The Iliad, Books 1-12, Vol. 1

The Iliad by Homer

by Homer, Augustus Taber Murray (Translator)

A Ilíada, epopéia homérica em 24 cantos, narra as aventuras do herói grego Aquiles durante a última fase da Guerra de Tróia, na região da Tessália. Em seus quase 16 mil versos, a obra fala de guerra e heroísmo, mas também deixa muito clara e aparente a debilidade do ser humano diante das incertezas que o destino lhe reserva; a vontade dos deuses e a sorte do homem, fortuna e fatalidade caminham sempre juntas, a cada canto. Neste primeiro volume da edição bilíngüe em grego e português estão compreendidos os 12 primeiros cantos do grandioso poema homérico. O segundo volume (Cantos XIII a XXIV) está em processo de transcriação, encontrando-se já prontos seis (XIII a XVIII) dos restantes 12.

Essa é uma tradução de Haroldo de Campos, em versos que buscam resgatar a sonoridade do original grego, inclusive com diversos neologismos.

Genres: Classics, Poetry, Literature, Mythology, Epic, Fiction, Fantasy

597 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 801

About the author

Homer (Greek: Όμηρος born c. 8th century BC) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.
Homer's Iliad centers on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the last year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey chronicles the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, back to his home after the fall of Troy. The poems are in Homeric Greek, also known as Epic Greek, a literary language which shows a mixture of features of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects from different centuries; the predominant influence is Eastern Ionic. Most researchers believe that the poems were originally transmitted orally. Despite being predominantly known for its tragic and serious themes, the Homeric poems also contain instances of comedy and laughter.
Homer's epic poems shaped aspects of ancient Greek culture and education, fostering ideals of heroism, glory, and honor. To Plato, Homer was simply the one who "has taught Greece" (τὴν Ἑλλάδα πεπαίδευκεν). In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Virgil refers to Homer as "Poet sovereign", king of all poets; in the preface to his translation of the Iliad, Alexander Pope acknowledges that Homer has always been considered the "greatest of poets". From antiquity to the present day, Homeric epics have inspired many famous works of literature, music, art, and film.
The question of by whom, when, where and under what circumstances the Iliad and Odyssey were composed continues to be debated. Scholars remain divided as to whether the two works are the product of a single author. It is thought that the poems were composed at some point around the late eighth or early seventh century BC. Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity; the most widespread account was that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey. Modern scholars consider these accounts legendary.

French: Homère, Italian: Omero, Portuguese, Spanish: Homero.

Reviews

[Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The origin of Western literature is a Big Bang: the first thing ever written has never been surpassed. It is my resolution to re-read the Iliad at least once a year in the original Greek. Like the Big Bang was an explosion of all the elements of the universe, everything written after the Iliad is already in it. All poetry, every action movie, tragedy, and psychological thriller, all human triumph, stupidity and sorrow is there, in Homer’s verses, which echo the rhythm of the sea.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all 24 books of this translation but cannot find it on Goodreads. It was an Audible selections with Charlton Griffin as the narrator. It was my 2nd time through this edition and not that different from Lattimore. Griffin's voice is uniquely appropriate for epic poetry.

[Genni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love rereading books. There is so much to appreciate (and miss) in good books that one round just doesn't cut it. That is certainly true here.

While my Greek leaves MUCH to be desired, the bit I have learned increases my awe of this work of art. Just writing this thing in dactylic hexameter alone is, well, epic. I've been listening to different ancient Greek recordings as well and it's almost hypnotic! Definitely worth the time I've spent delving into the language.

As for the story itself, the entire things seems to portray a sort of struggle to find a footing for morality. There are long speeches about honor and whatnot, but no grounding for it and you can really sense that as the characters have their say. Achilles' speech in book 9 is also interesting in that the downtime almost seems to have caused him to question the warrior way of life, though anger and pride are still the main motivation for withdrawal.

Was some of this meant to be subversive? Diomedes physically fights the gods in book 5. Was this symbolic? I am not sure, but this tale keeps revealing interesting things about ancient religious beliefs as well as human foibles, deserving of the word "classic."

[Μιχάλης Μανωλιός · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πριν λίγες μέρες, τελείωσα ένα από πιο σημαντικά και πιο εντυπωσιακά βιβλία φανταστικού και μη που έχουν γραφτεί ποτέ, την Ιλιάδα. Με πιο ψύχραιμο μάτι, μπορώ να διακρίνω κάποιες αδυναμίες, αλλά η γενική μου εντύπωση ήταν ένα δίμηνο γεμάτο «ωωω», «ααα», «τι λες τώρα!», «τι έγραψε ο θεός!» και άλλα τέτοια ευτράπελα. Βρήκα λοιπόν τον ποιητή στον πάνθεον των δημιουργών, εκεί που του έπλενε τα πόδια ο Σαίξπηρ και του έκαναν αέρα ο Μιχαήλ Άγγελος και ο Μότσαρτ (βλ. πίνακα Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Η Αποθέωση του Ομήρου, 1827, Λούβρο) και του εξέθεσα τις αντιρρήσεις μου. Ήταν πολύ κατατοπιστικός.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να αναφέρεις εκατοντάδες ονόματα και πολλές φορές δεκάδες μέσα στην ίδια σελίδα. Θα μπερδευτεί και θα κουραστεί ο αναγνώστης.
Ο: Δεν θα τα διαβάζουν. Θα τα ακούνε. Μπορώ. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Τουλάχιστον μην αναφέρεις τον κάθε ήρωα πότε με το όνομά του και πότε με την καταγωγή από τον πατέρα του (Πηλείδης, Τυδείδης, κλπ.). Είναι ακόμα μεγαλύτερο μπέρδεμα.
Ο: Θα το κάνω καταπώς βολεύει το δακτυλικό εξάμετρο των στίχων μου. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να τους παρουσιάζεις όλους ισόθεους, γενναίους, ανδρείους, ήρωες, πάνσοφους κλπ. Φτιάχνεις ασπρόμαυρους χαρακτήρες έτσι. Είναι κλισέ.
Ο: Μπορώ. Ανάμεσα σε άλλους, εφηύρα το κλισέ. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να ξεκινάς παρομοιώσεις που το πρώτο σκέλος τους διαρκεί στίχους ολόκληρους και αποτελεί μια σκηνή από μόνο του. Είναι τεράστιες, και καμιά φορά ο αναγνώστης ξεχνάει τι ξεκίνησες να παρομοιάσεις.
Ο: Μπορώ να γράψω ολόκληρες ραψωδίες μέσα σε ομηρικές παρομοιώσεις, αλλά έκανα περικοπές. Και, παρά την αυτοσυγκράτησή μου, μπορώ να σε κάνω να χαθείς μέσα τους ακούγοντάς τες. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να έχεις τόσο σκληρές και σπλάτερ σκηνές μάχης, τον ένα να του σπάει το δόρυ τα δόντια και να του βγαίνει απ' τον σβέρκο, ο άλλος να πέφτει στα γόνατα κρατώντας τ' άντερά του, και να περιμένεις το έργο σου με τόση βία να γίνει επιτυχία.
Ο: (αναστεναγμός) Θα σου 'λεγα τώρα ποιος είμαι...

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να θυμάσαι απ’ έξω είκοσι τέσσερεις ραψωδίες, με εφτακόσιους στίχους κατά μέσο όρο η κάθε μια, εκατόν τριάντα χιλιάδες λέξεις σύνολο! Πρέπει να είσαι μηχανή!
Ο: Μπορώ. Χωρίς να τις δω ποτέ γραμμένες. Και δεν είμαι μηχανή. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να επινοείς τρεις καινούργιες σύνθετες λέξεις σε κάθε σελίδα επί 360 σελίδες! Είναι πολλές! Οι γλωσσικές καινοτομίες πρέπει να γίνονται με μέτρο για να μην προκαλούν.
Ο: Μπορώ. Για την ακρίβεια επινόησα τις γλωσσικές καινοτομίες. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Μα δεν μπορεί να κάνεις τέτοια κατάχρηση στις επινοημένες σύνθετες λέξεις και να είναι όλες πετυχημένες, εντυπωσιακές και συγχρόνως εξαιρετικά δύσκολο να χρησιμοποιηθούν από άλλον!
Ο: Αυτό ακριβώς έκανα. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς ν’ ανακατεύεις όλη την ώρα τους θεούς στην εξέλιξη του πολέμου. Είναι παράλογο, και μερικές φορές υποβιβάζει την ικανότητα των ηρώων.
Ο: Μπορώ. Είναι το φανταστικό στοιχείο του έργου, και εγώ καθορίζω τη συχνότητα της χρήσης του. Ούτε ο Έκτορας, ούτε ο Αχιλλέας έμειναν στην ιστορία ως οι ανίκανοι που τους βοηθούσαν οι θεοί. Επειδή είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να βάζεις τόσο συχνά τέτοια ποταπά κίνητρα στους χαρακτήρες σου. Δεν αρμόζουν σε ήρωες ή θεούς. Μου χαλάει όλη την τέλεια εικόνα που φτιάχνεις γι’ αυτούς με όλα εκείνα τα φοβερά και τρομερά επίθετα.
Ο: Α, όχι και τόσο ασπρόμαυροι χαρακτήρες τελικά, ε; Λοιπόν, μπορώ. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να ξοδεύεις όλη τη ραψωδία Β για να περιγράψεις με κάθε λεπτομέρεια τον στρατό των Αχαιών και πόσα καράβια (που δεν θα παίξουν κανένα ρόλο αργότερα) είχε φέρει ο κάθε πολέμαρχος, και να ελπίζεις ότι θα διαβάζεσαι δεκαετίες ή και αιώνες στο μέλλον.
Ο: Έχεις δίκιο, δεν μπορώ. Ούτε για αιώνες, πόσο μάλλον για δεκαετίες. Χιλιετίες σου κάνουν; Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να παρουσιάζεις τα πάντα στην ιστορία σου τόσο μα τόσο επικά. Το κλέος, το κάλλος, η ανδρεία, η δύναμη, η σοφία, η ταχύτητα, η τέχνη, η ισχύς. Πόσο έπος πια;
Ο: Μπορώ. Είμαι το έπος. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

Μ: Δεν μπορείς να γράφεις ένα βιβλίο με όλα τα παραπάνω, που χρειάζομαι δύο μήνες για να το τελειώσω ακόμα και στη μετάφραση, και να μου αρέσει τόσο!
Ο: Μπορώ. Είμαι ο Όμηρος.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably my fave translations of the Illiad

Samuel Butler - The Great Books of the Western World - 1898
AT Murray - Harvard 1924-1925
Robert Fagles - Viking 1990

for my money, not an easy work

and one needs a roadmap for the plot
and the characters
or is that a life preserver?

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The single greatest novel ever written, in this humble classicist's opinion. The staggering emotional turmoil, the impenetrable code of arete, the abundance of gorgeous prose.... a brilliant book. Perfectly ensconces and punctuates the values of the heroic age; the trepidation and ferocity of pre-Hoplite combat, the tension and breath-stilling magnificence of the agon, the hubris and sense of immortality among so many of the warrior-aristocracy, and the demand for men of excellence and status to earn those commendations and prove themselves worthy of the glory their names would be lauded with ever after.

Whether you err on the romantic like myself or call bullshit on the whole Trojan Cycle as pure myth, one cannot help but be enchanted, awed, and moved profoundly by the sense of the great, tragic, and ultimately human qualities of this work. There's a reason it's still adored three millennia later.

[Debi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not actually using the Loeb to read this but it's hard in GoodReads to find the correct editions...I'm using the Willcock commentary (Bristol Classical Press) this time...just going through the first book again to refresh my Greek. I may do more. At this point I don't yet know how far I'll go but I'll definitely review the first book.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

ου νέμεσις Τρωας και ευκνήμιδας Αχαιους τοιηιδ’ αμφι γυναικι πολυν χρόνον άλγεα πάσχειν• είθε και λέξειάς τε γνοίης.

[James Violand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatest epic ever written. A guy's book. Terrific on all levels. A must read by anyone who claims to be educated.

[k · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murray's translations have dated. They are insufficient on their own. Prose translations—especially when published parallel to the Greek—are infuriating. But they have a beauty of their own right.

Read the Loebs side by side to Lattimore's verse translations.

[James F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the Iliad three or four times; this is my second reading in the original Greek, and it's not going quickly -- my first book of the month on the 17th. Long considered the beginning of Western literature, until they found the Epic of Gilgamesh, which may have been an influence on it, it certainly influenced everything that came later. I can't really begin to give a review of a classic book like this. Of course much of the interest for a modern reader is more in trying to understand the background than in the story itself, which is sometimes exciting and at other times repetitious, and doesn't always make consistent sense -- to be expected from a poem that was orally composed over hundreds of years. But some passages are unforgettable. This time through, I'm using the Loeb bilingual edition, and also reading at the same time the commentary of Walter Leaf which is available free on Kindle Unlimited, which both help to translate it -- last time it took me well over a month to read, but I'm hoping to get through it in a month this time.

[Pilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good edition by David B. Monro and Thomas W. Allen. This first volume contains the Greek text with critical apparatus (Books 1-12), and an introduction and index of the Greek proper names. The title, introduction and notes of the critical apparatus are written in Latin, as it is customary in this Oxford scholarly editions.

Regarding form, the Iliad, is one of my favourite epic poems.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried the audiobook of one translation a couple times and could not get into it, but I tried the Loeb edition and loved it. Finally I know why the Iliad is so famous. I'm eager to get into the second half.

I wish I could read Classical Greek, but alas. . .

[Hank · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little drier than the Odyssey in my opinion, but still decent reading material for a lazy week.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection.

[Pilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this edition by David B. Monro, with a good introduction, a very useful summary of the peculiarities of Homeric grammar, and notes to the Greek text.

[Mat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half of one of the most important books of all time - a timeless classic by the Greek poet Homer.
I only read an abridged version of this tale in my youth and decided it was high time to read the whole thing and was not disappointed. This is called a classic for a reason.
I did not know how little Achilles appears in the first half. Hector, the hero of the Trojans, is favoured and blessed by Zeus here in the first half of the story, until the scales of the war are tipped in favour of the Achaeans (i.e. the Greeks) in the second half.
The gods use humans / soldiers fighting in the war like pawns on a chessboard.
The details are quite graphic in parts but if anything like this ever happened (there are a few theories about the possible location of Troy), it must have been a truly blood battle.
Highly recommended and this edition with the A. T. Murray translation is meant to be the most accurate one that reflects the original Ancient Greek.
Looking forward to the second half! (popcorn intermission time.....)

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

[review is for both part 1 &2] I didn’t find this translation very inspiring (although I’ve heard it’s quite faithful to the original Ancient Greek, also shown on the facing pages). I occasionally swapped to an audiobook with the Samuel Butler (1898) translation which I enjoyed more, but whether this is due to the translation or the story being better conveyed verbally, I couldn’t say.

This was an emotional reading experience, regardless of the stiff translation, as my copies were from my Grammie who recently passed away. She *heavily* annotated both the English and Greek texts over decades of research on pre-Grecian societies and languages. She had lots of interesting thoughts on Brieseis & opinions on how various words were translated.

I’ll probably return to a more lyrical translation in a few years.

[csiffa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished the first twelve songs of this masterpiece!
Words cannot express the genius of this epic.
Of course, due to the fact that I read a translation, mind it was a translation done by Miloslav Okál, who I think did a truly wonderful job both with the introduction, annotation and explanatory notes, as well as with the translation, one always has to keep in mind that there is translation bias.
Nevertheless, I absolutely loved every single bit of it. This text is so old and yet it is so astonishingly beautiful- the vast descriptions of the fighting, the landscape, traditions, conversations, gods, etc., etc. yet it never loses the action and interest.
I cannot comprehend that this whole thing rhymes in the original.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is an unending horror of graphic violence in which human suffering seems to be simply sport for the gods.
The prose translation in these two volumes has been slightly updated from the 1920s version and its sentence structure and style seem to often follow Greek, rather than idiomatic English. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure to read. I tried, unsuccessfully, to read two of the verse translations (Fitzgerald's and Lattimore's) and just could not get into them.

[Eduarda Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

li a edição da Penguin, acho q foi por isso q não tive tantos problemas com a leitura.
tem palavras bem incomuns, tive q usar MUITO o dicionário, mas é uma leitura TÃO boa e tão fluída, amei ter lido e amei ter dado essa chance pra Homero e sua grandíssima obra

[Thiago Medeiros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edição excelente

[Daniel Seltier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Murray's translation, feels so archaic. Since there are almost no notes, I recommend an additional commentary.

[☆Gabriella☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Penguin Classics version and it was absolutely incredible - at times it did get a bit dull but overall a great read! gonna start the odyssey now!!

[Thom. Neptune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loeb Classical Library with more than 500 volumes to choose from covers both Greek & Roman times. Written both in the origional language on the left hand & English on the right page, you cannot go wrong whatever your subject, History, Plays, etc.

[MjL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read the Iliad out of sheer curiosity. I obviously knew the general outline of the story but nothing of the details, so this was a very enlightening and fascinating experience.

The fact that the translator had chosen the Roman names for the Greek gods instead of the original ones bothered me as I had to keep reminding myself (and occasionally rechecking who someone actually was) and that dropped me off the flow. Example: Jove = Jupiter = Zeus, Ulysses = Odysseus and Juno = Hera and so forth. I, personally would've enjoyed the original names in the original context, but I understand why this choice was made for the English audience.

Occasionally the gruesomeness of the battle surprised me, but I guess I should've expected the flowing blood and guts, smashed bones, brains and dangling eyeballs. It's not like this was written in a time where gory death was unknown to people...


As I mentioned not knowing the details, I was quite surprised by the ending. The poem ends right after the funeral of Hector, not the oft-mentioned razing of Troy and death of godlike Achilles, swift of foot. I had somehow assumed, that this was an integral part of this story, but I was proven wrong yet again.

[EJ Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any translation of Greek epic into English must suffer considerably, as the English language is ill-suited to the melody and vigor of Homeric or Attic Greek. That being said, a translator may yet save himself by imparting his poetry with a flowing lyricism and appropriate dignity to instill something of the original; Philip Stanhope Worsley achieves this feat and more in his translation of The Iliad.

To improve flow within his stanzas, Worsley eschews heroic couplets in favor of the Spenserian sonnet; the result is greatly appreciated and contributes considerably to the grandeur of the work. Worsley also presents his subjects with a vocabulary and diction worthy of the subject, reflecting the depth and gravitas of the original work.

I would strongly recommend the Worsley translation for anyone seeking an excellent English poetry version of The Iliad; those already familiar with Homer will benefit greatly from the added familiarity. Fans of Miltonian or romantic poetry will also find a great deal to enjoy.

Nota Bene: This volume consists of the first twelve books of The Iliad only.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The translation is amazing, the story is engaging. These first four books catch you up to some of what has been happening all these years in Troy. You get a good taste of what our main characters are like on both sides, including the Gods, but you also get a really good idea of the scope of this war in book two, where Homer, or rather our narrator, talks us through all the leaders and men who have committed to this war. Book two is where it slowed down for me a little because it's a long list of name upon name. It does get a little tedious there, but again there is a purpose and so it's justified-it captures the enormity of the Greek army. In books three and four we meet the Trojans and Helen, whose voice is strong, and we get a theme of familial love and strength which is somewhat absent on the Greek side due to the tensions amongst our Achaean protagonists. I'm excited to read the next volume (books 5-8) where I assume we enter straight into the battle that ends book four or its aftermath.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suggesting the Loeb edition is kind of a cop-out but I think this brings a lot of value for anyone who wants to seriously read the Iliad. Murray's translation isn't my favorite but it's highly faithful to the Greek.

[I-kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't think this needs comment. The great anti-war poem.