The Iliad By Homer (Paperback, 2003)

Product Description

Homer's Iliad is the greatest & most influential epic poem ever written telling of the tragic & bloody climax to the ten-year siege of Troy This Penguin Classics edition was originally translated by EV Rieu revised & updated with an introduction & notes by Peter Jones & DCH Rieu 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 & 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
- even though he knows this will ensure his own untimely death Interwoven with this tragic sequence of events are powerfully moving descriptions of the ebb & flow of battle of the domestic world inside Troy's besieged city of Ilium & of the conflicts between the Gods on Olympus as they argue over the fate of mortals EV Rieu's acclaimed translation of The Iliad was one of the first titles published in Penguin Classics & now has classic status itself For this edition Rieu's text has been revised & now a new introduction & notes by Peter Jones complement the original introduction Seven Greek cities claim the honour of being the birthplace of Homer (c 8th-7th century BC) the poet to whom the composition of the Iliad & Odyssey are attributed The Iliad is the oldest surviving work of Western literature but the identity
- or even the existence
- of Homer himself is a complete mystery with no reliable biographical information having survived If you enjoyed the Iliad you might like Homer's Odyssey also available in Penguin Classics