Homer

One of the two major ancient Greek epics, Homer's Odyssey, has been a classic of Western Literature for centuries. This new translation into spare, elegant blank verse is certain to attract the same praise and admiration as Herbert Jordan's translation of Homer's Iliad. In keeping with the style of his Iliad, Jordan renders the Odyssey line-for-line in iambic pentameter, a pleasing five-beat meter as used by Shakespeare and by his contemporary George Chapman, the first great translator of Homer into English verse. Jordan deftly pilots Homer's dactyls and extended metaphors, capturing the essence of the poet's meanings while avoiding an overly literal or colloquial style. This edition features maps of the Aegean region and Odysseus' travels, explanatory notes, a pronunciation glossary of nouns, and an index of similes. E. Christian Kopff's introduction parses the Odyssey's meaning and intent, and contextualizes the poem within the larger epic tradition. Readers never tire of the story of Odysseus' return home from the Trojan War. This lively and energetic rendition invites twenty-first-century readers and students of Homer's epic to experience these adventures as if for the first time.

Since 1923 the Sammlung Tusculum has published authoritative editions of Greek and Latin works together with a German translation. The original texts are comprehensively annotated, and feature an introductory chapter. In the new volumes, additional essays delve into specific aspects of the works, illuminating their historical context and reception to the present day. The high academic quality of the new editions together with clearly written essays and annotations make the Sammlung Tusculum essential reading for students who are discovering an ancient author for the first time as well as professional scholars who would like to gain a deeper understanding of specific aspects of a given work. Moreover, the series is ideal for lay readers who would like to engage with antiquity through a reliable German translation. The series contains over 270 titles, available in print and eBook editions, making previously out-of-print titles and rarities available again for the first time. In order to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the series, De Gruyter is proud to present Tusculum Online, an eBook package which contains all titles that appeared between 1923 and 2013 - a fitting tribute to an important part of German publishing history. For more information, please see www.degruyter.com/tusculum

Homer's Iliad is one of the foundational texts of Western Civilization. The timelessness of its story, of men battling fate amidst the horrors of war, still stirs the imaginations of readers year after year. What is offered here is the first translation by someone who is both an eminent scholar and published poet. Based on his thorough familiarity with Homeric language, Powell's free verse translation preserves the clarity and simplicity of the original, while recreating the original feel and sound of the oral-formulaic style. By avoiding the stylistic formality of earlier translations, and the colloquial and sometimes exaggerated effects of recent attempts, he deftly captures and conveys the most essential truths of this vital text. Helpfully included in this edition are a detailed introduction, illustrations, maps, and notes. Modern and pleasing to the ear while accurately reflecting the meaning of the Greek, Powell steers a middle path between the most well-known translations and adds something unique to the canon.

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second oldest extant work of Western literature, the Iliad being the oldest. It is believed to have been composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia. The Odyssey begins ten years after the end of the ten-year Trojan War (that is the subject of the Iliad), and Odysseus has still not returned home from the war. Odysseus' son Telemachus is about 20 years old and is sharing his absent father's house on the island of Ithaca with his mother Penelope and a crowd of 108 boisterous young men, "the Suitors", whose aim is to persuade Penelope to marry one of them, all the while enjoying the hospitality of Odysseus' household and eating up his wealth.

Originally published as part of the Pitt Press Series in 1921, this book not only provides the full text of the 21st book of the Iliad, but also includes an introductory guide for the new Greek scholar that addresses issues of vocabulary, translation possibilities and metrical issues. This book will be of value to Classical scholars of any ability, but particularly to anyone reading Homer in the original.

A stunning new translation of the classic tale of the fall of Troy from one of the world's finest translators. If you enjoyed THE SONG OF ACHILLES, discover the original and the best...

Homer's epic poem telling the story of the darkest episode in the ten-year-long Trojan War, retold for younger readers"The Iliad" is one of the greatest works of literature ever written. It has inspired readers and listeners for millennia. The story tells of the Trojan War, fought between the Trojans, led by King Priam, and the Greeks, led by King Agamemnon. At its center is Achilles, the greatest warrior-champion of the Greeks, and his refusal to fight after being humiliated by his leader Agamemnon. But when the Trojan Hector kills Achilles' close friend Patroclus, he storms back into battle to take revenge--even though he knows this will ensure his own untimely death. This retelling has been shortened and illustrated for younger readers.

The greatest epic of them all? The age-old tale of the siege of Troy, the heroism of defenders and attackers and, amidst this, the selfless and tender love of two men