The Iliad - Homer

The first and arguably greatest work of western literature, The Iliad has successfully bypassed the ill effects of ageing and remains as relevant and powerful since its oral renditions in the ancient world. Its plot need not be recounted here, for it is a universally known tale of heroism, death and inexorable fate. This revision by D. C. H. Rieu of his father's celebrated translation has undergone only moderate changes, these being for the better in my opinion. E. V. Rieu's courteous uses of "would you" and "please" have been discarded in favour of a blunter, militaristic form of address from commanders to their troops. A more controversial departure is the loss of 76 fathers, flouting the Homeric convention of introducing a warrior's ancestry. It is no doubt an appeal to a modern reader and not wholly unwelcome, although some classicists may lament the omission. Another alteration I appreciated was the changing of 'Archaeans' back to 'Greeks'.

Although I personally prefer The Odyssey, its 'sequel', my second reading of The Iliad was more enjoyable than Martin Hammond's prose translation with its unconventional spellings of 'Achilleus' for Achilles and 'Aias' for Ajax. Translation quibbles aside, the themes of the epic resonated stronger when I realised I had been interpreting them wrong. The poem does not glorify violence and valour, rather it paints a grisly, critical canvas of war and all its miseries. Contrary to what many people imagine, the 'great' warriors frequently engage in acts of cowardice and are more concerned with going home to their families than sating the barbarous blood lust frequently portrayed in popular culture. Even Achilles himself falls prey to weak-heartedness during his battle with the river god Scamander. With acts of cruelty and malice abounding in equal measure from the Greek, Trojan, and Olympian forces, it is a sharp and lingering rebuke on mankind's follies and a long lament on the fragility of life. Superb reading, although that tedious 'Catalogue of Ships' remains a real chore.

Rating: 4/5