A major new translation of Homer's great epic poem that encapsulates the power of cunning over strength, the pitfalls of temptation and the importance of home. Anthony Verity's rendering transmits the directness, power, and dignity of Homer's poetry in an elegant and accurate translation that respects the original line numbers. William Allan, an authority in classical Greek tragedy and epic, offers a full introduction that guides the reader in understanding the composition of the poem, the major themes of the narrative, and situates the poem in its original cultural context. the line-by-line format of the translation is invaluable for those wishing to coordinate it with the Greek text or references in secondary literature. Extensive notes offer book-by-book summaries and elucidate difficult words and passages. The bibliography offers a succinct guide to further scholarship in English; a full index of names enables the reader to trace particular characters through the text; map showing the known Greek world traversed by Odysseus between Troy and Ithaca.--Provided by the publisher.