{"product_id":"the-iliad-9780140447941","title":"The Iliad","description":"\u003cb\u003eE.V. Rieu's beloved translation of the great war epic of Western literature, revised and updated by D. C. H. Rieu\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e One of the foremost achievements in Western literature, Homer's \u003ci\u003eIliad\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of the darkest episode of the Trojan War. At its center is Achilles, the greatest warrior-champion of the Greeks, and his conflict with his leader Agamemnon. Interwoven in the tragic sequence of events are powerfully moving descriptions of the ebb and flow of battle, the besieged city of Ilium, the feud between the gods, and the fate of mortals. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For this Penguin Classics edition, classicist D. C. H. Rieu has revised the work of his father, E. V. Rieu, celebrated translator and founding editor of the Penguin Classics imprint. The book also includes an introduction and notes by Peter V. Jones. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHomer \u003c\/b\u003ewas probably born around 725BC on the Coast of Asia Minor, now the coast of Turkey, but then really a part of Greece. Homer was the first Greek writer whose work survives. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHe was one of a long line of bards, or poets, who worked in the oral tradition. Homer and other bards of the time could recite, or chant, long epic poems. Both works attributed to Homer - the \u003ci\u003eIliad\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eOdyssey\u003c\/i\u003e - are over ten thousand lines long in the original. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the Iliad Homer sang of death and glory, of a few days in the struggle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Mortal men played out their fate under the gaze of the gods. The \u003ci\u003eOdyssey\u003c\/i\u003e is the original collection of tall traveller's tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact 'Homer' may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps 'the hostage' or 'the blind one'. Whatever the truth of their origin, the two stories, developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years' time. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eE. V. Rieu \u003c\/b\u003ewas a celebrated translator from Latin and Greek, and editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-1964. His son, D. C. H. Rieu has revised his work. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Jones\u003c\/b\u003e is former lecturer in classics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eD. C. H. Rieu \u003c\/b\u003eis the son of E. V. Rieu, celebrated translator from Latin and Greek and Editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-1964. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Jones\u003c\/b\u003e is former lecturer in classics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50565400264978,"sku":"9780140447941","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4a1f382a-6db3-4893-a545-b26c82863659.jpg?v=1768303479","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-iliad-9780140447941","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}