The Iliad of Homer

By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver

For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people.

Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece - whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.

As you'll learn, the grandeur and immediacy of Homer's world would seem to defy time and space. Throughout these lectures, you'll explore this legendary era in brilliant, unforgettable hues. You'll meet its towering heroes who thirst for honor and the gods who inspired and instigated them. You'll go deep inside the shattering battles at Troy that act out mankind's awesome passions for glory, love, and vengeance. But more than that, you'll focus on the timeless human issues this masterpiece raises, all of them evoked by the power of a single dramatic question: Why does Achilles rage? The limits of freedom, the common humanity we share, the line between justice and revenge, the nature of destiny, the meaning of life - Professor Vandiver uses the Iliad as a potent lens through which to study them all.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1999 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1999 The Great Courses

A Great Course for a Great Classic

What about Professor Elizabeth Vandiver’s performance did you like?

Professor Elizabeth Vandiver is quickly becoming one of my favorite professors available through the Great Courses. She knows how to provide the structure the material deserves, while keeping it accessible.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to, but my schedule dictated that I listen to it one lecture at a time.

Any additional comments?

If you're getting this, get The Odyssey of Homer (same Professor), it paints the full picture of the Greek Epics.

Excellent course

If you could sum up The Iliad of Homer in three words, what would they be?

Insightful. Rich. Invaluable.

What other book might you compare The Iliad of Homer to and why?

Vandiver's course on the Odyssey was just as amazing, and I highly recommend it.

Any additional comments?

To read the Iliad without this course would be to miss the heart and soul of the story. Vandiver is an excellent professor - thorough and insightful - and her grasp on classical mythology and Ancient Greek culture is undeniable. She uncovers and explores so many details that most readers would otherwise miss.

Makes the lliad easier to understand

the professor is very easy to listen to, brings greater insight to Hector,I'll listen again

Really takes you into the work

One of the best companions to The Iliad a fan could hope for. Whenever I discuss Homeric poetry with beginners, I find myself quoting Prof. Vandiver all the time.

Fantastic!

Very interesting cultural context for this most foundational of Western works! I’d read parts of the Iliad in high school and this was a much more enjoyable experience.

Fascinating

For those of us who are interested but not well versed in the Iliad, Dr. Vandiver invites her listeners to pull up a chair and enjoy an enthusiastic telling of the Trojan War. While I am sure other scholars of this work of Homer would enjoy further debates and postulations, I am grateful to have heard Dr. Vandiver’s thoughts and side notes of the tale of Hector and Achilles. Sincerely fascinating and I will listen to it again.

okay

overall it was okay. It was a little hard to understand. The story was very boring to me, now you may like but it was just very plain and very boring.

Excellent

Really enjoyed this course. Was trying to read the Iliad without much success. This course helped to open my eyes to the themes and interesting storylines threaded throughout. Would gladly listen to another course from this professor.

very good explanation!

i have always had a hard time reading the lliad but this is a great explanation and a good focus on the characters and most dramatic moments.

Opens the book up for you

this series made me look at the Iliad differently. certain things make more sense and subtleties blaze forth.