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by Silvia Montiglio (Introduction by), Edith Hall (Foreword by), Benjamin Cyril Arthur (Contribution by)
Odysseus, a hero or a deceiver? An awesome new title, with fresh stories exploring identity, mythology and stereotypes.
Odysseus is the cunning wanderer from the fall of Troy, breaker of oaths and teller of tales. His story is immortalised in Homer's Odyssey and will endure as long as humanity, forever capturing the imagination, not least because of the entities he meets along the way: the savage Cyclops Polyphemus, the enticing Sirens, and fearsome Scylla and Charybdis. He is considered a hero, but do we see him as the ancients did? Is he truly a hero when we know that - like many male heroes of myth - he was a killer, an adulterer, a liar and an all-round deceiver? Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Odysseus, this is a wonderful new book in the best tradition of Flame Tree's collectable hardcover editions. Introductory essay by Silvia Montiglio, and foreword by Edith Hall. The modern authors whose stories feature in this book are: Benjamin Cyril Arthur, Konstantin Asimonov, John Capetanos, Brenda W. Clough, Marlaina Cockcroft, Travis Earl, Ayden June Fitzgerald, Katie Frendreis, Rayne Hall, Jovel Royal, Sara Itka, Naomi Jae, Kiera Mathis Jones, L.G. Merrick, Kevin Potter, Ruth Knafo Setton, Brendan Smith and Rod A. White. About the series: Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a legendary, mythological or folkloric figure, with new stories alongside a comprehensive introduction which tells the original tales and emphasizes ancient and modern connections, tracing history and stories across continents, cultures and peoples. New and emerging writers from open submissions reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well known stories, complementing the specially commissioned story of the origins and the cultural background from the era. The first titles are Medusa, Odin, Circe, Anansi, Achilles, Morgana le Fay, Loki and Aphrodite.Author Biography
Silvia Montiglio (Introduction) was born in Italy. She holds a B.A. from the University of Pavia and a Doctorat from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. She has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests span Greek and Roman literature, the history of ideas, and the reception of classical texts. She is the author of several books, the latest of which is Schadenfreude and its Wicked Delights in Ancient Greece (Oxford University Press, 2025). Particularly relevant to the figure of Odysseus is From Villain to Hero: Odysseus in Ancient Thought (The University of Michigan Press, 2011).
Edith Hall (Foreword) is Professor of Classics at the University of Durham. She has published 40 books, most recently Epic of the Earth: Reading Homer's Iliad in the Fight for a Dying World (Yale University Press, 2025). She leads a campaign to improve access to ancient civilisations and moral philosophy in UK state education and prisons. She acts as consultant to theatre companies including the RSC and the National Theatre and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and has been awarded the Classical Association Prize, the International Hellenic Prize, the Erasmus Medal of the European Academy, a Humboldt Prize, a Goodwin Award from the American Society for Classical Studies, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Athens.
