Title of the Book: Plus a Subtitle. Edited/ Translated by Firstname Lastname, Publisher, Year of Publication. Homer. The Iliad.

from the line numbers. E.g., Book 1, lines 1-8 of the Iliad would be cited as: (1.1-8). When citing plays, use Arabic numerals inside parentheses and use periods to separate act, scene, and line numbers; e.g., Act 2, scene 2, lines 56-89 would be cited as: (2.2. 56-89).

The Homeric poems (the Iliad and the Odyssey) are epic, because our concept of epic comes from Homeric poems. If that sounds too circular, then just bear in mind that the Iliad is an extremely long narrative poem, which deals with the heroic actions of mortals, gods, and demi-gods.

An epic is a long, episodic narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a historical or mystical hero. “The Odyssey”, by Homer, is an epic because Odysseus (the hero) faces supernatural antagonists, the gods and goddesses play an important role, and Odysseus is being restored as a rightful leader.

The Odyssey, like its companion poem, The Iliad , is an epic poem, meaning an exalted story of a warrior-like hero’s journey and dealings with the gods, told in a formal poetic structure. Dactylic hexameter, epithets, and epic similes became conventions of epic poetry after The Iliad and The Odyssey.

The Odyssey is not a difficult book to read when it is translated into English! Because we translate the text into modern English it can be a lot easier to read than Shakespeare!

Juan Francisco Although they’re not exactly sequential, I’d recommend you to read The Iliad first, then The Odyssey. The Iliad provides you huge context, involving the Trojan War, plenty of characters (including Odysseus), and the cosmovision of Ancient Greece.

For the first-time reader, probably the hardest thing about Homer’s Iliad is its language. And once you get past the weird cultural details (reading the introduction to your edition will help), the poem is extremely accessible. The characters are vivid, and every reader will find someone to identify with.

While the Iliad is focused on the war, battles, and fights, the Odyssey is a tale about adventures, trials, and mythological creatures. The Iliad is about 16,000 lines long, and the Odyssey 12,000 of hexameter with two or three rhyme schemes. In his view, Achilles is the better hero, so the Iliad is a better poem.

The Iliad is the archetypal war story, and at the same time it is an anti-war story. It shows us the heroism and also the tragedy and senselessness of war. It is the prototype of all wars and all war stories. It puts human faces to the struggle and the suffering.

The Odyssey

Generally speaking, the best and closest to the original in meter is Richard Lattimore’s translation of the Iliad & the Odyssey. I have read Chapman’s Homer (the version that was praised by Keats) as well as others.

The Iliad (Dover Thrift Editions)

The Odyssey (Puffin Classics) by Geraldine McCaughrean is a good choice for middle readers who just want the narrative with no frills in an inexpensive condensed version. This one is just over a hundred pages, with easy-to-read language that gives students a good introduction to the epic in a non-epic format.

Lots of war. Odysseus is a quick thinker and is very smart. However, there is a lot of violence. Tweens should be able to handle it.

“The Odyssey” has been called the first novel. It’s also one of the best. If you want to read a terrific story told in passionately vivid language, you might take a look at this ancient masterpiece.