HOMER, THE ILIAD

Translated by E.V.Rieu

BCA 1973

The Greeks considered The Iliad their greatest literary achievement, and no epic poem has ever rivalled it. Out of a single episode in the Tale of Troy, Achilles’ withdrawal from the fighting and his return to kill the Trojan hero Hector, Homer created a timeless dramatic tragedy. His characters are heroic but their passions and problems are human and universal, and he presents them with compassion, understanding and humour against a background of war.

This edition was originally published as a Penguin Classic and Dr. Rieu’s prose translation is notable for its direct simplicity and subtle elegance.

The book comes from the private library collection of a previous owner and bears a circular, embossed stamp at the base of the feps and title page, together with a decorative owner’s plate on the fly-leaf. There is a small, neat ink inscription on the verso of the fep.

Apart from some minor edge wear to the dust jacket, both the book and the dust jacket are in good condition, clean and tightly bound.