Includes bibliographical references (pages 511-512).

A reprint of the ancient Greek epic with an introduction giving the background to the times, viz. "The ceremonies of civilization do not mean much to us today; we tend to see them as insincere ... To Homer they are very beautiful and their violation a more serious matter than we can imagine."

"Robert Fitzgerald's translation of Homer's Odyssey is the best and best-loved modern translation of the greatest of all epic poems. Since 1961, this Odyssey has sold more than two million copies, and it is the standard translation for three generations of students and poets. Farrar, Straus and Giroux is delighted to publish a new edition of this classic work. Fitzgerald's supple verse is ideally suited to the story of Odysseus' long journey back to his wife and home after the Trojan War. Homer's tale of love, adventure, food and drink, sensual pleasure, and mortal danger reaches the English-language reader in all its glory." -- Publisher's description