The Iliad

Eloquent, rhythmical and full of power, The Iliad is an extraordinary masterpiece that no listener can afford to miss. Perhaps one of the purest mirrors of human experience ever created, this unforgettable epic spans the farthest reaches of emotion-glory and shame, love and rage, courage and terror. When Paris of Troy fell in love with Helen of Sparta and took her to his homeland, the princes of Greece launched a fleet of a thousand ships filled with armed men to bring her back. Led by Helen’s brother-in-law, Agamemnon, this immense force would besiege Troy for 10 years in a staggering effort to rescue the princess. The Iliad is the story of Achilles, the greatest warrior of this decade-long war, and his desperate-but ultimately futile – battle against the once-magnificent city. Preserved for over two thousand years, this vivid, mesmerizing saga was originally performed by Greek bards, masters of a rich oral tradition. Robert Fitzgerald’s brilliant translation, lauded as the definitive modern version of Homer’s immortal story, proves a powerful experience when read by 20th-century storyteller George Guidall.