Homer: The Odyssey

Description

The Odyssey is one of the earliest works of European literature, second only to the Iliad. These two great epic poems, the astonishing first fruits of Greek civilization, have together determined much of the course of Western literary culture and imagination. The poem tells of the long and painful return of Odysseus from the Trojan War to his homeland of Ithaka, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachos. Even after he finally returns, there are enemies to be fought in his house. The action of the poem covers a huge canvas, ranging widely over time and place, exploring the known and unknown worlds, involving magic and monsters, gods and ghosts, dangers defied: throughout there runs a strong and eloquent insistence on the humanity of men and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. In this vibrant new translation, in a very readable prose format, Martin Hammond complements his acclaimed translation of the Iliad to capture as closely as possible both the simplicity and the intensity of Homer's epic. With an introduction by Professor Jasper Griffin and a comprehensive index, it sets a new and lasting standard in the interpretation of a masterpiece of Greek literature for both the student and the general reader.

Martin Hammond was Head of Classics and Master in College at Eton College. He was also Headmaster of City of London School, and Tonbridge School, Kent. His acclaimed translation of the Iliad was published by Penguin Classics. Homer is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest of ancient Greek epic poets. These epics representthe beginning of the Western canon, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.

"Hammond's precise and highly readable translation embraces not only the immediate human appeal of the Odyssey but also much of what is alien to modern literary culture: 'modes of speech, insistent narrative sequencing, the wealth of formulaic repetition' ... [It] offers Anglophone readers a faithful and direct experience of the style and manner of Homer's great poem." -The Classical Review