The epic journey in Greek and Roman literature

Thomas Biggs (Editor), Jessica Blum (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportBook

Abstract

This volume explores journeys across time and space in Greek and Latin literature, taking as its starting point the paradigm of travel offered by the epic genre. The epic journey is central to the dynamics of classical literature, offering a powerful lens through which characters, authors, and readers experience their real and imaginary worlds. The journey informs questions of identity formation, narrative development, historical emplotment, and constructions of heroism - topics that move through and beyond the story itself. The act of moving to and from 'home' - both a fixed point of spatial orientation and a transportable set of cultural values - thus represents a physical journey and an intellectual process. In exploring its many manifestations, the chapters in this collection reconceive the centrality of the epic journey across a wide variety of genres and historical contexts, from Homer to the moon.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationCambridge
PublisherCambridge University Press
Number of pages336
ISBN (Electronic)9781108628129
ISBN (Print)9781108498098
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2019

Publication series

NameYale classical studies
Volume39

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