Fagles, robert, 19332008, american professor of english, poet, 1990, new york. In the modern vulgate the standard accepted version, the iliad contains 15,693 lines. The odyssey tells the story of how odysseus came to be in this predicament and how he gets out of it. While homers existence as a historical person is still a topic of debate, the writings attributed to the name have made their mark not only on greek history and literature, but upon western civilization itself. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, robert fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. Reviewed in the united kingdom on february 11, 2018.
Along with the odyssey, the iliad is among the oldest extant works of western literature, and its written version is usually dated to around the 8th century bc. Crowded with characters, both human and nonhuman, and bursting with action, the epic tales detail the fabled trojan war and the adventures of odysseus as he struggles to return home. Book xi book xi then, when we had got down to the sea shore we drew our ship into the water and got her mast and sails into her. The iliad was a wondrous book about love, adventure, and conflict. Odysseus must go to the underworld to receive a prophecy from tiresias. Throughout, homer shows that the central value of the poem isnt force, as in the iliad, but. This is a list of english translations of the main works attributed to homer, the iliad and odyssey. In an interview with playwright gideon lester, fagles described the job. The iliad and the odyssey blend events from greek history, mythology, and culture that reveal the unique worldview of this ancient civilization.
An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. In ancient greece, the iliad and the odyssey were among the poems. Odysseus travels to hades to receive a prophecy from him. Achilles will not, but does agree to what nestor had suggested to patroclus towards the end of book 11. Homers epic poems, the iliad and the odyssey, laid the foundation upon which ancient greece developed not only its culture, but its societal values, religious beliefs, and. The iliad by robert fagles and a great selection of related. The iliad is paired with something of a sequel, the odyssey, also attributed to homer. However, the reason the odyssey is such a treasure is that its just a darn good adventure story with no purpose except to be just that. Hellohello, i have been looking for a good translation of homers iliad in verse. The iliad and the odyssey first edition robert fagles signed rare. The iliad and the odyssey first edition robert fagles. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. The odyssey book 18 vocabularyquestions study guide by hiamrandie includes 15 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. Here again, fagles has performed the translators task magnificently, giving us an odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery.
Robert fagles, winner of the penralph manheim medal for translation and a 1996 academy award in literature from the american academy of arts and letters, presents us with homers bestloved and most accessible poem in a stunning. I have one by robert fitzgerald, but i dont find it completely satisfactory. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Books, images, historic newspapers, maps, archives and more. Praising merrills translation of the odyssey, gregory nagy of harvard wrote, merrills fine ear for the sound of ancient greek makes the experience of reading his homer the nearest. The aeneid is the story of the refugee trojan prince aeneas and his long journey to find a new homeland. The odysseytells of the greek warrior odysseuss adventurous journey home after the trojan war. The odyssey and millions of other books are available for instant access. The iliad is a timeless poem that still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to its wrenching, tragic conclusion.
She is also the author of the bestselling archies war and my. The iliad by robert fagles and a great selection of. My daughter started watching a show on youtube that discussed the iliad. Telemachos shows his hospitality by inviting the guest in as soon as he sees him well, technically her, but telemachos doesnt know that, refraining from asking his name and business, and immediately taking him inside, stowing away his effects, and feeding him at a fine table. So i was looking for an edition that wasnt too hard but that wasnt too easy. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. Join achilles at the gates of troy as he slays hector. Set during the trojan war, the tenyear siege of the city of troy ilium by a coalition of greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the. This public document was automatically mirrored from pdfy. I want to read the iliad andor odyssey, but im afraid. Achilles containing what we now know as books i, 8 and 11 to 22. In the myths and legends that are retold here, renowned translator robert fagles has captured the energy and poetry of homers original in a bold, contemporary idiom and given us an edition of the odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. Patroclus returns to achilles and tries to persuade him to relent. Read the iliad and the odyssey by homer available from rakuten kobo.
The iliadthe odyssey by homer meet your next favorite book. Robert fagles national endowment for the humanities neh. Start studying the odyssey book 17 vocabularyquestions. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The odyssey isbn 9780143039952 pdf epub robert fagles. The odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of everymans journey through life. Greek myths, mr william shakespeares plays, god and his creations. Robert fagles, winner of the penralph manheim medal for translation and a 1996 academy award in literature from the american academy of arts and letters, presents us with homers bestloved and most. The best english translation of iliad homer, the trojan war. The poem is commonly dated to between 800 and 600 bc. Free courses taught by hillsdale college faculty to pursue knowledge of the highest things, form character, and defend constitutional government. I loved both, but i probably enjoyed the odyssey more, purely because more happens storywise and it contains a lot of popular and identifiable aspects of greek mythology what i liked about the iliad is how you can see the war from both perspectives, as a reader i felt allegiance to hector throughout but i suspect others sympathise more with agamemnon and his cronies. Homer, odyssey book 11 theoi classical texts library. The iliad and the odyssey ebook by homer rakuten kobo.
The odyssey is one of the two major ancient greek epic poems the other being the iliad, attributed to the poet homer. Sep 11, 2006 hellohello, i have been looking for a good translation of homers iliad in verse. Tales from the old testament and oliver twist and other great dickens stories. Thats because you and the writer are speaking the same cultural language. The poem is, in part, a sequel to the iliad, and concerns the events that befall the greek hero odysseus in his long journey back to his native land ithaca after the fall. Thus begins the stirring story of the trojan war and the rage of achilles that has gripped listeners and readers for 2,700 years. Fagles translated the iliad in 1990 and the odyssey in 1996.
If the iliad is the worlds greatest war story, then the odyssey is literatures greatest evocation of every mans journey through. I had done my dissertation on popes translation, and i wanted to make it new. This quality has led some scholars to conclude that homer wrote the odyssey at a later time of his life, when he showed less interest in struggles at arms and was more receptive to a storyline that focused on the fortunes and misadventures of a single man. The odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of every mans journey through life. Marcia williams has illustrated and retold many literary classics for children with her distinctive cartoonstrip style. The iliadthe odyssey fagles, robert trn knox, bernard. In 2002, the university of michigan press published rodney merrills translation of homers odyssey, an interpretation of the classic that was unique in employing the meter of homers original.
I know there are a lot of english translations of iliad, and i would love to hear your opinion on which one is the best. Literature network homer the odyssey book xi book xi then, when we had got down to the sea shore we drew our ship into the water and got her mast and sails into her. When young dawn with her rosered fingers shone once more the true son of odysseus sprang from bed and dressed, over his. If the iliad is the worlds greatest war story, then the odyssey is literatures greatest evocation of every mans journey through life. The iliad and the odyssey 2 books in 1 copy limited. In an interview with playwright gideon lester, fagles described the job of a translator.
Each volume contains a superb introduction with textual and critical commentary by renowned classicist bernard knox. If the iliad is the worlds greatest war epic, the odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of an everymans journey through life. A modern reader reading a modern book finds it easy to get emotionally involved. This is a great intro book to the iliad and odyssey. Follow this link for a detailed summary of the iliad. In the myths and legends that are retold here, renowned translator robert fagles has captured the energy and poetry of homers original in a bold, contemporary idiom and given us an odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. The best english translation of iliad homer, the trojan. Robert fagles is the best living translator of ancient greek drama, lyric poetry, and epic into modern english, and his translation of the odyssey is his finest work so far. Octavo, 2 volumes, original cloth, pictorial endpapers. The iliad and the odyssey, book by bernard homer paperback. First editions, early printings of both the iliad and the odyssey of the translation done by robert fagles. The iliad is an ancient greek epic poem in dactylic hexameter, traditionally attributed to homer. I read caroline alexanders translation and i thought it was a little much for an 11 year old.