LA ODISEA / THE ODYSSEY
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Autor:
HOMERO HOMERO
Country:
Spain (ES)
Book Theme:
European writers “without borders”
Publisher:
AUSTRAL
Publishing Year:
2017
Homer is the name traditionally given to the ancient Greek poet credited with composing The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Much about Homer’s life is uncertain and debated. He is thought to have flourished around the 9th or 8th century BCE, possibly in Ionia, on the western coast of Asia Minor.
Legend often depicts him as a blind bard, though there is no concrete historical evidence for this.
His epics were based on an oral poetic tradition and were eventually written down. His works formed the backbone of ancient Greek education and culture and have had a vast influence on Western literature.
Homer’s two epic poems remain foundational texts in Western literature, combining heroic narrative, myth, moral reflection, and rich characterisation.
National Award for Children’s and Young People’s
Abstract
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem in 24 books that tells the story of the hero Odiseo, Latin: Ulysses, and his long and perilous journey home to his island kingdom of Ítaca after the Trojan War.
While Odysseus struggles with storms, monsters such as the Cyclops Polifemo, the enchantress Circe, the Sirens, the sea-god Poseidón’s anger, and many other challenges, back on Ithaca his wife Penélope and son Telémaco confront suitors who assume Odysseus is dead.
The narrative combines three interwoven threads: Telemachus’s quest for news of his father; Odysseus’s own adventures as recounted to the Phaeacians; and his return to Ithaca and reckoning with the suitors and reclaiming his home.
Major themes include cunning and perseverance ,Odysseus uses his wit to survive, the longing for home, the power and caprice of the gods, hospitality (xenia), identity and disguise, and the contrast between heroism and domestic life.
The poem opens in “medias res” , in the middle of things, with Odysseus held captive by the nymph Calypso and gradually fills in through flashbacks his wanderings, culminating in his return and restoration of order to his household and kingdom.
