The Iliad

War glory despair and mourning: for 2 700 years the Iliad has gripped listeners and readers with the story of Achilles anger and Hectors death. It is a tale of many truths speaking of powerful emotions the failures of leadership the destructive power of beauty the quest for fame the plight of women and the cold callous laughter of the gods. Above all it confronts us with war in all its brutality--and with fleeting images of peace lovingly drawn images which punctuate the poem as distant memories startling comparisons and doomed aspirations. Anthony Veritys elegant and compelling new translation mirrors the directness power and dignity of Homers poetry. Verity captures as well the essential features of oral poetry such as repeated phrases and scenes without sounding mannered or archaic and his remarkably accurate verse hews closely to the original line numbers which is invaluable for readers wishing to consult the secondary literature. Barbara Graziosi an authority on Homeric poetry offers a full introduction that illuminates the composition of the poem its literary qualities and the many different contexts in which it was performed and read. In addition extensive notes offer book-by-book summaries and shed light on difficult words and passages mythological allusions references to ancient practices and geographical names. An annotated bibliography offers a succinct guide to further scholarship in English; a full index of names enables the reader to trace particular characters through the text; and two maps elucidate the Catalogue of Ships and the Catalogue of the Trojans. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities voluminous notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study and much more.