The Iliad

November 1, 2015

In her controversial The War That Killed Achilles, Alexander, a classicist and prolific author (including books on Ernest Shackleton and the mutiny on the Bounty), argued that Homer's Iliad subverts the notions of heroic glory by its treatment of the tragedy and sadness of war. Emerging from that project is her own full translation of the Iliad, joining a significant field of influential modern versions, most recently those by Stanley Lombardo, Anthony Verity, Stephen Mitchell, Peter Green, and Barry B. Powell, as well as those of Richmond Lattimore, Robert Fitzgerald, and Robert Fagles. Alexander's Iliad closely resembles the spare and vigorous blank verse of Lattimore, following the line structure of Homer. Working from the premise that Homer did not sound archaic to his audience, Alexander's diction and syntax avoids the archaic elements of Fitzgerald or the contemporary tone of Lombardo and occasionally Fagles, seeking a line that sounds natural to the modern reader. VERDICT This powerful and readable version of the Iliad is modern without sacrificing the accuracy, energy, or the seriousness of the original. It is a toss-up between Alexander's translation and Lattimore's version, while Verity's or Powell's editions are desirable for those interested in a more philological translation.--Thomas L. Cooksey, formerly with Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah

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