| The Odyssey in Athens: Myths of Cultural Origins Contributor(s): Cook, Erwin F. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0801473357 ISBN-13: 9780801473357 Publisher: Cornell University Press OUR PRICE: $44.50 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 2006 Annotation: A study in poetic interaction, The "Odyssey" in Athens explores the ways in which narrative structure and parallels within and between the epic poet (aka Homer's) texts create or disclose meaning. Erwin F. Cook also broadens the scope of this intertextual approach to include the relationship of Homeric epic to ritual. Specifically he argues that the Odyssey achieved its form as a written text within the context of Athenian civic cults during the reign of Peisistratos. Focusing on the prologue and the Apologoi (Books 9-12), Cook shows how the traditional Greek polarity between force and intelligence (or bie and metis/noos) informs the Odyssean narrative at all levels of composition. He then uses this polarity to explain instances of Odyssean self-reference, allusions to other epic traditions - in particular the Iliadand interaction between the poem and its performance context in Athenian civic ritual. This detailed structural analysis, with its insights into the circumstances and meaning of the Odyssey's composition, will lead to a new understanding of the Homeric epics and the tradition they evoked. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Ancient And Classical - Social Science | Folklore & Mythology - Literary Criticism | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology |
| Dewey: 883.01 |
| Lexile Measure: 1520 |
| Series: Myth and Poetics |
| Physical Information: 0.56" H x 6.08" W x 9.04" (0.82 lbs) 232 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: A study in poetic interaction, The Odyssey in Athens explores the ways in which narrative structure and parallels within and between epic poems create or disclose meaning. Erwin F. Cook also broadens the scope of this intertextual approach to include the relationship of Homeric epic to ritual. Specifically he argues that the Odyssey achieved its form as a written text within the context of Athenian civic cults during the reign of Peisistratos. Focusing on the prologue and the Apologoi (Books 9-12), Cook shows how the traditional Greek polarity between force and intelligence informs the Odyssean narrative at all levels of composition. He then uses this polarity to explain instances of Odyssean self-reference, allusions to other epic traditions--in particular the Iliad--and interaction between the poem and its performance context in Athenian civic ritual. This detailed structural analysis, with its insights into the circumstances and meaning of the Odyssey's composition, will lead to a new understanding of the Homeric epics and the tradition they evoked. |
Contributor Bio(s): Cook, Erwin F.: - Erwin Cook is T. Frank Murchison Distinguished Professor of Classical Studies at Trinity University. |