Customer Reviews

A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect

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This is quite simply the best lexicon for use while reading Homeric (or Hesiodic, generally) Greek. The text is designed specifically with The Iliad and Odyssey in mind; each word is given, followed by information on _where_ in the Homeric corpus those words appear, allowing for line-specific correlations.

The book also has outstanding morphological information on the words themselves, and a small appendix featuring Homeric conditionals.

This book is *far* superior to Autenrieth, and is more useful than the various editions of the L-S-J in that the words are keyed specifically to Homeric usage, and there are no non-Homeric forms to add extra clutter.

Outstanding.

For the student of Attic Greek, reading Homer can be a frustrating experience, and standard dictionaries are of little help. Cunliffe's dictionary provides, in a manageable sized volume, almost any form of any word you will encounter while reading Homer. Chances are, the very instance of the word you are looking up will be referred to in the entry, with its own specific meaning. Cunliffe is an inspiring guy, for his preface demonstrates that this massive endeavor was truly a labor of love for him, a lawyer by profession (apparently he did this in his spare time!). This volume, and a good commentary, is all one needs to be on the way to reading, and enjoying, Homer in the original (One other book I've found extremely helpful is Homeric Vocabularies, by Owen and Goodspeed). The binding is fairly sturdy, and has lasted quite a while for me. I've used the hardback, but I find it easier and faster to look up words in the paperback version.

This dictionary is a godsend for anyone who wants to have more than a passing acquaintance with the poetry of Homer. Two things make it an indispensable aid in reading Homer.

First, it gives an exhaustive listing of the various meanings and nuances of meaning that any given word has in different passages of the Iliad and Odyssey. Since there are many words, particularly verbs, that vary in meaning from context to context, the dictionary helps one gain a more 'global' understanding of Homer's words.

The second area in which it proves inidspensable is in helping the reader idenitfy obscure forms of verbs. All too often one comes across a verb in the perfect tense that looks like it could be derived from any number of different verbs. Fortunately, instead of rifling through the dictionary, bouncing from verb to verb to find the one that is being used, Cunliffe does the reader the favor of listing virtually all forms whose
1st first person present could prove difficult to identify and refers the reader to the appropriate verb.

All in all an essential reference tool in the Homerophile's library.

This one is good for when you're studying a particular passage closely. It also functions as a concordance! It's a bit slower to use than Autenrieth, et al., but much more authoritative and thorough.

I agree with every bit of the praise from other reviewers, but the criticism from one reviewer about the poor binding is valid in my experience.

I once owned the hardback version which had sewn signatures. It never wore out, but I lost it during a move. I now have the paperback, which is glued, and the pages are coming out after about 2 months' of moderate usage. Others' experience may vary depending upon how the glue sets in their particular copy, but it should be noted that this book is not bound the way a reference book should be. Buyers should limber up the spine by running their fingers down the fold in several parts of the book, but even that is no guarantee (it didn't work for me).

For all that, it beats Autenrieth even for beginners because the ability to match passages to specific definitions is decisive. This is particularly useful when you encounter what appears to be an odd use of a common word. You can simple scan the entry to find the line reference. If we are going to have a contest of praise, let me submit that as the book's best feature.

I agree with every aspect of the reviews below except just one: the paperback copy I've got last December is tightly bound. No pages fall apart. This is one of the most satisfying books I've ever bought throughout 60 years of my life.

Even if you read Homer in a Loeb text, and refer to Fagles or Fitzgerald for the rhythm and feeling of the original, this lexicon will open your mind to a richer understanding of the dense and varied meanings of Homer's epics. It is, however, a poorly bound book which falls apart much too quickly.

This lexicon has been a tremendous help to me just when I am working my way through the verses of Homer using Clide Pharr's text. At first, I did not think it would be required at all since Pharr's book also provides a comprehensive vocabulary for Iliad book I. However, It proves to be a great and indispensible tool, simply because it provides you with confidence when you realize that you actually grasp the true and exact meaning of the words as well as the capacity to pin point the correct tense forms that Pharr doesn't always care to elaborate. Just as Andrew Lang once said that "the study [of Greek] is averse to indolent intellectual ways; it will not put up with a 'there or thereabouts,' any more than mathematical ideas admit of being made to seem 'extremely plausible,'" so it is plain that to be able to read Homer with pleasure we need all the help to thoroughly understand him which is why Cunliffe's lexicon comes to be a heroic contribution to the Homeric study in the English speaking world.

Cunliffe's text does have some flaws, i.e. not being so userfriendly (the lists of forms and occurences make it difficult to find a word's definition). However, it's obvious that he did "avoid no pain and shirk no difficulty," as he claims in his introduction, to prepare this mavelous lexicon. My point is that may be it's time for someone to revise and edit the book for new generation of users. It's a pity that fewer and fewer of us care to read Homer in the original nowadays that there has been no new efforts to assist modern readers to enjoy these great poems. Richard J. Cunliffe was a lawyer who took all the troubles to compile this wonderful book so that he may, by his own admission, "bring the (new) readers to Homer." What a lofty goal indeed.

This book is indispensable for anyone attempting to read Homer. The only complaint I have is the poor physical construction of this soft cover edition. (Hard cover is out of print) If you are serious about reading Homer you will need many copies of this book because it falls apart with minimal use.

I wish I could think of something to add to the glowing praise of this tremendously helpful resource, but about all I can do is express my hearty agreement. I've been working my way through the Homeric course by Schoder and Horrigan, and this lexicon has been a great boon. The appendices at the back of Schoder and Horrigan are handy for quick reference, but for the secondary meanings and obscure forms, Cunliffe's Lexicon is a lifesaver. It will save time, reduce frustration, and most importantly, increase the enjoyment and appreciation of Homer's works. As for the binding, I haven't had any problems or concerns, and I carry mine with me frequently in my travels. For me, the lighter weight and smaller size are an additional advantage. Now if only it were available in electronic format...