This volume is a distinctive critical introduction to <strong>Homer</strong>'s Iliad, the earliest epic poem. The author deals with the poem's historical contex... » 

This volume is a distinctive critical introduction to Homer's Iliad, the earliest epic poem. The author deals with the poem's historical context,its composition and its extensive influence,and relates its literary powerto the peculiar coherence and inter-relational of such aspects of the poem as its style, character-portrayaland ideology. Through use of quatation from the original and accompanying English translation,close attention is paid to the distinctive texture of Homeric poetry. It is essential reading for students of literature and classics. «