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Anonymous user: Very free interpretation (not adaptation) that in many ways improves on the original. No childish gods, no rambling digressions. Visually spectacular. The dialogue is a bit cringeworthy now and then, but it does have flashes of brilliance. Only for the most broad-minded admirers of Homer - or those who find the Greek bard unsatisfactory. PS Caveat: the Director's Cut is gratuitously gory!… (more)
Jitsusama: An ancient classic revolving around Greek Myth. A great help to better understand the mythology of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
This is a super old story, and I’m grateful for the chance to experience it through Emily Wilson’s translation. From the beginning, Wilson’s goals were clear in her introduction: to make this epic approachable and entertaining, and she absolutely succeeded. I read much of it aloud to my partner, especially during the more intense moments, like when eyes were popping out or a king calling his surviving children trash. Despite its length and the volume of action, there are a few checks that remind you it takes place over just a few days. The symbolism and meaning packed into this are remarkable. I was pleased to have so much of it explained through the detailed notes. It’s fascinating how this ancient story reflects a culture behind in many ways, yet still has so much to teach us. The expressions of grief and sexuality stood out, especially compared to our more restrictive modern society. I am so impressed this translation is in iambic pentameter (think Shakespearean plays). It made it much easier to digest as an English-trained reader compared to the original dactylic hexameter. As a poem, it’s daunting, but it comes to life when read aloud. I loved the maps, genealogies, and the extensive notes and glossary. I’m looking forward to diving into The Odyssey next! ( )
I enjoyed this very much. This story is one of those ubiquitous works of art that are commonly known before they've even been read. The story of this war has been adapted in many films, referenced for centuries in other works and spawned retellings as well, so that by the time I came to read it I already had certain ideas (true and false) about the book.
It's a story of two warring factions and one of the preconceived ideas I had about this book was that it's mostly glorification of war, and while there is some glorifying of certain heros and passages of war, it mostly deplores the murder and slaughtering and loss caused by war. The humanizing of both warring parties (Achaians and Trojans, and their supporters among them gods) was incredible to read and unexpected on my part. For instance in a certain passage Hektor goes back to his city and meets his wife and child to bid them farewell, the child, still a baby, doesn't recognize his father because of the war gear and begins to cry while his father laughs. Such touching passages between all that murder and killing gave a deeper effect to the story.
Also, as mentioned there's lots of warring. The meticulous descriptions of the weapons of the age this story happens in was fascinating and the people here kill each other with arrows, spears and stones in ways I never thought possible. Think of any way a person might die of these weapons and they most likely did in the story. And in all this the exploration of the human experience, and the contradictions that occur in life, the stories of adventure and courage, and no wonder this story has endured and enthralled readers for centuries as it has. ( )
I hope everyone understands that I "read" this book because even though I read it I also didn't and also someone needs to tell Homer to shut up like I hate him ( )
Halfway through an endless war over a dispute everyone hardly remembers, two powerful men (on the same side) are squabbling. Agamemnon has taken Achilles’ favorite slavewoman, and so Achilles gets pissy about it and refuses to fight in the war. As the best fighter on the Greek side, things don’t go well without him. To inspire the troops, Achilles’ best friend and lover Patroclus dresses up in his armor to fight, but is slain by Hector, golden child of the Trojans. Achilles takes his rage out on Hector, and then on Hector’s corpse.
Wilson is a great translator, and I definitely appreciated this more than the other times I have tried to read it. However, it is not my thing. I found the lists of guys dying boring, and the misogyny was grating. I know this is supposed to be a meaningful poem about how bad war is, but most of the main characters are the ones who could be stopping the horrible war, so it’s hard to have sympathy for them. Women and poor people are the victims, as they always are in war, but we don’t get their perspective. The 24th and last book of the poem is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pieces about grief ever written, but it’s too hard to get there. ( )
Achilles' baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that impos'd Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls los'd. [George Chapman]
Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing! [Alexander Pope]
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. [Samuel Butler]
An angry man—there is my story: the bitter rancour of Achillês, prince of the house of Peleus, which brought a thousand troubles upon the Achaian host. [W.H.D. Rouse]
The Wrath of Achilles is my theme, that fatal wrath which, in fulfillment of the will of Zeus, brought the Achaeans so much suffering and sent the gallant souls of many noblemen to Hades, leaving their bodies as carrion for the dogs and passing birds. [E.V. Rieu]
SING, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first there stood in division of conflict Atreus' son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus. [Richmond Lattimore]
Sing, MOUNTAIN GODDESS, sing through me That anger which most ruinously Inflamed Achilles, Peleus' son, And which, before the tale was done, Had glutted Hell with champions—bold, Stern spirits by the thousandfold; Ravens and dogs their corpses ate. [Robert Graves]
Anger be now your song, immortal one, Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous, that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, leaving so many dead men—carrion for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done. [Robert Fitzgerald]
Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls, great fighters' souls, but made their bodies carrion, feasts for the dogs and birds, and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end. [Robert Fagels]
Rage: Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls Of heroes into Hades' dark, And left their bodies to rot as feasts For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done. [Stanley Lombardo]
The rage of Achilles—sing it now, goddess, sing through me the deadly rage that caused the Achaeans such grief and hurled down to Hades the souls of so many fighters, leaving their naked flesh to be eaten by dogs and carrion birds, as the will of Zeus was accomplished. [Stephen Mitchell]
Sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus' son, the accursed anger which brought the Achaeans countless agonies and hurled many mighty shades of heroes into Hades, causing them to become the prey of dogs and all kinds of birds; and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled. [Anthony Verity]
The rage sing, O goddess, of Achilles the son of Peleus, the destructive anger that brought ten-thousand pains to the Achaeans and sent many brave souls of fighting men to the house of Hades and made their bodies a feast for dogs and all kinds of birds. For such was the will of Zeus. [Barry Powell]
Wrath—sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath of Peleus' son Achilles, that inflicted woes without number upon the Achaeans, hurled forth to Hades many strong souls of warriors and rendered their bodies prey for the dogs, for all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished; sing from when they two first stood in conflict— Atreus' son, lord of men, and godlike Achilles. [Caroline Alexander]
Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath of great Achilles, son of Peleus, which caused the Greeks immeasurable pain and sent so many noble souls of heroes to Hades, and made men the spoils of dogs, a banquet for the birds, and so the plan of Zeus unfolded - starting with the conflict between great Agamemnon, lord of men, and glorious Achilles. [Emily R. Wilson]
Quotations
Last words
Such was their burial of Hektor, breaker of horses.
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Companion Books to the Iliad
Wikipedia in English (11)
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