Lane fox was educated at eton and magdalen college, oxford. He uses archaeology,places,objects,language,local stories and homer to explain how these ancient peoples interpreted and saw their environment. Did the greek myths really originate with a group of dark age adventurers. Bbc robin lane fox introduces the archaeology collection. Lane fox is our most widely read historian of the ancient greek world, according. The questionable thing about lane fox s book is not that there was a malicious slur on augustine as a. Robin lane fox on the origin of the greek myths 1 youtube. Robin lane fox explores questions ranging from the origins of greek gods to the spread of the classical culture in the mediterranean world.
Travelling heroes greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer by robin lane. The celebrated classicist robin lane fox draws on a lifetimes knowledge of the ancient world, and on his own travels, answering this question by pursuing it through the age of homer. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He is a fellow of new college, oxford, and a university reader in ancient history. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers all about travelling heroes. Even the ancients, as robin lane fox puts it in his new book, were uncertain. This original and compelling book opens windows onto many other aspects of the classical world, from womens medicine to streetlife, empire, art, sport, sex and even botany. Robin james lane fox, frsl born 5 october 1946 is an english classicist, ancient historian. His books include alexander the great, pagans and christians, the. For example he says that the hebrew scriptures have 22 books.
Where did the famous stories of the battles of their gods develop and spread across the world. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer by robin lane fox isbn. Robin james lane fox, frsl born 5 october 1946 is an english classicist, ancient historian and gardening writer known for his works on alexander the great. Indeed, the historian robin lane fox notes that the heros very name indicates his past and future career, phontes meaning killer. Lane fox is ambitious for and demanding of his readership, too. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer proposes a new way of thinking about ancient greeks, showing how reallife journeys shaped their mythical tales. The myths of the ancient greeks have inspired us for thousands of years.
Robin lane fox rejects the fashionable view of homer and his nearcontemporary hesiod as poets who owed a direct debt to texts and poems from the near east, and by following the trail of the greek travellers shows that. The greek myths tell how deep darkness would full at night near the beginning of the world. Tales of travelling heroes eminent classical historian robin lane fox embarks on a journey in search of the origins of the greek myths. Robin lane fox pieces together the doctors thinking from his terse observations and relates it in a new way to the history of greek prose and ideas. Here, the celebrated historian of the ancient world, robin lane fox, follows augustine of hippo on his eventful journey to god and the writing of the confessions. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer, by robin lane fox in book ii of the iliad, homer describes for the first time a greek advance across the plain of troy. Cultural and philosophical changes that occurred in late antiquity are essential to our understanding of the world today, but few us know much about that period. Robin lane fox on the origin of the greek myths 5 youtube. Travelling heroes is a rare beast among academic books. Lane fox starts off right away against those who believe the bible is reliable history.
Robin lane fox rejects the fashionable view of homer and his nearcontemporary hesiod as poets who owed a direct debt to texts and poems from the near east, and by following the trail of the greek travellers shows that they were, rather, in debt to their own countrymen. The celebrated classicist robin lane fox draws on a lifetimes knowledge of the ancient world. Some of his conclusions i found myself disagreeing with however for the most part i found this a very interesting and revealing account of how this. Alexander the great by robin lane fox overdrive rakuten. He firmly believes that these fantastical stories lie at the root of western culture, and yet little is known about where the myths of the greek gods came from, and how they grew. And, when the euboeans travelled to the west around 730720 and founded a settlement at the northeast tip of sicily. Robin lane fox introduces the archaeology collection. Not for robin lane fox the narrow path of specialisation. He is the author of pagans and christians 1986, the unauthorized version 1992 and many books on classical history, all of which have been widely translated, including alexander the great 1973, the classical world 2005, travelling heroes 2008 and augustine. Travelling heroes, by robin lane fox the independent. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author.
He was born in 1946 and educated at eton and magdalen college, oxford. Robin lane fox is a fellow and garden master of new college, oxford, and a university reader in ancient history. Robin lane fox is known for his work on alexander 2004, greek myths. Since 1970 he has also been gardening correspondent for the financial times. Robin lane fox alexander and the gods and the early successors. Robin lane fox is emeritus fellow of new college, oxford, and taught ancient history at oxford university from 1977 to 2014. While primarily focused on ancient greece, fox has authored three books dealing with the history of. His books include alexander the great, pagans and christians, the unauthorized version, and the classical world. Robin lane fox primary author only author division. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer is a mesmerising account of the journeys greek traders, settlers and adventurers made across the mediterranean in the eighth and seventh centuries bc, their contact with beguiling landscapes and exhilarating stories that helped them explain the origins of the greek gods and advance greek. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer by lane fox, robin isbn. In this seemingly effortless yet stupendously erudite book, lane fox attempts to put the euboeans at the very centre of the map of early ironage greek history, the ninth and eight centuries bc.
Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer proposes a. Lane fox does not tell us where the extra 17 books have come from. The tales of the ancient greeks have inspired us for thousands of years. The best books on religious and social history in the. His other books include alexander the great, pagans and christians, the unauthorized version and the classical world.
I liked this but i felt at times it became a little tedious. The length and scholarship of travelling heroes are ultimately sustained by the brilliant writing and passionate commitment of the author. Robin lane fox on the origin of the greek myths 5 michael maxwell steer. Underlying the myths ancient and romance his, there is a very serious. Father heaven would come down and stretch himself out above the goddess, mother earth, thrust into her, and have sex with her so tightly that no light could come between the pair. Historian robin lane fox embarks on a journey in search of the origins of the greek myths.
Combining historical scholarship and acute psychological insight, it brings this colossal figure vividly to life. Travelling heroes by robin lane fox penguin books australia. The myth he created is as potent today as it was in the ancient world. And there is much in this book that many readers will find useful and interesting. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer london. Robin lane fox is our most widelyread historian of the ancient greek world. Robin lane fox rejects the fashionable view of homer and his nearcontemporary hesiod as poets who owed a direct. Robin lane fox is a distinguished british classicist with a number of signficant books to his credit that have helped expand the modern understanding of the ancient world. Lane fox is an emeritus fellow of new college, oxford and reader in ancient history, university of oxford. This remarkable and daringly original book proposes a new way of thinking about the greeks. His preceding book, the classical world, was an engaging and.
Review of books reprint, 2007, preface by robin lane fox. Robin lane fox on the origin of the greek myths 1 michael maxwell steer. Born in ad 354 to a pagan father and a christian mother, augustine spent the first years of his life grappling with the nature of god and the world. Robin lane fox born 1946 is an english historian, currently a fellow of new college, oxford and university of oxford reader in ancient history. Travelling heroes by robin lane fox overdrive rakuten. Robin lane fox librarything catalog your books online. Greeks and their myths in the epic age of homer proposes a new way of thinking about ancient greeks. Robin lane fox is one of the leading classical historians today, known for major works on alexander the great and the clash between pagans and christians. Combining historical scholarship and acute psychological insight, it.
1076 130 600 1095 544 628 968 111 1174 1611 196 362 1217 874 1110 853 1463 999 526 290 266 726 957 38 1048 319 1257 1496 67 695 922 101