Iliad

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 E.V. Rieu revised & updated with an introduction & notes by Peter Jones & D.C.H. 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. E.V. 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"."