The Iliad

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

With an Introduction and Notes by Adam Roberts, Royal Holloway, University of London.

The product of more than a decade's continuous work (1598-1611), Chapman's translation of Homer's great poem of war is a

magnificent testimony to the power of The Iliad. In muscular, onward-rolling verse Chapman retells the story of Achilles, the great warrior, and his terrible wrath before the walls of besieged Troy, and the destruction it wreaks on both Greeks and Trojans.

Chapman regarded the translation of this epic, and of Homer's Odyssey (also available in Wordsworth Editions) as his life's work, and dedicated himself to capturing the 'soul' of the poem.

Swinburne praised the resulting translation for its 'romantic and sometimes barbaric grandeur, its freshness, strength, and inexhaustible fire', qualities that reflect the grandeur, fire and brutality of the original poem. This new edition includes a critical introduction and extensive notes, rendering Chapman's extraordinary poetic masterpiece accessible to modern readers.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction
• Bibliography Iliad
• Book 1
• Book 2
• Book 3
• Book 4
• Book 5
• Book 6
• Book 7
• Book 8
• Book 9
• Book 10
• Book 11
• Book 12

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

The first of Homer's epic poems tells of the counsel of Nestor, Achilles' slaying of Hector, and the defeat of the Trojans by the Greeks.Little is known about the Ancient Greek oral poet, Homer, the supposed 8th century BC author of the world-read Iliad and his later masterpiece The Odyssey. These classic epics provided the basis for Greek education and culture throughout the classical age and formed the backbone of humane education through the birth of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity. If Homer did in fact exist, this supposedly blind poet was from some region of Greek-controlled Asia-Minor and recited his poems at festivals and political assemblies. The Iliad, deriving its name from the Greek word for Troy, Ilium, recalls the events of the Trojan War and the uncontrolled wrath of the Greek commander Achilles that led to so much destruction. Excerpted from The Iliad by Homer All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Why another Iliad? Just as Homer's work existed most fully in its performance, so the Homeric texts call periodically for new translations. With this in mind, Fagles offers a new verse rendering of the Iliad. Maneuvering between the literal and the literary, he tries with varying degrees of success to suggest the vigor and manner of the original while producing readable poetry in English. Thus, he avoids the anachronizing of Robert Fitzgerald's translation, while being more literal than Richard Lattimore's. Fagles's efforts are accompanied by a long and penetrating introduction by Bernard Knox, coupled with detailed glossary and textual notes.-- T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong State Coll., Savannah, Ga. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Merrill's new verse translation of the Iliad is the equal of Richmond Lattimore's poetic version (1951) and even Martin Hammond's prose edition (1987) in its fidelity to the sense of Homer's words. Read (preferably aloud) for the quality of its verbal music as a poem in English, it is on a par with Lattimore and with the more beautiful renderings of Robert Fitzgerald (1963) and Robert Fagles (1990). And for sheer readability, it matches Stanley Lombardo's lively translation (CH, Dec'97, 35-1954) while conveying a sense of antiquity through deft, sparing use of archaisms (e.g., "scion"). But what particularly distinguishes Merrill's version is its resourceful approximation in English of the rhythms of the Greek dactylic hexameter. Only Merrill's Odyssey (CH, May'03, 40-5063) and, to some extent, Edward McCrorie's Odyssey (CH, Nov'04, 42-1388) are as effective in this regard. Another plus is the consistent replication of Homer's formulaic repetitions. To vary these, as do most other verse translators, falsifies the true aesthetic power of Homer's epic. In sum, Merrill has succeeded better than anyone since Lattimore in retaining the meaning of Homer's words while ingeniously suggesting the effect of their metrical and formulaic rhythms. A sensitive introduction, bibliographic guidance, and a glossary of names complete the volume. Summing Up: Essential. All readers, all levels. J. P. Holoka Eastern Michigan University