Homer: Iliad Book VI

The sixth book of the Iliad includes some of the most memorable and best-loved episodes in the whole poem: it holds meaning and interest for many different people, not just students of ancient Greek. Book 6 describes how Glaukos and Diomedes, though fighting on opposite sides, recognise an ancient bond of hospitality and exchange gifts on the battlefield. It then follows Hector as he enters the city of Troy and meets the most important people in his life: his mother, Helen and Paris, and finally his wife and baby son. It is above all through the loving and fraught encounter between Hector and Andromache that Homer exposes the horror of war. This edition is suitable for undergraduates at all levels, and students in the upper forms of schools. The Introduction requires no knowledge of Greek and is intended for all readers interested in Homer.

• Shows how recent Homeric scholarship makes a difference to the interpretation of Book 6, one of the best-loved books of the Iliad
• The commentary caters for beginners as well as advanced readers of Homeric Greek; basic grammatical help is coupled with sophisticated literary interpretation
• The very substantial Introduction offers detailed guidance on larger issues affecting the interpretation of Book 6, but should be useful to anybody reading any part of the Iliad