The Iliad (Section 1: Books 1-12)

The Iliad is one of the first written works in Western literature, and undoubtedly one of the greatest. Although the story of its composition and recording remains a subject of scholarly debate, we can tentatively date it to the late 8^th or early 7^th Century BCE. It is impossible to overestimate its importance which extends beyond literature to influence art, culture, society and morals – Alexander the Great carried the copy given to him by Aristotle on his campaigns, and John Keats was inspired to write one of his most perfect sonnets after a night of reading.  

The Iliad is a thrilling and heart-wrenching poem about war, human mortality and loss. But it is also about friendship, families, the natural world, love and redemption. One of the joys of the work, and perhaps why re-reading is so rewarding, is the richness and relatability of Homer’s world. Richness takes many forms, including a huge cast of characters, vivid language and similes, and how invested we become in this epic story. Homer invites us into a world that is both familiar and strange. The society is patriarchal, slave-holding, monarchical and polytheistic. The text is more than two and a half thousand years old, yet the characters speak directly to our own experience. Who hasn’t feared for a loved one? Or been mad at their boss (hopefully not mad enough to draw a sword against them)? Or wondered at the beauty of the sunrise?

Emily Wilson’s new translation of The Iliad was published to critical acclaim in 2023:

“Wilson’s approachable storytelling tone invites us in, only to startle us with eruptions of beauty… Wilson’s transformation of such a familiar and foundational work is astonishing.”

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, The Atlantic

Using iambic pentameter – the rhythm of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton – Wilson’s translation has the lyrical quality the Ancient Greeks would have experienced as the work is so closely linked to performance. Her writing is brisk and readable and brings a fresh perspective to an ancient tale. It offers additional resources – including maps, footnotes and introduction – which support our reading and engagement with the text.

“Wilson’s translation, in iambic pentameter, runs as swift as a bloody river, teems with the clattering sounds of war, bursts with the warriors’ hunger for battle, and almost every line pulses with endless, terrible loss and mourning: death after death after death.”

Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian

We will combine a close reading of the text with bonus features: poems and art inspired by the epic, consideration of the psychology of war and images of museum exhibits.

The study is divided into two sections: the first six sessions will cover books 1-12, followed by a two-week break and then six further sessions for the final 12 books.

JOINING DETAILS:

• Twelve meeting study on Zoom in two six-week sections, facilitated by Caroline Hammond and Susanna Taggart
• Wednesdays, 6.00-8.00 pm (UK), six meetings from 18 September to 23 October (books 1-12), NO meetings on 30 October and 6 November, six further meetings from 13 November to 18 December (books 13-24).
• We’ll use Emily Wilson’s translation of The Iliad by Homer (ISBN-10: 1324076143 ; ISBN-13: 978-1324076148)
• £210 for the first six meetings (books 1-12) with two facilitators, to include opening notes and resources.