Books with title The Iliad

The Iliad by Homer (as translated by Samuel Butler)Homer’s epic poem dates back to the eighth century, BC. The classic adventure story that follows the fate of two great armies takes place over just a two-week time period. The Iliad and Homer’s The Odyssey are the greatest poems to come from ancient oral tradition.The epic tale begins nine years after the start of the Trojan war between the Greeks and the Trojans. The Greek (Achaean) army has just taken the town of Chryse, and two beautiful maidens have been captured. The leader of the Achaean army, Agamemnon, takes one maiden, Chryseis, for himself. The second maiden, Briseis, is granted to Achilles, the most able and heroic of the Achaean soldiers. Chryseis’ father is a priest under the god Apollo, and when Agamemnon refuses to return his daughter, he sends a plague upon the Achaean army. After many die, Agamemnon agrees to return Chryseis. Upset about losing his prize, Agamemnon demands that Briseis be taken from Achilles and give to him. Achilles, insulted and angered by this offense, quits the Achaean army and vows revenge.As gods begin to take sides, the war increases in intensity and many lives are sacrificed. Troy becomes stronger and stronger, threatening to defeat the Achaean army once and for all. Will Achilles let go of his pride, rejoin his comrades, and defend his homeland? The Iliad was praised by the likes of Socrates and Plato, and continues to enthrall scholars today. It has been adapted into countless adaptations, literary and film.

This groundbreaking English version by Robert Fagles is the most important recent translation of Homer's great epic poem. The verse translation has been hailed by scholars as the new standard, providing an Iliad that delights modern sensibility and aesthetic without sacrificing the grandeur and particular genius of Homer's own style and language. The Iliad is one of the two great epics of Homer, and is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time, but to say the Iliad is a war story does not begin to describe the emotional sweep of its action and characters: Achilles, Helen, Hector, and other heroes of Greek myth and history in the tenth and final year of the Greek siege of Troy.

Kingfisher Epics are action-packed retellings of classic tales and legends, with all the exhilaration and immediacy of their original versions. Magnificent black-and-white illustrations bring the heroic deeds depicted in these stories dramatically to life. These stories have enthralled readers for centuries, and Kingfisher Epics make them accessible to a new generation of children. When Helen is kidnapped by Paris, a Trojan prince, the Greek army lays siege to Troy. The Iliad tells of the nine-year war for revenge, thrillingly recounting the fierce battles between both armies' greatest warriors. This dramatic retelling of Homer's epic story retains all the excitement of the original.

The Iliad is an epic Greek poem written by philosopher Homer, and is considered one of the oldest pieces of western literature still in existence. The story takes place during the last weeks of the ten year Trojan War, with a focus on the quarrels between King Agamemnon and the legendary warrior Achilles. However, this tale’s most famous scene is when the Greek’s give a gift to the Trojans of a large wooden horse, but one that is filled with soldiers, that allows the Greeks to infiltrate the high walls of the city of Troy. Many Scholars believe the Iliad was originally composed in an oral tradition, intended to be heard, not read, making this epic classic a must have for audiobook listeners!

Although the story covers only a few weeks in the final year of the war, the Iliad mentions or alludes to many of the Greek legends about the siege; the earlier events, such as the gathering of warriors for the siege, the cause of the war, and related concerns tend to appear near the beginning. Then the epic narrative takes up events prophesied for the future, such as Achilles' looming death and the sack of Troy, although the narrative ends before these events take place. However, as these events are prefigured and alluded to more and more vividly, when it reaches an end the poem has told a more or less complete tale of the Trojan War. The Iliad is paired with something of a sequel, the Odyssey, also attributed to Homer. Along with the Odyssey, the Iliad is among the oldest extant works of Western literature, and its written version is usually dated to around the 8th century BC.