This book has had one of the longest shelf lives so far. I picked it up in the international book fair 6-7 years back. Since then it has sat on my shelves for more reasons than one. Ere I read the other Greek tragedies, my mind kept prodding me to pick 'The Iliad' up. But it somehow never happened till my last visit home. I finished Dr. Sacks' fascinating case stories and before I had a chance to pick anything new up, I was looking at the dust covered books in the shelves back home. 'The Iliad'! Finally!
I would like to think that I am no stranger to Greek tragedies. I have read Euripides and Sophocles, though I am yet to read Aeschylus. I had thoroughly enjoyed the plays and the 'deus ex machina's. I have even read Virgil. But never had I enjoyed anything as much as when I read Homer's 'The Odyssey'. The story was more complete than the shorter plays and much more gripping. So I expected the same from 'The Iliad'. And it exceeded all expectations. I finished the book faster than any other work of similar nature or length. The poetry was fabulous. And so was the story. Fagles had done an amazing job with the translation as well. At times I read it out loud to myself. Such was the joy of reading this one. My biggest regret is that I should have started my foray into the Greek works with this one. It is now that the characters of the other plays are falling into place. Most of the other works have been written around this epic. It is here that the primary characters make their mark. The great Agamemnon; pitiable Hecuba; Aeneas, beloved by Gods; god-like Diomedes; the cunning Odysseus. But this book is about swift Achilles. Him and his rage. Him and his inescapable hands.
The book begins in the ninth year of Troy's siege. The city has not yet been taken. In the opening scene Achilles and Agamemnon have a fall out when Agamemnon takes the beautiful Briseis from Achilles. Achilles swears to no longer fight for a king who does not respect his captains. So while Achilles holds off from the battle, the Trojan forces advance till the Achean ships. All this by the will of Zeus of course, for nothing happens without the will of the son of Cronus. Now as the Gods fight on either sides, man-eating Hector pushes forward and the Achean captains are injured and disabled from battle one by one. But Zeus would not relent. He wishes to give Achilles the glory for his mother, Thetis, had held his knee and asked him the favour. But Achilles rage would not be doused, not by gifts from Agamemnon. But he yearns for the glory that war brings. Despite knowing well that that glory would come at the cost of his life before the city is taken. So as the Trojans keep advancing, he sends Patroclus, his beloved aide in arms, to the war on his behalf instead. Patroclus shines in battle, but is taken down by Trojans and Hector claims the glory. Achilles sees blood. He forgets his rage at Agamemnon and instead rages at Hector now. He needs Hector's blood. His mother gets him armour made by Hephaestus and once Achilles dons the armour and picks up his legendary shield, he is an unstoppable force. He tears through the Trojan ranks. He pushes them back behind their walls and Hector, who dares to face him, is humiliated and killed and humiliated again. The book ends after funeral games for Patroclus and Priam's ransoming of Hector's body.
The above story is beautifully portrayed in twenty four parts. There are adjectives abundant and the introduction provided a good reason for them. It is one of those introductions that are as important (perhaps even more) than the book itself. To sum it all up, the book was a joy all through. Right from the original story by Homer to the beautiful translation and the introduction to top it all off. I have already read Odysseus's tale, so I guess there is nothing more that I can get from Homer. But I have a revived interest in the Greek tragedies again and I have Aeschylus' Oresteia lying in my shelves.
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