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The Odyssey
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The Odyssey Paperback - 1998

by Homer

This excellent prose translation of Homer's epic poem of the 9th century B.C. recounts one of the most glorious tales of Western literature, a treasury of Greek folklore, and a myth that has held ageless fascination.


About this book

Listen, O Muse, and hear my song, Of the great adventures that took so long, Of the noble Odysseus, king of Ithaca, Whose journey was filled with many a setback.


The tale begins with the end of the Trojan War, When the Greeks set sail from the Trojan shore. Odysseus and his men faced many a danger, From the wrath of the gods to the Cyclops' anger.


They sailed through storms and fought with beasts, But despite all odds, they made it to their feast, And there, in the halls of the goddess Circe, Odysseus learned of the dangers he'd soon see.


He sailed on to the land of the dead, To hear from the spirits what lay ahead, And learned of Scylla and Charybdis' might, And the Sirens' song that would lead to his plight.


But he pressed on, through trials and strife, And with the help of Athena, he saved his life. He arrived home to Ithaca, his wife and son, But his troubles were far from done.


His kingdom was overrun with suitors bold, Who sought to claim his wife and gold, But with cunning and strength, he won the day, And all the suitors were slain or driven away.


And so ends the tale of Odysseus' quest, His trials and tribulations put to rest. But his story lives on through the ages, A masterpiece of literature on history's pages.


Published in ancient Greece so long ago, By Homer, a poet whose name we all know, "The Odyssey" remains a classic work of art, A testament to the human spirit and heart. - 


The Odyssey - a summary in poetry by Chatgpt


The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems (along with The Iliad) attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature, also important because it is still studied and read widely today. Originally written around the 8th or 7th century BC in Homeric Greek, The Odyssey was passed down mainly by oral tradition. The text was used in schools and studied by scholars as early as the 4th century. Scholars in Alexandria organized the 12,000-line poem into 24 books. The first English translation of The Odyssey was produced in the 16th century.

From the publisher

This excellent prose translation of Homer's epic poem of the 9th century BC recounts one of Western civilization's most glorious tales, a treasury of Greek folklore and myth that maintains an ageless appeal for modern readers. A cornerstone of Western literature, The Odyssey narrates the path of a fascinatingly complex hero through a world of wonders and danger-filled adventure.
After ten bloody years of fighting in the Trojan War, the intrepid Odysseus heads homeward, little imagining that it will take another ten years of desperate struggle to reclaim his kingdom and family. The wily hero circumvents the wrath of the sea god Poseidon and triumphs over an incredible array of obstacles, assisted by his patron goddess Athene and his own prodigious guile. From a literal descent into Hell to interrogate a dead prophet to a sojourn in the earthly paradise of the Lotus-eaters, the gripping narrative traverses the mythological world of ancient Greece to introduce an unforgettable cast of characters: one-eyed giants known as Cyclopses, the enchantress Circe, cannibals, sirens, the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis, and a fantastic assortment of other creatures.
Remarkably modern in its skillful use of flashbacks and parallel line of action, Homer's monumental work is now available in this inexpensive, high-quality edition sure to be prized by students, teachers, and all who love the great myths and legends of the ancient world.
A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

From the rear cover

This excellent prose translation of Homer's epic poem of the 9th century BC recounts one of Western civilization's most glorious tales, a treasury of Greek folklore and myth that maintains an ageless appeal for modern readers. A cornerstone of Western literature, The Odyssey narrates the path of a fascinatingly complex hero through a world of wonders and danger-filled adventure.
After ten bloody years of fighting in the Trojan War, the intrepid Odysseus heads homeward, little imagining that it will take another ten years of desperate struggle to reclaim his kingdom and family.
From a literal descent into Hell to interrogate a dead prophet to a sojourn in the earthly paradise of the Lotus-eaters, the gripping narrative traverses the mythological world of ancient Greece to introduce an unforgettable cast of characters: one-eyed giants known as Cyclopses, the enchantress Circe, cannibals, sirens, the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis, and a fantastic assortment of other creatures.

First Edition Identification

The first printed edition of The Odyssey was produced in 1488 by the Greek scholar Demetrios Chalkokondyles and printed in Milan by a Greek printer named Antonios Damilas.

George Chapman's English translations of The Odyssey and The Iliad, published together in 1616, enjoyed widespread success. Since then, there have been many translations of the poem. 

Robert Fitzgerald's translation of Homer's Odyssey, first published by Doubleday in 1961, is the best and best-loved modern translation of the greatest of all epic poems. W. W. Norton & Company released a highly regarded translation by Emily Wilson in 2017, the first English translation by a woman. 


More about the "A 3,000 Year Publishing and Translation History of the Iliad and the Odyssey" can be found in Philip H. Young's book The Printed Homer. 

Details

  • Title The Odyssey
  • Author Homer
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Unabridged
  • Pages 256
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Dover Publications, Mineola, NY
  • Date 1998-12-23
  • ISBN 9780486406541 / 0486406547
  • Weight 0.4 lbs (0.18 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.12 x 5.24 x 0.6 in (20.62 x 13.31 x 1.52 cm)
  • Ages 14 to UP years
  • Grade levels 9 - UP
  • Reading level 830
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Ancient (To 499 A.D.)
  • Library of Congress subjects Epic poetry, Greek - Translations into, Odysseus (Greek mythology) - Poetry
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 98-50940
  • Dewey Decimal Code 883.01
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The Odyssey (Dover Thrift Editions: Literary Collections)

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