The Authoress of the Odyssey (1897)

First edition, inscribed by Samuel Butler (BII AUT 1897.1)

Butler developed his argument fully in The Authoress of the Odyssey, which he published in 1897, hoping it would entice a new publisher to take on his translations. The book’s frontispiece is a reproduction of a painting entitled ‘The Muse Polinnia’, which Butler saw in the museum at Cortona and took to represent his high-spirited young Authoress.

Weaving together detailed geographical and historical research, textual analysis, and a not insubstantial dose of speculation, Butler’s work – though idiosyncratic and highly controversial – set a precedent for thinking about Classical texts and authors in new ways, and is still talked about today. Robert Graves took up and developed the idea in his novella Homer’s Daughter (1955).

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