Homer’s The Iliad was a shocking read. I did not expect a story from so ridiculously long ago to hold up so well. "So well" is an understatement. The Iliad runs circles around many modern epics I've read in so many ways.
It's a war story, in many ways simple, but there is so much thematic depth, and the characters are brilliantly realized. Themes like loyalty, honour, lust, courage (and lack thereof), and power come to mind.
This story is profound. It's massive in scope and scale. Many characters, armies, allies, and locations are all thrown at you. Being my first time reading through, this was a lot to keep track of. I have to admit I probably missed some small details. People die left and right, and with so many characters—all with names so foreign—it was impossible not to get a little lost when it came to who just died or who killed whom.
Often, and I mean often, there is repetition. For the main characters, it is much easier. Take Odysseus, for example; many times, it is stated that he is the son of Laertes and a great tactician. Or Achilles, described as a famous runner. So for the most important characters, it's not too bad.
This poetic repetition definitely helps out.
I read the translation done by Robert Fagles. Honestly, I had no idea which one to read and didn’t consider translations much beforehand. I downloaded The Iliad on my Kobo, and it happened to be that translation. I liked it! I'm not sure if this was the best translation to start with, but honestly, who cares? I'm sure they're all great. In the future, on a reread, I think I'd try another translation just to compare.
One thing that shocked me at first was how graphic the violence was. I'm not sure why I was so surprised by it being brutal. I'd say there are very few modern stories as graphic in their depiction of violence. Blood Meridian, for sure, but otherwise, I’m not sure if I can think of anything quite like it. I guess at the time, violence was so common that expressing it this way in a poem was normal. It made for a very fun read, in my opinion.
Has the story of The Iliad been adapted well before? I know the film Troy is an adaptation, although I haven't seen it. From what I’ve heard, it isn’t such a great adaptation of the material. Is this accurate? Are there better ones? If it hadn’t been done well before, I’d honestly be shocked. I feel like the material is so visual and would lend itself well to film. It feels like The Odyssey gets all the love. It’s been adapted so many times. Granted, at least in recent memory, I'm not sure if I’ve watched any of them, but I plan on reading it soon—definitely before Christopher Nolan's adaptation comes out.
The Iliad was also surprisingly readable. Granted, being a translation modernizes it, but I can't read the ancient text, so I’ll take what I can get. There were overlong moments, however. For example, the infamous list of boats and where they are coming from. Honestly, this didn’t impact my enjoyment at all. It reminded me in a way of the cetology chapters in Moby Dick. Sure, they bog down the pace, but it's also kind of fun in a strange way.
A few summers ago, I was in Greece and stayed on Ios for a few nights, the site of the tomb of Homer. At the time, I had no connection to Homer or his works, so I had no reason to go. But upon finishing The Iliad, I looked into it and discovered a whole mystery about said tomb. Is Homer really buried there? Was Homer a real person? Who knows. It's fun to speculate on these things and reminds me a lot of the infamous William Shakespeare. We all had to learn about him, yet truly know so little about him. Super interesting to think about, and it also doesn’t matter. Their work has stood the test of time.
If you can't tell, I absolutely loved this reading experience!
It's unbelievably epic, sometimes tragic, and a fascinating look back in time. Like a time capsule to a period incomprehensible without the works of Homer.
The story of The Iliad has aged like fine wine. While it talks about a time so distant, it is relevant and reflective of the human condition and thus remains timeless. A perfect example of how stories are a timeless art form.
It's incredible. I was hesitant to read it for a while. It seemed almost intimidating. Luckily, I came across Ilium, a sci-fi epic by Dan Simmons, which sparked an interest. I'm so happy to have read it, and if anyone is on the fence or feels intimidated, I'd say jump right in. It's an important piece of both literature and history, and the fact that it is so enjoyable some 2,500 years later is a testament to how incredible it is.
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