\”The Illiad\” is the culmination of a long-standing oral tradition. The oral technique enabled a master bard like Homer to develop what may historically have been an event of minor importance into a fully fledged epic. So, out of a single episode in the legendary Trojan War – Achilles’ withdrawal from the fighting and his return to kill the Trojan hero, Hector – Homer generated the 24 books of \”The Illiad\”.
What the oral technique does not automatically provide, however, is the genius of the poem which is rendered here in E.V. Rieu’s translation, which has been revised for this edition by his son, D.C.H. Rieu and Peter Jones. Homer has created a timeless, dramatic tragedy. His characters are heroic but their passions and problems are human and universal, and he presents them with compassion, understanding and humour against the harsh background of the war and the quarrels of the gods.
ISBN: 9780140447941
Publication date: 06/03/2003
Price: $23.00
RRP: $23.00
Format: Paperback
Available stock: 2
Publishing status: Active
Author: Homer
Series: Penguin Classics
Imprint: Penguin Books
