I read The Iliad by Homer; translated by Robert Fitzgerald.
This is the ninth year of the battle of Troy.
Greeks v. Trojans.
Oh, and some other guys, too.
There are no wooden horses, here.
This is for real.
Translated, The Iliad probably loses some of its poetic quality but Fitzgerald presents page after page of beautifully written, violent imagery. The effects of spear and arrow attacks are viscerally described: bowels spill, blood pours from wounds and corpses are dumped in the river and devoured by fish.
A general knowledge of the pantheon of Greek gods is useful because Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes and Ares all make an appearance – some are major players in the war. Homer attributes the ups and downs of each sides' fortunes to the works of providence and often describes the gods fighting alongside men – when they are not scheming against one another. A truce is reached at one point but Apollo instigates fighting when he helps an inadvertently fired arrow hit its mark. In an odd sequence, Zeus is lulled to sleep by Athena while Poseidon roars to the aid of the Greeks. When Zeus awakens from his slumber, he restores order by banishing Poseidon back to the depths of the sea.
Gods are major players but the main characters are the mortal heroes: Akhilleus, Hektor, Patrokles, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Priam, et al. Homer introduces a slew of cannon fodder, even devoting a line or two of back story to most, before killing them on the battlefield. Long passages describe the strength of numbers on both sides of the conflict but it becomes clear that the most important battle will be the personal, ineluctable clash between Akhilleus and Hektor. Hektor kills scores of Akhilleus' comrades but only draws his ire when he kills his good friend Patrokles. Akhilleus vows to kill Hektor and a potentially never surceasing cycle of retribution killing ensues. But first, Patrokles' mourners participate in impromptu Olympic Games: competitions include a chariot race, archery tournament, track & field and wrestling. Hektor and Akhilleus finally meet at the end of book twenty, but when Akhilleus attacks with his spear, Hektor is whisked away in a cloud by the gods. Akhilleus vows to fight him again when both have gods in their corner. That time arrives and only one survives. Battle is suspended once again for the mourning of a fallen hero and The Iliad ends the only way it can: with a funeral pyre, a feast and the promise of more fighting.
