In many respects, this book is considered to be the best guide ever written on Homeric religion. The analysis by W. F. Otto, while being very careful in terms of interpretation, denotes an open consonance of the author with the spirit - sometimes brutal and, for our mentality, immoral - of Greek polytheism. A thrilling and amazing journey to Olympus. This is a new edition of the Pantheon Books (New York) 1952 publication.

The Cambridge Companion to Homer is a guide to the essential aspects of Homeric criticism and scholarship, including the reception of the poems in ancient and modern times. Written by an international team of scholars, it is intended to be the first port of call for students at all levels, with introductions to important subjects and suggestions for further exploration. Alongside traditional topics like the Homeric Question, the divine apparatus of the poems, the formulae, the characters and the archaeological background, there are detailed discussions of similes, speeches, the poet as story-teller and the genre of epic both within Greece and worldwide. The reception chapters include assessments of ancient Greek and Roman readings as well as selected modern interpretations from the eighteenth century to the present day. Chapters on Homer in English translation and Homer in the history of ideas round out the collection.