The Iliad
Translation, Notes, and Introduction by Barry B. Powell
Reviews and Awards
"Each of these translations is an accomplishment its author can be proud of. If you want an Iliad for the beach, take Green's- for the study, Powell's." --Hayden Pelliccia, The New York Review of Books
"Magnetically readable." --Booklist, starred review
"Homer's raw and violent Iliad remains as timeless and beautiful as the myth itself...highly recommended." --Choice
"[A] clear and energetic translation.... Staying true to Homer's poetic rhythms, Powell avoids the modified iambic lines found in Lattimore's, Fagles's, and Mitchell's works. He also avoids Lombardo's tendency to cast Homer in contemporary language and Fitzgerald's anachronisms. This fine version of The Iliad has a feel for the Greek but is more accessible than Verity's translation." --Library Journal
"Barry Powell, the master of classical mythology, has done it again--a powerful translation of the poem that started European literature. His muscular verses are faithful to the original Greek but bring the characters to life. This is a page-turner, bound to become the new standard translation." --Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules--for Now
"This fine translation of the Iliad uses well-modulated verse and accurate English that is contemporary but never without dignity. It gives the modern reader as good an impression of Homer's sonorous Greek as one could hope to attain without learning the language; its execution is faithful in spirit to the poet, who composed his great epic orally without the use of writing. Both the translation and the introduction are consistently informed by the best recent scholarship. This translation deserves a very warm welcome." --Richard Janko, Gerald F. Else Distinguished University Professor of Classical Studies, University of Michigan
"Barry Powell's clever translation is simple and energetic: sometimes coarse, sometimes flowing, it is always poetically engaged. This is a harsh, straightforward, and often brutal world of aristocratic warriors whose values are unambiguous, priorities fixed, and sensibilities basic. Fresh and eminently readable, Powell's Iliad is likely to stay." --Margalit Finkelberg, Professor of Classics, University of Tel Aviv, and editor of The Homer Encyclopedia
"Barry Powell, a published poet and novelist, has produced an Iliad translation for the 21st century. Powell's translation beautifully conveys Homer's direct, yet often archaic, style; the introduction and notes situate the poem in its historical and literary context, so that a reader--specialist or otherwise--can appreciate the poem both as a product of its time and as a timeless work exercising its fascination in shifting ways on generations of readers for nearly 3,000 years." --John Bennet, Professor of Aegean Archaeology, University of Sheffield
"Powell's translation renders the Homeric Greek with a simplicity and dignity reminiscent of the original: graceful, matter of fact, poetic in a pleasantly understated way. Lucid and fast, the text immediately engrosses the reader, with a tight and balanced rhythm that sings, and with a closeness to the original that allows the reader to hear the incantatory repetitions in the Greek. More accessible than Lattimore, more poetic than Lombardo, and more accurate than Fagles or Fitzgerald, this translation is an excellent fit for today's students." --William A. Johnson, Professor of Classical Studies, Duke University
"With swift, transparent language that rings both ancient and modern, Barry Powell gives readers anew all of the rage, pleasure, pathos, and humor that are Homer's Iliad--a reading experience richly illumined by the insightful commentary and plentiful images accompanying the text." --Jane Alison, author of The Love-Artist
"Comprehensive and authoritative . . . highly recommended." --Choice
