Homer

Cambsred said:
In all seriousness, where do you pick up Ancient Greek classical knowledge.

I know the answer, but didn't learn it in school. I dont remember Homer being in Disneys Hercules.
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It's everywhere though. References to it in films, movies, books. I assume you know what a minotaur is? Or a Cyclops? Or a harpie?

If you refer to someone as an oracle perhaps? Or living like a Spartan?

Not to mention the fact the influence of the Greeks is woven into our culture, philosophy, art, law. The very idea of democracy comes from them (a word, like many others, with its origins from Greece).

You don't need to have been to Eton or study it at university to have some general knowledge of it.

As demonstrated in this thread even the correct answer is the name of a brand of food! It's really not that obscure.
 
BoroMart said:
I read the odyssey and the Iliad in my late 20s on a whim, if you have a curious nature then why not....it was f(*((n painful at times though. I remember one chapter that just went through the names of all the generals in the army and basically told a paragraph on where they came from and what they did before war. The majority of these characters were never heard from again.....he needed a better editor.
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I am with you on this one, I will read anything but put the Iliad down, it was awful. Even allowing for a difference in popular culture, man it was a slog. I enjoyed the Koran, Bible and Zohar more.

Actually the bible is quite a good read, but we all know the devil did it so the ending is a bit spoiled.
 
Laughing said:
I am with you on this one, I will read anything but put the Iliad down, it was awful. Even allowing for a difference in popular culture, man it was a slog. I enjoyed the Koran, Bible and Zohar more.

Actually the bible is quite a good read, but we all know the devil did it so the ending is a bit spoiled.
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Koran is on my to do list, but I have an eclectic 3 foot high pile of books (no exaggeration) that I haven't got around to over the last 2 years that I need to get through first
 
The Odyssey is a cracking story: a long eventful journey home with men turned into pigs, monsters, shipwrecks and then to top it all, a Tarantino-esque ending.
 
Cambsred said:
Stephen Fry just released Mythos- I find I can listen to him speaking all day so the audiobook is quite easy listening.

I had a go at the Odyssey many years ago- I didnt have the stamina. Might see if I can find an audiobook version and try it when out running.
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A great read Cambsred, he also has released 'Heros' and 'Troy' based on the Iliad, I am pretty sure he is releasing his version of the Odyssey next year, it's already on my xmas list for 2022!
 
Les Miserables is a hell of a read . The short version is just that, the abridged has a lot more background where the original is a major commitment to some lengthy reading ,Back grounds on all the key characters , events and european /french history, Making it a wonderful multi level narrative. But even I had to skip the chapter on the history of the Parisian sewer system . People obviously had more time on there hand in the 1800's😳🤯
 
I fell in love with Homer's Calypso before Susan Vega's, though her song certainly reignited me, and then I carried that flame to Natalie Haynes. :love::love::love:

How Beautiful?

 
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