Homer

Homer is the name ascribed by the Ancient Greeks to the semi-legendary author of the two epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, the central works of Greek literature. Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity, the most widespread being that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey. The importance of Homer to the ancient Greeks is described in Plato's Republic, where he is referred to as the protos didaskalos, "first teacher", of tragedy, the hegemon paideias, "leader of learning" and the one who ten Hellada pepaideuken, "has taught Greece". Homer's works, which are about fifty percent speeches, provided models in persuasive speaking and writing that were emulated throughout the ancient and medieval Greek worlds. Fragments of Homer account for nearly half of all identifiable Greek literary papyrus finds in Egypt.

A general survey of the Odyssey, together with comment on the action, characterisation and style of books XIX and XX.

Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. The poem; 2. Odysseus; 3. Penelope; 4. Transmission and technique; 5. Metre, grammar and text; ODYSSEY XIX; ODYSSEY XX; Commentary; Bibliography; Index.