Emily Wilson’s Iliad

Wilson’s 2018 translation of Homer’s Odyssey garnered wide praise, bringing a contemporary sound and sensibility to a new generation of readers. She highlighted elements of the poem—such as relationships mediated by gender, wealth, poverty and power—that previous translators had overlooked or suppressed. Her new translation of Homer’s other great epic, the Iliad, promises to be equally provocative and captivating.

The Iliad, European literature’s first great work, takes an unflinching look at the nature and costs, of war. Its story takes place over just a few pivotal weeks near the end of a Bronze-Age Greek army’s ten-year siege of the great city of Troy—a war fought nominally to punish Trojans for the abduction of their queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. The invading Greek army’s greatest warrior, Achilles, withdraws from the fighting after a dispute with their leader Agamemnon, bringing the threat of defeat and destruction upon the Greeks. Achilles’ action precipitates devastating results for both sides, ultimately leading to the fall of Troy itself.

Though memorable for its scenes of bloody battle and the squabbling of the gods on Olympus, the Iliad exudes an intense humanity, infusing a tragic longing for peace amid the seeming inevitability of war and destruction. Homer invites us to put ourselves into the world of the war: a place no one wants to be, where the gods seem unpredictable, and where there’s a genuine question of whether justice is anywhere to be found. We are challenged to take seriously the warriors’ values of honour and glory, which may be very different from values we hold.

From almost three thousand years ago, this great epic poem raises the fundamental questions that still matter today: questions about what is worth living—and dying—for, about honour, community, justice, love, and loyalty, as the story’s characters search to make sense of their own mortality.

Registrants who book a place on our April 2025 Greece tour with Mark save 50% on this seminar. Contact us for details at info@classicalpursuits.com.

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