The Illiad: Wilson House Western Literary Classics

by Homer of Ancient Greece, Samuel Butler

The Illiad is an epic poem by the ancient Greek poet Homer, which recounts some of the significant events of the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy. Written in the mid-8th century B.C.E, The Illiad is usually considered to be the earliest work in the whole Western literary tradition, and one of the best known and loved stories of all time. Through its portrayal of the epic subject matter of the Trojan War, the stirring scenes of bloody battle, the wrath of Achilles and the constant interventions of the gods, it explores themes of glory, wrath, homecoming and fate, and has provided subjects and stories for many other Greek, Roman and Renaissance writings.

Genres: Classics

188 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2019

Reviews

[Aisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fighting! It is a war after all. The descriptions were oddly specific sometimes, specifying entry and exit points of spears, etc. Gods intervened and prevented peace talks, people were jerks to each other, and there were lots of mythological nuggets. I had been meaning to read this for a long time, but running a D&D game in Ancient Greece gave me the motivation to pick it up and finish it.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless Classic. Homers stories are masterful in their descriptions. That may be overkill for some, but he illustrates clearly.
I read the Samuel Butler translation, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Il read Fagles translation sometime in the near future.

[Diane Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough translation, but readable. Will certainly be looking for a better translation/translator for the Odessey.

[Ella Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably more of a 2.5

[Nancyann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this. Only giving it 4 stars because it didn't seem like the best translation. Really, who chooses to use the Roman names of the gods in a Greek poem?

[Lina Elm · Rating 4 out of 5]

my soul hurts

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm told this is not the best translation. I thought it was decent. I will read a different translation and compare it to Butler's.