About this item
Highlights
- The Trojan War occurred more than 3,000 years ago.
- About the Author: Diane P. Thompson is professor emerita at Northern Virginia Community College.
- 236 Pages
- History, Ancient
Description
About the Book
The Trojan War occurred more than 3,000 years ago. Since then, starting with Homer's epics, people have been writing, painting, sculpting and creating music about this event and its participants. This book starts with an overview of the Bronze Age when the Trojan War occurred, and then follows a selection of the major literature about this war from Homer down through the ages and on to the Internet.Book Synopsis
The Trojan War occurred more than 3,000 years ago. Since then, starting with Homer's epics, people have been writing, painting, sculpting and creating music about this event and its participants. This book starts with an overview of the Bronze Age when the Trojan War occurred, and then follows a selection of the major literature about this war from Homer down through the ages and on to the Internet.
Each retelling of the Troy story is discussed in its historical context and includes a synopsis of the story itself. The ways of telling the story change over time. The main versions considered include Homer's Iliad and Odyssey; a selection of Classical Greek Dramas (especially Iphigenia at Aulis); Virgil's Aeneid; Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde; Guido delle Colonne's History of the Destruction of Troy; Racine's Iphigenia (at Aulis); Goethe's Iphigenia in Tauris; Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida; Joyce's Ulysses; and two feminist Troy novels, Sheri Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country and Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Firebrand.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
Review Quotes
Reviews of the first edition: "a thorough treatment...recommended"-Library Journal; "this survey is an excellent review of the use of an ancient story throughout literary history. It is very interesting to anyone who appreciates Homer and Virgil and could be useful in literature classes"-Catholic Library World; "useful...well written...provides a useful synthesis...extensive and detailed...very enjoyable reading"-Bryn Mawr Classical Review.
About the Author
Diane P. Thompson is professor emerita at Northern Virginia Community College. She has been a long-time scholar of Troy studies. She lives in Reston, Virginia.