The Iliad: The Epic Classic - Hardcover

by Homer (Author), Tom Butler-Bowdon (Editor)

A timeless tale of war, pride, and the cost of glory

Homer's Iliad stands as one of the greatest achievements in Western literature. Set during the final weeks of the Trojan War, the epic centres on Achilles, the Greeks' greatest warrior, whose pride and wrath threaten the fate of his comrades. As the armies of Troy and Greece clash, the poem explores the heroism and horror of battle, the bonds of friendship, and the tragic consequences of vengeance.

With gods intervening at every turn and legendary figures such as Hector, Agamemnon, and Patroclus shaping the conflict, The Iliad is both a gripping war story and a profound meditation on mortality, honour, and fate.

Inside the book:

• The dramatic conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon, and the complexities of heroism
• Scenes of epic battles, duels, and the fall of heroes
• Themes of pride, wrath, honour, and the intervention of the gods
• Modern translation and Introduction by Prof. Ian Johnston

Ideal for readers drawn to epic poetry, classical history, and the enduring questions of human nature, The Iliad is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the roots of Western storytelling.

Back Jacket

THE EPIC THAT TAUGHT US THE MEANING OF HEROISM

For nearly three thousand years, Homer's The Iliad has stood as the foundational epic of Western literature. Composed in the eighth century BCE, this monumental poem shaped how subsequent generations understood heroism, honour, mortality, and the devastating consequences of war. Its influence extends from ancient tragedy to modern fiction. The Iliad remains as morally complex and emotionally resonant today as when it was first composed.

Author Biography

Homer was an ancient Greek poet believed to have lived in the 8th century BCE. He is the author of two of the most significant epic poems in Western literature, The Iliad and The Odyssey, celebrated for their narrative depth and exploration of human experience.

Ian Johnston is Professor Emeritus of Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College) in British Columbia, Canada, where he taught Classics and English. He has translated Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Aristotle, Homer, Ovid and Sophocles, and modern works by Kant, Kafka, Montaigne and Nietzsche. He is the author of The Ironies of War: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad (1987).

Tom Butler-Bowdon is editor of the Capstone Classics series and has written introductions to Machiavelli's The Prince, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, and Wallace Wattles' The Science of Getting Rich. A graduate of the London School of Economics, he is also the author of 50 Self-Help Classics, 50 Success Classics, and 50 Psychology Classics.