The Iliad
1st Edition
Published on 8. September 2011
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-19-923548-3 (ISBN)
Description
'War, the bringer of tears...'
War, glory, despair, and mourning: for 2,700 years the Iliad has gripped listeners and readers with the story of Achilles' anger and Hector's death. This tragic episode during the siege of Troy, sparked by a quarrel between the leader of the Greek army and its mightiest warrior, Achilles, is played out between mortals and gods, with devastating human consequences. It is a story of many truths, speaking of awesome emotions, the quest for fame and revenge, the plight of women, and the
lighthearted laughter of the gods. Above all, it confronts us with war in all its brutality - and with fleeting images of peace, which punctuate the poem as distant memories, startling comparisons, and doomed aspirations. The Iliad's extraordinary power testifies to the commitment of its many readers, who
have turned to it in their own struggles to understand life and death.
This elegant and compelling new translation is accompanied by a full introduction and notes that guide the reader in understanding the poem and the many different contexts in which it was performed and read.
War, glory, despair, and mourning: for 2,700 years the Iliad has gripped listeners and readers with the story of Achilles' anger and Hector's death. This tragic episode during the siege of Troy, sparked by a quarrel between the leader of the Greek army and its mightiest warrior, Achilles, is played out between mortals and gods, with devastating human consequences. It is a story of many truths, speaking of awesome emotions, the quest for fame and revenge, the plight of women, and the
lighthearted laughter of the gods. Above all, it confronts us with war in all its brutality - and with fleeting images of peace, which punctuate the poem as distant memories, startling comparisons, and doomed aspirations. The Iliad's extraordinary power testifies to the commitment of its many readers, who
have turned to it in their own struggles to understand life and death.
This elegant and compelling new translation is accompanied by a full introduction and notes that guide the reader in understanding the poem and the many different contexts in which it was performed and read.
Reviews / Votes
Deeply enjoyable ... Considerable artistic effort and achievement. * Adrian Kelly, The Anglo-Hellenic Review No. 47 * a fine new translation * Edward Luttwak, London Review of Books *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Readers interested in classical literature, epic, myth, Homer; students of classics, ancient history, archaeology, English literature and other modern European literature, comparative literature, philosophy, oriental studies, anthropology, and in the US, 'great books' courses.
Illustrations
2 maps
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
718 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-923548-3 (9780199235483)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Persons
Anthony Verity is a classical scholar and educationalist whose appointments include Head of Classics at Bristol Grammar School, Headmaster of Leeds Grammar School, and Master of Dulwich College from 1986 to 1995. His translations for Oxford World's Classics include Theocritus, Idylls and Pindar, The Complete Odes.
Barbara Graziosi's research focuses on ancient Greek literature and its readers, both ancient and modern. Her books include Inventing Homer: The Early Reception of Epic (CUP, 2002, pbk 2007), Homer: The Resonance of Epic, (Duckworth, 2005, jointly written with Johannes Haubold), Homer in the Twentieth Century: Between World Literature and the Western Canon (OUP, 2007, pbk 2010, jointly edited with Emily Greenwood), The Oxford Handbook of Hellenic Studies
(2009, jointly edited with G. R. Boys-Stones and P. Vasunia), and a commentary on Iliad 6, co-written with Johannes Haubold. Forthcoming books include a history of the Olympian gods and a VSI to Homer.
Barbara Graziosi's research focuses on ancient Greek literature and its readers, both ancient and modern. Her books include Inventing Homer: The Early Reception of Epic (CUP, 2002, pbk 2007), Homer: The Resonance of Epic, (Duckworth, 2005, jointly written with Johannes Haubold), Homer in the Twentieth Century: Between World Literature and the Western Canon (OUP, 2007, pbk 2010, jointly edited with Emily Greenwood), The Oxford Handbook of Hellenic Studies
(2009, jointly edited with G. R. Boys-Stones and P. Vasunia), and a commentary on Iliad 6, co-written with Johannes Haubold. Forthcoming books include a history of the Olympian gods and a VSI to Homer.