The Humour Of Homer

Samuel Butler presents his dazzling thoughts in this magnificent anthology of essays and lectures. The Humour of Homer and Other Essays brings great insight into new ideas and reflections on topics deeply affecting human race. Keen to discuss archaeological and ancient works, Butler brings together his own theories with those of other well-known scientists such as Darwin. Brilliant!

Samuel Butler was born on the 4th December, 1835, at the Rectory, Langar, near Bingham, in Nottinghamshire. His father was the Rev. Thomas Butler, then Rector of Langar, afterwards one of the canons of Lincoln Cathedral, and his mother was Fanny Worsley, daughter of John Philip Worsley of Arno's Vale, Bristol, sugar-refiner. His grandfather was Dr. Samuel Butler, the famous headmaster of Shrewsbury School, afterwards Bishop of Lichfield. The Butlers are not related either to the author of Hudibras, or to the author of the Analogy, or to the present Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.

The following book is a collection of essays written by Samuel Butler. He was an English novelist and critic, best known for the satirical utopian novel 'Erewhon' and the semi-autobiographical novel 'The Way of All Flesh'. The book also serves as an introduction to Butler's life in general. Featured essays in this book include 'The Humour of Homer', 'Ramblings in Cheapside', and 'The Aunt, the Nieces, and the Dog'.

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The first of the two great poems commonly ascribed to Homer is calledthe Iliad-a title which we may be sure was not given it by the author. Itprofesses to treat of a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles that brokeout while the Greeks were besieging the city of Troy, and it does, indeed,deal largely with the consequences of this quarrel; whether, however, theostensible subject did not conceal another that was nearer the poet's heart-I mean the last days, death, and burial of Hector-is a point that I cannotdetermine. Nor yet can I determine how much of the Iliadas we now have itis by Homer, and how much by a later writer or writers. This is a very vexedquestion, but I myself believe the Iliadto be entirely by a single poet.The second poem commonly ascribed to the same author is called theOdyssey. It deals with the adventures of Ulysses during his ten years ofwandering after Troy had fallen. These two works have of late years beenbelieved to be by different authors. The Iliadis now generally held to be theolder work by some one or two hundred years.