130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery πŸš€ Auckland Bookstore β€’ Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

The Essential Homer

By Homer
4.04 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 962 ratings, 85 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Essential Homer presents carefully chosen episodes from both the Iliad and the Odyssey, focusing on the most significant parts commonly studied in mythology courses. This collection offers a streamlined way to experience Homer's epic tales without requiring readers to navigate the entire lengthy texts.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This edition is ideal for undergraduate students and general readers interested in Greek mythology and the epic works of Homer, especially in academic settings where an abridged yet authentic presentation is preferred.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Selections from both the Iliad and the Odyssey, made with an eye for those episodes that figure most prominently in the study of mythology.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Essential Homer offers selections from both the Iliad and the Odyssey. These selections are carefully chosen, with a focus on the episodes that hold the greatest prominence in the study of mythology.

Series: Hackett Classics

View all
  • Plato: Five Dialogues
    The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube's distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with an updated bibliography.
    By Plato
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Second Treatise of Government
    The Second Treatise of Government is one of the most important political treatises ever written and one of the most far-reaching in its influence. In his provocative 15-page introduction to this edition, the late eminent political theorist C. B. Macpherson examines Locke's arguments for limited, conditional government, private property, and the right of revolution. He also suggests reasons for the...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Republic
    Since its publication in 1974, scholars throughout the humanities have adopted G M A Grube's masterful translation of Republic as the edition of choice for their study and teaching of Plato's most influential work. In this brilliant revision, C D C Reeve furthers Grube's success both in preserving the subtlety of Plato's philosophical argument and in rendering the dialogue in...
    By Plato
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Trials of Socrates
    This unique and expertly annotated collection of the classic accounts of Socrates left by Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon features new translations of Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and the death scene from Phaedo by C. D. C. Reeve, Peter Meineck's translation of Clouds, and James Doyle's translation of Apology of Socrates.
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tao Te Ching
    Deftly introduced and enriched by the remarkable ink paintings of Stephen Addiss, this new translation of Tao Te Ching captures the terse and enigmatic beauty of the ancient original while resisting the tendency toward interpretive paraphrase found in many other editions. Along with the translation of the complete work, Lombardo and Addiss provide the reader with a measure of interaction...
    By Lao Tzu
    Paperback
    $1799
    Backorder
    Ships late October
  • Histories
    This volume includes a wealth of helpful footnotes; more than a dozen maps and illustrations; a chronology of the Archaic Age; a glossary of main characters, places, and terms; suggested further reading; and an index of proper nouns. Histories edition reproduces the fluent pace and readability of Herodotus' world-encompassing work. Mensch has produced a close translation of Herodotus' Greek that...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The True History of The Conquest of New Spain
    This rugged new translationβ€”the first entirely new English translation in half a century and the only one based on the most recent critical edition of the Guatemalan manuscriptβ€”allows DΓ­az to recount, in his own battle-weary and often cynical voice, the achievements, stratagems, and frequent cruelty of HernΓ‘n CortΓ©s and his men as they set out to overthrow Moctezuma's Aztec kingdom...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Republic
    Republic offers readers more than just a seminal philosophical text; it is accompanied by a variety of helpful tools for a deeper understanding. This edition includes a select bibliography for further reading and research. Additionally, it provides a synopsis of each book within Republic, allowing readers to grasp the core ideas and themes at a glance. To aid in comprehending...
    By Plato
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Satyricon
    This new Satyricon features not only a lively, new, annotated translation of the text, but also fresh, and accessible commentaries that discuss Petronius' masterpiece in terms of such topics as the identity of Petronius, the transmission of his manuscript, literary influences on the Satyricon, and the distinctive literary form of this work. Additionally, it explores hallmarks of Roman life such...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Aristotle: Introductory Readings
    Drawn from the translations and editorial aids of Irwin and Fine's Aristotle, Selections, this anthology will be most useful to instructors who must try to do justice to Aristotle in a semester-long ancient philosophy survey. It is also appropriate for a variety of introductory-level courses. This book provides accurate, readable, and integrated translations that allow the reader to follow Aristotle's...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Classical Utilitarians
    This volume includes the complete texts of two of John Stuart Mill's most important works, Utilitarianism and On Liberty, and selections from his other writings, including the complete text of his Remarks on Bentham's Philosophy. The selection from Mill's A System of Logic is of special relevance to the debate between those who read Mill as an Act-Utilitarian and those...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Against the Academicians and The Teacher
    These new translations of two treatises dealing with the possibility and nature of knowledge in the face of sceptical challenges are the first to be rendered from the Latin critical edition. They are the first translations made specifically with a philosophical audience in mind and the first to be translated by a scholar with expertise in both modern epistemology and...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its vigorous, readable translation and well-selected passages, The Essential Homer is regarded as an excellent resource for students. Reviews highlight its suitability for courses where full texts are impractical, noting it maintains the essential spirit of the originals while being accessible and engaging. Academics from institutions like Princeton, Westchester, and Stanford commend its utility and quality.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780872205406

Publisher: Hackett Publishing Co, Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 September 2000

Country: United States

Imprint: Hackett Publishing Co, Inc

Illustration: none

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Sheila Murnaghan
  • Edited and translated by Stanley Lombardo

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 453g

Pages: 536

About the Author

Stanley Lombardo is Professor of Classics, University of Kansas.

Also by Homer

View all
  • On Sale
    14% off
    The Iliad
    The story centres on the critical events in four days of the 10th and final year of the war between the Greeks and Trojans. It describes how the quarrel of Agamemnon and Achilleus sets in motion a tragic sequence of events, which leads to Achilleus' killing of Hektor and determines the ultimate fate of Troy. But Homer's theme is not...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $1800
    Usually:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    14% off
    The Iliad
    The Iliad is the culmination of a long-standing oral tradition. The oral technique enabled a master bard like Homer to develop what may historically have been an event of minor importance into a fully fledged epic. So, out of a single episode in the legendary Trojan Warβ€”Achilles' withdrawal from the fighting and his return to kill the Trojan hero, Hectorβ€”Homer...
    By Homer
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2300
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    16% off
    The Iliad
    A work of tremendous influence that has inspired writers from his ancient Greek contemporaries to modernist writers such as T.S. Eliot, Homer's epic poem The Iliad is translated by Robert Fagles with an introduction and notes by Bernard Knox in Penguin Classics. One of the foremost achievements in Western literature, Homer's The Iliad tells the story of the darkest episode...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Odyssey
    The great epic of Western literature, translated by the acclaimed classicist Robert Fagles. A Penguin Classic Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, presents us with Homer's best-loved and most accessible poem in a stunning modern-verse translation. "Sing to me of the...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Homeric Hymns
    Composed for recitation at festivals, these 33 songs were written in honour of the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greek pantheon. They recount the key episodes in the lives of the gods and dramatise the moments when they first appear before mortals. Together, they offer a vivid picture of the Greek view of the relationship between the divine and...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    18% off
    The Odyssey
    The best poetic version of The Odyssey to have appeared this century - Hugh Lloyd-Jones Penelope has been waiting for her husband Odysseus to return from Troy for many years. Little does she know that his path back to her has been blocked by astonishing and terrifying trials. Will he overcome the hideous monsters, beautiful witches and treacherous seas that...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017β€”revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)β€”critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now, Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Hardback
    $9200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Iliad & The Odyssey (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)
    Homer's two epics of the ancient world, The Iliad and The Odyssey, tell stories as riveting today as when they were written between the eighth and ninth century B.C. This edition employs Samuel Butler's classic translations of both texts. The Iliad, which tells of the siege of Troy by the Greeks, is an unforgettable tale of nations at war and...
    By Homer
    Hardback
    $6000
    Elsewhere:
    $9999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Wrath of Achilles
    90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books On the fields of Troy, war is raging. At its centre is Achillesβ€”godlike, swift-footed, the greatest champion of the Greeks. But when his pride is wounded and he refuses to fight, the thread of fate begins to spin... From frenzied rampages to intimate moments of grief, this selection from Homer's Iliad...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $1799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Odyssey (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)
    The Odyssey reveals a universal order where gods intercede in the destinies of men, heroes are both deceitful and brave, and a sea voyage becomes a test of human ingenuity and endurance. Following the fall of Troy, Odysseus sets sail for home. But beset by monsters, Sirens, and sorceresses, and at the mercy of the vengeful sea god Poseidon, he...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $3400
    Backorder
    Ships late October
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Odyssey
    The Odyssey by Homer is one of the supreme masterpieces of Western literature. Of this much-acclaimed translation by Robert Fitzgerald, George Steiner has written, "Fitzgerald is taking his place beside Chapman and Pope in the unbroken lineage of English Homeric translations...it has an economy and soar of a poet." Introduced by Seamus Heaney.
    By Homer
    Hardback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3695
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    I’ll Believe in Anything
    From Jacob Tierney, the creator ofΒ Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and AccentΒ Aigu, comesΒ I’llΒ Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Based on Rachel Reid’s blockbuster Game Changers book series,Β Heated RivalryΒ premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 andΒ immediatelyΒ took the world by storm.Β I’ll...
    Hardback
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    16% off
    New Release
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoirΒ Home Again.This is more than a rock story.Β Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it.Β From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    21% off
    The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017β€”revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)β€”critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    On Sale
    20% off
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    A Life in Lyrics
    Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...
    Hardback
    $5000
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Birdlands Birdlands
    New Release
    Birdlands
    A rare, intimate journey into the wild islands where Aotearoa's birds live beyond the reach of most human lives. In the most remote outposts of Aotearoa, our islands are populated not with people, but with birds. From the storm-lashed Subantarctic Islands in the deep south to the scattered volcanic islands of Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf in the north, Birdlands offers a...
    Hardback
    $4199
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    21% off
    This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    Hardback
    $5800
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Split Enz
    New Release
    Split Enz
    'My favourite band. Ever! And certainly the best dressed.' Sam Neill Split Enz were never designed to fit. Emerging from art school mischief in early-1970s New Zealand, they turned pop into surreal theatre: costume, character and melody colliding in a rock band that refused to behave like one. At the centre of that vision was Noel Crombieβ€”percussionist, performer and the...
    Hardback
    $5199
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Artist's Way
    The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a transformative guidebook that has captivated millions, including luminaries such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Tim Ferriss. With its profound ability to inspire and elevate, this book invites readers to embark on an enriching creative journey, fostering a deeper connection to one's artistic process and sense of purpose. The heart of Cameron's groundbreaking programme...
    Paperback
    $3700
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Mah Jong Player's Companion
    Since the arrival on the market of Patricia Thompson and Betty Maloney's two previous books, The Game of Mah Jong Illustrated and Improve Your Mah Jong, a wide range of hands from many parts of the world has been sent to them. In this player's companion, the authors have put together a cross-filled reference guide where over 120 hands, illustrated...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.