Sigma Publications

This is the earliest known ‘Odyssey’ fragment!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has returned to public display a rare 2,300-year-old papyrus fragment containing verses from Homer’s “The Odyssey,” presenting what museum officials describe as the oldest surviving fragment of the epic.

The papyrus dates to about 285-250 BC, during the early Hellenistic period, when Egypt’s Greek Ptolemaic rulers increasingly supported scholarly activity.

The fragment preserves three lines from Book 20 of “The Odyssey” that do not appear in the standard modern text. The differences highlight how Homer’s epics developed through oral performance, copying, variation, correction and scholarly editing. The fragment offers tangible evidence of a text that evolved over centuries.

More: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248134

"The Gods of Olympus": https://www.sigmapublications.com/book/the-gods-of-olympus.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9604250582/

The twelve gods of , as seen in the most important and loveliest of the myths surrounding them, are presented in this book with the light touch and clear eye of the distinguished student of Greek mythology Menelaos Stephanides. Combining the joy of learning with the pleasure of tales well told, this enjoyable volume will give its readers an amusing introduction to the all-too-mortal gods of the ancient Greeks. For in Greek mythology the gods are very far from perfect and have as many human weaknesses as supernatural powers. It is precisely their blend of power and frailties that gives mythology in its Greek form the lasting appeal that has drawn people to the stories of its gods for the past three thousand years. Superhuman battles with fearsome creatures or forces of nature such as Typhon, the loves and infidelities of , cunning, hatred, friendship, wisdom and generosity are all interwoven in an entrancing tangle which Menelaos Stephanides unwinds and weaves into clear and simple language. The myths are arranged so that each god is given one chapter, while the first chapter is devoted to 's cosmogony, the Greek version of the birth of the world. Suitable for all ages.

The Kerameikos archaeological site, ancient Athens’ most significant historical cemetery, has reopened to the public following extensive infrastructure upgrades and historical preservation works.

The project introduces a new primary entrance and exit located on Agion Asomaton Street, an access point that directly connects the ancient landmark with the modern urban fabric of the city. To improve inclusivity, developers designed specialized paths with gentle slopes throughout the ancient grounds. These newly implemented routes now ensure safe and independent accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges across the site.

The renovation also introduces new visitor amenities. A modern on-site cafe area now offers refreshments, alongside a fully equipped new gift shop featuring official cultural merchandise and publications.

The extensive project successfully revitalizes the ancient city’s most significant historical cemetery, transforming it into a fully functional and highly accessible cultural destination in the heart of Athens.

The upgrade merges ancient heritage with modern infrastructure, offering greater accessibility and expanded amenities for visitors.

Source: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1315369/athens-ancient-burial-ground-steps-into-the-present/

From our pocketbook "The ": https://www.sigmapublications.com/book/the-odyssey.html

An extensive summary of the Homeric poem which focuses on its poetic highlights, the most gripping episodes in ' ten-year voyage home, and the age-old wisdom of this ancient masterpiece which has enthralled readers young and old for the past three thousand years with its message that "there is nothing sweeter in the world than one's homeland and one's loved ones".

For the first time in roughly 220 years, the western facade of the Parthenon has been returned to what the Culture Ministry described as its fullest possible form, free of external scaffolding.

The milestone marks the completion of a painstaking restoration effort that combined contemporary scientific expertise with respect for the techniques of the monument’s original builders.

The project focused on the iconic western pediment, where two upright architectural elements were installed in long-empty positions, and on the restoration of the supporting anti-seismic wall.

According to the ministry, these interventions restore the pediment’s architectural unity. Officials emphasized the precision of the work. In a statement accompanying a newly released photograph, they noted that the new marble was not simply added but fitted with exceptional accuracy into surviving fragments and existing sections of the pediment.

The restoration, they said, reflects a detailed and careful process aimed at preserving a monument that has influenced civilizations, inspired artistic creation, and endured damage and looting over centuries.

Source: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1307082/parthenon-unbound-after-two-centuries/

"Oedipus - The Tragedies": https://www.sigmapublications.com/book/oedipus-the-tragedies.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9604250744/

The whole tragic story of , seen through the prism of the four great classical tragedies (chiefly by ), each taking up where the previous one leaves off: King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colonus, The Seven Against and . These are followed by the war of the Epigoni. This last volume in the series closes with one final myth, that of the , after which the curtain falls suddenly and unexpectedly on Greek mythology.

What survives, and what is lost, from the poetic magic of the ancient poem? Five people share their views on ‘The Odyssey’: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1310790/what-nolan-did-and-didnt-achieve/

Legendary British classicist Mary Beard's take:

❝Look, if Nolan is making a three-hour movie, he can’t possibly include everything. Adaptors change things and omit things – they have to. It’s part of their trade. My question is: What difference do those losses or omissions make? What else do you lose with them? I thought the loss of Phaeacia removed two key women, and it also removed all those nuances and questions surrounding the relationship with Nausicaa and Arete.

I didn’t much like the modern moralizing imposed on the plot. I missed the wit and humor of the original. And all the fighting did not capture the magical domesticity that characterizes so much of the poem.

I loved some of the clever visuals. Modeling Polyphemus on Goya’s monstrous figure of Saturn (referring to “Saturn Devouring His Son,” one of the Spanish painter’s 14 so-called Black Paintings) was a stroke of genius. The transformation of Circe’s men into pigs was brilliant, too.❞

What Nolan did (and didn’t) achieve | eKathimerini.com The epic of endless reinvention Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster summer movie “The Odyssey” is cause for celebration for those who care about the literature and culture of ancient Greece.

Explore the real in English, French and German! - https://sigmapublications.com/book/the-odyssey.html

Duncan Howitt-Marshall suggests 7 archaeological sites to visit perfect for combining culture with a swim: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1309441/explore-ancient-greece-before-the-beach-7-easy-sites-to-visit/

"The Iliad - The Trojan War": http://sigmapublications.com/mth_en_en6.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9604250590/

All that mythology tells us of the history of , from its founding until its final destruction in the famous war. Why the quarrel started, the sacrifice of Iphigenia, the nine years of fighting, the last days of Troy, the . A special chapter is devoted to the Iliad, the fifty days of war described by which takes the anger of as its theme. This great epic poem is presented in an extended summary, with some of its finest passages given in full. For the poetry of Homer's language often rises to heights of incomparable beauty, as in the parting of from , or the scene at the end of the 'Iliad' in which asks Achilles for the body of his son.