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The Odyssey of Homer
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
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Publisher's summary
What is it in Homer's Odyssey that has so enthralled readers from around the world for thousands of years? By joining Professor Vandiver for these 12 lectures on the Odyssey, you'll find out why.
This literary exploration centers on a single provocative question about the epic poem's protagonist, Odysseus: Why does he long so powerfully to go home? To probe the depths of this question, you'll embark on meticulous, insightful examinations of the most important episodes in the Odyssey. In doing so, you'll understand the cultural assumptions that lie behind Homer's lines and the critical and interpretive issues involved in truly unpacking this ancient masterpiece.Among the range of episodes, themes, and topics you'll explore are: Odysseus's superb skills as a rhetorician; the abrupt break in the text at the end of the "Great Wanderings" episode, when the poem briefly returns to the third-person narrative; Penelope's knowledge and motives as they relate to the inevitability of her suitors' doom; the effectiveness (or possible lack thereof) in the poem's ending; the historical basis for the Trojan War from which Odysseus returns; and more.
For anyone who's loved the stories of Odysseus's encounters with witches, monsters, and vengeful gods; for anyone who's longed to truly grasp the intricate nature of Homer's epic; or for anyone who has been looking for ways to approach a work that can often be intimidating to first-time readers, these lectures are an invaluable resource and a helpful introduction to the grandest adventure story in Western literature.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Greek poet Homer established the standard for tales of epic quests and heroic journeys with The Odyssey. Crowded with characters, both human and nonhuman, and bursting with action, The Odyssey details the adventures of Ulysses, king of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan War, as he struggles to return to his home and his waiting, ever-faithful wife, Penelope.
By: Homer
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The Iliad
- By: Homer, Richmond Lattimore - translator
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The Iliad is one of the most enduring creations of Western Civilization and was originally written to be recited or chanted to the accompaniment of various instruments. Properly performed, this work today is just as meaningful, just as powerful, and just as entertaining as it was in the ninth century BC, and it casts its spell upon modern listeners with the same raw intensity as it did upon the people of ancient times.
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An Excellent Iliad
- By Jefferson on 04-17-10
By: Homer, and others
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making
- By: Randall Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Randall Bartlett
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.
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Great for beginners, nothing you for an economist
- By V. Taras on 07-08-15
By: Randall Bartlett, and others
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The New Testament
- By: Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bart D. Ehrman
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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Whether taken as a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings the world has ever known, its web of meaning relied upon by virtually every major writer in the last 2,000 years. Yet the New Testament is not only one of Western civilization’s most believed books, but also one of its most widely disputed, often maligned, and least clearly understood, with a vast number of people unaware of how it was written and transmitted.
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If you want a balanced overview this is not it
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-16
By: Bart D. Ehrman, and others
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The Iliad & The Odyssey
- By: Homer
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 28 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Little is known about the Ancient Greek oral poet Homer, the supposed 8th century BC author of the world-read Iliad and his later masterpiece, The Odyssey. These classic epics provided the basis for Greek education and culture throughout the classical age and formed the backbone of humane education through the birth of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity.
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Worth the price, worth the time
- By Sam on 12-31-04
By: Homer
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The Odyssey
- Penguin Classics
- By: Homer, E. V. Rieu, D. C. H. Rieu, and others
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The epic tale of Odysseus and his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must use his wit and native cunning if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.
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A good read
- By Tad Davis on 10-15-19
By: Homer, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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The Children's Homer
- By: Padraic Colum
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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This reissue of the 1919 classic combines the immortal stories from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey into one glorious saga of heroism and magical adventure. Beloved by generations, Padraic Colum's masterful retelling of these epic adventures is remarkably fresh, consistently spellbinding, and unmatched for its richness and poetry.
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A great listen for adults as well
- By Marius on 06-29-05
By: Padraic Colum
What listeners say about The Odyssey of Homer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Betsy
- 10-20-13
Enjoyable
I really enjoyed both this and The Iliad. The professor is knowledgeable and fleshed out the story. But she retained the sense of wonder at the enormous achievement So much of Homeric studies have lost the amazement at wonder at an amazing work of literature by focusing too much on the mechanics of who and how.
But it is very obvious that this and The Iliad were one course. She references back to things form the previous course and does not include the introductory lectures on Homer, which are necessary. And she refers to it as a Homer course. I did listen to The Iliad first so this was no loss for me but if you don't then you are losing something. More importantly a very obvious way to scam credits off of people by Audible.
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24 people found this helpful
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- SAMA
- 01-14-14
Another Great Course of a Greak Greek Classic
What did you like best about this story?
The tragic adventures of Odysseus after the Trojan War takes him all over the place, and includes flashbacks for the parts of the Trojan War that happened after the Iliad, as well as his encounters with a Cyclops, a sorceress and divinities all over the place.
What about Professor Elizabeth Vandiver’s performance did you like?
Professor Elizabeth Vandiver is quickly becoming one of my favorite professors available through the Great Courses. She knows how to provide the structure the material deserves, while keeping it accessible.
Any additional comments?
If you decide to listen to this course, be sure to listen to the Iliad (same Professor) first to get the best experience. In a way, it could be considered a prerequisite.
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13 people found this helpful
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- John
- 04-27-21
No Trendy Agendas, No Grinding of Ideological Axes
Professor Vandiver simply strives to help us understand the Odyssey on its own terms, within the context of the culture and times that created it. When confronted with an opportunity for outrage, the furthest she’ll go is to say, “This may disturb our modern sensibilities, but…”
One example: the returned Odysseus recounts his journey to Penelope, including his interludes with Circe and Calypso. Penelope, scrupulously chaste for 20 years is, the poem tells us, delighted. Yes, admits Professor Vandiver, this can be interpreted as a sexual double standard, and this may disturb our modern sensibilities, but…there’s another way to look at it. Both temptresses offer our hero an end to his cares and wanderings; Calypso even offers immortality. Yet Odysseus chooses to return to Ithaca and Penelope.
From start to finish, Professor Vandiver speaks out of an obvious love for her subject, revealing nuances and layers of meaning that will illuminate your understanding of the poem. Enjoy it now; it’s an approach that has been out of favor for decades and, with Princeton dropping the requirement for Classics majors to know Greek and Latin, may soon be extinct.
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8 people found this helpful
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- KMM
- 11-04-14
Excellent course
What did you love best about The Odyssey of Homer?
As usual, Vandiver rocked it. I cannot imagine reading such great works as the Iliad and the Odyssey without her courses. Her lecture on the Odyssey once again gave vital context to the epic story, helping me to have a deeper, richer experience with it. The Odyssey is an amazing story, and understanding its underpinnings with the help of a Classics scholar is a true gift. Any writer craves, even at a deep unconscious level, to crawl back to the origins of story...the glorious archetypes that are the deeply buried skeletons beneath the flesh of our own ideas...to understand them and let their power awaken in us. Vandiver peels back every layer and helps us to see every shimmering dimension.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Tommy D'Angelo
- 08-09-15
Overall engaging course but ending felt off
Would you consider the audio edition of The Odyssey of Homer to be better than the print version?
Pluses:
• A great book-by-book summary of the events of the Odyssey
• Frequent citing of examples of two common themes: 1- The definition of good and bad hospitality; 2- Odysseus’s craftiness at being able to read people and tailoring his message or approach based on the situation
• The professor was easy to listen to (almost every sentence was easy to understand and there is an avoidance of flowery language that makes understanding difficult)
Minuses:
• The professor tended to explain the same point multiple times and seemed to repeat sentences (the point could’ve been made in less sentences)
The ending of the course felt off for two reasons: 1- The last lecture seems somewhat out of place and probably would fit better in the Iliad course; 2- The course seemed to be missing concluding thoughts/final analysis of the work or its literary themes
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4 people found this helpful
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- A. Peterson
- 02-11-19
wonderful
I love The Odyssey, and this lecture series is a wonderful companion piece for understanding.
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2 people found this helpful
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- David I. Williams
- 05-06-15
Wonderful overview
Dr. Vandiver gives an excellent overview of the story of the Odyssey and the world of Homer. I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in the subject. I've studied Homer at the undergraduate and the graduate level and still found wonderful insights.
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- CasperMtn
- 03-27-15
OohRah Dr. Vandiver! You ROCK!
If ancient or classical studies get better than this Lady I'll buy it in a heartbeat. This is my 4th of her courses and reading the Iliad or Odyssey without Dr. Vandiver's insights is like going out naked and unarmed. Buy it, use the credit. Chapter 12 alone is worth the entire price.
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- Phillip W. Dennis
- 10-22-22
Excellent and Fascinating
An outstanding course by an outstanding instructor. Greatly enriched my reading of The Odyssey and was a fascinating listen in its own right.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jase G
- 10-07-22
As good as The Iliad
While I had read the Iliad and not the Odyssey, I listened to this series because I had been so pleased with the Iliad lecture series.
Even without reading the text, I got a lot out of these. I would certainly listen to it again after reading the text, which is praise in itself.
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1 person found this helpful