Homer's hero : human excellence in the Iliad and the Odyssey / Michelle M. Kundmueller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kundmueller, Michelle M., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Homer--Characters.

Homer.

Homer--Criticism and interpretation.

Heroes in literature.

Characters and characteristics.

Criticism and interpretation.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

viii, 263 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [2019]

Summary:

Draws on Plato to argue that Homer elevated private life as the locus of true friendship and the catalyst of the highest human excellence. Offering a new, Plato-inspired reading of the Iliad and the Odyssey, this book traces the divergent consequences of love of honor and love of one's own private life for human excellence, justice, and politics. Analyzing Homer's intricate character portraits, Michelle M. Kundmueller concludes that the poet shows that the excellence or virtue to which humans incline depends on what they love most. Ajax's character demonstrates that human beings who seek honor strive, perhaps above all, to display their courage in battle, while Agamemnon's shows that the love of honor ultimately undermines the potential for moderation, destabilizing political order. In contrast to these portraits, the excellence that Homer links to the love of one's own, such as by Odysseus and his wife, Penelope, fosters moderation and employs speech to resolve conflict. It is Odysseus, rather than Achilles, who is the pinnacle of heroic excellence. Homer's portrait of humanity reveals the value of love of one's own as the better, albeit still incomplete, precursor to a just political order. Kundmueller brings her reading of Homer to bear on contemporary tensions between private life and the pursuit of public honor, arguing that individual desires continue to shape human excellence and our prospects for justice. Michelle M. Kundmueller is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Old Dominion University.

Contents:

Introduction: human excellence in Homer

The Iliad

Homer's honor-loving heroes: Ajax and Agamemnon

Homer's love-torn heroes: Achilles and Hektor

Homer's pausing hero: Odysseus at Troy

The Odyssey

A hero's story

Remembering home

At the heart of homecoming

The meaning of homecoming

Conclusion: Homer's hero.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438476674

1438476671

OCLC:

1078958028

Publisher Number:

99982765928