Homer: Odyssey Book IX

Up-to-date introduction to Homeric poetry through the in-depth study of the Odyssey's most popular episode, Book IX.

Egbert J. Bakker (Edited by)

9781107424845, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 January 2025

271 pages
21.6 x 13.8 x 1.4 cm, 0.35 kg

'Bakker has produced a comprehensive commentary to one of the most famous books of Homer's Odyssey, complete with an exciting introduction to Homeric textual criticism. … One who studies Odyssey IX by following Bakker's commentary will be rewarded with a depth of insight not only into critical discussion of the book but also into Homeric textual criticism in general. I highly recommend the volume for those wishing to teach Homeric Greek … I foresee using Bakker's discussion of Homeric meter from a cognitive viewpoint as useful in my own courses for teaching a range of subjects, from ancient Greek music to word order in poetry more generally.' William Farris, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Book IX of the Odyssey is one of the most often read and discussed sections of Homeric poetry. It contains Odysseus' narrative of his encounter with Polyphemus the Cyclops, which not only typifies him as the trickster-hero that he is, but also resonates thematically with later parts of the narrative. This edition provides solid support in reading, understanding, and enjoying this essential episode. The Commentary is designed to be helpful to undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars, providing assistance in understanding Homeric language from elementary to advanced levels. The constant attention to narratological details contributes to the literary appreciation of the episode. The Introduction offers a particularly full guide to Homeric meter, language and dialect as well as discussing in detail the place which the Cyclops episode occupies both in the Odyssey as a whole and in Greek mythology and culture as an expression of the colonial imagination.

Introduction
ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑΣ Ι
Commentary
Bibliography
Subject Index
Index of Greek Terms.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1]