Research Catalog

Title

Communication, love, and death in Homer and Virgil : an introduction / Stephen Ridd.

Author

Ridd, Stephen

Publication

Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

ix, 258 pages; 23 cm

Summary

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid are three of the most important--and influential--works of Western classical literature. Although they differ in subject matter and authorship, these epic poems share a common purpose: to tell the "deeds both of men and of the gods." Written in an accessible style and ideally suited for classroom use, Communication, Love, and Death in Homer and Virgil offers a unique comparative analysis of these classic works. As author Stephen Ridd explains, the common themes of communication, love, and death respond to "deeply ingrained human needs" and are therefore of perennial interest. Presenting select passages from the original Greek and Latin texts--translated here into modern English--Ridd explores in detail how the characters within the poems communicate on these subjects with one another as well as with the reader. Individual chapters focus on subjects such as the traditions of singing and storytelling, relationships between sons and mothers, the role of Helen of Troy and her ties to the men in her life, and communication with the dead. Throughout his analysis, Ridd treats the three poems on an equal basis, revealing similarities and differences in their handling of prevalent themes. By introducing readers to a new way of reading these abiding classics, Communication, Love, and Death in Homer and Virgil enhances our appreciation of the imaginative world of ancient Greek and Roman epic poetry.

Series Statement

Oklahoma series in classical culture ; volume 54

Uniform Title

Oklahoma series in classical culture ; v. 54.

Subjects

• Aeneis (Virgil)
• Odyssey (Homer)
• Virgil > Aeneis
• Homer > Iliad
• Homer > Odyssey English (Verity) English (Verity)
• Iliad (Homer)

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Acknowledgments -- Introduction. 1 Singing with the aid of the muse(s) : Three openings and a reopening -- Lists of fighting forces -- Battles and burning ships. 2 Singing and celebration : Singing and celebrating the deeds of the gods -- Singing and celebrating the deeds of men -- Singing and dancing, courtship and marriage. 3 Supernatural singing : Siren voices -- Singing and dancing in Elysium -- Singing and seeing into the future. 4 Sons and mothers : Sharing the pain -- A mother from another world -- Problems with mother. 5 Helen and the men in her life : Helen of Troy -- Helen and the Fall of Troy remembered -- Helen of Sparta again. 6 Parting : Returning to battle -- Abandoning home to the enemy -- Separating. 7 Communicating with the dead : Ghost stories -- Messages from the dead, messages to the dead -- Achilleus and the dead Patroklos. 8 Deaths and endings : The burial of Hektor, tamer of horses -- The killing of Turnus -- Still to come. Bibliography -- Index.

Call Number

JFE 17-9951

ISBN

• 9780806157290
• 0806157291

LCCN

2016051440

OCLC

962359735

Author

Ridd, Stephen, author.

Title

Communication, love, and death in Homer and Virgil : an introduction / Stephen Ridd.

Publisher

Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Oklahoma series in classical culture ; volume 54

Oklahoma series in classical culture ; v. 54.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Research Call Number

JFE 17-9951