Table Of ContentLAY
PENGUIN CLASSICS (0) D ELUYUXE EDITION
PR PP P PP B B B S B BB
TRANSLATED BY
ROBERT FAGLES
INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY BERNARD KNOX
Winner of an Academy of American Poets Landon Translation Award
Praise for The Iliad
"Robert Fagles is the best living translator of ancient Greek drama, lyric po
etry, and epic into modern English."
-Garry Wills, The New Yorker
"Fagles' [translation] is more supple than Lattimore's, more sinewy than
Fitzgerald's. [He] has done what any translator must do, which is to make
dozens of decisions in each line, hundreds on each page. Most of them, in this
version, are sensible and shrewd, at least reasonable and quite often brilliant."
-Chicago Tribune
"An astonishing performance . . . . T here is no modern version of the whole
Iliad which is better or as good, and this should now become the standard
translation for a new generation."
-Peter Levi
" [Fagles'] masterful English version of the ancient Greek classic is a stunning
success . . . . A superb achievement of style, Fagles' Iliad is clear, direct, ener
getic, forceful, rapid, and rhythmical. Full of kinetic power, the clutter-free
English has an extraordinary momentum."
-The Nashville Banner
"Robert Fagles' translation of the Iliad should have the force of revelation for
English readers . . . . W ith the vivid concreteness of its diction, the poise and
energy of its rhythms, and its aptly idiomatic compactness, this is likely to be
come the English Iliad for the next generation."
-Robert Alter, University of California, Berkeley
"Robert Fagles now offers a verse translation that explains what readers need
to know, in clear, vigorous language that still retains a sense of the sweep
and the sonority of the original."
-The Washington Post
"Here is an admirably rigorous version, sure to appeal to the modern student;
Bernard I<nox's excellent Introduction and Notes make it particularly valuable."
-Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, Regius Professor of Greek, Emeritus,
Oxford University
" [Fagles] conveys, far better than either Lattimore or Fitzgerald, the psycho
logical experience of combat and war . . . . H ere is the best modern Iliad for
us and our students, the dramatic poem of force we need to show us the pos
sibilities of civilization in our most horrible endeavor."
-Classical World
"Very strong . . . h ighly aural, wonderful to sound aloud. This big and wel
come new Fagles achievement is specially well served by Bernard Knox's
Introduction and Na tes. Every lover of Homer will want to see this."
-Emily Vermeule, Harvard University
"If every plot ever conceived, every screenplay ever written can be traced to the
Iliad, then Fagles' powerful new translation should be sent to Schwarzenegger.
This is a plain-speaking version, fully comfortable with blood and violence, that
pulls the reader forward with a deadly magnetism."
-People magazine
"A truly superb achievement-eminently rapid, plain and direct in all de
partments, and (dare one say it?) noble."
-Paul Muldoon, The Times Literary Supplement
"The strength of Fagles' translation lies not only in its narrative drive and
the power of its best passages, but in its conception, the strongly interpretive
line it takes on the meaning of the whole poem. In its almost unmitigated
violence, Fagles' version, more than any other I have read, speaks to the
bloody history of our century . . . . [ It] convinces me that I had not previ
ously understood the richness and contemporary value of the poem."
-David Mason, The Hudson Review
"A stylistic tour de force."
-The Christian Science Monitor
"[Fagles'] new translation of what is arguably Western civilization's greatest
epic poem is a literary event of the greatest magnitude . . . . [ His] crispness of
language, elegant rhythms and striking imagery combine to give an old ac
quaintance a bright and lively new look."
-Nicholas Basbanes, Worcester Telegram and Gazette
"An Iliad to read aloud: eloquent, rhythmical, and full of power."
-Jasper Griffin, Balliol College, Oxford
"Fagles' new translation of the Iliad is a kind of restoration, like the restora
tion of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, for it restores, as it were, the Greek's
vividness and immediacy, so often lost in translation. . . . It will be a joy, for
a long time to come, to teach and to reread this brilliant translation."
-Michael Simpson, The Sewanee Review
"An absolutely brilliant-I have seen none better-Introduction on the his
tory and content of the Iliad . . [Robert Fagles] has captured another of the
. .
epic's supreme qualities-its speed and urgency."
-Enoch Powell, The Daily Telegraph
"In a time of impending peace, one reads the great tragic poem about the
all-consuming power of war with a special shudder. Robert Fagles has made
a masterly translation of this devastating story."
-Roger Rosenblatt
"This is quite simply the finest translation of the Iliad that America has pro
duced and the best of this century in any language known to me. The trans
lator has kept the interests and needs of the reader always uppermost, and
we could not wish for more instruction or delight from a work taken from
an ancient foreign language and put so majestically into our own."
-Ward W. Briggs III, Southern Humanities Review
"Eminently Homeric, Fagles' version displays rapidity, simplicity, directness
and often, nobility. This is no line-for-line rendering, but it is a fine achieve
ment, lively and attractive, a pleasure to use."
-Christopher Stace, The Sunday Telegraph
"In Robert Fagles' beautifully rendered text, the Iliad overwhelms us afresh.
The huge themes-godlike, yet utterly human-of savagery and calculation,
of destiny defied, of triumph and grief compel our own humanity."
-Francis Steegmuller
"This translation .. . does complete justice to the theme and to Homer's
poem. Fagles' rendition is powerful and fluid, carrying the reader on the
wings of its surging rhythm, entirely appropriate to the bard's elevated and
often heartbreaking eloquence."
-The Memphis Commercial Appeal
"Fagles' Homer, Sophocles, and especially Aeschylus may one day stand in
relation to their originals as the I<ing James Version to Greek and Hebrew
Scripture." -Jeffrey M. Perl, Common J(nowledge
"One of the most distinguished American translators of ancient Greek,
Robert Fagles has been widely and deservedly honored in the past year for
his trans la tio n of the Odyssey; yet his devoted work as a translator encom
passes decades, and includes the Iliad, the Oresteia of Aeschylus, and Three
Theban Plays of Sophocles. In honoring Robert Fagles we will honor the dif
ficult art of translation itself, which few of us could hope to master and from
which all of us benefit enormously."
-Joyce Carol Oates, Citation for Fagles' induction into the
American Academy of Arts and Letters in May, 1998
The Iliad was chosen as a selection of The Book-of-the-Month Club, The
Quality Paperback Book Club, The Canadian Book-of-the-Month Club, and
as a dual main selection of The Readers Subscription Book Club ( with Robert
Fagles' translation of the Odyssey). It was also chosen by The History Book
Club, The Softback Preview Book Club, and The Folio Society.
@
PENGUIN CLASSICS DELUXE EDITION
THE ILIAD
The Greeks believed that the and the were composed by a
Iliad Odyssey
single poet whom they named Homer. Nothing is known of his life.
While seven Greek cities claim the honor of being his birthplace, ancient
tradition places him in Ionia, located in the eastern Aegean. His birth
date is undocumented as well, though most modern scholars now place
the composition of the and the in the late eighth or early
Iliad Odyssey
seventh century
B.c.
ROBERT F AGLES is Arthur W. Marks ' 1 9 Professor of Comparative Litera
ture, Emeritus, at Princeton University. He is the recipient of the 1 997
PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1 996 Academy
Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Fagles has been elected to the Academy, the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He has translat
ed the poems of Bacchylides. His translations of Sophocles'
Three Theban
Aeschylus' (nominated for a National Book Award) and
Plays, Oresteia
Homer's (winner of the 1 99 1 Harold Morton Landon Translation
Iliad
Award by The Academy of American Poets, an award from The
Translation Center of Columbia University, and the New Jersey
Humanities Book Award) are published in Penguin Classics. His origi
nal poetry and his translations have appeared in many journals and
reviews, as well as in his book of poems,
I, Vincent: Poems from the
Mr. Fagles was one of the associate editors of
Pictures of Van Gogh.
Maynard Mack's Twickenham Edition of Alexander Pope's and
Iliad
and, with George Steiner, edited
Odyssey, Homer: A Collection of Critical
Essays.
BERNARD I<Nox is Director Emeritus of Harvard's Center for Hellenic
Studies in Washington, D.C. His essays and reviews have appeared in
numerous publications and in 1 978 he won the George Jean Nathan
Award for Dramatic Criticism. His works include
Oedipus at Thebes: Sopho
cles ' Tragic Hero and His Time; The Heroic Temper: Studies in Sophoclean
Tragedy; Word and Action: Essays on the Ancient Theatre; Essays Ancient and
(awarded the 1 989 PEN/Spielvogel-Diamonstein Award);
Modern The
and
Oldest Dead White European Males and Other Reflections on the Classics;
Mr. Knox is
Backing into the Future: The Classical Tradition and its Renewal.
the editor of and has also collab
The Norton Book of Classical Literature,
orated with Robert Fagles on the and
Odyssey The Three Theban Plays.
Other Books by Robert Fagles
Homer: A Collection of Critical Essays
( Co-ed. with George Steiner, and contributor)
The Twickenham Edition of Pope's Iliad and Odyssey
(Assoc. Ed. among others under Maynard Mack)
I Vincent: Poems from the Pictures of Van Gogh
TRANSLATIONS
Bacchylides: Complete Poems
(with Adam Parry)
Aeschylus: The Oresteia
(with W. B. Stanford)
Sophocles: The Three Theban Plays
(with Bernard Knox)
Homer: The Odyssey
(with Bernard I<nox)
Other Books by Bernard I<nox
Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' Tragic Hero and His Time
Sophocles, Oedipus the l<ing (Trans.)
The Heroic Temper: Studies in Sophoclean Tragedy
Word and Action: Essays on the Ancient Theater
Essays Ancient and Modern
The Oldest Dead White European Males and Other Reflections on the Classics
The Norton Book of Classical Literature (Ed.)
Backing Into the Future: The Classical Tradition and Its Renewal
H 0 ME R
The
•
TRANSLATED BY
Robert Fagles
INTRODUCTION AND
NOTES BY
BERNARD I<NOX
PENG UIN BO O KS
PENGUIN BOOKS
Publisbhyet dh eP enguGirno up
PenguGirno up( USAI)n c3.7,5 H udsoSnt reNeetw, Y orkN,e w York1 0014U,. S.A.
PenguBiono kLst d8,0 S tranLdo,n doWnC 2R ORL,E ngland
PenguBiono kAsu straLltida2, 5 0C amberweRlola dC,a mberweVlilc,t o3r1i2a4 A,u stralia
PenguBiono kCsa nadLat d1,0 A lcorAnv enuTeo,r ontOon,t ariCoa,n adMa4 V 3B2
PenguBiono kIsn di(aP L)t d1,1 C ommuniCteyn trPea,n chshPeaerlkN ,e w Delh-i1 100 17I,n dia
PenguGirno up( NZ)c,n rA irborannedR osedaRloea dsA,l banAyu,c kla1n3d1 0N,e w Zealand
PenguBiono k(sS ouAtfhr ic(aP)t Lyt)d 2,4 S turdAevee nue,
RosebanJko,h annesb2u1r9g6S ,o utAhf rica
PenguBiono kLst dR,e gisteOrfefdi c8e0sS :t ranLdo,n doWnC 2R ORL,E ngland
First published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin,
a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. 19 90
Published in Penguin Books 19 91
This edition published in Penguin Books 1998
20 19 18 17 16 15
Copyright© Robert Fagles, 1990
Introduction and notes copyright© Bernard Knox, 1990
Maps copyright© Anita Karl and James Kemp, 1990
All rights reserved
Books 3, 18, and 22 of this version of the Iliad appeared originally in Grand Street, Book 6
in TriQuarterly. Part of Bernard Knox's Introduction appeared in Grand Street.
The illustrations on display pages are traditional Greek motifs, redrawn by Ann Gold.
CAUTION: This translation in its printed form is designed for the reading public only. All
dramatic rights in it are fully protected by copyright, and no public or private
performances-professional or amateur-and no public readings for profit may be given
without the written permission of Robert Fagles and the payment of a royalty. Anyone
disregarding the translator's rights renders himself liable to prosecution.
Communications should be addressed to Mr. Fagles' representative, Georges Borchardt,
Inc., 136 East 57th Street, New York, New York 10022, U.S.A.
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGUED THE HARDCOVER AS FOLLOWS:
Homer.
[Iliad. English]
The Iliad I Homer; translated by Robert Fagles;
introduction and notes by Bernard Knox.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Achilles (Greek mythology) -Poetry. 2. Trojan War-Poetry. I. Fagles, Robert.
II. Knox, Bernard MacGregor Walker. III. Title.
ISBN 0-670-83510-2 (he.)
ISBN 0 14 02.7536 3 (pbk.)
PA4025.A2F33 1990
883'.0l-dc20 89-70695
Set in Meridian
Designed by Ann Gold
Illustrations are traditional Greek motifs
Printed in the United States of America
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it
shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated
without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being
imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
