La prise d'Ilion

by Tryphiodorus

La prise de Troie est non seulement un des thèmes les plus répandus, mais aussi les plus anciens de la littérature grecque, puisqu'il est vraisemblablement antérieur à Homère. Si l'histoire relatée dans La Prise d'Ilion est célèbre, il n'en va pas de même pour son auteur. On sait que Triphiodore était un grammairien et un poète épique qui, outre La Prise d'Ilion, composa d'autres textes, dont une Hippodamie et La Paraphrase des comparaisons homériques. L'endroit où il vécut ainsi que son époque restent encore à être déterminés précisément : tout au plus peut-on supposer qu'il vécut à Panopolis entre le milieu du III° siècle et la première moitié du IV° siècle de notre ère.

Notre édition propose une introduction particulièrement riche et documentée : elle fait le point des connaissances sur l’auteur et présente les dernières découvertes papyrologiques. L’analyse des sources et des influences littéraires du poème est longuement détaillée, de même que l’histoire de la tradition manuscrite. Des notes accompagnent la lecture et sont encore approfondies par des notes complémentaires. L’ouvrage est en outre enrichi par un Index nominum.

Genres: Classics

209 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 350

About the author

Tryphiodorus, Egyptian epic poet (fl. 3rd or 4th century CE).

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is where you'll find the famous scene of the wooden horse that led to the fall of Troy, which is surprisingly not in The Iliad as many would believe. It's a bit short, unfortunately, and the events described in it are already known from mentions in other Classical works, mostly in plays.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful edition of Tryphiodorus’s tale of the destruction of Troy with an in-depth introduction, English translation by Merrick with copious notes, and the original Greek text with a Latin translation below it. The story follows the sack of Troy from just before the Trojan horse to when the Greek forces leave Troy for the last time.

Tryphiodorus’s tale starts out slow but builds as we get into the poem. It is not Homer, but he tells a tale that if you know the story, you will enjoy his telling. And there are moments when it shines. The description of the Trojan horse, how it is brought into the city and Helen’s attempt to get the Greeks hiding inside to give themselves away are exciting and beautifully sketched. Tryphiodorus gives moving and chilling descriptions of the joyous celebration of the Trojans at the Greek “departure” and then the violence that flowed through the streets as the sack was at its height.

Possibly the best thing of the volume I read were the notes. They were detailed, exciting, full of material explaining the text, issues surrounding the events and the creation of the text, etc. In one example, the note on p. 96 discusses the controversy of whether Odysseus strangled and killed Anticlus while they hid in the Trojan horse. Tryphiodorus story says that’s what happened and he was backed up by the texts of Ovid and others. However, other scholars, such as Spondanus (Jean de Sponde), have said that Odysseus just kept his hand over his mouth while Helen called out. Such discussions in the notes made this book come even more alive, as though it were a lecture in and of itself. Perhaps that’s how learning progressed among scholars at that time. It still works today. For me, this book was truly an enjoyable experience.

[Santiago González (puntoartica) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una bien escrita y breve historia de la toma de Troya (o toma de Ilión, como se llama la obra en castellano). Bastante recomendado si acabaste la Iliada y quieres continuar, me ha sorprendido lo bien que está

[· · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3 October, 2022)

So many legendary names, so much death and destruction, I feel kinda bad for loving this so much.

A few things stand out here. Helen betrays her new city but does it under orders from Athena so she didn't really betray anyone (in this telling). Odysseus is a stone-cold killer when needed, ask Anticlus, I get that but why make it a point to kill Astyanax? And what to say about Neoptolemus? He is unmoved by King Priam, the same Priam who previously softened his father's, Achilles, furious heart. Most stories portray Neoptolemus as a violent, rage-induced warrior (except for, maybe, Racine's 'Andromaque') and he stays true to his reputation, killing the old king without remorse.

And then there's Cassandra, poor Cassandra. No one believes her prophecies, she seems unloved, violated by Oilean Aias and ends up as a slave. Compassion is what I have always felt for her. There is an ever-present pathos surrounding her, Tryphiodorus is brilliant in his treatment of Apollo's forsaken prophet.

Delightfully, and somewhat surprisingly, 'The Sack Of Ilios' is a worthy companion to the Epic Cycle.