Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #619049 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05-01
• Original language: Greek
• Binding: Paperback
• 516 pages

Review
"It is hard to overstate the attractions of this translation. In a rhythm sinewy and flexible, with language that is precise, lyrical and fresh, Lombardo's Iliad pulses with all the power and luminosity of the Greek. He shows extraordinary sensitivity to the images and aural effects of the ancient poem. There are brilliant touches on every page... The narrator's voice sounds contemporary without losing authority or resonance, while his heroesfrom an archaic time speak a racy, hard-bitten idiom completely recognisableto our own Iron Age. Altogether this is as good as Homer gets in English." -- Richard P Martin, Professor of Classics, Princeton University.

About the Author
Stanley Lombardo is Professor of Classics, University of Kansas.

Customer Reviews

Homer Brought To Life
When I was asked to write a staging proposal for Book One of the Iliad, I wondered how I would begin. It didn't take me long to find the Lombardo translation, and what a godsend it was. Written in verse, it is both contemporary and gripping. The language is lively and emotive, and as a dramatist, I would recommend this work to scholars of Homer, those interested in expanding their reading vocabulary, and equally to theatre practitioners, as the work could be staged without cutting or adapting a single line.It is the freshest approach to Homer I have ever come across. If you have always felt that you should read the classics, but have been put off by the austentatious language or deadly prose/verse style, then this will change your mind. Equally, if you want to introduce Homer to a young student, then this is the translation to go for.These works are timelss because of their universal themes, and Lombardo does the great Homer justice, he brings him into the present day, making this great epic a good read for anyone.

The power and the glory
I have read two other translations earlier and, frankly, found the Iliad a bit boring. Not this time! the translator's no-nonsense approach makes the powerful story come very much alive, and surprisingly the glorious poetry too makes a greater impact - perhaps because much of the verbal filling has been pared away. Excellent introduction, too!