The Iliad

The greatest literary achievement of Greek civilization—an epic poem without rival in world literature and a cornerstone of Western culture

The story of the Iliad centers on the critical events in the last year of the Trojan War, which lead to Achilles’s killing of Hektor and determine the fate of Troy. But Homer’s theme is not simply war or heroism. With compassion and humanity, he presents a universal and tragic view of the world, of human life lived under the shadow of suffering and death, set against a vast and largely unpitying divine background. The Iliad is the first of the great tragedies. This prose translation features an excellent introduction and textual commentary by the translator, Martin Hammond.

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