BMCR 2009.05.58: Nadig on Latacz, Homer: der Mythos von Troja in Dichtung und Kunst

Joachim Latacz, Thierry Greub, Peter Blome, Alfried Wieczorek (ed.),
Homer: der Mythos von Troja in Dichtung und Kunst.  Muenchen:  Hirmer
Verlag, 2008.  Pp. 506.  ISBN 9783777439655.  $77.00.

Reviewed by Peter C. Nadig, Universitaet Erfurt
([email protected])
Word count:  1429 words
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"Homer: der Mythos von Troja in Dichtung und Kunst" (Homer: the Myth in
Poetry and Art) was an exhibition shown at the Antikenmuseum and
Sammlung Ludwig in Basle, Switzerland (March 16 - August 17, 2008) and
at the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums in Mannheim, Germany (September 13, 2008
- January 18, 2009). Its focus was on Homer, his times, and his
reception throughout the ages. It drew quite a lot of attention with
about 44,000 visitors in Basle and another 55,800 in Mannheim. The
reviewer has seen the exhibition at Mannheim where he currently
resides. However, this review will not comment on the exhibition
display, but will focus on the catalogue which was designed to cover
both locations. (The table of content listed below gives an impression
of the great range of topics.) The Mannheim exhibition also ran
parallel to another exhibition on the "dark centuries" in Greece at the
Schloss in Karlsruhe[[1]] which concentrated on the archaeological
finds from 1200-700 BC in their historical context--the age generally
associated with the "Homeric heroes". The Homeric epics were given less
coverage there.

More than seventy collections loaned objects for the display dating
from the 9th century BC to the present and ranging from ancient art and
archaeology to medieval manuscripts, early prints, old master
paintings, and modern art. One of leading authorities on Homer, Joachim
Latacz (Basle), was the chief coordinator for both the exhibition and
the catalogue. The aim was to show Homer's impact on the ancient world
which through innumerous ramifications endures until the present day,
as Latacz points out in the introduction. This huge book is divided
into two parts--thematic articles and catalogue. The first (pp. 15-289)
is in five sections--often with several chapters each--on the following
themes: I. Homer and his times, II. The prehistory of Homeric poetry,
III. Homer's work: Iliad and Odyssey, IV. The transmission of Homer's
poetry, and V. The reception of Homer. All articles are lavishly
illustrated with photos, charts or maps and contain various
cross-references to the catalogue (pp. 290-471). The Appendix incudes
bibliography, glossary, and short biographies of the authors of
articles in part I. The catalogue contains numerous entries by
additional contributors as well, who are not listed separately. There
is no index.

Section I (pp. 19-69) starts with the question of Homer as a person in
idealistic portraits and the ancient biographical tradition. The next
chapters cover Greek western Asia Minor, the area of Homer's roots
(either from Smyrna or Chios), the architecture of the late Mycenaean
Geometric periods and the beginnings of writing. Section II (pp.
71-111) examines the historic setting and the archaeological background
of the "real" locations of the Iliad (Troy) and Odyssey (Ithaka, Pylos,
Sparta). It also takes a closer look at the bards from the Late Bronze
Age until Homer and [?)pre-Homeric epics.

Section III (pp. 114-179) concerns the Homeric epics themselves. Its
content and structure are succinctly summarized--often enriched with
many quotes. In a short article Arbogast Schmitt introduces the
relations of gods and men in Homer and closes with a note on "Homer und
Wir" (pp. 169-170)--a reflection on a personal god in later ages.
Martin L. West, contributing the only chapter to section IV, gives an
interesting overview of the transmission of the Homeric text from the
7th century BC to the present. He also draws attention to the fact that
the addition of innumerable papyrus fragments has done little to
improve our text, though sometimes they have helped to point out
interpolations. The largest section of the book (V: pp. 195-289) deals
with the literary and artistic reception of Homer. Six chapters alone
on the classical world--including Etruria--cover this topic, followed
by two chapters on the reception in Byzantium and Medieval Latin
poetry. Three further essays relating to the modern age conclude
section V. The first is on Homer in the arts and design (exemplified
here by a photo of a French hairdryer named "Odysse/e") (p. 271) from
the early Renaissance up to Max Beckmann's "Odysseus" and Twonby's
rather abstract cycle "Fifty days at Ilium" from 1978. A summary on the
modern literary reception from Winckelmann to Joyce comes next. Homer
in merchandising and cinema is dealt with in the last chapter. A brief
entry covers the modern use of Homeric terms and names including Trojan
Horses, ballet shoes or boots named Penelope and Nausicaa, Homer
Simpson or Duck Tales episodes as well as modern novels. The section on
Homer in the movies is more detailed though far from being exhaustive.

The adjoining catalogue lists the 230 displayed objects with extensive
commentary. Not surprisingly it begins with depictions of Homer in
sculpture and coinage with the famous Munich head--a Roman copy of a
Greek original from 460 BC. Many of the other artifacts that follow
(pottery, bronzes, weaponry, and metallic vessels) are included as
representative samples of the period covered. It is not until no. 70
that the theme returns to the Homeric epics--then with events prior to
the Iliad. Most of the subsequent ancient objects directly related to
Homeric themes are often shown alongside much later works. No. 103 may
be singled out here: this painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (c.
1803) from Basle of the injured Aphrodite returning to Olympus is
placed amidst fighting scenes on Greek vases.

Needless to say, a good catalogue is often a very useful and welcome
supplement to a large exhibition. This applies to the Homer catalogue
in particular. The editors as well as the contributors can be
congratulated for their efforts. All the articles and entries reflect
the current state of research. The size and quality of the excellent
photographs--many of them fairly large--leaves nothing to be
desired--and reflects the high standard of Hirmer, one of the finest
art publishers in Germany. In itself the catalogue gives a fairly
rounded overview of Homer, his work and reception. An exhaustive
coverage is impossible even in such a big book and certainly not
intended or necessary. The possible impact of ancient oriental
literature on Greek epics, however, is avoided here. A chapter on the
similarity of leitmotifs found in Mesopotamian texts might have
enlarged the perspective.

Table of Contents:

Einfuehrung: Warum Homer (J. Latacz)


I Homer und seine Zeit
1. Homers Person
Homer-Darstellungen in der antiken Bildkunst (E. van der Meijden
Zanoni)
Homer-Darstellungen in der antiken Literatur (J. Latacz)
2. Homers Lebensraum
Die mediterrane Welt und das griechische Westkleinasien zur Zeit Homers
(A. Bigmasca)
3. Homers Zeit
Die griechische Renaissance des 8. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. (J. Latacz)
Die Architektur--Haeuser fuer Menschen und Goetter (K. Reber)
Die Bildkunst in der Zeit Homers (P. Blome)
Der Beginn der Schriftlichkeit und Literatur (J. Latacz)

II Die Vorgeschichte der Homerischen Dichtung


1. Die Schauplaetze
Griechenland, die Aegaeis und das westliche Kleinasien (W.-D. Niemeier)
Der Schauplatz der Ilias: Troja (P. Jablonka)
Die realen Schauplaetze der Odyssee: Ithaka, Pylos, Sparta (M.
Guggisberg)
2. Die Besinger der Schauplaetze zwischen der Spaetbronzezeit und
Homer: die Saenger (Aoiden)
Die vorhomerische Epik--Indizien und Wahrscheinlichkeiten (S.
Deger-Jalkotzy)
Die Saenger aus musikarchaeologischer Perspektive (S. Hagel)

III Homers Dichtung: Ilias und Odyssee


Die Ilias: Inhalt und Aufbau (J. Latacz)
Die Odyssee: Inhalt und Aufbau (S. West)
Die Grossstruktur der Epen (E.-R. Schwinge)
Homers Erzaehlkunst (I. J.F. Jong)
Gott und Mensch bei Homer (A. Schmitt)
Die Abenteuer des Odysseus (A. Bierl)

IV Die Ueberlieferung der Homerischen Dichtung (M.L. West)

V Die Rezeption der Homerischen Dichtung


1. Die Rezeption in Griechenland
Die Rezeption der Homerischen Dichtung in der griechischen Bildkunst
(P. Blome)
Die Rezeption der Homerischen Dichtung in der griechischen Literatur
(A. Bierl)
Die Rezeption Homers durch die Philosophen (H. Flashar)
2. Die Rezeption in Etrurien
Zur Rezeption der Homerischen Dichtung in der fruehen etruskischen
Bildkunst (F.-W. von Hase)
3. Die Rezeption in Rom
Homer in der roemischen Bildkunst (E. Simon)
Homer in der roemischen Literatur (H. Harich-Schwarzbauer)
4. Die Rezeption in Byzanz
Die Homer Rezeption in Byzanz (C. Cupane)
5. Die Rezeption im Mittelalter
Die Rezeption der Homerischen Dichtung im lateinischen Mittelalter (F.
Montanari)
6. Die Rezeption in der Neuzeit
Naehe und Ferne zu Homer: Die kuensterische Rezeptions Homers in der
Neuzeit (T. Greub)
Die literarische Rezeption Homers in der Neuzeit (B. Seidensticker)
Nenne mir Muse, den Vater der Massenkultur: Homer in Kommerz und Kino
(M. M. Winkler)

Katalogteil


Homer und seine Zeit
Die Person Homers
Die Kulturhoehe zur Zeit Homers
Geometrische Kunstwerke
Orientalisierende Kunstwerke
Die Schrift


Die Vorgeschichte der Homerischen Dichtung
Die mykenische Zeit (Spaetbronzezeit)
Die Auffuehrungsorte


I. Homers Dichtung: Ilias und Odyssee
1.1 Darstellungen der vor der Ilias liegenden Ereignisse
1.2 Ilias: Handlungs-Darstellungen
1.3 Darstellungen der nach der Ilias liegenden Ereignisse
2. Odyssee: Handlungs-Darstellungen

VI. Ueberlieferung und Wirkung

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Notes:


1.   Zeit der Helden. Die "dunklen Jahrhunderte" Griechenlands 1200-700
v. Chr. shown at the Badisches Landesmuseum Schloss Karlsruhe October
25 -February 15, 2009. Catalogue edited by Claus Hattler et al.,
Karlsruhe-Darmstadt 2008.