This translation of The Iliad equals Fitzgerald's earlier Odyssey in power and imagination. It recreates the original action as conceived by Homer, using fresh and flexible blank verse that is both lyrical and dramatic.

Autorentext

Homer was probably born around 725BC on the Coast of Asia Minor, now the coast of Turkey, but then really a part of Greece. Homer was the first Greek writer whose work survives.

He was one of a long line of bards, or poets, who worked in the oral tradition. Homer and other bards of the time could recite, or chant, long epic poems. Both works attributed to Homer - the Iliad and the Odyssey - are over ten thousand lines long in the original. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time.

In the Iliad Homer sang of death and glory, of a few days in the struggle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Mortal men played out their fate under the gaze of the gods. The Odyssey is the original collection of tall traveller's tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.

We can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact 'Homer' may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps 'the hostage' or 'the blind one'. Whatever the truth of their origin, the two stories, developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years' time.

Martin Hammond is headmaster of the Tonbridge School and has translated Homer's Iliad for Penguin Classics.

Inhalt

The IliadTranslator's Preface Introduction Introduction The Spelling and Pronunciation of Homeric Names Maps 1. Homeric Geography: Mainland Greece 2. Homeric Geography: The Peloponnese 3. Homeric Geography: The Aegean and Asia Minor Inset: Troy and Vicinity Homer: The Iliad Book 1: The Rage of Achilles Book 2: The Great Gathering of Armies Book 3: Helen Reviews the Champions Book 4: The Truce Erupts in War Book 5: Diomedes Fights the Gods Book 6: Hector Returns to Troy Book 7: Ajax Duels with Hector Book 8: The Tide of Battle Turns Book 9: The Embassy to Achilles Book 10: Marauding Through the Night Book 11: Agamemnon's Day of Glory Book 12: The Trojans Storm the Rampart Book 13: Battling for the Ships Book 14: Hera Outflanks Zeus Book 15: The Achaean Armies at Bay Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies Book 17: Menelaus' Finest Hour Book 18: The Shield of Achilles Book 19: The Champion Arms for Battle Book 20: Olympian Gods in Arms Book 21: Achilles Fights the River Book 22: The Death of Hector Book 23: Funeral Games for Patroclus Book 24: Achilles and Priam Notes The Genealogy of the Royal House of Troy Textual Variants from the Oxford Classical Text Notes on the Translation Suggestions for Further Reading Pronouncing Glossary