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The Iliad: A New Translation by Caroline Alexander
Автор: Homer и Caroline Alexander
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With her virtuoso translation, classicist and bestselling author Caroline Alexander brings to life Homer’s timeless epic of the Trojan War
Composed around 730 B.C., Homer’s Iliad recounts the events of a few momentous weeks in the protracted ten-year war between the invading Achaeans, or Greeks, and the Trojans in their besieged city of Ilion. From the explosive confrontation between Achilles, the greatest warrior at Troy, and Agamemnon, the inept leader of the Greeks, through to its tragic conclusion, The Iliad explores the abiding, blighting facts of war.
Soldier and civilian, victor and vanquished, hero and coward, men, women, young, old—The Iliad evokes in poignant, searing detail the fate of every life ravaged by the Trojan War. And, as told by Homer, this ancient tale of a particular Bronze Age conflict becomes a sublime and sweeping evocation of the destruction of war throughout the ages.
Carved close to the original Greek, acclaimed classicist Caroline Alexander’s new translation is swift and lean, with the driving cadence of its source—a translation epic in scale and yet devastating in its precision and power.
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The Iliad: A New Translation by Caroline Alexander
Автор: Homer и Caroline Alexander
Описание
With her virtuoso translation, classicist and bestselling author Caroline Alexander brings to life Homer’s timeless epic of the Trojan War
Composed around 730 B.C., Homer’s Iliad recounts the events of a few momentous weeks in the protracted ten-year war between the invading Achaeans, or Greeks, and the Trojans in their besieged city of Ilion. From the explosive confrontation between Achilles, the greatest warrior at Troy, and Agamemnon, the inept leader of the Greeks, through to its tragic conclusion, The Iliad explores the abiding, blighting facts of war.
Soldier and civilian, victor and vanquished, hero and coward, men, women, young, old—The Iliad evokes in poignant, searing detail the fate of every life ravaged by the Trojan War. And, as told by Homer, this ancient tale of a particular Bronze Age conflict becomes a sublime and sweeping evocation of the destruction of war throughout the ages.
Carved close to the original Greek, acclaimed classicist Caroline Alexander’s new translation is swift and lean, with the driving cadence of its source—a translation epic in scale and yet devastating in its precision and power.
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A cornerstone of Western literature that remains hugely influential. Read it for that reason, and because the poetry is still enjoyable enough to be read aloud with panache. The story itself is mostly a catalog of slaughter with very little human drama, although the interaction between the gods and the human characters is fascinating and tragic.
Stephen Mitchell translates a classic better than any action flick made in the past 10 years.
Two things I learned from this:
- Translation is everything. Fagles isn't perfect, but he moves quickly and easily - not too stilted or weird - and he doesn't skimp on the blood and guts.
- Introduction is awfully important. Bernard Knox is a new hero of mine; this intro is widely and correctly considered a classic piece on Homer.
- Translation is everything. Fagles isn't perfect, but he moves quickly and easily - not too stilted or weird - and he doesn't skimp on the blood and guts.
- Introduction is awfully important. Bernard Knox is a new hero of mine; this intro is widely and correctly considered a classic piece on Homer.
So I don't much like flying. Like really, I do not like flying. And I had to fly to the US for work. In which case the coping mechanism is tranquilisers and a book I have to concentrate on - it serves to distract me. Having read [The Odyssey] earlier in the year, I figured I'd go all classical and try [The Illiad] this time. It's one of those occasions when you know what's going to happen, this is all about how you arrive at the ending. It's quite intense, being set over a limited number of weeks towards the end of the 10 year siege of Troy. Despite the intervention of the gods, the entire thing is very human, with the whole gamut of emotions present, from the great and heroic to the petty. It's all very sad, and there's no sense of resolution at the end of the book, the war continues without seeming to have resolved anything, despite the bloodshed. I found the introductory notes interesting and informative and it was worth wading through them initially.
Dit lijkt een vrij saai boek met vooral talloze, bloederige strijdtaferelen en de erbij horende redevoeringen. Een overdaad aan herhalingen dus. Het werk vormt een mooie eenheid en is veel minder complex van structuur dan bijvoorbeeld de Odyssee. Bovendien is de moraal van het verhaal nogal simplistisch: ieder ondergaat zijn lot, maar de grote helden zorgen ervoor dat ze dat met roem en eer doen.Aan de andere kant steken er tal van verfrissende elementen in:1. de poëtische kracht die uitgaat van de taal (de epitheta), en vooral van sommige scenes: afscheid van Hektor en Andromache, het verdriet van Achilles om zijn vriend Patroklos,...2. de open en stoutmoedige confrontatie tussen de meerderen en hun ondergeschikten, vooral in de controverse rond koning Agamemnoon: herhaaldelijk wordt die door verschillende helden voor vuile vis uitgemaakt en verbaal vernederd. 3. Bovenal getuigt het beeld dat van de godenwereld wordt opgehangen in de eerste plaats van een heel dynamisch en modern aandoend mensbeeld: de goden zijn als mensen met humeuren en luimen, met een hiërarchie die regelmatig opzij wordt gezet maar toch wordt gerespecteerd als het er op aankomt, met een moraal die wel enkele formele regels volgt maar die tegelijk te pas en te onpas links wordt gelaten. Kortom: het archetype van de vrijheid?Nog enkele andere elementen over het wereld- en mensbeeld:1. De dood is onvermijdelijk en door het lot bepaald (zelfs de goden moeten er zich naar schikken), maar toch kan enige vorm van onsterfelijkheid worden nagestreefd door roemrijke daden te stellen. Dat belet niet dat de Onderwereld voor ieder een oord van verschrikkelijke ellende is. 2. Vrouwen zijn volstrekt ondergeschikt en hun waarde wordt zelfs voor een stuk uitgedrukt in runderen, tenzij voor de echtgenotes of moeders van de helden cfr Andromache (Hektor heeft een "hoofse" relatie tot haar). Uitzondering hierop vormen de vrouwelijke goden die als het erop aankomt wel ondergeschikt zijn, maar geen enkele gelegenheid onbenut laten om hun eigen weg te gaan (Hera, Athene, Afrodite). 3. Het standpunt van de verteller is heel objectivistisch: hij kiest globaal geen partij; wel worden in het verhaal sommige figuren in een minder daglicht gesteld (aan Griekse kant vooral de broers Agamemnoon en Menelaos, aan Trojaanse Paris). 4. De typisch griekse lichaamcultuur is hier al aanwezig: bij de persoonsbeschrijvingen worden vooral de fysieke kenmerken onderstreept; heel veel belang wordt gehecht aan het conserveren van het lichaam na de dood (en omgekeerd voor vijanden aan het zo wreed mogelijk verminken).
Iliaden skildrer det tiende år af den græske belejring af Troja. Prins Paris af Troja startede krigen ved at bortføre den smukke Helene fra kong Menelaos.Fortællingen begynder med at Chryses, Apollons ypperstepræst, kommer til kong Agamemnon for at løskøbe sin datter Chryseis. Agamemnon afviser ham, og Apollon nedkalder derfor pest over grækerne. Kalchas forudser, at pesten kun kan afværges ved at give Chryseis tilbage og Achilleus støtter ham. Agamemnon gør det, men tager til gengæld Briseis fra Achilleus. Som hævn strejker Achilleus og får endda Thetis til at påvirke Zeus til trojanernes fordel: Da trojanerne er ved at vinde, beder Patroklos Achilleus om lov til at kæmpe. Achilleus accepterer det, og Patrokles slår trojanerne tilbage, men dræbes af Hektor. For at hævne ham går Achilleus igen ind på Agamemnons side og slår Hektor ihjel og slæber hans lig tilbage til grækernes lejr. Kong Priamos kommer til Achilleus og kysser hans hånd for at få sin søns lig tilbage. Achilleus forbarmer sig og giver ham liget.Iliaden slutter med Hektors ligfærd.Indeholder "Første sang", " Pesten", " Vreden", "Anden sang", " Drømmen", " Fristelsen", " Skibsfortegnelsen", "Tredje sang", " Edspagen", " Udsigten fra Muren", " Tvekampen mellem Alexandros og Menelaos", "Fjerde sang", " Pagtens brud", " Agamemnons hærmønstring", "Femte sang", " Diomedes's heltedaad", "Sjette sang", " Hektors og Andromaches møde", "Syvende sang", " Tvekampen mellem Hektor og Aias", " De faldnes begravelse", "Ottende sang", " Den afbrudte kamp", "Niende sang", " Gesandtskabet til Achillevs", " Bønfaldelsen", "Tiende sang", " Sangen om Dolon", "Ellevte sang", " Agamemnons heltedaad", "Tolvte sang", " Kampen om muren", "Trettende sang", " Kampen ved skibene", "Fjortende sang", " Zeus's bedaarelse", "Femtende sang", " Bortdrivelsen fra skibene", " Troernes nye angreb", "Sekstende sang", " Sangen om Patroklos", "Syttende sang", " Menelaos's heltedaad", " Kampen om Patroklos's lig", "Attende sang", " Achilleus erfarer Patroklos's død", " Vaabensmedningen", "Nittende sang", " Achilleus opgiver sin vrede", "Tyvende sang", " Kampens genoptagelse", " Gudernes kamp", "Enogtyvende sang", " Kampen ved floden", "Toogtyvende sang", " Hektors død", "Treogtyvende sang", " Patroklos's ligfærd", " Kamplegene til Patroklos's ære", "Fireogtyvende sang", " Hektors udløsning".Fremragende epos, der med fuld ret er en klassiker.
Read it, love it!
Translation is everything, so let me begin my review of this foundational masterpiece of Western literature by noting that as it pertains to the question of translators, I am an unabashed partisan for the Richmond Lattimore camp. I have had the pleasure of reading Homer's Iliad in the original classical Greek, and have also read three of the major modern translations - Lattimore, Fitzgerald, and Fagles. As an aside, I have also read selections from Alexander Pope's eighteenth-century "translation," and have to say that the transformation of dactylic hexameter into rhyming couplets strikes me as somehow akin to trying to trick an Irish wolfhound out as a miniature poodle.It is not my intention to dispute the poetic skill of either Mr. Fitzgerald or Fagles, and indeed, I retain a nostalgic loyalty to the former's translation of The Odyssey, it being my first exposure to Homer. I suppose that it comes down to what expectations we as readers bring to a translation. Do we expect the translator to remain as faithful as possible to the original text, or do we want him to preference meaning over language? Do we want him to translate form, as well as words, and is that even possible? And just where does one draw the line between "translation" of form and meaning, and adaptation - that impulse to modernize?These issues took on a more concrete reality for me a few years ago, when I was given the assignment of translating one short passage of this great work, and comparing my efforts to the three works mentioned above. I chose as my selection the lovely and deeply moving exchange between Hector and Andromache in Book 6 (lines 466-481 in the original). For weeks I walked around parsing these sixteen lines, wrestling with their meaning, examining every minute detail, from the opening correlative adverb onward.In the end, I found that I was not entirely satisfied with either my own humble efforts, or any of the three versions I was to compare it to. A useful reminder that all translation is flawed. I did discover however, that my own instinctive approach to world literature is to attempt to approach it in its own milieu, seeking to understand its meaning while leaving its structure in as pristine a condition as possible. Homer's word choice matters, and so does his line structure.Which brings me back to Lattimore. His meticulous translation manages to account for almost every word in the original, and to retain its basic shape and structure, while still offering a beautiful and fluid reading experience. An astonishing achievement! He resists the urge to insert vocabulary that has no direct corollary in the text, something for which Fitzgerald is notorious, and even Fagles indulges in upon occasion. I do not doubt that Lattimore is a more difficult read for the modern reader, and it is entirely possible that other versions offer better "poems." But readers who long to have Homer's form "translated" into something more palatable for the modern taste, might want to consider that part of what gives The Iliad meaning, are the culturally-specific forms and vocabulary of the original.As for The Iliad itself, it is the quintessential expression of the heroic ethos in Western culture, and ranks up there with the Bible as a book one "must" read. Even those who object to the idea of a canon, should know what they are seeking to deconstruct.I have a difficult time accounting for my great love of this epic poem, as I am rarely in sympathy with the hero, and do not, generally speaking, enjoy war stories. Perhaps it is the occasional flash of humanity that pierces the self-aggrandizing preoccupation with honor? The exchange between Hector and Andromache, for instance. No doubt it is also partly my appreciation for the astonishing beauty and strength of Homer's language. Of course, for me, the tragedy of The Iliad is not the destruction brought on by Achilles' wrath, but the fall of Ilium itself, and of Hector...
If over 600 pages of lyrically-rendered death, blood, and mayhem sound like your cup of tea, than you'll definitely want to read this. People get eviscerated, skewered, decapitated, hewed, trampled, hacked, cleaved, etc, and it's all really very poetic. I just wasn't wildly enthusiastic about it.
This new translation by Ian Johnston beats all others for it's clarity and ease of reading. I highly recommend it.
Among the first extant works of mankind is Homer’s Iliad. Dating back almost 2,800 years and comprising over 15,000 lines, it stands as a testament to the human imagination. It is a recounting of the famous Trojan war but really only takes place during a few weeks at the end of the war. Through flashbacks and stories within the story, we get the entire magnitude of the struggle. Agamemnon rails against Achilles, Paris duels with Menelaus, Troy is sacked, and the death of Achilles, while untold, is still a tragic affair. Being an epic poem, it has everything under the sun packed into it lines—love, war, trickery, gods, life, and death. I haven’t read multiple translations of this work, so I can’t speak to Powell’s ability as a translator. His text, however, is a bit monotonous, a bit stilted, and not as poetic as I expected it to be. Of more interest and use are all the supplementary materials provided. There is a good history of the work, plenty of maps, an introduction to Greek poetry, and even a pronunciation dictionary at the end so you can be sure you’re hearing everything correctly. All that helped out a lot as the actual text takes some effort to get through. Readers of Greek mythology probably already have a copy somewhere on their shelves, but this new translation does make for a good introduction to the genre.
Homer is the tradition of epic storytelling and reading it in Spanish is enjoying it on a whole new level.
Media and language have shifted innumerably before, and will in the future, I imagine... the smart phone is just a stone skip of time. Nevertheless, I find the idea of reading ancient greek literature on a kindle app on a smart phone really amusing. Homer basically accomplished what I imagine one of his goals was - to immortalize the heroics and feats of the warriors and document the destruction of Troy for all time. Yet for all that, the Iliad reads like a game of football with the line of scrimmage moving back and forth and the Greeks and Trojans alternating between offense and defense. At first the 'well greaved Greeks' were winning… but now Hector 'of the glancing helm' has turned the tide and most of the Greek heroes are wounded and stuck in sick bay…. and then the tide turns again at the whim of Zeus. There is quite a lot of 'this one killed that one, and another one bit the bloody dust'. There are more creative ways to kill someone with a spear than I ever imagined. Some of the details are actually fairly gory. What's confusing, I find, is that at the moment of each death Homer tells the life story of the slain, or at least the vital information such as where they were from, their lineage, and who their wife was. There's a lot of familiar names and it's interesting to see them all in one place here since they are somewhat more ingrained in my head from elsewhere. Like Laertes (thank you Shakespeare) or Hercules (thank you Kevin Sorbo) or Saturn (thank you GM). There are the other random lesser gods or immortals like Sleep (no thanks to you Starbucks) or Aurora (the borealis is on the bucket list).Homer barely mentions the scene or uses descriptions at all unless it directly relates to the battle. Apparently the only such things worth recording was when the battle was at the Greek ships or Trojan city wall or if the gods were yammering away on Mount Olympus. Descriptions are fairly short and uniform and there is a lot of repetition. I heard on RadioLab that Homer did not use any instance of the color blue and some thought he may have been color blind. I did find, however, two instances of blue - one as "dark blue" and one as "azure" -- though never "blue" by itself. RadioLab gets a bunch of details wrong frequently anyway, which is really neither here nor there. One thing I found interesting is the idea and extent of how involved the Greek gods/immortals were in the lives and fates of the mortals. To the point where there are teams of gods aligned loosely for or against the Trojans. This was completely excised in the movie Troy, which I watched as I neared finishing reading this. I had no interest in seeing the movie when it came out but, figured why not. I was actually impressed with how much Hollywood got right in Troy - but of course my expectations were low to begin, thinking it would be a mixed-up and mushy story. I think the biggest things they told differently was how they treated women characters (nicer than Homer) especially Briseus. Also, Patroclus' relationship with Achilles was changed, and as I mentioned, there was no depiction of the gods. Plotwise, the movie included the Trojan horse episode, which is not actually in The Iliad (it's related in The Aenid, by Virgil). Apparently my memory from elementary school did not serve me well because I was expecting to read about the Trojan Horse and didn't believe what I was reading in front of me when the book ended without it! Even went downloading a few other versions and snooping around online to verify. Just goes to show me that my preconceived notions are not always right! And that things get muddied up when stories and retellings merge. Nevertheless, a lot of the detail and direct actions and even dialogue of the characters in the movie did come straight out of the book, so someone clearly was familiar with it, which was a pleasant surprise.
This epic poem describes the siege of Troy by the Greeks in retaliation for the abduction (actually the desertion) of Helen (the "face that launched a thousand ships"), the wife of King Menelaus. It has a cast of thousands, including Achilles, Hector, Odysseus and Paris, and, along with its second act, The Odyssey, is one of the foundations of Western literature. It is not easy reading--it should be read one book at a time (there are 24 books)--but well worth the effort.
I have always fancied the Iliad slightly over the Odyssey, probably because I see it as a more realistic depiction of the times, quite apart from their immense literary quality and importance. Extract the references to the gods and this comes across as a quite reliable description of a Bronze Age military campaign. It is also more interesting because of the interplay of various personalities, all with their own agendas. And, of course, its a soaring piece of drama, the equal of anything produced in the western world since. This is an excellent translation, preserving Homer's essential devices such as repetition and mnemonics, but very accessible to the non-scholar. Should be required reading for everyone at upper primary or elementary school level. It will enrich their lives forever.
Fagles' editions will always stand as the epitome of Homeric translations. However, this book does a very good job at re-presenting a very old and very well-known story. There are some tangles in the translation, and some weaknesses, but far less than other attempts; and to be honest, a lot of those tangles are inherent to the Homeric text itself. What I really loved was the introductory material. Powell has put together maps, charts, and timelines to help contextualize the text for the uninitiated reader. And the introduction itself was fabulous, focusing on the humanistic value of reading and rereading a text that is already over a thousand years old and known by most everyone already.
This review is of the New American Library (Mentor) edition, published as a paperback in the 1950s. If you are to tackle Homer, you need a used paperback for the actual slogging, as you'll be turning pages and all but tearing the binding by the time you're done. You should also have a real book, leatherbound with excellent typeset, which will proudly stand on your bookshelf as the first-masterpiece-among-masterpieces. If you need to make notes, get the ebook and start the highlighting.
This translation is by Rouse, which is why my review is not five stars. Granted, it's THE ILIAD, but not my favorite version. Here it is set up almost as a novel, albeit a very clustered novel. Since Achilles is rather angry throughout the entire expedition, I would hope for more rage but you'll have to turn to Lattimore for that angle.
Still, it all starts with Homer, doesn't it? For me, I recall having a job in the law courts and scurrying to the office of the "Elder Judge" after a day's work was completed, where we would sit spellbound before him as he orated the Homeric saga to us. "The King prefers a good warhorse to a conscientious objector." Wonder of wonders.
Book Season = Year Round
This translation is by Rouse, which is why my review is not five stars. Granted, it's THE ILIAD, but not my favorite version. Here it is set up almost as a novel, albeit a very clustered novel. Since Achilles is rather angry throughout the entire expedition, I would hope for more rage but you'll have to turn to Lattimore for that angle.
Still, it all starts with Homer, doesn't it? For me, I recall having a job in the law courts and scurrying to the office of the "Elder Judge" after a day's work was completed, where we would sit spellbound before him as he orated the Homeric saga to us. "The King prefers a good warhorse to a conscientious objector." Wonder of wonders.
Book Season = Year Round
Excellent translation that catches the meaning of the Iliad nicely. It's a favorite for study in my classes. Lattimore doesn't try to capture so much the rhyme behind it but what the meaning was. You can even get the jokes behind the dog names. No other translation can do that as well.
I really do recommend this esp if you have read or have been force fed the Iliad and hope never to hear about it again. It changed my tune.
I really do recommend this esp if you have read or have been force fed the Iliad and hope never to hear about it again. It changed my tune.
I've read this a couple of times now and find it more and more compelling. The bickering of the gods is amusing, the rage of achilles is both maddening but also rendered well, the battle scenes are viscously detailed. It's a demanding text, but this translation makes the reading easy, even if the names and events are not.
Of the epics I studied, the Iliad was my least favourite. My favourite character in Greek myth is Cassandra, but she barely appears in the Iliad. I ended up wanting to skip a lot of the fighting scenes.
Robust, violent, magnificent. I love ancient Greek and Roman literature and this (along with the Odyssey) is the crowning jewel of the time period. Never gets old for me.
I just read the Barry P. Powell translation I got through Early Reviewers. I only ever read snippets of The Iliad in high school, and I don't know whether it was the translation we used or the teacher, but the story never help my interest. I'll admit I was a little reluctant to read this translation, but it turns out that I really enjoyed it! Powell's translation is much easier to read, but still retains the grandeur and epic style that The Iliad deserves. Also, his notes, pronunciation guide/glossary, and Homer timeline were really helpful. I also enjoyed the addition of period paintings/figures (yay pictures!)If you decide to tackle The Iliad, I highly recommend this translation (available October 2013).
This book was great. I sometimes find reading epic poems in their poetic form distracting so the prose translation was perfect for me. The introduction was brief and general, which is nice in a book that some would call long and difficult. Other than that, one of the greatest stories of all time. The only person I would steer away from this particular version of The Iliad is someone looking for a poetic translation.
I received a review copy of The Illiad, a new translation by Bary P. Powell (Oxford University Press) through NetGalley.com.Critiquing a new translation of a noted book is done on three levels. The first two are scholarly: the comparison of the translation with the original and the comparison of the new translation with those that have gone before. The third is the aesthetic evaluation of the work itself. My knowledge of The Illiad is non-professional. I have been fascinated by myths and mythology since I was a child reading Bullfinch at my grandmother's house. So the chance to read a new translation of The Illiad is appealing. My reading, though, is from a lay perspective.Powell's Introduction is wonderfully informative and worth reading if you ever come across the book. In it he discusses the oral tradition of the Greeks and how poetry worked, which is similar to the blues and folk music traditions of our era. Poets (and musicians) draw on mental libraries of set pieces to tailor the performance to the tastes of the audience. But while music historians can trace the evolution and repetition of forms, phrases, and motifs for hundreds of years, not much Greek poetry exists for scholarly analysis. Adhering to modern academic standards, Powell is clear about his knowledge gaps and the liberties he has taken when fashioning this translation. All very good.I am a bit unhappy, though, about the text, although I'll say again, I am speaking as a reader, not a scholar. Powell, in choosing an updated idiom, has, in some cases, chosen awkward sentences, weak locutions and jarring words that made my reading experience less pleasant than I wanted it to be. Rather in the way that new editions of the Christian Bible or Book of Common Prayer sound rough compared with their well known predecessors, Powell's translation sometimes seems too modern. It isn't that I require a classic to sound "classical" but sometimes an older form is more comfortable. Two examples in the text: 1. The Argives gathered. The place of assembly was in turmoil. The earth groaned beneath the people as they took their seats. The din was terrific. Seven heralds, hollering, held them back – "if you stop the hullabaloo, you can hear the god-nourished chieftains."Here Powell makes three word choices with strong aesthetic value: hollering, hullabaloo, and god-nourished. "God-nourished" is likely to be directly from the Greek, there is no modern equivalent and, as explained in the Introduction, these kinds of descriptions flattered the audience who were themselves chieftains who would probably like to consider themselves "god-nourished." A very modern translation would possibly be "god blessed," but "god-nourished" is an excellent image."Holler" and "hullabaloo," though, I find odd and too informal. There was a 1965 TV show called Hullabaloo, but not until I looked it up that I realized that I had confused Hullabaloo with 1969's idiotic country comedy HeeHaw. (Hullabaloo was also a 1940 musical comedy film.) In my mind "hullabaloo" is a low class word, as is "holler," especially as a homonym of the Appalachian dialect word "holler." I find it curious that Powell, an American of similar age with a somewhat similar set of mental links, chose these dicey words over "shouted" and "clamor."2. Another word choice I do not care for is "shivery," which Powell uses many times as "shivery", "shivers", "shivered." One online dictionary defines "shivery" as "shaking or trembling as a result of cold, illness, fear, or excitement." Well, which is it? Context does not help because fear and excitement are antonyms. Thus we can put some form of "frightening" or "exhilarating" in every instance of "shiver" and come up with a coherent sentence, but choosing the same face for each occurrence does not work out well. I am unhappy with this ambiguity.One other point: Ian Morris does Powell no favor by using the "riddle, mystery, enigma" cliché in his introduction.Although I have reservations about the text, these are personal and aesthetic. Overall, I think this book is a required addition to the scholar's shelf. The Introduction provides very welcome information for the lay reader and the use of a more modern idiom will perhaps make this edition more accessible to a contemporary reader or student.
06-19-2003I am not the first person who, coming to this late in life, and reading no Greek, have been amazed. I searched for and found Keats' response to it: "On first looking into Chapman's Homer," which eloquently describes a reader's experience and the awe that it produces.This is the first of 'the great books' - first on everyone's list, first written. Now I understand why it is the first book in the western canon. Full of human characters, detailed and evocative description of nature and common life, heart-rending fates meted out by the gods and gruesome battle. I was deeply impressed and wish two things: 1) that I had time to read it again and 2) that I could read it in Greek.
I suppose that when something is called a "classic" it's meant to mean something that is inherently interesting, to "everyone". However, in dealing with the Illiad, I'm not really sure how it could appeal to anyone not interested in war. It begins with a very sordid little episode, and continues on and on and on with things that are either unspeakably cruel, or at best strange and difficult, or both. The Catalog of Ships in Book Two of the Illiad in particular stands out as something of truly bureaucratic, census-taking, skill. (Mighty Steve, who was a mighty man, a mighty man indeed, came from Keyport, whose motto is "Pearl of the Bayshore", and also from various surrounding towns like Hazlet, Union Beach and Matawan-Aberdeen, went with him came his seven sons Adam Brian Carl Dan Edmund Fergus and Hans and his uncle Schmitty. They were all warriors. They excelled at decapitation, and other skilled modes of combat. They came with thirty ships.....Mighty John, who was also a mighty man, a mighty, mighty, mighty man, who came from Metuchen, where you can find bookstores, and his various sons and male cousins came from places like Edison, famous for its diversity, and East Brunswick and New Brunswick, where British people used to live, and Keasbey, where there are warehouses. They were all warriors. In fact, they were bloodthirsty piratical skumbags bent on pillaging young women from burning cities. They were good at sharpening axes with their teeth. They came on twenty-five ships, big ones. And then there was Mighty Fred, oh what a Mighty Man he was.....) Sometimes, when they call sometimes a "classic", they mean-- "couldn't get away with it today". ................And then, dawg gone it, somebody else got slain too. (And then Steve slew Nick, son of Boris the Russian, who had come from that country. Mighty Steve speared him right in the face. Nick then fell down, dead. Oh, he's gone.).................And, worst of all, it can provide only a partial and distorted view of the old pagan religion, since, no matter who is doing this or that, Homer's Illiad makes the whole religion the house of Mars, the madness of Mars.... "Juno" can be portrayed as saying this or that, but nothing of her own matrimonial nature survives the bloodshed and the gore; it is really all Jove, Jove and Mars-- war and politics; it's all their game, and everyone else is just there to play as a pawn for this or that. ...........................You could actually get pretty angry if you took seriously some of the things that these guys say. ("Little girl! I'll kill you!") I certainly wouldn't call it great-hearted. ...................................And, if this isn't clear already, I don't understand the *wonder* of it, just because it's (happily!) removed from current circumstances. "You're just a little girl, but I'm not a little pussy like you! I'll smash your skull!"God, I wonder what he was *really* trying to say. *rolls eyes*.......................................Considering that Homer was trying to deify and glorify war, that most sordid of human episodes, I've come to be a little surprised, of what people say about him. (7/10)
I'm actually not sure which translation of this I read, but what fun. I studied this in class in high school and the teacher did an excellent job of bringing in other sources to explain the allusions and make it more compelling.
Took me 2 1/2 months, but totally worth the time and late fines.
Would make a very good graphic novel.
Would make a very good graphic novel.
Glad I read it, but it was a long haul getting through.
I read this too quickly and passively. One day I'll give it another shot.