The Iliad

By Homer

Book Overview

"The Iliad," translated into English accentuated hexameters, is Homer's epic poem recounting the pivotal events of the Trojan War. This enduring classic explores themes of war, honor, fate, and the complex relationships between gods and men. Through vivid descriptions and compelling characters like Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus, Homer crafts a timeless narrative of heroism and tragedy.

This translation seeks to capture the rhythmic essence of the original Greek, offering readers a unique experience of one of the foundational works of Western literature. "The Iliad" remains a cornerstone of classical education and a source of inspiration for writers and artists across centuries, continuing to resonate with its profound insights into the human condition.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1023815788
• ISBN13: 9781023815789
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: Hutson Street Press
• Length: 580 Pages
• Weight: 1.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great Epic

I absolutley adored this book. I am reading the Odyssey now. I recommend you read both. It adds depth to the whole tale.

The best Iliad for the general reader

The Iliad is one of the greatest treasures of Western Civilization-and not just because a teacher told you it was. On the surface, it offers raw emotions, visceral action sequences and colorful characters you admire and hate, often at the same time. But it is much, much deeper than that. The scene where Hector bids his young wife good-bye and holds up his infant son to the gods, praying that the boy will one day be a better man than ever he himself was, has never been equaled as a statement of what it means to be a man, husband or father. The debates about honor and duty are still the same we face every day. The humanity, insight and profound philosophy are remarkable-especially for a work now 3,000 years old. The problem? How do you convey all that power? How do you do so in a way that captures the feel of original? Iliad translations have started to come fast and furious, as every ten years or so someone tries to tackle the monumental task of bringing the poem to modern readers. The process isn't helped by the fact that the text was already 300 years old to the classical Greeks like Aristotle, Sophocles and Euripides-making it as vaguely old-fashioned as Shakespeare is to us. Should it sound antiquated to us, too? If you really want a line by line translation, one that has some kind of meter that approaches the Greek original, the obvious choice is Lattimore's classic translation. It has the side benefit now of being somewhat dated in its English usage too. That said, for just a good ol' read of the Iliad, Lattimore isn't even my third choice. For all its accuracy, I've always felt I was reading a textbook, written by a classics scholar rather than an honest-to-goodness writer. Lombardo, on the other hand, is my preferred translation for sitting back and reading what is still a rip-roaring adventure (with enough deep thoughts to give it extra weight). Lombardo confesses there really is no way to adequately convey the "musicality" of the original, and goes on to re-cast it in freer poetry, based on natural speech. He's built up his translation thru multiple performances of the poems, with drum accompaniment, in public places, and his Iliad is honed to a razor sharp edge. The musty old poem students rolled their eyes at becomes a terrifying, beautiful beast that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. It is so immediate, trilling and relevant. Lombardo's translation is an Iliad you will feel, not just respect. Pick up the Lombardo translation and you will understand immediately why this work is still called the cornerstone of Western culture.