From their first poetic incarnation to recent translations into modern languages, the Homeric epics remain a constant source of inspiration for scholars and artists, transcending the boundaries of time and language.

This volume examines the influence and meaning of Homeric poetry, presenting information in a synthetic way that allows the reader to understand the different directions of Homeric studies. The work is structured around three main themes: Homeric song and text, the Homeric world, and Homer in the world.

Each part includes a series of extensive essays classified by theme and accompanied by shorter supplementary articles. In this way, the various paths of the Homeric epics in the ancient world and their enduring relevance in different eras and cultures are explored.

The structure is open, as readers can choose any of the essays as a starting point and browse through various topics. The first part takes the Homeric poems as its starting point and answers questions about their development and composition. It also explores the historical and cultural environment in which Homeric poetry first appeared, including the myths and epic poetry of the Indo-Europeans and the ancient Near East.

The second part focuses on the world depicted in Homeric poetry as we can connect it to the material culture from the famous archaeological sites of the Bronze Age—Troy, Mycenae, Pylos—to the 8th century BC.

The last part focuses on the reception of Homeric poems from antiquity to the modern era, offering new perspectives on the reception of Homeric poetry by the ancient Greek world, medieval Europe and Byzantium, the Renaissance, the early modern European and Greek world, and up to the present day.

Corinne Ondine Pache is a professor of classical studies at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. • Antonis Regakos and Christos Tsagalis are professors of ancient Greek literature at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.