and material culture. By integrating key insights from archaeology, philology, anthropology, and oral tradition, he offers a nuanced perspective of the emergence and early development of Greek epic. His wide-canvas approach enables readers to appreciate the complexity of the Homeric world and gain a deeper understanding of the intricate factors that shaped these magnificent poems.
- Uses a unified-field approach, which combines archaeology, Homeric studies, textual analyses of Linear B tablets, social memory, and orality studies
- Provides comprehensive coverage of the entire Homeric world
- Provides readers with a nuanced explanation of the emergence of Greek epic poetry
Reviews & endorsements
‘'A tour de force by a mature and versatile scholar who, like Dante's Virgil, guides us through the archaeological, historical and oral literary evidence surrounding the two great Homeric song poems. Michael Cosmopoulos helps us recognize the enduring human truths that the Iliad and Odyssey still hold for us. Tom Palaima, Robert M. Armstrong Professor of Classics, University of Texas
‘Rich in factual detail, Michael Cosmopoulos's book is a beautiful synthesis of the overall ‘world of Homer,' viewed by a multidisciplinary expert who has succeeded in communicating his vast knowledge of Homeric archaeology, anthropology, and philology with non-experts as well as experts.' Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Product details
June 2025Adobe eBook Reader
9781009582865
0 pages
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Part I. Homeric Scholarship
- 1. Homer and Homeric studies
- Part II. The World of Homer:
- 2. Historical background
- 3. Society and politics
- 4. Political geography
- 5. Economy
- 6. War
- 7. Religion
- Part III. History, Memory and the Emergence of Greek Epic Poetry:
- 8. Historical elements in the epics
- 9. Social memory and epic composition.
