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Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world's greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns, the heroism and treachery of its combatants unmatched in song and story. Driven by fierce passions and loyalties, men and gods battle to a devastating conclusion. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife. Though the stormy god of the ocean has sworn vengeance against him, and witches and sirens try to lure him off course, Odysseus is clever and has the brilliant goddess Athena on his side.… (more)
The Iliad and The Odyssey are epics written by Greek poet Homer. The Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus the king of Ithaca and his struggle to get home after the Trojan War. The story takes place over a time span of ten years but the poem mainly covers the final six weeks the story. The poem is a tale of cunning over strength with Odysseus using his wits to battle the god's and mythical creatures to return home to his son and wife. The Iliad on the other hand is a battle of strength over wit. It takes place during the final weeks of the Trojan war and shows the story of Achilles and Hector. The epic portrays many themes such as pride, hubris and most importantly heroism. The story explores what a hero is and doesn't outright say who the hero of the story is instead we are left to question was it Achilles the man who's rage and destruction caused death to those around him or Hector who fought to protect his family and people. The epic is not black and white good or bad instead it explores both sides and shows what the war is like. ( )
How do you imply the word epic and still allow more room for well....just being EPIC? This is the Great Grandfather of EPIC stories. These two volumes over the millennia have laid the ground work for what Heroes, villians and far reaching adventure would ever be. There is not much that can be said that literature is not already aware of when it comes to the horizons, characters and scope of the men, women and everything else in these stories. ( )
Homer’s two best known epics — “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” — are two of my favorite history related pieces and two of my favorite (epic) poems. There is a lot of repetition in these epics due to the fact that they were originally told orally — and over a few days — before being written down. After reading both, I tend to prefer “The Odyssey,” but I definitely highly recommend both to any reader since these two epic poems have had such a great influence over modern day writing and storytelling. ( )
I haven't finished it. The recording and translation are fine, but I find the convention of introducing each section with a summary, the telling the tale, then ending the section with the summary again boring boyond words. If anyone knows of a version that avoides this (in print or audio), please let me know. ( )
Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
An Friedrich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg 1780
First words
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.
Quotations
Then forth he came, his both knees falt'ring, both / His strong hands hanging down, and all with froth / His cheeks and nostrils flowing, voice and breath / Spent to all use, and down he sank to death. / The sea had soak'd his heart through; all his veins / His toils had rack'd t'a labouring woman's pains, / Dead-weary was he.
And Zeus said: “Hera, you can choose some other time for paying your visit to Oceanus — for the present let us devote ourselves to love and to the enjoyment of one another. Never yet have I been so overpowered by passion neither for goddess nor mortal woman as I am at this moment for yourself — not even when I was in love with the wife of Ixion who bore me Pirithoüs, peer of gods in counsel, nor yet with Danaë, the daintly ankled daughter of Acrisius, who bore me the famed hero Perseus. Then there was the daughter of Phonenix, who bore me Minos and Rhadamanthus. There was Semele, and Alcmena in Thebes by whom I begot my lion-hearted son Heracles, while Samele became mother to Bacchus, the comforter of mankind. There was queen Demeter again, and lovely Leto, and yourself — but with none of these was I ever so much enamored as I now am with you.”
Then forth he came, his both knees falt'ring, both / His strong hands hanging down, and all with froth / His cheeks and nostrils flowing, voice and breath / Spent to all use, and down he sank to death. / The sea had soak'd his heart through; all his veins / His toils had rack'd t'a labouring woman's pains, / Dead-weary was he.
Last words
Then Minerva assumed the form and voice of Mentor, and presently made a covenant of peace between the two contending parties.
This work contains both (and only) The Iliad and The Odyssey. It should not be combined with either work separately or with Greek versions of the same texts (due to the "dead languages" exception).
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world's greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns, the heroism and treachery of its combatants unmatched in song and story. Driven by fierce passions and loyalties, men and gods battle to a devastating conclusion. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife. Though the stormy god of the ocean has sworn vengeance against him, and witches and sirens try to lure him off course, Odysseus is clever and has the brilliant goddess Athena on his side.
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Wikipedia in English (2)
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