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Summary: The Second Half of the Iliad in Greek
Review: The companion to Monro's first volume, Iliad I-XII, this is classical scholarship at its best and most essential. Monro produced in the 19th century an edition of Homer's great epic in Greek that is still used by scholars around the world who read and work with the poem's original Greek text. This book is not for beginning readers of ancient Greek, since it follows the usual format of Oxford Classical Texts and lacks any commentary. But for those who can read the Greek, this volume offers some of the best moments of the epic: the death of the hero Achilles' great friend, Patroklos and his funeral games; the savage return to battle by Achilles and his victory over Hector; the final ransom of Hector's body by his aged father Priam from his mortal enemy. No one who can should miss the chance to read the Iliad in its original beauty.
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Summary: Homer's masterpiece
Review: This edition, in the original Greek, contains half of the Iliad and is followed by several other volumes, which contain the second half of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Homeric Hymns.The Iliad centers around the anger of the warrior Achilles when Agammenon unjustly takes his concubine. Achilles subsequently refuses to fight, and, because his divine strength makes him indispensible to the Greek war effort, the Greeks are nearly driven from the Trojan shores. Reading this book in the original language makes a big difference. Homer is a master of both sound and sense and to read him in translation deprives the reader of the former. The lack of commentary and vocabulary in this edition does not make it the best choice for beginners in Greek.
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