Wow what a journey - I finished the last 3 books a few weeks ago before a busy time at work. The last book is like a breath of fresh air after all the carnage - fewer feckless gods and more bare vulnerable humanity. For a modern exploration of book 24 also check out Ransom by David Malouf.
I can't believe it took me this long to read The Iliad. It was incredible! Book 24 in particular was so moving. The meeting between Achilles and Priam is one I'll reread over and over again. (For what it's worth, I found a video of Emily Wilson reading this scene in her translation and in ancient Greek: https://youtu.be/FQtgFDmKic0?feature=shared. Got to love the drama--she really goes for it!)
The Iliad ultimately is a poem about anger and its consequences. Agamemnon's slight in Book 1 enrages Achilles. Furious, Achilles refuses to fight--so Patroclus goes in his stead and is killed in battle. The loss of his dearest friend unleashes Achilles' "cataclysmic wrath." He slaughters scores of Trojans, including Hector. But it's not enough because, as Achilles himself says, "human life does not come back again / after it passes through the fence of teeth." Patroclus is dead, and there's nothing Achilles can do to bring him back. Only when Priam comes before Achilles to beg for his son's body to bury does Achilles' wrath melt into grief. Together, the two men cry for those they've lost because that's all they can do.
I enjoy reading the classics because they are both timeless and timely. Despite being 3,000 years old, The Iliad is still relevant today. People still get angry and do things they regret. They still feel loss and pain. But by reading this story we can be a little wiser. We can be a little less quick to anger. We can extend a bit more grace to one another. In the end, whether we're a king or a warrior or common soldier, our fate is all the same.
Fantastic Matthew! what a brilliant exploration of The Iliad (some of which I supplemented by plodding through in the original using Clyde Phar’s Homeric Greek text from my Classics Days!) looking forward to the Odyssey! Many thanks!
Not the ending I was expecting but stunning nonetheless. In a way it does not feel like the end, and certainly not in our modern story-framing paradigm, (unless we revisit it with Hector as the central character all along?) Is Achilles changed or does he just have a moment?
Thanks Matthew for being our guide, I can’t imagine all the work that went into your weekly dispatch.
It was great to be submerged in all the madness of an ancient war that (maybe never) took place some 3000 years ago. Thanks for guiding us through. Now we’re back to witnessing the madness of the present-day warmongers. Human kind clearly is not getting any smarter, but at least we also still have great poets and writers making reality a little bit more bearable.
I am so glad I found this group to go through The Iliad together! Matthew, your wrap up with each book was wonderful as it helped tie the books together in my mind. Thank you for all of the work you have put into this. I am so ready for The Odyssey!
Thank you, for all the time, effort and love that you put into this great readalong. I also want to thank you for this wonderful testament you wrote to summarise the Iliad. Thank you.
I’m also echoing everyone’s thanks for leading us on this journey. I never would have read this on my own. I especially appreciate all the hard work you put into the weekly summary and analysis. It was extremely helpful. It was surprising how much I actually enjoyed the reading. I’m also looking forward to the Odyssey and continuing this journey with all of you.
Wow what a journey - I finished the last 3 books a few weeks ago before a busy time at work. The last book is like a breath of fresh air after all the carnage - fewer feckless gods and more bare vulnerable humanity. For a modern exploration of book 24 also check out Ransom by David Malouf.
Look forward to embarking on the Odyssey.
I can't believe it took me this long to read The Iliad. It was incredible! Book 24 in particular was so moving. The meeting between Achilles and Priam is one I'll reread over and over again. (For what it's worth, I found a video of Emily Wilson reading this scene in her translation and in ancient Greek: https://youtu.be/FQtgFDmKic0?feature=shared. Got to love the drama--she really goes for it!)
The Iliad ultimately is a poem about anger and its consequences. Agamemnon's slight in Book 1 enrages Achilles. Furious, Achilles refuses to fight--so Patroclus goes in his stead and is killed in battle. The loss of his dearest friend unleashes Achilles' "cataclysmic wrath." He slaughters scores of Trojans, including Hector. But it's not enough because, as Achilles himself says, "human life does not come back again / after it passes through the fence of teeth." Patroclus is dead, and there's nothing Achilles can do to bring him back. Only when Priam comes before Achilles to beg for his son's body to bury does Achilles' wrath melt into grief. Together, the two men cry for those they've lost because that's all they can do.
I enjoy reading the classics because they are both timeless and timely. Despite being 3,000 years old, The Iliad is still relevant today. People still get angry and do things they regret. They still feel loss and pain. But by reading this story we can be a little wiser. We can be a little less quick to anger. We can extend a bit more grace to one another. In the end, whether we're a king or a warrior or common soldier, our fate is all the same.
Fantastic Matthew! what a brilliant exploration of The Iliad (some of which I supplemented by plodding through in the original using Clyde Phar’s Homeric Greek text from my Classics Days!) looking forward to the Odyssey! Many thanks!
Thanks, Matthew.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough:
https://www.gilliamwritersgroup.com/blog/reading-recommendation-ransom-by-david-malouf
Not the ending I was expecting but stunning nonetheless. In a way it does not feel like the end, and certainly not in our modern story-framing paradigm, (unless we revisit it with Hector as the central character all along?) Is Achilles changed or does he just have a moment?
Thanks Matthew for being our guide, I can’t imagine all the work that went into your weekly dispatch.
Thank you for this wonderful journey, looking forward to Odyssey.
I’m so happy with this whole project! ❤️ Extremely ambitious and so well done.
Thank you Matthew, I was able to finish the Iliad with your help.
A beautifully humane moment in a brutal epic. Thanks for spotlighting this timeless scene
It was great to be submerged in all the madness of an ancient war that (maybe never) took place some 3000 years ago. Thanks for guiding us through. Now we’re back to witnessing the madness of the present-day warmongers. Human kind clearly is not getting any smarter, but at least we also still have great poets and writers making reality a little bit more bearable.
I am so glad I found this group to go through The Iliad together! Matthew, your wrap up with each book was wonderful as it helped tie the books together in my mind. Thank you for all of the work you have put into this. I am so ready for The Odyssey!
Thank you, for all the time, effort and love that you put into this great readalong. I also want to thank you for this wonderful testament you wrote to summarise the Iliad. Thank you.
I’m also echoing everyone’s thanks for leading us on this journey. I never would have read this on my own. I especially appreciate all the hard work you put into the weekly summary and analysis. It was extremely helpful. It was surprising how much I actually enjoyed the reading. I’m also looking forward to the Odyssey and continuing this journey with all of you.
Thank you for gently guiding us through this text. Something I could never have achieved without your weekly reflections.