Folio Archives 376: The World of Odysseus by M. I. Finley - 2002
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1wcarter
The World of Odysseus by M. I. Finley - 2002
This book is a detailed commentary on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey with lots of background detail about what life was like in Greece and its colonies in the seventh century BC.
The life of the average citizen, servant, slave and hero are all explained, with details about the relationships between them and their gods. The accumulation of wealth, the types and status of different occupations, the intricate details of kith and kin, the morals of the era and of course religion.
Anyone who wants to know more about Homer’s classic texts should read this book as it puts flesh onto the bones of these stories.
The book was first published in 1954 and has gone through innumerable other editions before this Folio Society publication and is now a pre-eminent guide to classic Greece.
There is a twelve page introduction by Simon Hornblower which is a masterpiece in itself as it summarises much of the book and gives even more background information.
In this xxii+193 page book there are 16 pages of bound-in colour plates of ancient pottery that are illustrated with stories from the epics. The brown endpapers are printed in black with a map of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. It is bound in red-brown cloth printed on the front cover with a black and white design and on the back cover with marginal decorations in black. The plain brown slipcase measures 26x18cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
The Folio Society has published numerous editions of the Odyssey and Iliad, but I have not reviewed any of them yet. I do own a superb edition of the Homeric epics by Chester River Press, the review of which can be viewed here.
This book is a detailed commentary on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey with lots of background detail about what life was like in Greece and its colonies in the seventh century BC.
The life of the average citizen, servant, slave and hero are all explained, with details about the relationships between them and their gods. The accumulation of wealth, the types and status of different occupations, the intricate details of kith and kin, the morals of the era and of course religion.
Anyone who wants to know more about Homer’s classic texts should read this book as it puts flesh onto the bones of these stories.
The book was first published in 1954 and has gone through innumerable other editions before this Folio Society publication and is now a pre-eminent guide to classic Greece.
There is a twelve page introduction by Simon Hornblower which is a masterpiece in itself as it summarises much of the book and gives even more background information.
In this xxii+193 page book there are 16 pages of bound-in colour plates of ancient pottery that are illustrated with stories from the epics. The brown endpapers are printed in black with a map of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. It is bound in red-brown cloth printed on the front cover with a black and white design and on the back cover with marginal decorations in black. The plain brown slipcase measures 26x18cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
The Folio Society has published numerous editions of the Odyssey and Iliad, but I have not reviewed any of them yet. I do own a superb edition of the Homeric epics by Chester River Press, the review of which can be viewed here.
2Macumbeira
This is indeed a beautiful edition of a famous classic study.
I purchased it immediately when the Folio came out.
Thanks for reminding me to browse it again.
I purchased it immediately when the Folio came out.
Thanks for reminding me to browse it again.
4coynedj
Since I'm currently reading The Iliad, and will get to The Odyssey before long (in the Emily Wilson translations), this seems an excellent book to search out.
6bacchus.
>1 wcarter: I considered this before, but decided it was an outdated commentary specifically on Odyssey by a privileged historian (..!). Thanks for your review, got me to revisit. I have a feeling I’ll enjoy reading it a lot.
>4 coynedj: Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the new Iliad translation when you get to it.
>4 coynedj: Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the new Iliad translation when you get to it.
7Macumbeira
>6 bacchus.: In what sense was Finley privileged ?
8bacchus.
>7 Macumbeira: Punctuated initials and a fancy last name :)
9feinforcoke 
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10feinforcoke
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