The Iliad Book XXII: The Death of Hector

by Lisa Jarnot

Completed during 2004 and 2005, this translation of Book XXII of HomerÕs Iliad moves the tradition of classic Greek and Latin translation into the realm of experimental American poetry. Following in the footsteps of PoundÕs Homer and ZukofskyÕs Catullus, Jarnot reconfigures a pivotal moment in HomerÕs epic tale of warfare. Dedicated to the memory of people who just keep killing each other, this new vision of a classic text a poignant read in our present culture of boundless warfare.

Genres: Poetry

60 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2007

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for *uni* - and copiously translated 1-213.
i have a soft-spot for the iliad and for greek in general, so this gets a high rating naturally. but it did almost make me cry once or twice with the weird conditionals, so i have to knock one star off. the speeches by priam and hecuba are heart-wrenching, and the snake simile / monologue by hector destroy me every time i read them. my boy knows he's outmatched and gonna die deep down if he stays and fights achilles - but, because of the shame-culture which atkins and others have discussed, he stays and is ultimately killed by a man who has become more of a lion than a human being.
if you want to read a translation, go for the lattimore for a sense of the actual greek, and for rieu if you want something easy to read.

[I-kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to read some Homer this semester with colleagues and students, and boy was I happy that we did this. Cambridge green-and-yellow always quite good with Homer volumes in my experience, and this one is no exception. I wish there were a little bit more explanation of meters and how they contribute to the overall sense, but de Jong is very good with explaining how Homer varies a typical pattern so that it's not normal anymore in arguably the climax of the poem. Plus it's offered in a reasonable price.

Homer is really simply one of the poets that can be a lifelong companion. Reading it at different stages in my life makes the poem resonate in different ways, but every time impactful and it never loses that freshness and truthfulness to life. Homer's humanity never ceases to move me.

[Daphne Dresselaers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit was een heel interessant tekst om te lezen. Ik weet niet wie de vertaler was aangezien we gewoon een PDF bestand hebben gekregen, maar het las echt vlot en leuk.
Het verhaal van Achilles die Hektor dood, wetende dat hij zelf zal sterven gewoon om Patroclus te wreken (they're so gay) is echt mijn (voorlopige) favoriet van heel de Illias.
Ik wil zeker meer delen hiervan lezen wanneer ik eens tijd heb (volgende zomervakantie of zo lol)

[Sargun Saddhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

hurts like a bitch every time.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 The OG supplication scene is so good, the ending is beautiful, all good things.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

adding this book to my "read" pile is my reward for the exam I had about it.

definitely one of the more exciting parts of the illiad.

3/5☆

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studied 50 lines from the original book for an Ancient Greek test. I must say that this was a remarkable read. Especially Achilles his motivation halfway through the book is quite fascinating (and well, it has quite a bizarre outcome). Not only language wise is this book very remarkable (or so at least I noticed while translating the text for myself before I read this one), but also the way the characters are portrayed. This is what makes book XXII one of my favourites.

[max]

The twenty second book of the Iliad is a masterpiece of narrative and dramatic brilliance. It is the climax of the poem and contains many memorable scenes, in particular, the killing of Hector, Troy’s foremost defender, by Achilles, the “best of the Achaeans.”

This is one of several single book commentaries on the Iliad published by Cambridge U. Press, and it is essential reading for a deeper understanding of Book 22.

[MKMKMK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got me through a dentist appointment and for that I'm truly grateful. I hate the shit out of the dentist. Homer's crazy killing craziness and the sexy goddess Athena on the other hand are quite nice.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cool. I'm not getting into the whole translators' debate, though.