Janet Watson – författare

This volume is the outcome of two workshops held at the University of Salford: Relative clauses and attribution in Semitic (April 18th 2007) and Genitive constructions in Semitic: Comparative and diachronic perspectives (April 7th and 8th 2008).

These two books of the "Odyssey" provide an ideal introduction to the poem, illustrating Odysseus' cunning intelligence at its best as he gains acceptance in the court of the Phaeacians, and, above all, the subtly drawn character of Nausicaa. This edition replaces the much used one by G.M. Edwards (1914). It contains text (now unexpurgated) and vocabulary, expanded commentary and new introduction. It is geared very much to the needs of those coming to Homer for the first time with a grasp of the basics of classical Greek, and assumes no previous knowledge of Homeric forms or grammar; an outline of these, and of the Homeric hexameter, is given in the introduction and grammar points are reiterated in the commentary. The introduction also provides an outline of questions surrounding Homer and the composition of the "Iliad" and "Odyssey", together with a discussion of the role of books 6 and 7 within the epic's overall structure.

This volume examines orality and literacy in the ancient Greek and Roman world through a range of perspectives and in various genres. Four essays on the Homeric epics present recent research into performative aspects of language, cognitive theory and oral composition, a re-evaluation of Parry's oral-formulaic theory, and a new perspective on the poem's transmission. These are complemented by studies of the oral nature of Greek proverbial expressions, and of poetic authority within a fluid oral tradition. Two essays consider the significance of the written word in a predominantly oral culture, in relation to star calendars and to Panathenaic inscriptions.Finally, two chapters consider the ongoing influence of oral tradition in the ancient novel and in Roman declamation.These essays illustrate the importance of considering ancient texts in the context of fluctuating oral and literate influences.