Memories of Odysseus: Frontier Tales From Ancient Greece

The conception of the Other has long been a problem for anthopologists and philosophers. InMemories of Odysseus, FranÇois Hartog tackles the problem in light of the Greek hero and his epic tale, theOdyssey. Drawing on a remarkable range of authors and texts, both ancient and modern, Hartog looks at accounts of actual travelers as well as the way travel is used as a trope throughout ancient Greek literature and finds that the Other is viewed with doubt and awe in the Homeric tradition. In fact, he argues, theOdysseyplayed a crucial role in shaping this attitude in the Greek mind, serving as inspiration for voyages in which the Greeks revised their concepts of self and other through new encounters. Ambitious in scope, this is a sophisticated exploration of ancient Greece and its sense of identity and a reflection on the cultural frontier.François Hartog is the author of 'Memories of Odysseus: Frontier Tales From Ancient Greece', published 2001 under ISBN 9780226318523 and ISBN 0226318524.