Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2942 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-30
• Original language: Greek
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

Synopsis
One of the foremost achievements in Western literature, Homer's "Iliad" tells the story of the darkest episode in the Trojan War. At its centre is Achilles, the greatest warrior-champion of the Greeks, and his refusal to fight after being humiliated by his leader Agamemnon. But when the Trojan Hector kills Achilles' close friend Patroclus, he storms back into battle to take revenge - although knowing this will ensure his own early death. Interwoven with this tragic sequence of events are powerfully moving descriptions of the ebb and flow of battle, of the domestic world inside Troy's besieged city of Ilium, and of the conflicts between the Gods on Olympus as they argue over the fate of mortals.

Customer Reviews

Penguin have destroyed a classic
To be quite honest its hardly worth them calling this the Iliad. They have ripped the poetic beauty of this Epic and condensed it into a dusty and boring prose. No one ever consider changing Shakespeares or Byrons poems into novels; why why why have they treated Homer so abominably. This is not an epic anymore and resebles in no way the sonourous verse of Homer. If you want to read a decent version of one of the best poems written, read a differnet translation. I suggest Robert Fagles his translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey are wonderful and capture all the poetic force of Homer. Please do not waste your money on this pathetic rendition of a wonderful poem.

Buy this book
This story began to circulate as part of an oral tradition around 3000 years ago. It is based on the military values of the Greeks and espouses the issues of valour, bravey, and honour that were an integral part of society in the ancient Greek world, and in numerous centuries of previous generations. Achilles, although considered a hero by the Greeks, shuns participation in the fighting because of a desire to protect his honour. Hector experiences numerous sucesses in leading campaigns against the Greeks but is eventually defeated when Achilles re-joins the war and uses his influence with the gods to defeat him. This text epitomizes the iniquities and uncertainties of war. If you read past the mythical fairytale of gods and heroes then you can truely understand the terrifying experiences of hand-to-hand combat that men faced in the ancient world. You can understand the bitterness involved in conflict and the pain experienced by compatriates of the casualties of war. The issues involved in this book are timeless and even in the age of modern combat the pain that radiates around them remains.

The rise of Western literature
The subject of this book may not have been seen as something new. Since hundreds of stories and tales had been already told and written down by the time that Homerus started this one which where very similar in style and storyline. So what is that makes Iliad so special.

Well for one thing it is the first real work of Western literature but that doesn't make it great does it?

No the thing that makes this piece of work is first of all some of the ideas that are hidden behind it which where very radical at the time that this story first occurred. The most important one of them from my point of view is the fact that in this story war isn't seen as something glorious as it was still seen by many in those days (and sadly enough still is seen by many in our time.) The mane hero of this story Achilles is even trying to avoid its horrors during the whole of the story. Some of the actions in the course of story aren't even heroic but rather degrading for the characters in the story. Like for instance the night attack in book 10.

Second of all Homer is the guy who helped to shape the whole Greek religion by giving the Gods background stories and explaining their connections whit each other. And giving them numerous human qualities like the fact that they are forced to eat, drink and sleep. They show human emotions like hatred, love and pain.

Homerus has also asked us a very important question during the coarse of this book namely what is ones life worth? What is friendship worth?

And finally he has delivered us a human tragedy which remains relevant even although ages have passed by between its creation and Homer himself has fallen into oblivions for the only thing known about him remain his works and we aren't even certain wheatear he has written them.

So don't hesitate about whether to purchase this book (or borrow it from your local library). And as for the translation although it is over 50 years in age it is surprisingly modern and easy to read (although I have doubts about the added in my opinion completely useless notes and arguments.)