Epic & Classical Literature

A research guide: books, articles, web sites, & videos          

                                                           

 

Finding Books

 

 

·          How to Find Books in the ODU Library:  Search in the ODU Library Catalog. 

 

·          How to Find Books in Other OhioLINK Libraries: 
Search in the
OhioLINK Library Catalog, or start your search in the ODU Library Catalog and then click on the OhioLINK button at the top of the results screen to search statewide.

 

·          To Help You Search in the Catalogs:
Guides and video tutorials are available online from the library’s Research Help page or in print by the library Reference Desk on the top floor of Spangler.

 

 

Reference Books—A Selection

 

Reference books provide a good starting point for your research. Reference items are located in the Library’s Reference collection, behind the Reference Desk on the top floor of Spangler. 

 

See also these related research guides: English Literature and Literary Analysis, Mythology/Folklore/Legend, Shakespeare Research, and Theology.

 

Bibliographies and Guides 

·          Epic and Romance Criticism: A Checklist of Interpretations, 1940-1972.  Volume 1: English and American Epics and Metrical Romances.  R 016.8091 C692

·          The Humanities: A Selective Guide to Information Sources.   R 016.0160013 B6144h, 2000

·          Who’s Who in the Ancient World: A Handbook to the Survivors of the Greek and Roman Classics.

      R 920.009 R129w, 1971 

 

Dictionaries

·          An Arthurian Dictionary. R 809.933 M825a, 1978

·          The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology. R 422.03 B266d, 1988

·          Classics Illustrated Dictionary. R 913.38 F951, 1974

·          Dictionary of the Middle Ages.   R 909.07 S913d 13 vols.

·          Greek and Latin Authors, 800 B.C. – A.D. 1000: A Biographical Dictionary. R 928.8 G762g, 1980    

·          Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World: Britain, Ireland, and America.

      R 942.05 W1254h, 1999

·          The Oxford Classical Dictionary.  R 913.38 C333o, 1996

·          The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World. R 913.38 O25d, 2005

·          Who Was Who in the Greek World.  R 920.038 W628, 1982

 

Encyclopedias and Handbooks

·          Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece.  R 938 C1781i, 1998

·          A Companion to Homer’s Odyssey. R 883 M834Sc

·          Chaucer A to Z.  R 821.1 R834c, 1999

·          A Concise Encyclopedia of the Italian Renaissance.  R 945.05 H162c, 1981

·          The Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations. R 930.03 C847e, 1980

·          Encyclopedia of the Classical World.  R 913.38 C948

·          Encyclopedia of the Renaissance.  R 940.23 E197r, 1990 6 vols.

·          Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. R 808.003 E197r, 2001

·          Greek and Latin Authors: 800 BC – AD 1000.  A Biographical Dictionary. R 928.8 G762g, 1980

·          Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Classical World. R 913.38 A959i, 1975

·          Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World. R 938.003 L343a, 1999

·          Medieval England: An Encyclopedia. R 942 M4688e, 1998

·          The Middle Ages: A Concise Encyclopedia. R 909.07 L923m, 1989

·          A Milton Dictionary. R 821.47 M662h, 1978

·          A Mirror of Chaucer’s World. R 821.17 L863

·          The Oxford Book of Classical Verse in Translation. R 881.008 O98, 1995

·          The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. R 913.38 H341, 1997

·          The Oxford History of the Classical World.  R 938 O98, 1986

·          The Riverside Chaucer. R 821.17 C3931r

·          Routledge History of Philosophy: From Aristotle to Augustine. Vol. 2.   R 190.9 R7657h, 1999

·          Routledge History of Philosophy: From the Beginning to Plato. Vol. 1.   R 190.9 R7657h, 1997

·          Vergil Reference CD-ROM. R 873.01 V587r, 1997

 

Reference Resources Online

 

Literary Reference Center
Provides full-text access to many reference resources online, including:

·         Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature;

·         Beacham's six-volume Research Guide to Biography and Criticism;

·         Continuum’s encyclopedia’s of American, British, and children’s literature;

·         The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics and The Columbia Companion to the 20th

      Century American Short Story;

·         The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature;  The Literary Encyclopedia; 

·         Masterplots and Masterplots II;Cyclopedia of World Authors, Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, and

      Magill's Literary Annual;

·         The Harold Bloom series of over 500 books; and additional resources of information on notable

       authors of long and short fiction, poetry, drama, and philosophy.

 

Masterplots Complete 2000
Full-text.  On-campus access only; when prompted; click Open to access the file. Coverage includes  synopses of plays, character profiles, and brief author biographies including lists of major works.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Articles in Databases, and then select English Language and Literature.

 

Oxford English Dictionary

Full-text.  Offers access to the online, historical dictionary of the English language. Traces the usage of words from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books. Updated quarterly.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Articles in Databases, and then select English Language and Literature.

 

Oxford Reference Online

Full-text.  Brings together 100 dictionaries and other reference books in various subjects into one searchable database. Includes under “Literature” the following:  The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms and The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Books, and select Oxford Reference Online.

 

eBooks

 

NetLibrary

Full-text ebook database. Search among 15,000 ebooks from multiple disciplines, including reference books, other nonfiction, and fiction. Search by keyword, title, or author.  
To access: From the library homepage, click on
Books, and then select NetLibrary.

 

  • For additional possibilities, click on Quick Reference from the ODU Library homepage, then select Etexts-Literature.

 

 

Finding Articles and Book Reviews

 

 

 

 

Recommended Databases

 

Academic Search Complete

Contains peer-reviewed journal coverage from more than 3,400 scholarly publications.  Includes articles and book reviews in many academic areas of study arts & literature.  Updated daily.  

 

Electronic Journal Center
Presents over 4300 research journals, covering numerous subject areas.

 

Literary Reference Center
Offers information on authors and their works from reference works, books, and literary journals. Includes plot summaries, synopses and work overviews; articles of literary criticism; author biographies; full text of literary journals, book reviews, classic and contemporary poems, classic and contemporary short stories, classic novels; and  author interviews.

 

MLA International Bibliography
Citations only.  Indexes books and articles on modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics.  Information about the libraries that own the library resources is also included.  Updated 10 times per year.

 

Finding Periodicals in this Library

 

Listed below are some Epic & Classical Literature periodicals available in the ODU Library.


·          The Chaucer Review

·          English Literary Renaissance

·          Greece and Rome

·          Journal of Biblical Literature

·          Phronesis

·          Poetry


 

 

How Do You Find Out if a Periodical Exists in this Library?

 

·          Use the ODU Library Catalog to search for the title of the journal or newspaper you’re trying to find. 
Choose a TITLE search and type in the title of the journal or newspaper you desire.

 

·          The library's journals and magazines are located:
 
(1) In print in the Periodicals section on the top floor, arranged alphabetically by title
(2) Back issues in print (usually prior to 1960) in the Back Issues Room on the bottom floor
(3) In microfilm in cabinets behind the Periodicals section
 
A microfilm reader/printer (with free printing!) is also available on the top floor.
For more information, see the ODU Library Microfilm/Reader page at:

http://www.ohiodominican.edu/library/tour/microfilm/default.asp.

 

·          If you are looking for a specific article in a periodical, be sure to match issue number and YEAR/MONTH of the article to the information listed in our library catalog to make sure we have the specific issue of the journal/magazine you need.

 

 

 

Finding Web Sites

 

 

A portal to Internet search engines and directories is available on the ODU Library’s Internet Search page.

 

In addition, listed below are web sites that may be of particular use to you in your information search.

 

Minimum recommended criteria for evaluating websites:    

·          Accuracy of the information

·          Authority of the person or group responsible for the information

·          When the information was created and last updated

For more information, view Evaluating Internet Sources & Search Tools on the Internet Search page.

 

 

Web Sites—A Selection

See also these related research guides: English Literature and Literary Analysis, Mythology/Folklore/Legend, Shakespeare Research, and Theology.

 

Epic Literature Sites

       

Primary Literature

·          The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester  http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cphome.stm

·          Dante’s Divine Comedy [27 full editions online]  http://dante.ilt.columbia.edu/comedy/index.html

·          The Decameron Web http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/dweb.shtml

·          The Geoffrey Chaucer Website Homepage  http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/

·          HyperEpos: Epic on the Internet  http://www.auburn.edu/~downejm/hyperepos.html

·          Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawain.htm

·          Le Morte Darthur: Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and of his Noble Knights of the Round Table (London ,1903) http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/malorybib.htm

·          Piers Plowman http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/plowman.htm

·          Resources for the Study of Beowulf—Editions and Translations  http://www.library.unr.edu/subjects/guides/beowulf.html

·          The Virgil Home Page http://www.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/literature/world_literature/virgil.html

·          Virgil.org—Virgil Resources [Click on “Translations”]  http://virgil.org

 

Secondary & Tertiary Literature (Background information on characters, works, authors; articles, essays, bibliographies)

·          The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester  http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cphome.stm

·          Chaucer MetaPage http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer

·          The Decameron Web  http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/dweb.shtml

·          HyperEpos: Epic on the Internet  http://www.auburn.edu/~downejm/hyperepos.html

·          John Milton: Poet, Priest, Prophet , by John Spencer Hill  http://www.shu.ac.uk/emls/iemls/postprint/jhill-milt/milton.htm

·          The Mythic Hero  http://lilt.ilstu.edu/drjclassics/lectures/mythichero/mythichero.shtm

·          Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Essays and Articles http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawain.htm

·          Sir Thomas Malory  http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/malory.htm

·          Resources for the Study of Beowulf  http://www.library.unr.edu/subjects/guides/beowulf.html

·          The Virgil Home Page http://www.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/literature/world_literature/virgil.html

·          Virgil.org—Virgil Resources [use the links on the left-side menu]  http://virgil.org

·          William Langland  http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/langland.htm

 

Classical Literature Sites

·          Diotima: Women and Gender in the Ancient World  http://www.stoa.org/diotima

·          Electronic Antiquity: Communicating the Classics  http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ElAnt

·          The Encyclopedia Mythica  http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.html

·          Gilgamesh Study Guide  http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/eng251/gilgameshstudy.htm

·          Greek Mythology Link  http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/index.html

·          Herodotus on the Web  http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/herodotus

·          Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey  http://library.thinkquest.org/19300/data/homer.htm

 

 

Finding Videos

 

 

·          How to find Videos in the ODU Library: 

From the library homepage, click on Audiovisuals & Media, select ODU Library Catalog, and
search the catalog:

·                  By KEYWORD and limit your search to MATERIAL TYPE: Audiovisuals

·                  By AUTHOR or TITLE if you are looking for a specific actor, director, or title.

 

Or from the library homepage, click on Audiovisuals & Media, select List of DVDs and Videos, and browse through the listing.

 

§         How to find Online Videos: 

From the library homepage, click on Audiovisuals & Media, select Digital Media Center Databases, select DMC Databases, then scroll down until you see Digital Video Collection and click on OhioLINK Access only. Search by keyword or browse by subject.

 

 

Videos—A Selection
All videos are located in the Library’s Audiovisual (A/V) Materials collection on the top floor of Spangler.

 

See also these related research guides: English Literature and Literary Analysis, Mythology/Folklore/Legend, Shakespeare Research, and Theology.

 

Epic Literature

·          Beowulf.   829.3 B481, 1984

·          The Canterbury Tales.   821.17 C496ct, 1999

·          Chaucer’s Canterbury Pilgrims.  821.1 C496, 1993

·          Excalibur.   823 E96, 1991

·          Gawain and the Green Knight.   821.1 G284, 1996

·          Geoffrey Chaucer and Middle English Literature.   820.1 G343, 1985

·          The Greek Epic.   883.01 G11e

·          The Iliad.   883.01 I28i

·          In Search of the Trojan War series:  


1.       The Legend under Siege. 939.21 L511, 1985

2.       The Age of Heroes. 939.21 A265, 1985

3.       The Fall of Troy. 939.21 F194, 1985


·                                  King Arthur: His Life and Legends. 942.014 K454, 1996

·                                  Milton and His Time. 821.47 M662, 1985

·                                  Paradise Lost by John Milton. 972.93 P222, 1991

·                                  The Perilous Voyage: Homer’s Odyssey series:  883.1 H766co, 1989 6 video cassettes


·                                  The True Legend of King Arthur.   942.014 L511, 1993

·          Ulysses. 823 U47, 1989

 

Classical Literature

·          Agamemnon.  882 A259, 1985

·          The Age of Sophocles.   882 A265, 1959

·          Ancient Wisdom and Modern Love.   158.2 A541, Parts 1-6.

·          Antigone.   882 A629, 1987

·          Antigone: An Introduction.  882 S712, 1981

·          Aristotle’s Ethics, Book 1: The Theory of Happiness.  170 A716, 1984

·          The Classical Age.  938 C614, 1982

·          Great Authors of the Western Literary Tradition.   809.8 G786, 1993

1.       Introduction and the Literature of Ancient Greece and Jerusalem

2.       The Literature of Ancient Greece and Rome

·          Great Ideas: Plato’s “Apology.”   184.1 G786p, 1987

·          Legends of Greece and Rome.   398.2 L511, 1985

·          Heroes and Men.   883 H559, 1982

·          Iphigenia.  882 I64, 1982

·          The Odyssey series. 883.1 O27, 1965  3 video cassettes

·          Oedipus at Colonus.  882 S712ta, 1988

·          Oedipus the King. 882 O28, 1975

·          Plato’s Cave. 184 P718, 1974

·          Socrates. 183.2 S678, 1987

·          The Trial of Socrates.  183.2 S678st, 1988

 

© Ohio Dominican University Library. Provided that appropriate credit is given, this guide may be quoted or reproduced for educational purposes without prior permission. However, no commercial use of any part of this guide is permitted without prior permission. This guide provides access to materials for which the copyright is held by owners other than Ohio Dominican University. Use of these materials and resources is restricted by applicable license agreement and copyright law.

 

Page last modified: 07 April 2008