The Wooden Horse: The Liberation of the Western Mind, from Odysseus to Socrates

The Wooden Horse provides a literary exegesis that teaches much about the Ancient Greek texts it discusses. Although the author picks and chooses his evidence from the vast store of the Ancient classics, while ignoring any that would contradict his thesis, and asserts an overarching cohesiveness to the genre that is unlikely to exist, given the vast number of years over which they were written, their several authors, and the several versions of the stories, his thesis still provides a brilliant beam of enlightenment. The close readings of several of the texts by Zeruneith is particularly rewarding; especially his analyses of the contrasting characters of Odysseus and Achilles in both The Iliad and The Odyssey.

An ambitious book that provides the reader with a wealth of ideas to mull over. From the mythic journeys of Odysseus and the battles of Achilles to the dialogic mind of Socrates the reader is presented with poetry, philosophy, and drama. The depth of thought presented is daunting, but also tempting for those interested in the development of Greek thought and its impact on the western mind.