9 h 35 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A quarrel empties a battlefield of its greatest warrior; far away, a household waits for a king who cannot come home.
In William Lucas Collins's guide to the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer's heroes come into focus through plain prose. At Troy, Achilles withdraws after Agamemnon takes his prize. Their quarrel costs lives, while Hector defends a city he fears may fall. Gods press their own wishes upon the fighting.
The Odyssey turns from rage to the longing for home. Odysseus faces monsters, magic and loss on his dangerous journey to Ithaca. There, Penelope holds off suitors while Telemachus searches for news of his father. Collins follows both stories and explains the customs that make a gift, a guest or a name matter so deeply.
What you’ll discover
- Pride with a terrible cost Follow Achilles's anger and see how a quarrel among leaders puts an army at risk.
- A defender and a family Meet Hector as both Troy's champion and a devoted husband and son.
- The long pull of home Share Odysseus's longing for Ithaca while Penelope and Telemachus struggle in his absence.
- Gods beside the heroes Explore Apollo's anger and Athena's guidance, and the customs behind the heroes' choices.
- Two sharply different moods Discover how anger, honor and mortality give way to the trials of homecoming.
Who will love it
For anyone who wants the shape of both Homer stories before a first reading or a class, or a refresher on their heroes and gods. For readers who enjoy war, wandering, family loyalty and homecoming, told in plain prose.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Homer's poems come from a spoken world
- A quarrel over a prize begins the wrath
- Gods and men meet on the plain
- Hector shows what war costs a family
- The fighting reaches the ships
- In Ithaca a household waits and breaks down
- Odysseus tells of monsters, magic and loss
- A beggar returns to a house of enemies
- Two poems, two moods, one way of telling
Who’s who
- AchillesThe greatest Greek warrior, proud and quick to anger, who withdraws from the war when Agamemnon takes his prize.
- AgamemnonThe leading Greek king, who brought the army to Troy and whose seizure of a prize starts the quarrel.
- HectorThe Trojan champion, a devoted husband and son who defends his city even though he fears it will fall.
- OdysseusThe cunning king of Ithaca, who spends years trying to reach home after the fall of Troy.
- PenelopeOdysseus's wife, who holds off a crowd of suitors with patience and tricks while she waits for him.
- TelemachusOdysseus's young son, who must grow up fast, stand against the suitors and search for news of his father.
- AthenaThe goddess of wisdom, who favors the Greeks in the Iliad and guides Odysseus and his son in the Odyssey.
- HelenThe woman whose abduction began the Trojan War, living with regret in Troy and later in Sparta.
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Homer: The Iliad & The Odyssey
Achilles withdraws from war over a stolen prize, while Odysseus faces a dangerous sea to reach his home and family.
Medium level5–10 hours to readEnglish
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In short
A gift, a guest or a name can matter more than a life in the world of Homer. W.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Homer's poems come from a spoken world
Collins begins with the question every reader asks. Who was Homer? The Greeks spoke of a blind singer from the Ionian coast of Asia Minor, and several cities claimed him.
The poems grew out of a habit of singing stories aloud. Professional singers recite passages at public festivals, choosing stories to suit themselves or their audience.
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 7 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
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- English
- Reading time
- 6 h 10 min
- Level
- Medium level
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What is the Iliad about?
The Iliad tells of a short stretch of the tenth year of the Trojan War. A quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles keeps the best Greek fighter out of battle, and the war grows deadlier for both sides.
What is the Odyssey about?
The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long voyage home from Troy to Ithaca. It also follows his wife Penelope and son Telemachus, who must deal with a crowd of suitors who have taken over his house.
Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey?
Ancient tradition credits a poet named Homer, said to have lived on the Ionian coast. Scholars still debate who he was, whether one poet made both works, and how they were shaped before being written down.
The author
William Lucas Collins
1815–1887 · English clergyman and essayist
William Lucas Collins (1815–1887) was an English Anglican priest and essayist who lived in England. He wrote introductions to ancient Greek and Roman authors, including Homer. He edited the series Ancient Classics for English Readers, which began publication in 1870 and included his accounts of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
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