Homer Beside Himself

Students reading the Iliad for the first time are often bewildered by the sheer volume of information on apparently unrelated subjects which it contains. The central narrative seems to unfold very slowly, and to be complicated by long speeches containing stories which might be interesting in themselves, but which seem to have no relevance to anything else. In this book, Dr Alden offers advice on how to read the Iliad through the relationship of major paradigms to the events of the main narrative The first section offers a full-length study in English of the paradigmatic functions of secondary narratives and minor-key episodes in the Iliad . None of these are irrelevant or merely ornamental: rather each is carefully selected and altered if necessary, to reflect on significant episodes of the main narrative and act as guides to its interpretation. The second section offers a general reading of the Iliad arising out of Phoenix's advice to Achilles in Book 9. Review: The general reader of Homer will profit from this book, which is well written, in a lucid style ... contains a wealth of helpful information ... it succeeds in elucidating much of the material used in the composition of the Iliad. Gnomon ... well worth the reading. Classical World Maureen Alden's book is learned and detailed and is an important contribution to Homeric studies. But even to those who do not know ancient Greek, there is an interest in the style of the ancient oral poets that seems to have been common from India to Ireland ... This book is a brilliant piece of scholarship. Seanchas Ard Mhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society This is a provocative and unorthodox book which contains much detailed and interesting discussion, and above all a sense of the abundant richness and subtlety of the first and greatest work of Western literature. Classics Ireland This is an intricate but humane book that sheds light on some of the motivic connections and contrasts that give the Iliad its moral depth. Greece Rome