Homer’s great epic of a hero’s journey home—inspiration for the major motion picture by Christopher Nolan—in a bold, contemporary, and refreshingly readable translation."Wilson’s language is fresh, unpretentious and lean. . . . It is rare to find a translation that is at once so effortlessly easy to read and so rigorously considered." —Madeline Miller, author of CirceComposed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost thr...

While Homer's existence as a historical person is still a topic of debate, the writings attributed to the name have made their mark not only on Greek history and literature, but upon western civilization itself. Homer's epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey, laid the foundation upon which Ancient Greece developed not only its culture, but its societal values, religious beliefs, and practice of warfare as well.

**“Wilson’s Iliad is clear and brisk, its iambic pentameter a zone of enchantment.” —Ange Mlinko, London Review of BooksThe greatest literary landmark of antiquity masterfully rendered by the most celebrated translator of our time.**When Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was “fresh, unpretentious and lean” (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it ...

Odysseus has been away from Ithaca, the Greek city-state under his rule, for ten years while fighting in the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, Odysseus begins the long journey home to his wife and son; however, his journey is plagued by misfortune as the gods feud over his fate, leaving the Ithacans to believe that he has died. The Odyssey is attributed to the poet Homer and, after its companion poem the Iliad, is the second-oldest surviving work of Western literature. Composed sometime ...

**The great epic of Western literature, translated by the acclaimed classicist Robert Fagles, hailed as “the best living translator of ancient Greek drama, lyric poetry, and epic into modern English” (Garry Wills, The New Yorker)Now a major motion picture directed by Christopher NolanA Penguin Classic**“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.” So begins Ro...

After ten years of wandering, Odysseus must navigate a sea of monsters and divine wrath to reclaim his throne and family. This foundational epic explores the resilience of the human spirit against the overwhelming whims of the gods. Experience a journey of cunning and survival that defined the Western literary tradition. Every trial faced on the wine-dark sea tests the limits of mortal endurance and loyalty.

The Odyssey by Homer is one of the great foundational works of world literature: an epic tale of adventure, endurance, temptation, and the longing for home. After the fall of Troy, Odysseus begins a dangerous journey back to Ithaca, where his wife Penelope and son Telemachus await him. His voyage leads him through storms, monsters, enchantresses, divine anger, and impossible trials. From the Cyclops and Circe to the Sirens and the wrath of Poseidon, each encounter tests his courage, intell...

The Iliad is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Odyssey, the poem is divided into 24 books and was written in dactylic hexameter. It contains 15,693 lines in its most widely accepted version. Set towards the end of the Trojan War, a ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Mycenaean Greek states, the poem depicts significant events in the siege's fin...

At war with the Trojans for ten years, all Odysseus wants is to return home to his wife and son. Setting out on a voyage that will take ten more years, the king of Ithaca encounters storms, sirens, and a murderous Cyclops, thwarted at every turn by gods and men. Meanwhile, his loyal wife Penelope is plagued by suitors, who are determined to win her hand in marriage. With a little help from his son Telemachus and the goddess Athena, Odysseus reaches the shores of Ithaca and reclaims his rig...

The great war epic of Western literature, in a stunning translation by acclaimed classicist Robert FaglesA Penguin ClassicDating to the ninth century B.C., Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in ...

It is the tenth year of the Trojan War. The Greek allies have laid siege to the city of Troy, but the leaders of the Greek factions are beginning to turn on one another. When Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, angers Achilles, leader of the Myrmidons, the gods begin to intervene more directly in the conflict, and the war becomes even more dangerous for the heroes of Greece and Troy. The Iliad is attributed to the poet Homer and is the earliest surviving work of Western literature. Composed so...

With her virtuoso translation, classicist and bestselling author Caroline Alexander brings to life Homer’s timeless heroic tale of the Trojan War.Composed around 730 B.C., Homer’s Iliad recounts the events of a few momentous weeks in the protracted ten-year military war between the invading Achaeans, or Greeks, and the Trojans in their besieged city of Ilion. From the explosive confrontation between Achilles, the greatest warrior at Troy, and Agamemnon, th...