My Account Wish List
Advanced Search
Print - Close Window
www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR0881.aspx
All Greenwood Products
Understanding The Odyssey A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historic Documents
(Click to Enlarge)
Claudia Durst Johnson, Vernon Johnson
Book Code: GR0881
ISBN: 0-313-30881-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-30881-9
248 pages
Greenwood Press
Publication: 6/30/2003
List Price: $51.95 (UK Sterling Price: £29.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Also Available: Ebook
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • [t]his is 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     December 2003
Description: 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 casebook 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.
Table of Contents:
  • Introduction
  • A Literary Analysis of Homer's The Odyssey: Transformation and Return
  • Greek Mythology and Homer
  • The Geography of The Odyssey
  • Summary of Archeological Excavations
  • The Historical Context of The Odyssey
  • The Trojan War Myth and Legend
  • Supporting Players in The Odyssey: The Underclasses
  • Contemporary Applications: The Problem of Revenge
  • Contemporary Applications: The Athlete and Athletics
  • Contemporary Applications: The Evolution of the Heroic Ideal
  • Index
LC Card Number: 2002028440
LCC Class: PA4167
Dewey Class: 883
All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999-2008 Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
88 Post Road West, Westport CT 06881, (203) 226-3571