Read about a contemporary novel on the list.The Iliad
by Homer, translated by Richmond Lattimore
The gods and goddesses of Greek mythology are at their most destructive in Homer's bloody epic. While the focus is on the rage of the human hero Achilles, the meddling deities are both spectactors and manipulators of the battle between Trojans and Acheans -- and sometimes they even join in. For a more personal relationship between an individual and his divine patron, follow this with The Odyssey, in which "gray-eyed" Athena helps Odysseus survive his perilous journey back to Ithaca.
The Iliad also appears on Madeline Miller's list of ten favorite classical works, Bettany Hughes's six best books list, James Anderson Winn's five best list of works of war poetry, and John Mullan's lists of ten of the best funerals in literature and ten of the best examples of ekphrasis. It is one of Karl Marlantes's top ten war stories.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
