The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad

by Seth L. Schein

From the Preface:This book is addressed mainly to non-specialist readers who do not know Greek and who read, study, or teach the Iliad in translation; it also is meant for classical scholars whose professional specialization has prevented them from keeping abreast of recent work on Homer. It is grounded in technical scholarship, to which it constantly referes and is intended to contribute, and I hope that even Homeric specialists will find ideas and interpretations to interest them. I have tried to present clearly what seem to me the most valuable results of modern research and criticism of the Iliad while setting forth my own views. My goal has been to interpret the poem as much as possible on its own mythological, religious, ethical, and artistic terms. The topics and problems I focus on are those that have arisen most often and most insistently when I have thought the poem, in translation and in the original, as I have done every year since 1968. This book is a literary study of the Iliad. I have not discussed historical, archaeologoical, or even linguistic questions except where they are directly relevant to literary interpretation. Throughout I have emphasized what is thematically, ethically, and artistically distinctive in the Iliad in contrast to the conventions of the poetic tradition of which it is an end product.  

Genres: Nonfiction, Literature, Classics, History

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigued by Robert Fagles’ translation of the Iliad, which I can’t recommend highly enough, I discovered this book by Schein which I also highly recommend. It isn’t merely a guide to reading and understanding the Iliad which it is, of course, but a pure revelation, certainly to me, of what constitutes heroic bedrock. If you are intrigued, as I am, by the idea of the hero in western civilization Schein has some very interesting things to say about the underpinnings of the concept which I found enlightening.

[Anna Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, accessible and eloquent. I found the chapters on Achilles and Hector particularly good. It doesn't go into much depth with any of the specific things it presents, but it does a great job of signposting the reader to other critical studies and articles that one can explore if they want to. This book made me cry almost as many times as the Iliad itself in its way of explaining the themes and characterisation in the poem, so there you have it.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fala bratu što neću pasti ispit

[Clara Turrion Delgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to understand the meaning of the Illiad as a poem about human mortality, and provides interesting analysis on both Achilles’ and Hector’s characters as the embodiment of opposing visions on heroism by Ancient Greek standards. I really recommend it as a complimentary book to anyone who decides to read the Illiad without extensive knowledge about it and wants a deeper analysis of Homer’s work.

[Jie Hui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book as a complementary reading to better understand some of the themes discussed in The Iliad. I find the first chapter on the structure and form of the poem interesting, how the oral tradition influenced and decided the presentation of plots and characteristics of the hero's or gods in the poem is eye-opening to me.

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful for my studies of Iliad.