The Iliad

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Summary: Agamemnon takes Briseis of the lovely arms from Achilles
Review: I long ago determined that the world of those interested in the Classical Literature of the Ancient Greeks that when it comes to Homer's epic poems there are those who prefer the "Iliad" and those who prefer the "Odyssey." My choice is for the story of the rage of Achilles. From Achilles fateful confrontation with Agamemnon over Briseis of the lovely arms to the magnificently emotional ending where King Priam comes to beg for the body of his slain son, Hector, from Achilles, I find this story has greater resonance than the tale of Odysseus. The epic story also seems to me to be more classically Greek, with the great hero who acts out of anger, comes to regret his folly, and seeks to make amends with a great deed. Achilles is similar to Hercules in this regard, and although they are both strictly considered demi-gods, the Achaean hero ultimately seems more human. Plus, Achilles' stature is enhanced by his opposition to the noble Hector. Add to this the fact that all the gods and goddesses of Olympus are actively involved in the proceedings and I am convinced the "Iliad" is the more worthy book for inclusion into most classes dealing with Classical Mythology or the Ancient Greeks. I like to use the "Iliad" as part of a larger epic involving the plays of Euripides, specifically "Iphigenia at Aulis" and "Trojan Women," as well as relevant sections from the "Aeneid" and other sources on the Fall of Troy. But the Iliad remains the centerpiece of any such larger tale, mainly because of the final dramatic confrontation when King Priam goes to beg back the body of his son from the man who killed him. Not until Steinbeck writes "The Grapes of Wrath" is there anything in Western Literature offering as stunning an end piece.

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Summary: interesting
Review: I really liked this epic poem. Granted it is very hard to get into at first, and slightly confusing in its vernacular, but it has a wonderful storyline and Fitzgerald does a great job translating it. I only knocked one star off because I spent way too much time having to re-read everything to fully understand it.

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Summary: I'm humbled by Homer.
Review: I simply can't believe that anyone would have the cheek to give the Iliad less than five stars. Even in translation, Homer's master craftsmanship of story weaving is evident. I pity all who fail to appreciate the intricacy and skill involved in writing an epic, and who fail to see the merit of this particular work. It's timeless for a reason.

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Summary: Greatly written!
Review: I thought it was well written and translated. I loved the way that homer made it sound so real. I started reading it in a class and after a while I liked it more and more so as to read ahead of my class. It is a great class.

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Summary: Fitzgerald Reads Aloud Best
Review: I was introduced to the Fitzgerald translation in 1997. I had attempted to read it in the Pope translation but found it quite difficult to read several years before that. My mind desired to read it doggrel, sing-songing my way through the rhymed couplets. I am certain that Pope's version agrees with many, but Fitzgerald's forceful cadence pounds upon the mind with great strength.

I once began reading it aloud, my third time through, and found it so compelling I took to standing up, reading line after line for almost an hour. I believe that if you find a copy of the Fitzgerald translation you should find a place where you can read it softly to yourself and see if you agree.

The Fitzgerald version called to mind a few salient points about The Iliad:

1. It was a time half-remembered, and those heroes of The Iliad half-remembered the generation who had preceded them. This has the effect of making one feel the weight of generations lost.

2. The violence is brutal and final in almost all cases. The terror and shock of battle is thrust home in line after line of the epic.

A very worthy translation, worthy of examination.

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Summary: Translation's the Key
Review: I won't try to give yet another summary of the Iliad's plot nor give my insignificant opinion on the importance of Homer to Western Culture. More important is to discuss this translation and the translation of Homer in general.

When it comes to classic works of poetry in translation, such as those of Homer, Vergil, Dante and others, the translation makes all the difference. The type of translation, whether in rhyming verse, blank verse, prose etc., whether it is a strict line by line or more liberal translation, whether the wording and idioms are old fashioned or modern, can play such a great role that one translation may be completely different than another. This fact is probably often overlooked and attributes to the neglect of these classics, since a bad or difficult translation makes the poem seem tedious or dull.

Since Chapman's first translation of Homer into English in 1611 there have been dozens of others. Chapman's translation remains a classic, though its heavy and elaborate rhyming Elizabethan style and old wording make it quite laborious to read today. The next great translation was that of the renowned Enlightenment poet Alexander Pope; his Iliad was published progressively between 1715 and 1720. Pope's translation is in rhyming verse with his heroic couplet and is eminently poetic. It is considered the greatest translation of Homer into English (Dr. Johnson called it "the noblest version of poetry which the world has ever seen") but it is not as plain and straightforward as Homer apparently is in the original. It is mostly for this reason that Pope's translation has been critized as being more the work of the poet Pope than the poet Homer.

Of the more recent verse translations a few are worth recommendation. The latest translation is usually better than its predecessors, though each one is different. That of Richmond Lattimore takes a strict approach. His verse lines are long and the syntax unfortunately seems somewhat unnatural because he is attempting to imitate the stress patterns and flow of the original Greek hexameter. His translation tries to stay as close to the original Greek as possible and retain the form of epic language. The next translation is the one here, that of Robert Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's translation is more modern, uses a shorter verse line and a natural English syntax. His translation is much easier to read and still retains the nobility of an epic poem. Finally, there is the translation of Robert Fagles. His translation is in blank verse, modern, rapid, simple and flowing. The noble simplicity of Greek style that the art historian Winkelmann so praised should also be found in a good translation of Homer. Like Fitzgerald, Fagles strives towards this and most approaches the ideal set out by the English poet and scholar Matthew Arnold for a translation of Homer: "Homer is rapid in his movement, Homer is plain in his words and style, Homer is simple in his ideas, Homer is noble in his manner." Fagles also uses the accepted Latin form of most Greek names: rather than "Akhilleus" he uses Achilles, rather than "Kyklops" he uses Cyclops. Lattimore and Fitzgerald sometimes annoyingly use the Greek versions, for no valid reason. They should have followed Arnold's advice on this point, who called such unnatural effect "pedantry" and claimed that the insistance on using the Greek variant for well-known names makes us "rub our eyes and call out 'How exceedingly odd!'." Finally, the narrative prose translations are in my opinion the remotest from epic poetry and should be avoided, especially since there are good verse translations available.

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Summary: Literature's Brightest Gem : Look No Further
Review: If you are looking for the best translation of Homer's The Iliad, then look no further. Fitzgerald's succinct, yet informative, translation is as close to the original 2700-year-old presentation you can get without taking ancient Greek lessons. Take my advice: steer clear of those verbose, lengthy, and particularly misleading prose translations of literature's greatest charm.

The Iliad was created as an epic poem - and that is how it should be experienced, not as the modern format of the novel. Fitzgerald's verse translation flows, it captivates, in fact it transports you to the towers of Ilium, and the aura of Akhilleus', literature's greatest warrior.

So, exactly what is The Iliad all about? The very first lines of the poem can answer this question - in part:

"Anger be now your song, immortal one,
Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous,
that caused the Achaean's (Greek's) loss on bitter loss" (I.1-3)

The Iliad is the story of Akhilleus', the part immortal Greek hero of the Trojan war, and his anger at being slighted by his own ally General - Agamemnon. This results with literature's infamous temper tantrum. Akhilleus' the great warrior sulks, therefore refusing to fight, which in turn causes many Greek deaths. Now, if you're thinking that "all this Greek/Trojan war stuff sounds a bit tough, I'll forget about buying this boo!", and you're just about to select BACK on your browser... then WAIT a minute! The whole Trojan war thing can be simply summed up in one sentence - The Greek princess Helen is stolen from her husband by the Trojan prince Paris and taken to his home, all the Greeks say "Oi! You can't do that!" and nine years down the line Akhilleus', Agamemnon and cuckolded Menelaus are still pounding away at Troy's (Ilium's) walls. There we are - not so tough, is it?

But The Iliad is far more than a study of an invincible warrior: it is the story of a young man's expatiation: a growth into maturity, or, if you like: a reparation of a character. Through Akhilleus'' initial childish reactions he gradually begins to realise the error of his ways, which culminates with the death of his beloved Patroclus. It is the story of a man that loses everything which he holds dear, and yet gains one of humanity's greatest possessions: the act of compassion. Akhilleus' gains a heart.

What we can discover in this character's reformation is similar to Shakespeare's King Lear - a monarch who proudly and foolishly relies upon his loved ones, losing them in return, and reduced to a mere man: decrepit, and yet reborn a better man, by learning the art of compassion to the likes of a homeless beggar.

Shakespeare's Lear and Homer's Akhilleus' attain noble virtues that are sorely needed to redeem both protagonists' foolish actions at the beginning of their respective pieces of literature.

If it is your wish to experience the pure magic of literature's brightest gem, then trust me - click Add To Cart now! If this would be your first epic poem to read ... then all the better, because Homer is the measure of all epic poetry. If you resent the three pound fifty price tag in comparison to the one pound classic's - then bear in mind this: if you are a lover of classic literature of all ages, then this could well be the best three pound fifty you will ever spend.

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Summary: More beautiful upon comparison
Review: Not being poetically inclined, I didn't know how I would like this translation of Homer, but, upon side by side comparison of several translations (prose and verse) I discovered that the language/imagery of the Fitzgerald translation was well-worth the effort. It is just beautiful.

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Summary: Really good translation
Review: Out of the various translations I've read of the Illiad (Fagles, Lattimore, Butler, Lombardi, Pope) Fitzgerald's does the best job at sucking me in and making me forget I'm reading and just flow along with the story. I also like how Fitzgerald uses what I assume are the Greek forms of the names such as Aias instead of Ajax and Akhilleus instead of Achilles. The language and layout of the poetry also adds a historical feel to it all. While this is a modern English translation that doesn't try to replicate the actual rythems of the Greek original, it makes me feel I'm reading an epic where other translations seem to be just a poem.

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Summary: The Greatest English Translation of the Greatest War Story.
Review: Robert Fitzgerald, a poet himself, and professor at Harvard, translated many great classics into modern English. His Iliad and Odyssey are the versions that come the closest in matching Homer's orginals in both rhythm and epic scope. The Iliad and the Odyssey are the foundation of all Western poetry and every poet since, owes very much to Homer. The storyof Achilles' moral turnaround in the tenth year of the Trojan war remains of the most moving and endearing tales, millenniums after it was written. Each of the twenty-four books of the Iliad in sparkling, modern (with a hint of archaic) English, make this the clear choice for English readers today. Quite possibly forever.